Status: Its finished, and its total crap, i know.
Common People
chapter five
Wake up, swigs of taquilla, muttered “Good morning.”s to Lex and Kar, skip breakfast, go to work with Lex; Come home with Lex; Get teased by Kar until me and Lex go to sleep in the same bed.
That had become the routine. I found it odd, how fast I had become attached to Lex. It was like something out of a story book. Only, I didn't love her. And she didn't love me. We were close friends, the closest. Around her, I had no need to be numb. No desire to drink myself drunk. Of course I still drank in the morning, it had been my form of coping with stress and exhaustion since who knows how long. It wasn't something I was willing to let go so easily.
“Hey, Sammie, can we please get something to munch?” Lex pleaded with wide eyes as we walked out the front doors of the restraunt. I took out my wallet and I saw a ten dollar bill poke out, “Yeah, Lex.” We turned the corner and walked towards the grocery store. Walking through the doors, I remembered the first time I brought Alex to the store. She had wrinkled her nose and tried to step over piles of dirt and other things brought in by people shoes. She had cringed at the sight of some people, because to her they hadn't looked very welcoming or friendly. To me they looked just fine.
This time however, Alex's face stayed blank as she wound her way through the store to find the chips isle. I was kind of impressed, the way she was acting. Lets just say, staying with me and Kar was probably not her favorite thing to do. But she was accomplishing exactly what she wanted to do. She picked out a bag of 99 cent Cheetos. Holding them out to me, I took them and she slipped her hand into my unoccupied one. I smirked and payed for the chips. We walked towards the apartment hand in hand.
Kar had made coffee, and I poured the last of the baileys into it. “Damn, ran out.” I stated grouchily. “Good. You've had enough.” Alex remarked and I glared at her. “Did not! You cannot tell me when ive had enough. When ive had enough, then ill let you know!” She rolled her eyes playfully, even though I was taking the conversation seriously. “Chill out, Sammie. Im just saying, I can think of better things then alcohol for you, and perhaps you ought to stop drinking. Your showing signs of an addiction.” I sighed, but didn't continue the conversation further. Instead, I I stuffed a Cheeto in my mouth and had a starring contest with Kar. I glared, and looked away as I lost. “Hey, im gonna head to bed. Come in whenever your ready, okay?” Alex nodded and smiled shyly at me. Huh, odd that shes acting shy now, I thought to myself as I peeled off my shirt and fell into bed. I curled up and turned off the light, thinking about Alex's smile.
In the morning I was woken by Lex's voice filled with frustration. I kept my eyes closed, but my ears open. “Mom! No I am not talking back, im just saying, im old enough to choose where I stay and for how long! Well, maybe hes not just a friend!” Not just a friend? The hell? I fake snored and rolled over in my “sleep” so I could listen better. “Look, this is how its going to be. I am of the age where I can and WILL stay where I choose. And if I have feelings for him, which im not saying I do, then whats it any of your business? Oh yeah, its not! And hes helping me, remember? I wanted to be normal. And that's what I am, no thanks to you. And for once, im happy where I am and what im doing with my life. So id like it very much if you would stop this!” I heard her slam her phone down on the nightstand, having obviously hung up on her mother. She sighed in frustration, and I chose that moment to “wake up”. Turning over, I caught her eye, “Oh, hey, Sammie. I hope I didn't wake you with all that.” she waved her hand towards her phone.
“No, no its okay.” she looked to shakin up, she sat at the edge of the bed with anger in her eyes. “Want to talk about it?” She looked down at me, curiously. “Mind if I do?” I motioned for her to come closer. “Go on ahead.” coming back under the covers shes laid on her back, eyes focused on the ceiling above. “Its just, she thinks me wanting to change my lifestyle was an act of a whore. To just move right in with you, she thinks its a cry for attention or some shit.” I shook my head, “But you totally hated me before this, right?” she widened her eyes and nodded her head quickly, “Oh yeah! The way your hair falls in your face, the way you dressed, you looked like you could rob me any second!” we both laughed, “That's crazy!” I said and she shrugged still laughing slightly. “What can I say.” The laughter died out, and I started to think. “Have you ever disagreed or disobey your mother before now?” She bit her lip and shook her head, “Never. Well....one time she wouldn't buy my this shirt I wanted very badly. But after.....” “Continue on?” Her eyes grew dark and out of newly born habit I slipped my hand into hers and held on tight. “My...father...use to beat....me.....if I spoke out of turn....if I back talked, or disagreed.” her voice struggled out, and I wrapped my arms around her against my better judgment. And suddenly I remembered doing this for Karen when she had been beaten by three popular girls in high school. She had seemed so small, shaking with fright and bruised beyond belief. It had broke my heart.
“Im so sorry, really.” She wiggled out of my arms and turned to look at me. “Really,its alright. It was the only real feeling in my life. The only reality check I ever got.” I sat up quickly, my gaze fierce and my hand tight around hers. “That is NOT reality! Parents are NEVER to lay a hand on their child wrongly. He was wrong to do that, Alex!” She struggled up and shook her head, “No, but, he told me it was the right thing to do! He did that from love.....right?” I glared, “No! Love does not harm. No matter what kind of love it is!” She quivered then, and her eyes glistened with tears. “He said.....but he told me so....he...he did it for me.......he told me so!” I pulled her close to me and held her as she began to cry. Then sob, the sobs shook us both. The sound of them the saddest thing id ever heard, and I had to hold back tears as I watched little Lex fall apart.
When she began to quiet down, I asked her two last questions that had been filling my mind. “When did it start?” She shook and trembled, “W-when I was eight.” I nodded, as anger touched my mind. “Did he only beat you?” Please say yes, please say yes, “No.” shocked, I starred at the wall opposite us. She fell asleep in my stiffened arms.
