The Monster (My Best Friend Eminem, My Husband Marshall Mathers)

Chapter twenty-nine

            I felt pretty foolish when I saw her standing right next to a stand, her back was arched back a bit and her chin practically touching her chest. It was as if she was looking at something at the bottom of the floor. What could see be looking at? Then I noticed she didn’t have a malt in her hand and she still had the five dollars in her hand.

            I stood from her point of view, and saw a rack of different magazines. It drove me crazy, what was she looking at? Now I wish I didn’t see what she was looking at. It broke me more than anything. How hard Marshall and I tried to keep the kids away from these people. And what made it worse, was it was Hailie’s and Marshall’s photo on the magazines.

“Brawls between siblings” it said.

            It was all wrong, the picture, the text, everything. The picture was taken the day I picked Hailie up form school. And it was outside of her school. How the hell did I miss that photographer?

“How could they have gotten that?” Hailie whispered.

“I don’t know…”

Hailie turned to me, “Now, daddy will find out about my fight…” her eyes teary.

That went over my head, “Come on, honey, its publicity that story can be misled by anyone.” Hailie tilted her head and went,

“Hmm” knowing I was right. Hailie went downstairs to the shop, wiping her eyes.

            It was scary, Marshall goes to three stores every day before coming home from the studio, and he’ll hear it on the radio maybe or even on TV. My thoughts raced, how can I hide this from him? Then again, I am holding back Hailie from talking to Marshall. This could be the ice breaker they need. I quickly snatched the magazine before anyone could see, and shoved it in my pocket book.

            “What does dad say about my project I’m doing for school?” asked Hailie. I glared over at Hailie I really wanted to say, ‘ask him yourself’ but I wasn’t willing to start an argument with her.

“Um…” the only thing I could think of to say was, ‘ask him yourself’ it was the right thing to say. Hailie waited for an answer as I scrambled those words to the back of my mind.

“I don’t think I’ve told him yet” I said. Hailie looked disappointed as if she really wanted Marshall to know.

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            We brought home the gifts, hoping to see the boys putting up the tree. The tree sat in the garage, tied up

“Huh, Marshall must’ve got it today” I said to myself. The girls rushed into the house, Hailie following close behind, knowing she’ll see her father. I wish I could smack her right now, this isn’t right. Not giving Marshall a glimpse she rushed to the kitchen then to her bedroom. Marshall’s expression was heart breaking.

            I gave Marshall a kiss on his temple and sympathically rubbed his back. He rested his head on my shoulder, what was I going to do? What was I going to say?

“She still loves you…it’ll be ok” I whispered. Pushing Hailie in the back of his mind, he started to help me with the packages.

            When dinner was on the table; Hailie kept her head down, trying to cover up a little brown bruise on her face. Marshall ponder whether or not to ask Hailie what happened to her face or if it was make-up.

“What happened to your face?” Marshall asked sternly. You could see Hailie’s nervous expression even though she kept her head down.

“Did you fall?”

Hailie grew even more nervous.

            I tried to keep my hand shaking as I placed the tray of food in the middle of the table; afraid Marshall might know that Hailie and I are hiding something.

“Oh, she fell off her skateboard that she tried riding…I told you honey that board is too short for you…you are not sixteen anymore.” My voice was jittery, anyone could see I was nervous.

Marshall raised his eye brows and took the weak and pathetic excuse. Hailie smiled at me, grateful I took a bullet for her. I on the other hand, wanted to slap her I hated to lie to Marshall; my husband and it was a perfect opportunity for Hailie and Marshall to talk. I glared at her, not giving her the same happy feeling as if we dodged a bullet together.

            Marshall ate some food he sat most of the time and starred at his food as if he was in deep thought. It made me uneasy throughout dinner, my eyes could not stop wondering to Marshall. Times like this I would pay anything to see what he is thinking.

“When are you going to put up the tree, hun?” I asked softly.

Marshall snap out of the daze, “Hmm, what?”

“When are you going to put the tree up?”

“Oh…I don’t know…the weekend I guess” his tone was uncaring. There could only be two reasons why Marshall was acting so odd right now, I just hope it’s not the one I’m worried about.