Ace lay on his back against the fuzzy cream-colored carpet staring at the silver blades of the fan. He shifted slightly as he felt the carpet leaving small polka-dotted indentions against his bare back. The angry voices from downstairs grew louder and the last thing he wanted to do was hear them, but for some reason, he just couldn’t stop listening.
“If you would’ve paid the bill we wouldn’t be in this mess!” shouted the angry voice of his father from the living room.
“I am not here to pay bills and clean. I have a life too, why can’t you see that?!” replied the shrill, high-pitched voice of his mother.
He could tell that his mother was crying or about to. His dad simply ignored the familiar tears that were shed every time they had a fight, which was pretty much every day, and continued to yell at her.
“I make the money in this house, all you have to do is make the house presentable, take care of him, and pay the goddamn bills on time, you fucking whore!”
Ace thought he should do something right now. Yell at his father for calling her that; he should defend his mother. Instead, he lay there, staring at the blank ceiling.
He could hear his mother stomp angrily up the stairs.
“You fucking asshole!” she cried loudly, then shouted, “I just can’t take it anymore!” before slamming her room door dramatically.
The bang of the door hitting the doorframe echoed throughout their large home. Making Ace feel even more alone than he did already. Normally after fights like these he would go over to Jared’s where they would just hangout and Ace would forget it ever happened, or he would go to Trix’s and have mindless sex. But no, tonight he was left to his own devices.
Ace closed his eyes then heard the booming voice of his father interrupting the uneasy silence.
“Achilles!” he roared.
Ace stood up and opened the large wooden door, resting his hand on the bronze French doorknob.
“What?” he called out.
“I’m leaving. Make sure your mother doesn’t do something stupid,” snorted the short, stumpy man. He walked over to the granite countertop, picked up his Lexus keys, then practically ran to the garage. Ace stood with his hand on the doorknob until he heard the roar of his dad’s new Lexus-GS-F as it was brought to life then the rumble of the closing garage door.
Ace pulled on a random red shirt from the piles of clothing that decorated his bedroom then tentatively knocked on the door of his parent’s bedroom.
“Mama?” he said hesitantly, hoping his calm, familiar voice would soothe her.
He heard sniffling then his mother’s weak voice.
“Come in, baby.”
Ace opened the door and stood staring at the slumped figure on the Victorian styled California king-size bed. His mother hastily wiped the black mascara tears that rolled across her porcelain skin and blew her puffy pink nose into a silk handkerchief. She looked at her son sadly and said,
“I’m sorry you had to hear that, honey.”
Ace walked towards her slowly, running his hand along the smooth cherry-wood bed frame. He diverted his eyes from her teary face, fearing he would cry if he looked into his mother’s sad blue eyes.
“It’s okay. I was just making sure you’re fine,” he said quietly.
His mother pulled him closer to her, engulfing him in a loving hug. Ace hugged his mother back, inhaling that warm familiar smell of clean linen.
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Tell Me I'm Different (Finished!)
RomanceIt was one night. One stupid, crazy, amazing night that changed everything for Ace and Skye. Ace was never happy although he had everything anyone could possibly want and Skye lost all the happiness she ever had the moment she ran away from home. Th...