That wasn't the only thing he did to her......
That had become the routine. I found it odd, how fast I had become attached to Lex. It was like something out of a story book. Only, I didn't love her. And she didn't love me. We were close friends, the closest. Around her, I had no need to be numb. No desire to drink myself drunk. Of course I still drank in the morning, it had been my form of coping with stress and exhaustion since who knows how long. It wasn't something I was willing to let go so easily.
“Hey, Sammie, can we please get something to munch?” Lex pleaded with wide eyes as we walked out the front doors of the restraunt. I took out my wallet and I saw a ten dollar bill poke out, “Yeah, Lex.” We turned the corner and walked towards the grocery store. Walking through the doors, I remembered the first time I brought Alex to the store. She had wrinkled her nose and tried to step over piles of dirt and other things brought in by people shoes. She had cringed at the sight of some people, because to her they hadn't looked very welcoming or friendly. To me they looked just fine.
This time however, Alex's face stayed blank as she wound her way through the store to find the chips isle. I was kind of impressed, the way she was acting. Lets just say, staying with me and Kar was probably not her favorite thing to do. But she was accomplishing exactly what she wanted to do. She picked out a bag of 99 cent Cheetos. Holding them out to me, I took them and she slipped her hand into my unoccupied one. I smirked and payed for the chips. We walked towards the apartment hand in hand.
Kar had made coffee, and I poured the last of the baileys into it. “Damn, ran out.” I stated grouchily. “Good. You've had enough.” Alex remarked and I glared at her. “Did not! You cannot tell me when ive had enough. When ive had enough, then ill let you know!” She rolled her eyes playfully, even though I was taking the conversation seriously. “Chill out, Sammie. Im just saying, I can think of better things then alcohol for you, and perhaps you ought to stop drinking. Your showing signs of an addiction.” I sighed, but didn't continue the conversation further. Instead, I I stuffed a Cheeto in my mouth and had a starring contest with Kar. I glared, and looked away as I lost. “Hey, im gonna head to bed. Come in whenever your ready, okay?” Alex nodded and smiled shyly at me. Huh, odd that shes acting shy now, I thought to myself as I peeled off my shirt and fell into bed. I curled up and turned off the light, thinking about Alex's smile.
In the morning I was woken by Lex's voice filled with frustration. I kept my eyes closed, but my ears open. “Mom! No I am not talking back, im just saying, im old enough to choose where I stay and for how long! Well, maybe hes not just a friend!” Not just a friend? The hell? I fake snored and rolled over in my “sleep” so I could listen better. “Look, this is how its going to be. I am of the age where I can and WILL stay where I choose. And if I have feelings for him, which im not saying I do, then whats it any of your business? Oh yeah, its not! And hes helping me, remember? I wanted to be normal. And that's what I am, no thanks to you. And for once, im happy where I am and what im doing with my life. So id like it very much if you would stop this!” I heard her slam her phone down on the nightstand, having obviously hung up on her mother. She sighed in frustration, and I chose that moment to “wake up”. Turning over, I caught her eye, “Oh, hey, Sammie. I hope I didn't wake you with all that.” she waved her hand towards her phone.
“No, no its okay.” she looked to shakin up, she sat at the edge of the bed with anger in her eyes. “Want to talk about it?” She looked down at me, curiously. “Mind if I do?” I motioned for her to come closer. “Go on ahead.” coming back under the covers shes laid on her back, eyes focused on the ceiling above. “Its just, she thinks me wanting to change my lifestyle was an act of a whore. To just move right in with you, she thinks its a cry for attention or some shit.” I shook my head, “But you totally hated me before this, right?” she widened her eyes and nodded her head quickly, “Oh yeah! The way your hair falls in your face, the way you dressed, you looked like you could rob me any second!” we both laughed, “That's crazy!” I said and she shrugged still laughing slightly. “What can I say.” The laughter died out, and I started to think. “Have you ever disagreed or disobey your mother before now?” She bit her lip and shook her head, “Never. Well....one time she wouldn't buy my this shirt I wanted very badly. But after.....” “Continue on?” Her eyes grew dark and out of newly born habit I slipped my hand into hers and held on tight. “My...father...use to beat....me.....if I spoke out of turn....if I back talked, or disagreed.” her voice struggled out, and I wrapped my arms around her against my better judgment. And suddenly I remembered doing this for Karen when she had been beaten by three popular girls in high school. She had seemed so small, shaking with fright and bruised beyond belief. It had broke my heart.
“Im so sorry, really.” She wiggled out of my arms and turned to look at me. “Really,its alright. It was the only real feeling in my life. The only reality check I ever got.” I sat up quickly, my gaze fierce and my hand tight around hers. “That is NOT reality! Parents are NEVER to lay a hand on their child wrongly. He was wrong to do that, Alex!” She struggled up and shook her head, “No, but, he told me it was the right thing to do! He did that from love.....right?” I glared, “No! Love does not harm. No matter what kind of love it is!” She quivered then, and her eyes glistened with tears. “He said.....but he told me so....he...he did it for me.......he told me so!” I pulled her close to me and held her as she began to cry. Then sob, the sobs shook us both. The sound of them the saddest thing id ever heard, and I had to hold back tears as I watched little Lex fall apart.
When she began to quiet down, I asked her two last questions that had been filling my mind. “When did it start?” She shook and trembled, “W-when I was eight.” I nodded, as anger touched my mind. “Did he only beat you?” Please say yes, please say yes, “No.” shocked, I starred at the wall opposite us. She fell asleep in my stiffened arms.
That wasn't the only thing he did to her......