Bruised and Beat Up

Silence took over the car, and I stared out of the window. The closer we got to my house, the further I wanted to be from there.
“Actually, can you take me to the beach? I can’t go home,”
“Why not?” He asked me. He sounded aggravated. I would be too, but I just can’t go home right now. I’d much rather wait a little bit.
“I can’t go home right now. My mom’s not home and I don’t have my extra key,” I lied smoothly.
“Fine,” He shrugged before changing the direction toward the beach. The second that we got there, I jumped out with my purse, and headed right toward my spot. I slipped off my boots and socks carefully to keep them from getting too dirty. I sat down as I normally would, and I stared at the sun and waves. It was a gorgeous site, definitely my favorite of all time. The sun was duller today, a whole lot like how I feel. Sighing, I laid back with my hands under my head. I stared up at the big, gray sky. Birds few over-head, making those annoying sounds. I smiled at it simply. I wish I was a bird. I want to be able to fly wherever I want whenever I want to. Birds don’t have a care in the world. I just want to be like that.
“Raavi, what are you doing to yourself?”
I turned my head slightly up to see Teddy standing there with glasses perched on his dark nose.
“Watcha mean?” I asked him, digging my bare toes into the sand. “I’m sittin and watching. I normally do this,”
Teddy shook his head and moved to sit beside me.
“You worry him, you know that?”
“Yupp,”
“Then why are you doing this to yourself and to him? Don’t you get enough damage from your mom to realize that snorting some dangerous powder is going to only make it worse?”
“It was a one-time thing, Ted.”
“That’s what everyone says. I don’t want to have to send you to rehab for drug addictions,”
I laughed.
“Teddy, that would be the last thing I end up in rehab for. I’m more likely to end up for my weight or some dumb shit like that, not drugs.”
“Stop being so fucking stubborn, and stop messing up your life.”
“Look around, Teddy. My life is completely fucked and it’s not getting any better any time soon. Get over it,” I shrugged. “I have,”
“What about Brydan?” The boy asked me. “He loves you,”
I scoffed.
“He thinks he loves me,”
“Brydan wouldn’t have urgently called me and asked me to come sit with you if he didn’t.”
“He should be here himself if he loves me!”
“Trust me, I don’t blame him. Being around someone coming up off of their high is the worst thing ever. I would know, I did grow up with a crack addict brother.”
I nodded sadly at the mention of his late brother, Doug.
“I won’t get addicted. I promise,”
“Promises are never any good with you anymore,” He stated, shaking his head. “I wish I could help you, Raavi. I really do, but you have to want to help yourself first. You’ve gotten so comfortable with the abuse that you don’t even have hope anymore. What happened to the Raavi that still had some fight left in her?”
“I think she died a long time ago. I’m just now realizing it.”
Teddy shook his head.
“Come on, you’re staying with me tonight. We’ll go get your car in the morning. There is no way in Hell I’m letting you go back to your mother tonight,”
“But she’s sober today!” I protested. “She made me chocolate chip pancakes and everything. It was so weird, but she’s not drunk. She was perfectly fine. She was even standing up by herself,”
“That doesn’t make your argument any more powerful. You’re coming with me, and that is final, okay?”
“Okay,” I huffed. I never win with him. I got into his car, and he played a mixed CD of Tom Petty softly while he drove. “You know something?”
“Hmm?” He replied.
“You’re whiter than me,” I laughed.
Teddy rolled his eyes.
“Ha ha. Make fun of the black kid who loves Tom Petty. Go ahead, I dare you,”
I giggled.
“Sorry, it was just an observation that I’ve taken for a while. You don’t own any rap or anything like that. You just own indy shit, rock, and hardcore music. It’s weird,”
“So what?” He shook his head. “My dad’s white. That’s all that matters. I’m a mix, V.”
“Mm! Now I want some OREOS.” I laughed. “Does your mom still keep those?”
“Of course she does. That’s a house without OREOS?”
“It’s my house,” I replied softly as he pulled into his driveway.
“I’m sorry,” He whispered, gripping me hand for a moment.
“It’s okay,” I agreed. We got out of his car, and walked inside.
“Ma, we’re home!” Teddy called.
“Theodore who is we, and why am I just now getting a notice that someone is coming?” She asked, finally coming into view.
“Hey, Mrs. Smith,” I smiled at her the best I could.
“Raavi, dear! Teddy, why didn’t you let me know that she was coming? I would’ve set some OREOS out for the two of you or something,”
“Sorry, mom,” Teddy laughed awkwardly while his mom stared intently at me.
“I assume that you’ll be staying the night?”
“If it isn’t too much trouble…” I blushed.
“Or course not, dear. You know where the quest bedroom is,” She smiled and wrapped her arms around me. I hissed slightly, but it wasn’t loud enough for her to hear. “Go ahead and get comfortable. Teddy, can I see you in the kitchen?”
Teddy stole a glance at me.
“Sure, ma,” He replied before following her short frame into the kitchen. I hesitated, but I slowly moved up the stairs and into their comfortable quest room. I reminded myself to put my bags away so that Mrs. Smith doesn’t find them. One of her sons died because of drugs. I don’t want her thinking that Teddy’s getting involved with it, because he’s not at all. I sat down on the bed and pulled off my boots once more. After searching the drawers, I finally found some basketball shorts and an old t-shirt that I pulled over my long sleeve. I still couldn’t risk them seeing my tore up arms.
It wasn’t even ten minutes and I heard voices arguing down the stairs. I don’t know that Teddy’s mom was trying to say, but I could tell by this tone of voice that he was worried and defensive. I don’t know why he would be or why they were fighting. I tried to ignore it for the most part but one sentence was loud and clear; I don’t want my son hanging out with a druggie. Was that really what Teddy’s mom saw me as? A druggie? Sure, I tried someone earlier today for the first time, but that doesn’t make me a drug addict. I didn’t do anything else besides that, that involves drugs.