Deamons

Chapter 11 The Stumble part 1

The Stumble Chapter 11

Life is good. In fact, practically unbelievable in Starke's world. It is high school now. He is making friends like wildfire. People want to know him. Girls he has never met know his name before he says it. Older kids too. He is not even afraid of the jealous ones. He has been doing karate for about a year in the adult class, to big to be put in with the kids his age. All the attention might go to his head if it were not for the constant threat that his secret may get out changing everything in an instant.

He goes with a girl for a few weeks if at all. Liking the way they see him, but he knows its not really him they see. Rather it is who they want him to be. Some girls sense there is something deep and troubling. They say they want to help. Flattering but these are no little girl problems. Hell, these are no little problems at all. His mother is beating him even more. His face is numb though so that does not hurt anymore. At karate they teach him how to take a punch so nothing seems to affect him. So now she pulls his hair. Then that stops hurting. So, she pulls at the temple. That never stops hurting. When the temple hair is pulled it creates a white light in the mind. Blinding on the inside. No one can imagine that pain it simply must be seen and felt to understand. Starke cuts his hair like Brian Bosworth on television. Short on the side with lines. Nothing to grab onto there.

It is fall. The store his mother worked at closed. His father says she does not have to work any longer and Starke believed this would make her happy. It does not. Now she sleeps all day and wakes like a bear. His bus goes down the road adjacent the road he lives on. With the leaves off the trees he can see if her car is in the driveway or not. It is. His stomach sinks. It feels like he ate something bad, even cramping. So worried about what mood he will find her in when he goes home he dreads every footfall up the hill that brings him closer to his house.

He has gotten skillful at opening the door silently and slipping in. He listens as he takes his shoes off at the bottom of the steps. They do not wear their shoes inside his house. He listens. Nothing. Where is it. "Grunk, grunk, Gruuunk!" There it is. Her snoring. "Thank you, Jesus," he whispers. He is hungry. There is a lot of food in the refrigerator, nothing lacking there, but he must be careful. Its silent. He freezes. Then hears her snores again and continues. He grabs a little cheese, a pickle, and several crackers. Then takes a big gulp of milk right out of the jug. The idea here is to leave no trace. If he eats the last of something or worse something she plans on eating and really that could be anything then there is hell to pay. He supposed to ask before eating anything, but what supersedes that rule is waking her. Never Wake Her! So, he sneaks food.

"Brrriiiing," the phone rings. He is quick. Grabs it up saying hello at half a ring. There is always that one girl. Who is to nice to ignore and not the sappy saccharin nice but rather the real deal. It is her and she is lovely too. Girl next door lovely. Easy to talk to as well. It feels like knowing her has the power to change his life.

She is so pleasant to talk to. There is fresh flow of words. He almost feels like he does not have to hide who he is. He is smiling at home. That is rare. Then he looks up. "What bitch is calling here waking me up?" his mother asks. Starke ducks under the snack bar counter. If he can last just another minute on the phone he might be able to hang up and appear normal. "You little bastard! Why are you hiding? Who in the hell are you talking to that you have to hide to talk?" Starke stammers quickly trying to get off in a cool way whilst under a great deal of pressure. "What asshole calls right after school?" Starke gives up being cool. It is just too much work. He just says goodbye twice and hangs up. She was still talking too.