LOVE WITHOUT SLEEP

THE CHAPTER 19

I threw all of my sprawled about belongings into my bag, hurrying down the stairs to set it next to the door. As I didn't want to come into further contact with Percy, I avoided every remark he continued to spit out. Come on, George. Come on, George. I looked out of the window quickly, not turning around for even just one second. Knowing if I were even to look in Percy's direction, he'd start again.

My mother's voice came in close behind me, "Judith you know you don't have to go. He's just-"

"Drunk. As always." I said.

"You just have to try to understand him, he-"

"Understand him? Understand someone who has abused me for more than half of my life, verbally and physically? I'm already having a hard time trying to understand you for letting him do it...and I never will." I said, turning around.

"You haven't had it so bad." She said, looking off to the side. She was more drunk than I'd thought...if she didn't realize how bad my entire life had become ever since she let Percy into it.

"Mum, thanks for defending me tonight, for the first time. How you still don't realize that even that's not enough to make up for all this shit is beyond me."

The door bell rang, I hurried and opened it immediately to save the time Percy could get to it first. I looked up at George, feeling slightly embarrassed at the smell of alcohol flowing out as the fresh wind was flowing in.

"Hey." He said awkwardly, his eyes wandering in every direction, in search of any sign of earlier's events to show upon me.

"Bye." I said to my mum, grabbing my bag and hurrying out.

"Wait a minute, can I at least just meet your boyfriend before you go?" She asked, looking at George.

"He's a friend, mum. And no." I said.

"Just let her." George said quietly.

"What? No. George lets just go." I whispered, returning my eyes up at what I could see of him through the darkness of the night.

"Why not?" He asked, "what's the worst that could happen?"

I thought of Percy, looking behind me through the door just to still hear him talking from the kitchen. I sighed, looking at my mum.

"No longer than five minutes, alright?" I said cautiously, stepping back into the house. George walked in behind me, closing the door slowly as he looked all around. There was nothing embarrassing about the house other than its stench and the people residing in it. It was a well kept home, and beautifully set up. Family photos along the walls and beautiful plants and flowers in vases from the mini garden my mum had made several attempts to start. Though with weather conditions, continuously failed.

We took a seat on the couch, my heart raced rapidly, "mum, this is George." I mumbled, looking down at my lap. I didn't want to see them interact, all I wanted was to hide away.

"Hi erm..." George extended his hand, searching for a name to call her.

She shook the hand he'd offered, "Mary." Her drunken tired voice dragging, though to my surprise she was well behaved. I looked up slightly, raising a brow. She shook his hand, smiling.

"Nice to meet you, Mary." He nodded.

"Haven't I met you before?" She asked, squinting her eyes in attempt to remember his face.

"Ages ago." I cut in, looking at her.

She looked back at me, nodding, "you only ever spent time around one boy."