Amid the Roar - Sequel to M.A.L.

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

*Warning: This chapter contains stronger language.

Finally, the dessert was handed out and Amanda and Johnny went to sit on their mothers’ laps at the dining room table, leaving Gabrielle happily to herself. Her hands drummed on table over the crumbs left from cake. She was never into vanilla but her sweet tooth was in desperate need so she obliged. Gabrielle was starting to regret it though as her stomach began to churn. Too much food, mainly of the junk variety, from the last few weeks was catching her up. Not needing to excuse herself, Gabrielle left for the bathroom upstairs.

“You will dress like a normal male,” Mr. Majors scolded. Jason pulled on his striped sleeve and bowed his head. He knew his stepfather wouldn’t act any differently, even at a family event. Jason just stood there and took it. “You’ll stop looking like some queer who decides makeup is cool just to spite his mother.”

“I didn’t mean to—”

Jason was cut off by a smack across the face. His lip ring began to bleed inside his mouth from being knocked so hard. He shut up though. It didn’t matter what his opinion was with his new stepfather.

“You never mean to. That’s the point, Jason. You don’t think before you speak and you don’t ever consider others. You’re a selfish fag that won’t amount to anything unless you start acting like an adult.”

“You wouldn’t treat me like one anyway,” Jason countered. That earned him another blow across the face, sending him to the floor. Before Andrew could punish the boy any farther, the door to the room was thrown open.

“Excuse me,” Gabrielle announced angrily before grabbing her uncle’s wrist. Hearing their hushed one-sided argument, she had to see for herself what was going on. Jason stared at her wide eyed and she stared boldly back. “I believe this is my room for the weekend since you’re staying in the guest house. I suggest you leave. Now.”

“Watch your tongue,” Andrew said turning his sights on his niece. He tore his arm away from her grip and pushed her into the wall. “I have enough attitude to handle with this boy. I don’t need yours.”

“Well seeing as the only attitude I see here is yours, why don’t you take off before mine really gets going.”

Gabrielle held the door open and stepped to the side. Her eyes narrowed at her Uncle Andrew. He, not wanting to deal with anymore of it, left but not before cautioning her, “I’ll be watching you.”

Gabrielle heard his footsteps descend the stairs. Quickly running over to her cousin, she made sure he had a tissue to soak up the blood dripping on his chin.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, ashamed she had seen his stepfather’s anger. Gabrielle nodded and sat next to him in the quiet guest room. Things definitely took a turn for the serious. Trying to lighten the mood, she nudged him with her elbow. He didn’t elbow her back.

“It’s not me trying to be someone else. It’s not rebelling. I like it,” Jason rambled, patting his lip with the red spotted tissue. “Dressing like this is cool to me. I don’t mean to hurt my mom or ‘upset’ Drew. I like it, you know?”

Jason, only a year and a half younger than Gabrielle, started to cry. His head leaned on her shoulder which quickly turned into his cousin holding him like a frightened child. Her eyes started to water too. No one should be as scared of their home life as he was.

“It’ll be okay,” she tried telling him, stroking her fingers over his black hair. “You’ll get through it. We both will.”

~*~

The rest of the weekend was very similar. Jason and Gabrielle tiptoed their way through it, trying to stay clear of any accusing glare or tired mother wanting to pass off their child to a big kid to handle them. The two cousins exchanged their new phone numbers to keep in contact though neither thought they’d actually use them. They were happy to see each other once a year like normal.

Jason returned home with his mother and stepfather and Gabrielle left with her parents. It was hard letting his only true friend go, even if it was his cousin who was never that close to him in the first place. Back at home, he had very few acquaintances and none were close. They didn’t pretend to like him enough to hang outside of school. He was very much a loner. And having an unsupportive father figure and a mother who looked the other way never helped anyone.

The next morning, Jason woke up in his band-poster covered room to the sound of shouting voices. It was lucky enough for him they lived far enough away from center city that their neighbors were spread out enough to not hear them on the Monday morning. The boy wiped his eyes and pulled himself groggily off the lumpy mattress. Mr. Majors wasn’t happy. And when he wasn’t happy, no one in the house was.

Jason walked over to his door and cracked it open. His stepfather was leaving the house, angrily throwing swear words behind him. It was never a good sign that he was angry but he was gone. Jason sighed and began getting dressed, toning down his wardrobe to a simple shirt and pants. Maybe he could get by with just this. Simple might involve less pain.

Entering the kitchen, Jason saw his mother hunched over the sink. “Mom?”

Mrs. Majors barely glanced at her son. She was holding the throbbing side of her face and trying to conceal the pain. Jason saw the edges of the red anyways, pulling her hand to show him the truth.

“It’s nothing,” she said, pushing her son’s hands away. “I’m just feeling sick. Probably the flu. I already called in work saying that I won’t be coming in for a few days. It’s not a big… no big deal…”

Jason could hear the pain behind her words and felt so helpless. When his dad died, he swore he’d always protect his mother. Seeing the evidence on her face, he wasn’t doing that. He hung his head low and sat on the chair for the kitchen table.

“Hurry or you’ll be late for school,” his mother told him. Jason didn’t budge. Instead, he waited for his mother to look him in the eye before he said anything.

“I don’t feel good,” Jason replied. There was a trace of anger in his tone that his mother didn’t feel like reprimanding. She sighed and let him explain what both of them knew was a lie. “It might be the flu. I heard it’s been going around.”

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: That took a while to update but only because I was wroking on the entire plot line. Poor Jason... You'll be seeing much more of him. Let me know what you think. <3