Daddy Issues»©

Chapter 4

//John//

"I'm guessing you don't have any clothes for me?" Clayton asked as he tucked himself under the covers.

"Sorry about that."

I shut the lights out and got in bed looking dead at the ceiling with no intention of getting any rest.

The moment I saw my dad's boots walk in the room my heart dropped into my stomach burning in the acid.

My throat rain dry as I thought of a lie.

My skin was washed with goosebumps as the story left my lips.

It felt like giving a speech in front of your entire class. All those eyes watching you and judging you. Only it was worse. All I could think about were the consequences of them finding out.

I just didn't want them to say that word. Those few words, I would never want to do that to them.

"I'm disappointed"

Those were the worst words a parent could ever say to a child.

"Are you sleep?" Clayton asked.

"Not really, wasn't really trying to sleep."

He was laid on his stomach looking at the yellow lights shining from beneath my door. His back was black and blue with rips through his skin. It looed like marks of a whip. Was he beaten? If he was he knew how to hide it well. His parents didn't do it, I know they aren't good to him but a parent cant be that mad can they? I know one things for sure is that i am not going to ask him.

"What do you usually do, then?" he asked sitting up now his chin resting on my mattress looking me dead in the eyes. His eyes were cold liek the one on a lunatic, only they were soft flashes of a kind person.

"I once saw Spider-Man you know. It wasn't once though ive seen him a few times. AT his matches and more. I thought he was completely awesome I idled him"

Then why did you stop? Oh that's right he opened his eyes to what a coward spider-turd really was.

"I even witnessed when he quit. While walking home in this alley i saw his suit in the trash. I thought he got a new suit and was hoping he would return. Three years later and i still haven't seen him."

Must have been hard knowing your hero quit on you. Probably why he is so closed off after all. Decided to rely on himself and only himself. Then again you never know anything about Clayton.

I felt my self slipping. As if I was falling through my bed. I sat up quickly and the feeling was gone. My heart was racing, my skin was boiling.

"Dude!" Clayton said sitting up as well. "What's wrong?"

I set my back up against the wall and relaxed. The wall was cool.

That wasn't the first time. It happens at school, at dinner. I just feel my body lowering I feel like I can't breath. I could feel all the molecules around me like I was underwater.

It was a weird feeling. It was scary, it felt like everything that could go wrong would. All my negative emotions would come to past. Then it would stop the moment i realized it.

My heart dropped in my chest. Clayton was looking me dead in the eyes, that cold glare again. This time I could see the worry behind them. He was hiding it but u could see it. Did he know what I was feeling, does he care?

He looked away after we met eyes. My shoulders dropped and the silence was crippling. It was nice spending time with him. Maybe now I could learn more about him, pry down into him found out all he is hiding.

"Do you remember them?"

He looked down at his lap. The moon was shining on his face.

"Who?"

I looked around the room, let's not make this so raw. "Your parents, the real ones."

I can't even say I knew them. I forgot there voice even before they--- I guess I dont."

Why did he stop? Maybe I a still too raw. That was probably not a good question to start off with.

"You told me you liked science and building things. Do you still do that?"

He looked at me, with a half smile. "Not as often but when my peoole arent harassing me which is often yeah. When I'm alone."

~
It was challenging snaking Clayton out of the house. Bith of my parents were in the living room with Aunt MJ. They up early for a reason didn't really pay attention enough to hear. I had to shove him out the window and Tyrone drive us to school.

I pulled the lock from my locker and opened it. Students swarming in front he door showed little remorse. I was pushed against the locker and shoved to the side a bit.

I got my chem textbook and slammed the locker closed joining the crowd. Disappearing from sight.

People weaved through the crowd and bumped and grinded to get through shoving and ramming into one another. Out of no where there was yelling and eventually a fight broke out.

This was nothinh new to it, fights happened all the time, only they weren't childish. It was a slow build to get to the fighting, mostly weeks of beef and added tension. The school wasn't too hard on the matter because fights were rare but common at the same time. I guess you could say they were tolerable.