The Neighbor

Chapter 8: The Truth

"You are terrible, "I laughed. Brendan had to have the dirtiest mind I had ever seen.

"You have to admit though, "he said, "it's funny and charming."

"It is neither of those things, "I said. It had been two days since I met Brendan and we were all ready great friends. I had come to his house everyday since Saturday. I still hadn't seen his entire house. Really just the living room, the kitchen, and the bathroom.

"In all seriousness though, "he said, "we should get to know eachother a bit more."

I set down my cup on his coffee table and asked, "What do you want to  know?"

"I don't know, "he said, "tell me something about you."

"Well let's see, "I said, "you know I'm 15, I like to surf, I like fashion design. There isn't much else."

"Come on, "he said, "tell me a secret about you."

"Um...my dad left when I was 12, "I said.

"Really?" he said, "I'm so sorry."

"It's not a big deal, "I said, "I don't care anymore."

"Well I would tell you a secret about me but I have a feeling you know everything about me."

"You guessed right."

"All right then tell me something else. An interesting secret fact about Danny."

"I have a crush, "I said.

"Oh yes, "he shouted, "this is my thing. Let me guess, your too scared to tell him?"

"You are way too excited about this, "I laughed.

"I know now who is it?"

"Kahoni Hale, "I said after a moment of hesitation.

"And you haven't told him because?"

I had reasons for not telling Kahoni I liked him, but I couldn't share those reasons with Brendan. I didn't want to drag Kahoni into my miserable life even if he wanted to be. But Brendan wouldn't understand that because he thought my mother was a kind lady like everyone else's mothers. I told him, "Just because." Brendan looked suspicious but dropped the topic.

"So anything else interesting?" he urged.

"No, "I said. I reached out and grabbed my cup.

"What's that?" Brendan asked. I was confused at first then I realized he was looking at my wrist. I always covered my cut marks with a glove but the glove had fallen low revealing just a small portion of my wrist.

"It's nothing, "I said quickly as I covered my wrist.

"No it wasn't, "Brendan said, "Was it what I thought it was?"

"I don't know, "I said, "I can't read your mind." He sighed quietly then, quicker than I imagined possible, he lunged and grabbed my wrist. He pulled off my glove.

"You cut yourself?" he said in a angry tone, "he you just forgot to mention this?"

"Not so much as forgot as purposely not telling you, "I said.

"Danny, "he said.

"It's not that big a deal, "I said, "I mean so what?"

"So it's dangerous, "he said, "you should have told me."

"Why? So you can help?" I shouted as I stood up, "What are you my father now?"

"Danny I didn't mean, "he said.

"I don't need a father Brendan, "I continued, "I all ready have one that's going to come back for me any day now! I don't need your charity!" I stormed out of his house. I don't know what I expected. Maybe for him to call after me, to beg me to come back. But that didn't happen because that only happens in movies, and my life wasn't nearly luxurious enough to be a movie. Besides movies have happy endings and I certainly never had one of those before.

----------------------------------------------------

I looked down at the box. I didn't know what I was thinking. There was a man down the street that had offered to help me only a week ago. Yet here I was. I lifted the lid and saw the familiar contents. I picked up the one object I always did, the knife. That knife brought back bad memories, so why did I always go to it? I had a friend now, a person who cared about me. Why was I coming back to this old, disgusting thing?

"You don't need it, "I whispered to myself, "put it back." But I didn't put it back. I walked over to the small window and pushed it open. Night air dried the tears off my cheeks, the tears I didn't even know had been falling. The moon was large and bright and radiated hope. Palm leaves swayed in the breeze. It was a peaceful sight. But the thing that warmed me up most was the large house at the end of the street, and the man sitting in that house all alone.

I looked back down at that knife. It seemed to ruin all the good nights. The warm breeze, the hopeful moon, the swaying palm leaves. I held the knife an arm's length away, out over the edge of the window.

"Goodbye bad memories, "I said, "your not needed anymore." I let the knife slip between my fingers and heard it hit the soft ground. It was gone now and it was never coming back.

----------------------------------------------------

The next morning I got dressed and walked to Brendan's house, without the glove. The door opened the second before I knocked, like he was waiting for me.

He hugged me tightly and said, "Thank God your all right." He let me go and shuffled me inside. "I got worried when you didn't come back. I didn't know if you got hurt or what. I didn't know which house you lived in so I couldn't check up on you."

"Brendan, "I said.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Shut up."

He laughed in a relieved sort of way. "Do you want something to eat or drink or anything really. I can get you get you anything you want."

"Is it okay if we just talk?" I said, slightly amused by his actions.

"Yes of course, "he said, motioning to the couch. I sat and he sat acrossed from me.

I took breath and said, "I'm sorry I stormed out a week ago. I guess I was just scared. No one has ever wanted to help me. No one has ever done something to help me that wouldn't benefit themselves. When my dad left I figured that it would help me too, that he would come back to get me. But I was wrong and you were right. I do need a father figure because my father isn't coming back."

"You don't know that Danny, "Brendan interrupted.

"I do, "I said, "he isn't coming back to save me and I would be honored to have you for a father figure. I would love to have your help."

He was quiet a moment, then said, "Well in that case I need to know." He grabbed my wrist to look at the scars. "Why?"

I sniffled and felt a tear fall down my cheek. I didn't know how to say it, I had never told anyone before.

"You know how I was complaining a few days before about how the grocery bag ripped in my driveway and how I wished I didn't have to do all the shopping?" I asked, "Or when I was freaking out about that test because if I got anything below an A I would be punished? And then I laughed like it was a joke." He nodded to show he remembered. "It wasn't a joke, "I said, "I really do do all the shopping, I really would be punished if I got an A-."

We sat there in silence as I let him soak it in.

"What does she do to you?" he asked after a while.

"Most of the time she hits me with pots, pans, or rulers, "I answered honestly.

"And you never told anyone?" he asked.

Tears streamed down my face. I cried, "Please don't tell anyone! Please Brendan, she'll kill me if she finds out someone knows!"

He hugged me and I sobbed into his chest. "It's okay, "he said, "I won't let her hurt you. As long as your with me your safe."