Breach

There’s a stranger in the kitchen. A man to be exact. He’s younger, has to be in his early 20’s with tanned skin and short dark hair. Actually it’d probably be easier to say the typical douche bag look. He’s leaning against the kitchen counter with nothing but a pair of boxers on, looking far too confident.

He smirks at the sight of me. “Good morning.”

I don’t respond. I refuse to. I’ve never seen this one before. I wonder where mother picked him up. I’m guessing the bar since he appears so young.

Quickly and quietly I reach into the fridge for some type of breakfast. An apple looks appetizing enough. I snatch it, ignore the boy trying to make conversation with me and retreat to my room. Before I reach said room, mom appears from hers.

She has what I’m assuming to be the boys shirt on. There are marks littering her neck, hair is a complete mess. Seems like someone had a long night.

“Oh…you’re back,” she says. She noticed I was gone? That’s progress. “Did you find something for breakfast?”

I nod, show her the apple I grabbed from the fridge then enter my room. From here I hear mothers insistent giggling. Disgusting. I want to vomit. My stomach aches. Does she have to act like this? She makes it so obvious that she’s only with father for his money.

The house falls silent but only for a few moments. They’re at it again. I hear her moans from here. Biting my lip I change quickly and grab my phone. I pass by them in the kitchen and try my best to avoid seeing them. Out the door I go.

“Mick, what are you doing today?”

Mick yawns. My phone call must have woken him up. It’s only noon after all on a Sunday. There’s no doubt in my mind that he was up all night playing games. “Eh…nothing’ much man. Why? Mom getting it on again? Dude, she is such a cougar.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of whore.” Maybe that doesn’t cut it either.

“Whatever, take your time. I’m catchin’ some more sleep before you get here,” Mick grunts. The dial tone follows after.

I wonder how dad is doing. He must feel something, right? I understand that he and mom never truly had strong feelings for each other but it still must hurt. She’s cheating on him after all, rather openly I might add. I wonder if he feels anything, anything at all.

Does it hurt? Is he in pain? Does it sicken him to think his wife is at home sharing their bed with other men?

I’m thinking no.

Mick’s parents mustn’t be home. Their cars aren’t in the drive way and all the lights are out. I pound on the door just in case Mick had fell asleep again. Thankfully the boy hears me, comes to the door and lets me in. “Man why must you be so much trouble?”

I roll my eyes. “Because I enjoy making your life miserable.”

Mick, being the mature one of the two of us, mocks me. Mick is my best friend. We haven’t been since diapers, just since about 8th grade. Mick and I had a lot of our classes together that year. My best friend of that time had gotten himself a girlfriend and we drifted apart.

Mick and I just stuck like glue afterwards. He is aware of my families situation at the moment and understands perfectly. He was 9 when his mother got a divorce. She remarried 3 years later to a pretty cool guy so I’m happy for him.

It’s nice having someone to talk to who has went through a similar situation. I wish he hadn’t gone through what he did. A divorce can take its toll on a kid but shit happens.

“You went to Frankie’s last night, didn’t you? Your jacket smells like cigarettes.” Mick points out the obvious. I knew this but I was too lazy to wash it and I inform Mick of that. He laughs. “Typical.”

“Like you’re any better…who was it that went three weeks without doing his laundry?” At the memory Mick frowns. He tries to come up with an excuse as to why he couldn’t do it but failed. Whatever. He just didn’t do it because he was lazy.

That aside, Mick and I throw on a video game to preoccupy ourselves. What else are we to do? Going out would involve moving and money. Something that neither of us are willing to do or have. For hours we play. That night I plan to stay over until my phone goes off.

It’s mom.

“Bishop, come home. Your father and I have something we need to discuss,” she says before hanging up. Not even a hello or goodbye. Isn’t she pleasant?

I know what it is she wants to talk about but I play dumb after arriving home. Both my parents are sitting in the living room. Mom is on the couch, dad in the love seat. The air is just as tense as always but there’s something different about it.

I bite my lip and take a seat on the couch, as far from mother as possible. It’s pathetic, isn’t it? Our family is so fucked up. I wish they could have thought about me, just a little. Do they not care at all? Do they think that what is going on between them doesn’t affect me?

…or do they just not care?

“Your father and I have…come to a decision,” says mother, her manicured nails tapping impatiently on the table next to the couch. I know what it is she’s going to say. A divorce, right?

My blood begins to boil. I think they notice it. Dad is watching me, so is she. My hands hurt. I’m fisting them too hard atop my knee’s. I breathe out deeply through my nose. Why am I so pissed? I’ve seen this coming for so long but still…it infuriates me.

“You’re getting a divorce,” I say more to myself then them. Dad is about to speak. I don’t want to hear his voice though or hers. I just want to say what’s on my mind, what’s always been on my mind. I’m going to make them listen because this might be the only time they ever will. “Took you long enough. Couldn’t you have done it sooner? Did you even think about me? I get it, I’m an unwanted child-”

“Bishop,” dad moves next to me. His hand is on my shoulder but I swat it away by standing up quickly. They’re both watching me scream at them. They must be really shocked. I’ve never spoken to them like this before.

“Did you ever think that maybe…just maybe what you two have been doing has affected me as much as it has you?” They don’t answer. They don’t need to. “Living in such a fucked up house hold since birth, of course it’s going to bother me! It always has and I put up with it for so long. It’s not fair! Both of you have only ever thought of yourselves…you never cared about me…”

“That isn’t true!” Mom’s voice sounds like nails on a chalk board right about now. I shake my head. I don’t care what she has to say. She’s no mother.

“I understand…you were 14 when you had me and dad…he isn’t even my real dad. Of course neither of you would want me and obviously my real father didn’t either since I’ve never met him.” I think I’m crying. My eyes feel like they’re tearing up so I wipe my sleeve across my face. Yep, I’m crying.

But what am I saying? Why am I complaining like this? It’s not going to change anything. I’m being dumb. I sigh, “What am I even saying? Not like it matters…anyways, thanks for finally doing it. I’m tired of watching you two bicker all the time anyways.”

I make it to my room before they do. I lock the door behind me. They’re outside it trying to speak to me. I don’t see why. They never appeared to care about me before. Perhaps I should have spoken up sooner? Yeah, right, like that would have changed anything…

I can’t stay here anymore.