Sequel: Running With Scissors ›
Those Worse Off Than You
Part 27
I must have been sitting there longer than I thought I was, because within no time, there was a knock at the door. “Hi,” Ace said quietly and looked at the floor, walking in the room with a clean pair of clothes on.
I looked up and my eyes started to sting. “Where’d you go?”
“I… I didn’t want to cause anyone any trouble. I swear- I didn’t go anywhere. I was just wandering around. I would have been a hassle if I came back here.”
“You would not have been a hassle! We would have helped you.”
“It would have been kind of odd- after what you saw.”
“Why didn’t you tell me it was like that?”
“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Promise not to get mad?”
He raised an eyebrow, “Why would I be mad?”
“Because my parents found out about…stuff and my dad called Children’s Aid… they’re coming here.”
“Seriously?”
“Yea…. I’m sorry. I swear- I didn’t tell them anything, they just figured it out on their own.”
He cursed and sighed. He started biting his fingernails and sat down beside me. “What’s going to happen?”
“My dad said they just want to talk to you…”
“Bullshit. They’re going to make me go to one of those stupid homes.”
“Ace- please don’t lie to them. No matter what happens- you can’t keep going back there.”
“Why? Why should anyone care?”
“Because eventually something is going to happen to you! You’re going to get hurt one day!”
“I’ve already been hurt,” he yelled and stood up, pacing in circles with his hands on his head.
I started crying.
“No- don’t cry,” Ace kneeled in front of me. “Jayde- don’t cry. I’m not worth it.”
“Please don’t lie to them.”
“Okay… alright- you know what, I’ll tell them. I’ll tell them everything.”
“It’s going to help you. It’s going to make your life better.”
“I know… you’re right.”
The doorbell wrung. “Well- there they are,” I said.
“Yup.”
I got up with him and walked into the hallway.
“Thanks,” he said.
“For what?”
“Everything,” he smiled and gave me a hug. I hugged him back.
“So… I guess this is it. I’ve got to get my nerves together,” he stated and sighed, taking a deep breath.
“You’ll do fine, just go,” I smirked.
We both walked into the living room and a man and a woman were sitting on the couch talking to my parents, who looked up to see us and introduced the both of us to the social workers.
Eventually, they asked if we could all leave the room so they could talk to Ace. My parents smiled and waved as they walked into they’re room. I waved nervously and walked down the hall into my room and closed the door. I sprawled on my back on my bed and grabbed the closest plushie, playing with it like I had seen Ace playing with it when we were supposed to be doing our homework.
I looked up and my eyes started to sting. “Where’d you go?”
“I… I didn’t want to cause anyone any trouble. I swear- I didn’t go anywhere. I was just wandering around. I would have been a hassle if I came back here.”
“You would not have been a hassle! We would have helped you.”
“It would have been kind of odd- after what you saw.”
“Why didn’t you tell me it was like that?”
“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Promise not to get mad?”
He raised an eyebrow, “Why would I be mad?”
“Because my parents found out about…stuff and my dad called Children’s Aid… they’re coming here.”
“Seriously?”
“Yea…. I’m sorry. I swear- I didn’t tell them anything, they just figured it out on their own.”
He cursed and sighed. He started biting his fingernails and sat down beside me. “What’s going to happen?”
“My dad said they just want to talk to you…”
“Bullshit. They’re going to make me go to one of those stupid homes.”
“Ace- please don’t lie to them. No matter what happens- you can’t keep going back there.”
“Why? Why should anyone care?”
“Because eventually something is going to happen to you! You’re going to get hurt one day!”
“I’ve already been hurt,” he yelled and stood up, pacing in circles with his hands on his head.
I started crying.
“No- don’t cry,” Ace kneeled in front of me. “Jayde- don’t cry. I’m not worth it.”
“Please don’t lie to them.”
“Okay… alright- you know what, I’ll tell them. I’ll tell them everything.”
“It’s going to help you. It’s going to make your life better.”
“I know… you’re right.”
The doorbell wrung. “Well- there they are,” I said.
“Yup.”
I got up with him and walked into the hallway.
“Thanks,” he said.
“For what?”
“Everything,” he smiled and gave me a hug. I hugged him back.
“So… I guess this is it. I’ve got to get my nerves together,” he stated and sighed, taking a deep breath.
“You’ll do fine, just go,” I smirked.
We both walked into the living room and a man and a woman were sitting on the couch talking to my parents, who looked up to see us and introduced the both of us to the social workers.
Eventually, they asked if we could all leave the room so they could talk to Ace. My parents smiled and waved as they walked into they’re room. I waved nervously and walked down the hall into my room and closed the door. I sprawled on my back on my bed and grabbed the closest plushie, playing with it like I had seen Ace playing with it when we were supposed to be doing our homework.