Leah and Trent

Chapter Twenty-one

November 19 2016 - Saturday

~

Timothy

(Song: Ode To Sleep by Twenty One Pilots)

. . .

"ugh."

My body felt weak. My body felt dead. It was as if I had died the night before, and now I was trying to come back to life. The sun beamed into my eyes, as I was tangled up in my sheets, and I didn't have the slightest clue what time it was. I clutched a pillow in my hand and threw it at my window, but it did nothing against the burning light. I rolled over, nearly falling off the bed, and instantly felt the sun's heat on my exposed stomach. Groans and curses escaped from under my breath.

I was completely drained and wanted to sleep, but I couldn't stay in bed anymore. Laying down for so long was starting to make my muscles lock up. I had to try to walk this feeling off. It took several minutes just to roll myself out of bed and stand up semi-straight. Stumbling around my room, I threw on whatever I could find. I tossed on some shades that were on my dresser and dragged my feet out of my room.

I shuffled into the kitchen desperate for something- anything to eat. I made my way to the refrigerator and scrambled through its contents for something quick and edible. A leftover meatloaf revealed itself to me, and I pulled it out onto the counter. I threw the lid off the container and started destroying the meatloaf with my hands and teeth.

"Hungry?" My eyes lazily looked up from the counter to see Yani, with a stupid grin on her face, standing at the entrance of the kitchen.

"I'm human. I get hungry," I said centering back on the meatloaf. Chloe and Zoe pushed past their mother and ran to me. They both grabbed onto the edge of the counter and tried to lift themselves up to overcome their smurf like heights.

"What are you eating?" Chloe asked.

"Can I have some?" Zoe asked.

"Go away," I said. Their high-pitch voices were like knives stabbing me in the brain.

"Go on, leave your brother alone. He's paying the consequences for his actions last night." Yani walked over and shooed the girls away. Zoe ran off with Chloe's hand in hers.

"You don't know what I did last night."

"I'm sure neither do you."

"Touché," I said with a small grin. I finished off the meatloaf and wiped my hands on my pants. "Is he here?"

"No, I don't think so." I looked up at her and saw the weak look in her eye. The look that I knew all too well. The look that sickened me. "By the way, do you know why there's a pillow outside in front of the house?" I shrugged my shoulders and walked off. "If it's yours can you get it, please?"

"No."

I laid in my room with the lights off and my curtains shut. At some point I fell back to sleep, but it wasn't long before I woke back up. I had kicked the covers off of the bed sometime while I was asleep. I tried to rest my body by keeping my eyes closed and clearing my head. Everything was silent and empty, until a stray thought popped into my head.

Leonard was a strange dude, but lately he had been acting even weirder. Why did he ask me about Japan and about being an artist? Yeah, we were seniors, but we never talked about what we were going to do after high school. I always figured he didn't think about it, like me. The only reason I could think of for his sudden life crisis was Sharen. He had been hanging on her heels ever since they met. He was like a sick puppy with her.

I didn't really know anything about her. The only things I knew were the things I heard around school. The biggest thing was that apparently she dropped out of school during seventh grade and then magically appeared freshman year. I heard different reasons and stories for her disappearance: a family member died, she had cancer, she went crazy, she ran away from home, she got arrested. I didn't know what to believe. Her running away from home made the most sense. I understood running away, h***, I ran away during the summer before freshman year. But everyone at school knew what happened to me. Why was she such a mystery?

By the time I stepped out of my room again, the windows were dark and there was a night chill that filled the house. My stomach was calling out to me. It needed food. I passed by the girls' room and heard them playing around and talking. As I got closer to the kitchen, the twins' voices were quickly replaced by Yani and Phillip's voices.

"What the h***, Yani?"

"I didn't know."

"Obviously. Stop being such a ditz and grow up."

"I'm sorry. I really am."

"I don't give a d***. Why don't you take yourself upstairs and clean yourself up, you look a mess."

"Hey! Don't talk to her like that," I said walking into the kitchen. The two of them looked at me, both surprised. Yani's eyes were bloodshot, and her makeup was running down her face. She looked like the world's saddest clown. Phillip turned his body completely towards me, breathing heavily with a scowl on his face. He pressed his palms on the counter and leaned forward with raised eyebrows.

"You're going to tell me how to talk to my wife?" he questioned through gritted teeth.

"No, I'm going to tell you you're acting like an a**h***."

"You little s***."

"Timothy, please just-" Yani tried to speak, but Phillip slammed his hands on the counter. The loud slap echoed through the kitchen. Yani flinched at the sound, but it only made my heart rage.

"Shut up!" Phillip yelled. "You think you're a tough guy? You sure you want to start this?" He questioned. I smirked a half smile.

"I'm sure that'll get you off. Overpowering your own son. I got news for you, old man. I'll kick your a** before you get a chance."

"Still as pathetic as when you were a kid."

"Try me." He stared into my eyes, menacingly, as if he could frighten me with just a look. What he must not have realized was that his old tricks didn't work on me anymore. He couldn't intimidate me. He couldn't manipulate me. He couldn't do anything to me. I was free from his grasp.

"It's late, and I don't need this s*** right now. I'm going to bed," Phillip said taking his hands off the counter. He gave Yani one final look and shook his head. "Don't be late to bed." Yani started wiping her face feverishly. Phillip walked pass me to leave the kitchen, but he completely avoided looking at me.

When the sound of his footsteps were gone, Yani had her back faced towards me. I almost didn't want to look at her, I didn't think she'd want me to.

"Are you cool?" I asked staring at her back.

"You shouldn't go after him like that."

"He's a fighter, you should know that by now. He doesn't just roll over if you're nice to him. He just attacks more. . .You don't have to fight him back, but you should at least defend yourself. Otherwise, he'll use you like a doll. . .That's what he does."

"He's a good man." Her words didn't sit well in my ears, and I gritted my teeth. I turned on my heels and headed back to my cave. I wasn't hungry anymore. Now I was just ticked off and tired.

Ever since my mom had died and I started high school, I had been standing up to Phillip and refusing to take his s***. Ever since then, it was like living in a lion's den. He couldn't fight me. He learned that the hard way. But I was wrong in thinking that he couldn't do anything to me. Whenever there was a moment of me gaining the upper hand there was always another moment of him taking it back. He would usually either kick me out or cut me off. But sometimes he would come up with some new way to try to make my life h***.

Phillip was a tormentor. Yani was just a new toy for him to play with. He didn't care about anybody but himself, and he only cared how others could serve him. Yani could choose to deny that all she wanted. I wasn't going to break my back over it.

(Song: Best Of You by Foo Fighters)