The Only Exception

The grip he has on my arm is tight and I know for a fact it’s going to leave a mark. With my eyes clenched shut, I turn my head away in hopes for him to stop spitting on me after every word. He’s screaming, his voice is banging against my ear drums giving me a major head ache. I inhale through my nostrils and try to remain calm.

I’m feeling two things right now; anger and fear. Anger from the fact that he’s pushing me around and screaming at me like it’s ok, like it’s normal and he can do it. Fear from how angry he is and what he can and most likely will do to me if I do anything to piss him off further.

My heart is thumping within my chest. It beats against my ribcage madly and I try my best to act like he isn’t phasing me.It doesn’t work.

“Roy, are you even listening to me?” He growls through clenched teeth and I swear that his eyes are crimson but it has to be my imagination. I blink the sight away and nod although I’m not.

“Little faggot,” he hisses, throwing me to the side. Stumbling, I manage to catch myself on the door frame to the kitchen. Looking over my shoulder, I watch him point his finger at me in a warning. “I swear if you continue going over to that fucking queer’s house you will regret it.”

Dad disappears into the living room, leaving me to tend to my arm. It’s already red and beginning to bruise. Just lightly touching it causes it to sting in pain. I bite back a hiss and make my way into the kitchen to make dinner. It’s weird making it here because I’m always at Harper’s now.

I’m always making dinner for him and I like it. I like doing things to help him. He actually fucking appreciates it and thanks me while these assholes just expect me to do it. They should just do it themselves. Aren’t they supposed to be the adults?

Once dinner is finished, I take it into the living room to get to them. They take it and as expected complain about every damn thing. My fists begin to shake and nostrils flare because I’m just so angry and so agitated with them but I resist the urge to grab the dearest blunt object and smash it over their heads. Taking in a calming breath, I turn on my heel and head upstairs to my room where I open the door and refrain from slamming it behind me.

Stomping over to my bed, I take a seat on the mattress and grab a pillow. The poor thing is being crushed against my chest but I don’t care. It’s just a pillow. It isn’t even living. It has no feelings so it’s fine. It’s A-Fucking-Okay unlike me.

I hate them. I really do. I hate the both of them. All they’ve ever done is treated me like shit. It’s all they’ll ever do, I know it. I’m their son yet they treat me like the scum of the earth. They always have and it makes me wonder why they even kept me. If they hate me so much why didn’t they just hand me over to the system? As a baby it probably would have been easy to find me a home but no…I’m stuck with these assholes who honestly don’t give a damn.

I can’t wait until graduation. I can’t wait to leave.

…leave?

Realization hits me like a ton of bricks. It suddenly feels like thousands of pounds of pressure is being pressed against me and my shoulders slump at the feeling. Pressing my fingers against my lip, I bite at my nails because…because my plans are ruined.

All the plans I had can’t happen now. Well they could but that would mean leaving Harper and…I don’t want to do that.

Right after high school I was going to leave, that was the plan. The day of graduation I was going to have my things already packed and waiting for me at home. I would have had only what I needed before hopping on a train and hauling ass out of here. I was going to go to the farthest college possible and leave this life behind me and never look back. That was my plan. That was my goal, what I always wanted to do for as long as I could remind but now…

Now there’s Harper and he’s the one thing here that I won’t leave behind no matter what. I did plan on leaving my friends because I knew all of them would stay here. I know it’s cruel but I didn’t want them to drag me down, keep me here in this hell with them because it would have only killed me and they wouldn’t have been able to help.

Harper though, he’s different. I can’t leave him. There’s no way.

Sighing, I fall back onto my bed with pillow in hand. I stare up at the ceiling and think this all over. Sure, after high school I could permanently move in with Harper because I already practically do but…my parents will be across the street for fucks sake. They’ll still be in my life. They’ll still have me wrapped up in fear.

And this place…I hate it so fucking much. It’s so boring and annoying, it drives me nuts. The people are far too nosy for their own damn good. There is no such thing as a secret around here and it’s sick. It makes me want to puke. I hate this place almost as much as I hate those idiots downstairs…but Harper is here.

Harper is in this hell and he makes it not so bad. If I’m with him…I might be ok. I guess I could just move some place close by and come visit. No, I want to go far away. I want to travel and see all the places that I could have grown up in.

Clenching my eyes shut, I make up my mind and decide to forget about it. Right now isn’t the time to be thinking about it. I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. For now…I’ll just focus on the present. I’ll just focus on somehow getting the dumb asses down stairs to let me leave so I can see Harper.

I roll onto my side and bury my face in the blankets. It doesn’t take long for me to finally fall asleep.