Falling on Dead Ears

Travis stood there in shock. He wasn’t sure what to do. There was no way he could keep up with her and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to. Reaching back he opened the back door and stepped out into the sun shine eyeing the tracks, and jumps just down the grassy green hill.

“What’s with her?” Derek hissed from a few feet away. Travis sighed heavily at the man.

“We’re you going to hit her back?” Travis snapped bitterly. This was going to go two ways, and he knew it. Either Derek would admit to the fact he was raising one hand to strike her and Travis would rip his throat out, or Derek would lie about what Travis had witnessed and he’d call him a liar starting a fight to where they’re both rip each others throats outs. There was no good out come to this.

“What’d you want me to say? That I was going to stand there and let her hit me and be a pussy like you and take her shit,” Travis squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t take Ellie’s shit. She was only trying to help him at the moment, other than that she let him do whatever he wanted when he wanted. “I’m sorry to say but I don’t let women, let alone deaf women slap me.” Derek hissed.

“She was only slapping you because you don’t understand this.” Travis hissed back moving his hands You’re an ass, get the hell out of my house “Which is what she was telling as best she could. You have no right to hit her, let alone any woman!” Travis growled.

“When you get the stick out of your ass, call me we’ll get back to work.” Travis gritted his teeth.

“Because of you I can’t even ride!” Travis yelled. Derek turned to him and laughed.

“You’re well enough to ride, you’re bitch just won’t let you.” Travis lifted his fist as his limbs shook with rage.

“You’re fucking fired.” Derek snorted.

“Right. You’re just mad you can’t ride and I’m calling your woman a bitch, which the second is true.” Derek left after than leaving Travis shaking with rage on his back deck.

Sucking in deep breaths he tried to calm himself down. Picking up a small cup resting on the table he threw it as hard and as far as he could. Shattering against the ground Travis smiled in slight relief.

“Damn it!” He yelled realizing he now had to clean up the mess so no one would hurt themselves. “Fuck me.” He growled annoyed.

Shaking his head he sat down in one of the out doors chairs and sighed. That chair was the spot Travis took for the next four days as he constantly checked over his shoulder a lump growing slowly in his throat. He hadn’t seen Ellie in four days, he didn’t know what do. He couldn’t even find her, in his own damn house!

“Hey there Gimp.” Travis waved as he watched into the house over his shoulder. She had to come out to eat at some point and the kitchen was right in his view. “What are you doing?” Jim laughed as he took a seat across from his friend. Travis sighed and looked at his friend.

“If you see Ellie in there let me know.” Travis sighed. Jim frowned.

“She’s down there.” Jim pointed to the tree line. Travis sat up right.

“You gotta be kidding…” He sighed noticing the movement in his trees. Jim frowned confused.

“What’s goin’ on?” Jim asked as Travis slouched in his seat.

“We had a fight…I guess.” Travis mumbled sadly. Jim blinked startled. The perfect couple had a fight. “It was four days ago.” He stated simply rubbing his face. “Derek came over.” Jim nodded slowly. It was no secret Ellie didn’t like the man. “I was coming out here to sit down and heard him call my name after I sat down. I heard a few slaps, jumped out of my seat and turns out she was slapping him but when I got to the door finally.” He tapped his cane to prove he was slow. “He had her wrist in grip and his knuckles were turning white with his other hand raised.” Travis growled. “I got him to leave and I was mad. I was fucking livid, but not at her, at him. I guess… I took my aggression out on her before I got him to leave.” Jim’s eyes went wide. “I yelled at her and scared her.” Travis sighed rubbing his face. “I asked her why she would do it because he could seriously hurt her, he could probably kill her. He’s twice her size!” He gasped. Jim sighed.

“I thought you were about to say you hit her.” Travis eyes bugged.

“What? No! I’d never lay a hand on her like that, or any other woman.” Travis gasped quickly.

“So what happened after that?”

Travis lifted his hat off his head and ran his hand through his messy hair. Sighing he licked his lips slowly and glanced down the hill hoping to catch a glance of Ellie. Only to see no moment or any sign of life.

“She answered me.” Travis swallowed nervously. “She slapped him because she thinks he’s going to be the death of me.” His hand absent mindedly began rubbing his knee. “Then she ran off and I just let her go.” He swallowed loudly as he let his gaze drift to his friend. Jim had never seen Travis so fore-lone looking, so broken. “She looked so scared of me Jim. I didn’t know what else to do but let her go.” Travis whispered slowly. “And…” He licked his lips, mouth floundering moments later. “I can’t find her, I’ve looked. I haven’t seen her in four days. I’m losing my mind.” Jim sighed gently at his friend. “What the hell am I suppose to do? What if she hates me? What if she never wants to see me again? What the hell am I going to do? I can’t lose her.” He choked out. He could feel tears building behind his eyes. “I love her.” Travis had never uttered those words out loud; he’d only nodded when someone asked him if he loved her. “I love her.” He clarified as Jim smiled at him. “What if she… She’s probably… and then… ugh.” He rested his face in his hands as his mind went a million miles an hour. “What if I made her cry?” Travis finally choked out looking up at Jim horrified.

“I…I duh…” Jim shrugged slowly. “I don’t know.”

“You’re in a long term relationship! Help me! What would you do if this was you and Jo?” Travis prodded quickly.

“Okay,” Jim leaned forward on the patio table. “First off if it was me and Jo, Jo would’ve punched Derek in the face and if I yelled at her for something like that she’d punch me in the face.” Jim lifted his hand. “And probably more than once.” He laughed. Travis glared.

“Can you pretend Jolene isn’t part dude for once?”

“Hey! She’s all woman.” Travis groaned.

“Not helping!” He yelled. Jim sighed and leaned back in his chair.

“The question is what would I do in you’re shoes?” Travis nodded slowly, desperately. “I… I honestly don’t know.” He sighed.

“You suck as a best friend!” Travis groaned. Jim simply pointed towards the house and Travis whipped around. “Thank you I love you.” He stated getting up out of his chair as fast as he could with out falling and opening the sliding door.

Hobbling into the kitchen his smile faded at the sight of his mother. Debbie frowned.

“I love you too?” She tried. Travis sighed and sat at the bar. “What’s wrong?”

“Ellie and I had a fight and I haven’t seen her in four days.” He grumbled. Debbie sighed.

“Uh-Oh trouble in paradise?” Travis groaned slamming his head into the counter.

“I’m a fucking idiot.” He looked at his mother. “You gave birth to a retard.” He deadpanned.

“I know.” Debbie smiled getting a frown from him.

“Jim was more helpful.” Travis hissed into the counter top.