Another Outsider

The Move

When I stepped out of the movie house and into the bright sun I had two things on my mind. A way home and where home will be after today. I am moving to a new state a new town and a new home. Kinda a fresh start. To bad I know that the old man is lying he went stop drinking he never does. My old man is a tan tall dark hair black eyed drunk. He drinks beer after beer and is proud about it. He drinks himself gone and then beats on all of us.

Yeah I don't got it good but who does now day? I can't go to the fuzz cause they will just split me and my kid brother up. I can't let him go through life all by his lonesome self he will be stuck in the cooler for life. Max, my brother is only 13 and he is a real spit fire hot head. He has already been in more fights then he cares to count. I make sure he gets enough to eat, washes up at night, and goes to school. Now numbers. That kid is some sort of magician about them. They came to him as easy as breathing. He is coming to be a great looker to. We share the same bright blond hair. His is long on top amd kapt short on the sides he keeps it all greased up but it is naturally teased up and spiky. His eyes are a shinny green like tree leaves as soon as spring hits. He is a strong little guy too with a six pack almost showing at age 13.

Right now Max is talking my ear off giving me a replay of the movie I didn't pay attention to but paid for us to go see by pick pocketing some old snob on the way down to street to the cinema. "Max I was there I watched the movie to so there is no need for you to retell me." I laughed and messed up his hair. I am 16 and my kid brother is almost looking me in the eyes. Jees his is getting tall. I am 5"2" probably.

He pops his leather jacket collar and smells at me "Ash you werent paying any attention to anything you were day dreaming the whole time worrying about something or other of course" and of course he was right.

I had to worry. If I didn't our pops would probably had killed us by now. "I know I'm sorry. Hopefully when we move I can stop worrying and we can relax more. Are you excited to move and find new trouble little brother?" I skipped to in front of him and started to walk backwards. We done this a lot one walk in front of the other and we match of steps toe to toe. I start poking him getting him excited "huh!!" He gets hyper on other peoples excitement its like he eats it up and gets even more hyper then normal. I swear he has that ADHD.

He brings one of his shoes up and makes me high step. "I can't wait! I hope there will be a movie place there! And a park close by! And MORE PEOPLE!!" Max shouts out loudly and I clamp my hand over his face quickly

"Max you can shut right up before we get unwanted attention" the fuzz has always made me queasy i don't like the attention. They might notice the bruises or something. "We are in the center of town don't go screaming like that with the cops so close. Damn kid." I hiss to him and swatt the back of his head.

He rubs his head and mumbles a sorry. "Jees it is gettin cold fast." Max nodded and zips up his leather. I only have my old blue faded cola shirt on I didnt think to bring my worn out red zip up jacket. It has so many rips and holes it wouldn't offer much heat anyways. I had to steal Maxs leather for him to have a jacket. Good thing I got it two sizes to big because he grows like a weed.

We made it home in another 25 minutes and we could hear pops screaming from outside about how he wanted food and beer. Food and beer. That's all that man wants.

Me and Max look to eachother and head to the other side of the house roll a piece of log to the side of the house and climb up to the back porch roof. We sat out in the cold for an hour or so real close to stop our shivering.

"I hate this Ash. We gotta sleep outside so our own dad won't beat us. Why does everyone got to drink? Does it make him feel good to hit us? Does he have to show how man enough he is by drinking cases at a time?" How do I answer that? Damn kid is always getting deep without realizing it.

"I don't know M maybe he hates himself as much as we hate him and can't stand himself enough to stay sober." I don't know if that makes sense at all but I couldn't think of anything better.

Max nodes and puts his head on my lap and starts to fall asleep. Pops is still yelling and we arent about to go inside. My ribs are still sore from the last time I chickened out because of the cold and went inside while he was still awake. I sigh leaned back against the house siding and rest my eyes.

The window opens beside us and my sweet tiny mother throws blankets at me. She is short skinny and always looks scared. She has brown curly hair that she always keeps in a bun. she suppose to wear glasses but pops always just brakes them. She loves the man my father used to be. I don't think she will ever leave him for good.

I know she realizes that he beats us cause she tries to hard to make it stop when it is happening. She always splits up the fighting by standing between us. She has tried to leave him a few times but he always finds us and one time he beat mom so bad she didn't wake up for almost a week. So we stay. We stay, we hide, and keep eachother alive. She is crying has a new bruise on her cheek and a busted lip. I kiss her cheek gently and wrap me and max in the blankets. Another night on the roof. This is what normally happens. Pops has found us every time we hid inside but he never checks here. On this damn cold roof.

The next morning pops goes to work and we pack up the house in the moving truck. Some how pops got a higher paying job in a new town so we are moving. We pack fast so we can have a little while alone together relaxing. Me mom and max sat in the empty loving room floor eating hot dogs from the shopp down the way Max walked to earlier.

"This move will be the blessing of a life time. No more money issues no more drinking. We will be back to normal. We will be happy." Mom told us bullshit like this all day. I think she really believes it. Me and Max go along with it and agree to it. I think it makes her happy if I just keep quite and agree.

The old man came home...happy. He hugged us all. Took us out to eat for dinner. Turned on the music in the moving truck and singed along. Through all 8 hours of driving he didnt drink a drop. He was like he was before. Before everything turned upside down. I was shocked. It left me scared and on the edge the whole time. Waiting for him to drop the act and start screaming. But he didn't. When we reached our new house he helped us unpack and carried mom through the door like they were newly married. I smiled at the sight. Mom giggling and pops kissing her. Wow.

Things between them got handys and clothes started coming off. "Me and Max are going to go explore..okay..gross." I talked but they didn't hear. I grabbed my thin jacket and Maxs hand on my way out the door.