All Tables Turned

Chapter 7: The Beginning

A ravenous storm choked my chest as I stared frantically at the horrific scene before me. My very own father had my brother pinned to the concrete floor of our living room and was mere milliseconds away from remorselessly bashing his head into the ground with a pen. 

Mom still couldn't find the strength to stop him. The creases in her eyes sank deeper into her tired skin, and her dark pupils remained stagnant as she stared idly at my brother's face. His crooked smile remains undaunted - unperturbed. He has his face turned up from the ground so that his right eye meets the gaze of my father, who is hovering the pen over his head. 

"Go ahead, old man! The hell are you waiting for?" he exclaimed. Against all logic, he didn't show a single hint of fear. 

His body looked lifeless under the bulky weight of my father, who is staring down at him with an irate expression on his face. His hands tremble with anger - or fear - as he began to pull back to strike the first blow. As he lunges his hand towards Xavier's temple, I suddenly feel my body accelerate to grab his hand. 

The second our hands make contact, I can feel every ounce of emotion transfer into me. Everything. His anger. His fear. His sadness. His grief. Heartache. Confusion. Depression.

 I know that last one better than I would like to. 

His eyes tear away from Xavier and meet mine. As we gaze into each other's eyes, I catch sight of a daunting reflection in his pupils. I stare fearfully a terrified, anemic girl clutching onto dear life as her bloodshot eyes blinked grievously at her shattered father. The sheer sight froze my heart and battered my spine.

 As I continued to stare at myself in his eyes, I couldn't help but wonder what he was seeing in mine. 

"Dad, you don't need to do that," I begged. 

"August, stay back--"

"It's Aurora, and I'm not going anywhere if you're going to injure my only brother for absolutely nothing."

"Nothing? He broke your arm, August. "

"So what? Do you think my arm is magically going to heal overnight because you killed your son? I don't think that's how biology works, Dad. An eye for an eye doesn't accomplish anything. You're the one that taught me that."

"No, I taught you to stand up for yourself when the time is appropriate. Right now is more than an appropriate time, August."

"Okay then. Let me stand up for myself. I don't need you doing that for me." 

The endearing gaze my father and I shared previously quickly dissolved into thin air as we began to glare at each other in vexation. I could see my mother begin to breakdown in my peripheral vision. I can't stop to help her. Not right now. 

"Okay then, Aurora. Riddle me this. When I let this boy off the floor. What exactly are you going to do to get him to stop hurting you? Cry? Hug him? Forgive him so he can do it again?" Dad said sarcastically.

"He's got a point there, Augy-boy." Xavier snickers. It's times like these when I wonder why I lay my neck out for him. But I can't deny what they're saying. Of course, I'm not just gonna give him a pat on the back and walk away. But I can't keep walking the same school grounds as him and not expect to have a rock thrown at my skull. 

As much as I love Xavier, we need space from each other. We both need to figure out the kind of person we want to be. 

I stare back at my father, who is impatiently waiting for my reply. I could feel my spine harden for once instead of soften. I could feel the tension in my legs ease and my back straighten. Every last drop of insecurity drained into my mouth as I firmly announced my response with confidence.

"Dad. I'd like to switch schools."