Coping Skills

Chapter 6

The reality that Aodhan was being abused hit me like a slap in the face, demanding my attention. "What?" I shrieked, looking bewildered at my father.

His expression was one of pure shock. I rarely allowed my voice to reach such an octave. "Zena, what's wrong?"

"Daddy.." the tears were streaming down my face. "Why would his daddy want to hurt him? Why wouldn't he tell me?"

My father paled. "Honey...you think your friend is actually being abused?"

I couldn't breathe. It was the only thing that made sense and now he was questioning it. What was there to question? "Well, I'm just gonna go up there right now and ask his daddy if he's hurting him and why!" I opened the door and climbed out but my dad was already there, stopping me. Drat, he was fast.

"Zena...you can't just go up there and consult a man you don't know about his parenting! Not very many people like to be accused of child abuse."

"But Daddy what if he IS? We have to help him! That's not right!"

"Why don't you let Aodhan come to you? If he tells you, then I can call CPS and we can help him okay?"

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I planned to confront him. Just walk straight up to him and demand the truth, and why he hadn't given it to me in the first place. After all, we were friends, weren't we? But Monday, he never showed up. I waited in our place, under the weeping willow in the school yard, for so long that when I finally went to class, my teacher lectured me about truancy. And the next day, the same event. It was an entire week before he showed up, and oh Aodhan...

He had a black eye and a busted lip, a bad limp, and looked as if he'd rather die than come to school today. It was 80 degrees outside, but he was wearing a long sleeved shirt and jacket, jeans and converses. His red hair was hidden beneath his hood and his hands stuffed in his pockets.

Aodhan honestly looked like he might cry as he practically tiptoed into class, and the second he was in the room, everyone started laughing. Laura yelled out above the rest of them, "What's the matter Aodhan? Cat got your...body? At least TRY not to look like you climbed out of a trashbin, whether you actually did or not!"

He turned a ran out of the room and slammed the door, but not before I saw the tears spill out his eyes and down his cheek.

I heard Mrs. Wilton yelling, telling me to sit down, but I didn't care. I heard the comments everyone was making about me protecting my stupid boyfriend and felt the blood from the scissors the threw at me, but I couldn't bring myself to stop. I ran out of that room, down the hallway and straight into the boy's bathroom without batting an eye...and found Aodhan sitting under the sink, with his face in his hands.

I walked over and sat next to him, ducking so I wouldn't hit my head. The sleeve of his shirt and jacket had pulled up just a little, barely exposing the skin, but it was enough. His arm was covered in blood, and large, deep...engravings? were visible. I wet a paper towel and reached over, gingerly pressing it against the bloody marks.

He flinched so bad he smacked his head on the sink, causing it to bleed. He stared at me, with his big blue eyes pouring tears.

"Aodhan..." I whispered, taking his hand and using my other to press the paper towel to his head. "What happened?"

He just looked at me. "I fell."

"Then what happened to your arm?" I asked, ripping the sleeve up. The marks went all the way up, and it looked to me like a word. "That wasn't from falling."

He sighed and pulled his arm away. "Zena," he whispered, "I need to tell you something and you have to promise it stays between us. Like a secret. Okay?"

My voice sounded small even to me. "Okay."

"I didn't fall," he breathed, almost inaudibly. "It was my father."

Hey guys, sorry it's been so long since I updated. Pretty sucky life things going on. But it's summer!! So yeah. Kinda a cliff hanger, let me know what you guys think!!