Denial

1 ~morning~

(A/N: The cover picture used for this story is drawn by me. So don't steal it!! Thank youuu)

    Joey awoke to the smell of donuts, definitely jelly donuts. He could tell by the pleasant raspberry scent wafting through the room. The harsh rays of the sun causing him to stir. Joey released a deep groan as the light shined in his eyes. He slowly brought a hand up to brush his blonde locks out of his face.

Why would he smell donuts of all things? Surely, his drunk of a father, sitting in his worn-out recliner hadn't bought them as a gift. The man only seemed to spend his money on alcohol, despite the piles of debts lying under his name. Curiosity filled Joey's sleepy eyes as he slowly rose from his bed. As he made his way out into the living room, he was immediately met the familiar scent of beer. Joey stifled an eye-roll as he observed his unconscious, hungover father.

As he made his way over to the kitchen counter, a small pink post-it note caught his attention. As he read the note, he couldn't help but let a small smile adorn his features. It read:

Joey, We hope you are well and we miss you so very much. I know times are difficult right now, but you are so very brave. It's hard to believe you're already 16! You're growing up so fast. Me and your sister think about you every day. We love you so much! Happy Birthday <3                           ~Love, Mom & Serenity

Joey's smile quickly dissipated as he heard a loud grunt coming from the living room. Dad's awake. He hurriedly folded the note and stuck it in his back pocket. Joey listened as heavy footsteps stumbled into the kitchen. His father, pushed Joey aside to reach the fridge, then made eye contact with the pastel pink colored box. The box held a dozen multi-colored, fluffy donuts.

"The hell's that from?" Joey's father shouted in a deep, raspy voice. Joey uncomfortably shifted from one foot to another as he took a deep breath before speaking.

"They're from Mom" Joey mumbles, visibly sweating as he avoided eye contact with his father.

"Psht, you don't need to be eating that sugary shit anyway. And make eye contact when speaking to me!" his dad barked while shooting a glare at Joey's trembling form. His father turned and grabbed the box of donuts before practically slamming it into the garbage can. Joey gulped as he felt a twinge of regret go through his heart for not trying to stop his father from destroying the gift he received on his 'special day'. For the love his mother put in, going through the effort of retrieving the donuts just for him.

"Now get your ass to school." His father growled as he opened the refrigerator to retrieve a can of beer. Joey quickly turned on his heel and power-walked back to the safety of his bedroom. Once he was out of hearing range of his father he released an exasperated sigh as he kneeled down to grab his book bag.

"So much for having a 'happy birthday'" he mumbled to himself as he slung the book bag over his shoulder to begin his long, lonely walk to school....