Freaks: Year Two

The Twisted Tree

"Er, sorry, we're just leaving," Jasper said and he was heading towards the door when his father stopped him.

"Where the hell are you going?"

Jasper glared at the open door but turned back to his father. "I'm getting school supplies. I have to travel a bit in order to get to the shop. I thought I could bring them." He signalled to his brothers, Toby was blocking the other three from entering the house. "They'd like it."

"Mm, 'cause school shopping is so fun, huh?" their dad asked taking a sip of his beer.

"Well, this isn't normal school shopp–"

"Yeahhh, I don't want Ethan going."

Jasper stopped getting more and more frustrated because they had been so close to getting out the door but their father just had to show up. Whatever his reason was for not wanting Ethan to go was stupid. Jasper didn't need to hear it. "Look, I told Mum we are all going out today. I don't know where she is now but she told us it'd be fine if we all went out. My friend is expecting me soon so please just–"

"Since when does your mum make the calls?"

"She was there when I asked and she said yes!" Jasper snapped.

Toby took a sharp breath looking between the two of them. Jasper's wand was in his pocket. He really hoped that Jasper would remember to use it this time.

His father stared at him with a heated expression. "I thought that bloody boarding school would have knocked some sense into you but you're worse! What? You think you can just mouth off now? Maybe I can knock some sense into you–"

His father started to go towards Jasper but luckily, this time he reached for his wand and he quickly pointed it at him. "No."

His father stopped and stared at the thing. "That's a fucking stick."

"No, it's a wand, did you forget I'm magical? You can't hurt me anymore, you can't hurt any of us anymore."

His father scoffed. "I don't know what kind of school you're going to but it's obviously making you go crazy. Maybe you were always crazy, you freak."

Jasper tried his best to ignore his words and asked, "Didn't mum tell you? About Hogwarts? About me being a wizard?"

"She did and you know what? She's just as insane as all of you then. I thought hitting her would make her think right again but it looks like she has been feeding into your freaky illusions–"

Jasper was glaring. His anger and frustration was growing with every passing moment. He'd prove to him that magic was real. He raised his wand once again as his father continued to go on and on. "Fine, I'll prove to you magic is real."

"Give it up!" his father shouted. "Magic isn't re–"

"Stupefy!"

And just like that, his father was knocked out unconscious.

Jasper stared. He stared and there it was. That feeling. Relief.

Toby was staring wide-eyed as Jasper turned and walked towards the front door, leaving his father on the floor. "You did it."

Jasper waved his wand, giving an attempt at a smile. "Told you magic would come in handy."

Toby let him go through the door where the other three were out sitting out on the porch. Toby wasn't sure if he should drag their father to the couch but he decided he deserved to stay on the hard floor so he just shut the door.

"Everything is fine, let's go now, come on," Jasper told the three younger ones and they stood up and Ethan went up ahead, Francis soon following while Edgar stayed near Jasper and Toby.