Unbreakable

Chapter 8

"Where are we headed?" I asked settling into his car. 

"You'll see cupcake" West winked as he started it up and pulled out the space. It wasn't long before we pulled up to a tiny diner. Despite how small our town is, I'd never been here. West got out his car and I followed suit. We walked in and the restaurant looked as run down on the inside as it had on the outside, but the smells coming from the kitchen were amazing. There were a few people seated on the stools near the front and a couple waitresses were bustling around. We seated ourselves in a booth next to the window, West sitting across from me. 

"What made you bring me here?" I asked while West pulled a few menus that we're tucked behind the condiment stand. He passed me one and opened his own up.

"I visited my uncle one summer when I was younger, he took me here and it was some of the best food I'd eaten. I just thought you'd like it too." I nodded and kept browsing my menu. I finally decided on a burger with some fries and it seemed West decided on the same. Finally, the waitress came and we placed our order. 

"So Cass," West began, "Are you ever gonna explain to me what happened last night?"

Usually, I don't let anyone know what's going on in my life, it was my own personal struggle. I didn't need people pitying me or telling me how 'sorry' they were. It's not their problem, and I tried to make sure it never became another persons problem. But something in the way West looked at me made me want to spill everything. I wanted to explain how alone I feel, how incredibly broken I am on the inside. I wanted to tell him the whole story. Not for the pity or anything, but because for once I felt like I was looking at someone who would get it, who could maybe understand. It sounds crazy given I've known him for barely a day but I trusted him already.  And trusting people was not usually something I did so easily. 

But despite the fact that I trusted him, I still didn't want to say anything. Old habits die hard and who knows what would happen if I told him what I've been through. I just didn't know how he'd react. 

Plus he still hasn't shared his own story.  So instead of answering I gave a small smile and said, "Story for a story mister that's what you promised, remember?" 

He smiled back and nodded but didn't bother sharing either. Maybe for the same reasons as me, or for ones even worse.  

Our food came and we ate. We talked about anything and everything that could come to mind, favorite movies, favorite foods, just about every subject was covered. I learned despite his regular dark toned apparel, West loved the color yellow. Yellow, who would have every guessed? We shared a taste in movies and music too it seemed.  His favorite food is pancakes while I have a slight obsession with pizza myself. And he's always wanted to own his own business. 

It felt like we knew everything about each other. And yet, we still knew nothing at all. And I had to admit I wanted to know more. I wanted to know everything about West. There was just something so interesting about him, so different and unexpected yet so comfortable all the same. 

Eventually West paid for our meal and we left. But West didn't head to his car like I expected instead, he headed straight toward a small pond just beyond the lot. I quickly followed suit.

He sat down on a rock near the edge of the water and I sat down with him on a closer rock. I wasn't sure why we came here, but this sudden tension filled the air between us. I could sense the seriousness radiating off of West before he even spoke a word.

"When I was younger my dad left. To be honest I barely remember the guy. My mom did her best to support me and my sister but we couldn't even afford rent, let alone stuff to eat. We were in and out of shelters, friend's homes and even living under a bridge once. But then she met Tommy." West paused as if to collect his thoughts. I didn't dare interrupt though, I just waited for him to continue. 

"Tommy helped us out. He got us a place and somehow we had money again. We weren't going hungry. I thought everything was gonna be good now. I thought he was a good guy," West's voice broke but he didn't pause this time," I hadn't noticed at first but my mom, she would come home real late, if she even came home at all. When she did she was always covered in bruises. I asked her about it but she would never tell me what she was doing. I just wanted to know if she was ok, I was worried about her, she looked thinner than she ever did while we lived on the streets. So I asked Tommy hoping he'd tell me. I remember he smiled and said, 'Kid, I can show you better than I can tell you.'  He took me to the part of the city mom always kept us from. She said it was full of bad people. We parked and he pointed out a group of girls standing on the sidewalk. I immediately noticed my mom amongst the women. But I didn't understand still. I kept watching as cars pulled up and women got in before I finally asked Tommy what they were doing there."  

"He said," West hesitated for a moment," He said, Son, how would you like to be my apprentice? He wanted me to help him pimp out girls, my own mother! He kept saying how much power and respect I'd have. How I'd be a man. I'd be making more money than I'd know what to do with. But I couldn't do that to my own mother, I couldn't do that to anyone. So I refused. I told him I would never help him. I told him if he didn't stop doing this to my mom I'd call the police."

"So did he stop?" I asked shyly.  West made a scoffing sound and shook is head.

"No. He laughed at me. He told me if I ever went to the police I'd be sorry. He'd threatened my mother's life if I did anything. He said I must be dumb to pass on an offer like this. That I wasn't man enough to handle so many women but that he could make me a man."

"So the scars?" 

"All came from 'How to be a man 101.' The scar above my brow is from taking a beer bottle to the head after I refused to beat my sister for spilling milk. 'A real man knew how to get respect.'  I have a few burn marks on my back too, from cigarettes. He'd put them out on my back and told me not to cry. Only a 'real man' wouldn't cry."

"What about the one on your chest?" West looked startled by my question and I realized he didn't know I saw that one, "I noticed it while you were changing this morning." 

"Well that one was from the last night I spent in the house. I had gotten woken up by some arguing. I came to the front room to find Tommy and my mom yelling. He kept saying she was 'damaged goods'....he needed 'young meat'...he needed to 'fill her spot.' My mom was pleading with him not to do this. That's when I noticed my sister on the couch. Everything clicked then; he wanted my sister now. I couldn't stop myself then. I didn't even know what I was doing. I just socked his sorry ass. I got him down and kept punching him and punching him. I was so angry, I was seeing red. I didn't even notice when he pulled his blade out, knifed me all the way up. I guess I passed out, there was just so much blood everywhere. I woke up in a hospital bed alone. I had to stay there a few days since the blade went pretty deep. By the time I got out, they were gone. The apartment was empty and I didn't know where my mom and sister were."

"I stayed with my friends after that while I tried to find my family. I went to the same spot Tommy showed me but no one ever showed up. I asked around about them but it was like they had vanished. I spent two years on my own before I finally got picked up for stealing. They called Gary and now," West gestured with his hands out," here I am." 

I hadn't noticed I started crying, but I was. I just couldn't believe this is what Gary meant by a 'rough' life. Without realizing it I got up and hugged West. He hugged me back hesitantly and we stayed like that for a while.

"Now, cupcake, I believe the deal was 'a story for a story'," West said pulling away, "Whats your story?"