Hell Is My Life

9. Hell Is My Life

I looked a lot prettier.

And it was good.

"Honey!" Mom called out to me.

"Yeah, Mom?" I called back. She didn't answer. "What?!" I yelled, this time louder. I groaned and got out of bed. I walked into the kitchen and saw her sitting at the table wth a smug smile on her face. "You did that just to get me out of bed, didn't you?" I asked, and she nodded.

"But I really did need to tell you something. I'm going to the store; we need some milk. Have you seen inside that frigeadaire? We are all out!"

"You mean the refrigerator?"

"Whatever." I laughed. "Will you be okay alone?" She asked me seriously. I nodded.

"Of course. I have a phone now, remember?"

She laughed. "Alright. I'll be leaving now. Call me if anything happens, I mean it."

"Sure, Mom, whatever. Leave. I love you."

"Love you too!"

After she left, I lay down on the couch in the small living room in the motel and turned on the TV. I was still texting Stranger, so I really wouldn’t be paying attention to the TV, but whatever. About ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door. I groaned. I was just about to fall asleep! I sat up and went to the door and opened it.

Standing in front of me was Lucas.

"Is your mom here?"

"No. She doesn't want to see you anyways."

"I'm glad she's not here. I wanted to speak to you. Alone."

He took a step forward. "No. I don't want you here."

"I just want to talk." He pushed himself inside the motel room.

"I want you to leave! I'll call the cops!"

"Shut up, Tear Drop!" I was silent after he started yelling. "I just wanted to say that what your mother got was coming to her. It would have happened sooner or later. But I feel bad, and I told your mother that I was sorry. But she got mad, so I called you a dirty rotten whore. I told her that you were hitting on me, and then I didn't want you so you slapped my kids."

I was shocked. But after a couple seconds, I stood up to where I was eye to eye with him, and punched him right in the chin. He fell to the ground, obviously shocked. I got on the ground and started punching him more. But I stopped when my mom's high voice started yelling, "Tear Drop! No! Stop it!"

"Why? He told me that he told you he called me rotten whore, and that I was hitting on him!"

"He was joking, Tear Drop!"

"That's a fucked up joke!! Why did he even come here?! He ruins everything!"

"..." She hesitated. "Tear, He came here to tell you that we were getting back together. But, since you did that, I think you need to go back to Oregon..."

"Mom! He beat you, and you'd still pick him over me? How fucked is that?"

"Tear Drop, I'll always lo-"

"Get out. Now. Get out!"

An hour later, I was done packing.

I would take the first flight there was to Oregon, which was tomorrow, at 6:30. I would have to get up at 4:00 am, so I wasn't even going to go to sleep. Hopefully Stranger would stay awake with me. At 10:30 pm, I texted him.

From: You

Date: Sunday, May 1, 2008

Will you pull an all-nighter with me?

From: Stranger

Date: Sunday, May 1, 2008

lol. It's 10:30 am, girl. no pulling an all-nighter for me. But ill talk to you when you’re pulling an all-nighter so you don’t go to sleep. Want me to call you?

From: You

Date: Sunday, May 1, 2008

Yes, please((: And you're 12 hours ahead of me. lol

I didn't get a text message for the next five minutes. After waiting, I got a call from Stranger.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Marley?"

"Stranger?"

"Ha. Yeah. Why do you call me that? I thought we agreed on Bob and Marley."

"Because Bob is a gay name. Unless the last name is Marley, that is."

He laughed. His voice was deep and wonderful. I could get lost in it. If it was this amazing on the phone, I wonder how it would sound in real life.

"Alright, you can call me Stranger, but it makes me feel like some child molester."

"Well... are you?"

"No!" He laughed.

"I wouldn't have to call you Stranger if you would tell me your name!"

He sighed. "I trust you, Marley, I do. I just... I don't know. I'll tell you sometime, I promise. Okay?"

"Okay..."

We were still talking when my phone alarm went off, telling me that it was 1:30 am.

Then I heard yelling from the other line. Stranger's laughing abruptly stopped, and he Started cussing. "Fuck. Fuck. I have to go Marley. Don't fall asleep! Ill call you back, I love you!"

"Who the fuck are you talking to Kid?!"

"No one!" And then the line disconnected.

I was worried about him... but I couldn't stop thinking about his last three words to me: I love you.

He probably forgot he was talking about me.

Right when I thought that, I felt hurt. How could he forget that he was talking to me?

And then right when I thought that, I knew that I had a crush on him.

I was eagerly waiting for him to call me back. What if he thought I was creepy, or he didn't like my voice, so he wanted to stop talking to me?

A suspenseful hour later, I called him instead.

"H-h-hello?" He said, stuttering.

"Stranger?"

"Marley. Why'd you... c-call?"

"What's wrong?" I demanded. And he burst into tears.

"N-no... b-b-body was home. My dad... he-he... he raped me. He... He made me suck... his.. his.." He started sobbing into the phone.

"It's okay. Honey, it’ll all be okay."

"No. It won't be! You don't understand! You probably just made up that you were raped and beaten, just to make fun of me!"

Then I snapped. "If you don't remember correctly, let me re-fresh your memory. I was the one who said that I was raped by my brother’s friends every fucking weekend, and beaten by my father everyday first! Why would I make that up?!" It hurt me that he didn't believe me.

There was silence on the other end. "I'm s-sorry. I'm just so upset. I... I want to hurt him so bad. I want to fucking kill the bastard. But I can't. My mom.... It would destroy her.  She loves him.  When I move out, I'm never coming back.  And if he touches me again, I'll kill him.  I will."

"I believe you."

"Oh, God.  I'm crying in front of you."  I heard him sniffle.  "You probably think I'm the biggest pussy ever."

"No.  I think you're brave.  You go through that for your mom.  If I were in your place, I'd kill him and call the police.  I'm the pussy."

"No.  If you were a pussy, you would have given up a long time ago, and you'd probably be dead right now.  But instead you fight your dad, and your brother’s friends.  You inspire me, Marley."

 A couple hours later, I was at the airport, heading home to Oregon.