Sequel: Running With Scissors ›
Those Worse Off Than You
Part 10
"What about your mom? I asked curiously, wondering if he would tell, or just run off. It was peacefully quiet for the moments it took for him to gather up the courage to tell me about it.
"I was young... six or seven, when she was first diagnosed with cancer. She seemed fine for the first couple years. Even though she felt sick, she always paid attention to me; put time into her day for me. After a couple years, there were times when she couldn't play with me anymore, and even when she tried, my dad would shoo me away and tell me mom needed her rest. Eventually, she ended up in the hospital, and my dad sent me away to live with my grandparents- it felt like he was trying to keep me from her. It was exactly what he was doing... keeping me from her." He stopped for a second. I turned around and noticed a certain look on his face. The look you see when something is bothering someone- like earlier in the lunchroom.
"Ace- you don't have to tell me the rest."
"He wiped his face on his sweater, "No, I want to tell you- please. Please; just listen."
I nodded, moving next to him. "Alright... keep going."
He took a deep breath and went on, "One day, I came home from school... and they told my she was gone. At the time, I guess... didn't understand what was going on. Our family was falling apart- my mother was our base; our glue. I didn't want to believe she was gone, so I pretended I didn't understand what they meant. I ended up in therapy two times a week because everyone just thought I was emotionally unstable, but in reality- I just didn't know how to cope with it. I... I ended up living with my dad after a while, but even he had changed. He'd forgotten I was there. Now, he keeps to himself. He doesn't like to think I'm still here... he's in his own world. And when he's not, it's when... it's when he's... angry. He manages to notice I'm there then," he mumbled the last few sentences.
"I'm sorry, I... I didn't know. I shouldn't have asked, it's your own business."
"Please don't say that... I needed to tell someone about it- someone besides a friggin' shrink. So... thank you- for listening," he said, looking down at me like he had the first time he saw me- except this time, he was the scared one. He trusted me with his secret.
I started my nervous habit of running my fingers through the grass, feeling it's blades under my fingers, until I felt a hand on top of mine. "Best Friends?" Ace asked.
I smiled, "Sure."
One thing I noticed about Ace during the afternoon was that he was like a dog. Like those poor puppies that follow you home with their tail between their legs and their head down low. Seems different than the character I met yesterday, but I was wondering, could this all be true?
"I was young... six or seven, when she was first diagnosed with cancer. She seemed fine for the first couple years. Even though she felt sick, she always paid attention to me; put time into her day for me. After a couple years, there were times when she couldn't play with me anymore, and even when she tried, my dad would shoo me away and tell me mom needed her rest. Eventually, she ended up in the hospital, and my dad sent me away to live with my grandparents- it felt like he was trying to keep me from her. It was exactly what he was doing... keeping me from her." He stopped for a second. I turned around and noticed a certain look on his face. The look you see when something is bothering someone- like earlier in the lunchroom.
"Ace- you don't have to tell me the rest."
"He wiped his face on his sweater, "No, I want to tell you- please. Please; just listen."
I nodded, moving next to him. "Alright... keep going."
He took a deep breath and went on, "One day, I came home from school... and they told my she was gone. At the time, I guess... didn't understand what was going on. Our family was falling apart- my mother was our base; our glue. I didn't want to believe she was gone, so I pretended I didn't understand what they meant. I ended up in therapy two times a week because everyone just thought I was emotionally unstable, but in reality- I just didn't know how to cope with it. I... I ended up living with my dad after a while, but even he had changed. He'd forgotten I was there. Now, he keeps to himself. He doesn't like to think I'm still here... he's in his own world. And when he's not, it's when... it's when he's... angry. He manages to notice I'm there then," he mumbled the last few sentences.
"I'm sorry, I... I didn't know. I shouldn't have asked, it's your own business."
"Please don't say that... I needed to tell someone about it- someone besides a friggin' shrink. So... thank you- for listening," he said, looking down at me like he had the first time he saw me- except this time, he was the scared one. He trusted me with his secret.
I started my nervous habit of running my fingers through the grass, feeling it's blades under my fingers, until I felt a hand on top of mine. "Best Friends?" Ace asked.
I smiled, "Sure."
One thing I noticed about Ace during the afternoon was that he was like a dog. Like those poor puppies that follow you home with their tail between their legs and their head down low. Seems different than the character I met yesterday, but I was wondering, could this all be true?