Just Love Me Once Again

Page 18

Trixie.

Caleb entwined his fingers with mine. I hadn't touched weed in over a week, yet somehow I floated above the ground, my blood ran warm in my veins, and I felt high, no not high, invincible.

"Can I ask you a question? I won't mean to offend you by it," I said.

My hand went limp, but he clung to it, not allowing to escape. "I guess."

"Is there a reason behind you working so hard for a living? I mean, your parents do have a job. Then why do you work in that burger shop, even tutor me?"

We reached the arcade. Some middle-schoolers hovered around a game with a mock machine gun. We reached the empty pool tables in the back.

Reluctantly, he let go of my hand and pushed a couple dollars into the Coin machine.

"I'm saving money so that I can leave the house after school."

Now it suddenly made sense why he always hangs outside.

I plunked two quarters into the table and balls rumbled out of the slot.

Caleb immediately tossed them onto the table. "Eight or nine balls?"

"Eight." Nine was more complicated.

He set the balls into the rack and flipped the triangle away, "You break."

Better he breaks and get one in that nothing at all. " You first. I want to see you lose badly."

"Your funeral." he sang, and my lips turned up at his flash of confidence.

Caleb twirled his pool cue like a warrior going into the battle, never once taking his eyes off the cue ball.

The quick and crashing cracking of balls caught me off guard.

Damn, the boy knew how to play.

After sinking two more shots, he finally missed. Now it was my turn. Sixty percent capacity wouldn't cut it with him. Hell, one hundred percent may not even be enough.

"It's been more than five years since my parents are fighting with each other. It was a summer evening, when dad left us with his girlfriend. It was too difficult for mom to take it, so she engulfed herself in alcohol.

For months, after school, I secretly visited the neighborhood where my dad and her girlfriend lived. Dad was happy with her. I begged mom to bring back dad, but that never happened. Then one day, I left mom to stay with dad, but little did I knew that day would change my life forever.

When I reached there, dad was out of town, but his girlfriend allowed me to stay there. She was incredibly generous to offer her room and food to me.

But when night came, everything changed.

While I was asleep, she tied me to her bed. And then...

She assaulted me, with a knife, she cut my skin. My pain was a pleasure for her.

Thanks to the heavens, my father reached home on time and saved me. Police arrested her, and my father returned home back. But my mom never accepted him.

I was happy. I brought them back together. But then the nightmare began, every single night they argue, blame each other for the things that happened to me that night."

I missed my shot and swallowed the thought of Caleb being tortured.

He sounded detached, but I wanted to know all about him.

So he wasn't some nerd looking for extra credit or service hours.

Caleb and I were more alike than I'd thought.

"Your turn to answer a question," he said.

"Shoot."

"Why are you on pills, and no lies." He asked.

Feeling off-balance, I leaned on the pool stick. " My dad hanged himself one year ago, and I don't remember anything that happened that night. I face blackouts if I forcibly try to remember it. Even, it's been a year, I have slept for more than an hour. So, not to be more insane, I am on medication." I broke the balls with more strength than I'd intended. I couldn't get the picture of Dads bruised neck out of my head.

"Swear you won't tell anyone." I hissed.

"I swear."

"Do you know what it's like to not remember something? Do you know what it's like to have horrifying nightmares night after night? I go to bed one night, my life perfect, and then wake up in agony two days later in a hospital and my whole world is torn apart."

Caleb's phone vibrated, displaying Natalie's number.

What was I thinking, he has Natalie.

I rubbed my face with both hands, my anger dying out. "I've got to go. Thanks for joining the game."

I glanced over my shoulder. Dark circles hung under his eyes and his shoulders slumped forward. How come I have never seen the exhaustion before? I talked about nightmares. When was the last time he'd slept?

Not my concern.

He is not mine.