When you met my parents...
NOVEMBER - 2010
Beep...Beep...Beep...
I groaned and swung my arm to shut off the stupid alarm clock. I took a deep breath once the beeping stopped and sat up. My t-shirt was wrinkled and ratted up, exposing my stomach. I pulled it down and got out of my ruffled sheets. I rubbed my eyes, making my way to the bathroom. I heard my dad downstairs say goodbye to my mom, as she did the same to him.
I did my usual morning routine and then ate breakfast.
"Kyle? Sweetheart?"
"Yeah?"
My mom avoided eye contact while talking to me from across the table. "How's your friend, Gwen?"
"Oh, no." I mumbled, looking up at her. I know what's about to come.
"I just want to know!" She shrugged defensively.
"Uh, she's... she's fine."
My mom finally looked up and said, "I want to meet her."
My hand froze holding the French toast, keeping place right in front of my mouth. My lips faltered and my eyes stayed on my mother.
I slowly swallowed awkwardly, and then cleared my throat. "I'm sorry, what?"
"I'm serious, Kyle!"
"No, Mom. You aren't meeting Gwen."
"And why not?" She crossed her arms.
"Because... she's Gwen... and... you're..." I had a hard time thinking of a word. Mom raised her left eye brow. "you."
She dropped her arms and scolded. "Kyle!"
"Look Mom, she and I are not... a couple, so what's the point in meeting her?"
"She's your friend; probably your only one. I'd like to meet her someday. Besides, Kory's always saying how much you like her."
I narrowed my eyes. "Did he, now."
"I want to meet her, Kyle."
"Mom, I said no."
She huffed angrily. For a second, it was like we'd switched personalities, as if I were the one telling the child no.
"When will you be visiting her the next time?"
I glanced at my mom while taking a long sip from my glass of milk.
"Um, not for a while." I answered, looking away and scratching the back of my neck.
She shook her head and sighed, obviously annoyed of me. "Hurry up and get ready for school. The bus will probably be here at the stop in ten minutes."
I hurriedly finished my breakfast and left to school.
When I got onto the bus, no one really looked at me as a few of us chose our seats. I took the same one, the same one since my first my day of school and arriving onto this bus.
It was about ten minutes until school actually started. I walked into the halls, only to be engulfed into what seemed like hundreds of Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and maybe a few Seniors. I walked forward, and then took a left, strolling to my locker. I used my combination, which was vaguely memorized, from my lack of memorization strategies.
I hurried and took a few books I'd need for my upcoming classes, since I've actually been trying to get good grades lately. I closed my locker and turned down to History.
"Hey, you!" a larger guy came towards me with a few of, what I assumed to be, his friends along by his side.
He was maybe an inch or two taller than me. I had my bag slung over my shoulder. He glanced at his two friends, like how the bully does in the movie, which I'm sure is what he is, and I'm the bullied.
He pushed my chest, causing me to stumble.
"Loser," he spat. He took my backpack and unzipped all the pockets. He turned the bag upside down and let all the items inside fall to the ground. It consisted of rolled up and wrinkled white papers, a few notebooks and some broken pencils and pens.
His friends laughed at me and then turned to walk away. I looked to my left and right and saw a few people giving me questionable stares. I bent down to lift my backpack and its contents back onto my shoulder.
I sighed.
Just like last year.
...
"Hey, I saw Connor push you in the halls." Ryan whispered towards me.
I didn't answer him.
"You know I-... I know you were bullied last year, man."
Again, I kept silent.
"It sucks." He gave me a small nod and sat back onto his stool firmly.
I swallowed nervously, unable to understand what he meant. He couldn't possibly have been bullied. Ryan was the popular guy here. I was the same old Kyle Hastings, the punching bag in a way.
I kept writing down notes about our lesson and continued on with the rest of the class, not sending Ryan a single glance. I tried not to think about last year, and the year before, and the year before that.
I guess I wasn't completely better, but I wasn't having the thoughts anymore, well, not many of them at least.
After class, we had lunch, and I had it alone, like always. I couldn't stop thinking about Connor's approaches with me, the way he'd push me, or call me a name. When Kory left, everything got worse. There wasn't a brother to protect me. I was actually thankful for Kory when he was around.
After he left, I started to get lonely. Kory was my best friend. Now, it seems like I've kind of closed him off, and it's true. I can't blame my brother for leaving though, its college. He had to go.
I guess its selfishness; I was angry with Kory because he left me to fend off for myself. I was angry with him because he was so much better than me, so much smarter and wiser, better looking and funnier. That was my brother.
I kept thinking about sixth grade, seventh grade, eighth grade, freshman year. I sat at the table, not touching my food at all. I held my head in my hands. I was feeling it again. I was then engulfed into a horrifying flash back that I'd been working so hard and thought I had successfully forgotten about.
"Hey! Hastings!" I heard behind me.
I didn't turn. I knew who was talking to me.
"I'm talking to you!"
"Turn around you chump!" another voice said.
I kept walking, quickening my pace.
I felt my shirt being tugged back at the collar and I choked from the material against my throat. He kicked me in the stomach. The wind was instantly knocked out of me. I fell to the ground. He knelt down and punched my face. Blood spurted out of my nose. My lip was already swollen.
"Think he's learned his lesson yet, Owens?" Mason said to Thomas.
"Nah, I think he still doesn't get that he's a fuckin' loser."
Thomas kicked my back while Mason laughed.
"Where's Kory now, huh Hastings?" Thomas used a sarcastic baby voice while saying my brother's name.
Mason's face turned into a sinister expression. "I think he went to college. A place you'll never be."
"Why?"
Kick... Punch...
"Cause you're a screw-up."
Punch... Kick...
"Kyle?" a slow voice asked me, interrupting me of my memory.
I was still slightly in the flashback until I realized who was talking to me. I looked up to see a girl, probably in my year. If not, a freshman.
"Kyle?" she repeated.
"Yeah." I bit on my bottom lip, trying to rid of my torturous memory.
"I was, um, wondering if you'd like to, um, donate some money to the orphanage downtown. The student body is having a donation for the children." she said nervously.
"Uh, no thanks... uh..." I stared and puffed my lips at her, waiting for her to tell me her name.
Her face fell as she realized why I wasn't finishing my sentence.
"Chloe."
"Chloe! Yeah, I'm kind of broke at the moment, so no thanks."
"Oh, okay." She awkwardly turned around and glanced behind her shoulder. I acted as if I hadn't noticed and kept eating my food as if nothing was asked of me.
...
"Mom! I'm going to the hospital!" I shouted, resting my hand on the door handle as I waited for her reply. The first month I'd started community service, I never thought I'd be saying those words willingly.
"Oh! You are?"
I shut my eyes, hoping she'd gotten over meeting Gwen by now. Obviously, she hasn't.
"Uh, just for a second."
"C'mon, Nathan! Let's go!"
Crap.
"What?" I heard my dad ask in the living room, probably watching another episode of House or something like that.
"We're going to meet Gwen!"
God, she sounded like teenager getting tickets to her favorite boy band concert.
"Why?" my dad asked further, clearly not interested in meeting my friend.
"Because! Wouldn't you like to know if the person our son keeps hanging out with is being a good influence on him?"
"She is a good influence on me." I mumbled, rolling my eyes.
My dad sighed heavily.
"Alright, looks like I'll be going by myself then!" I called, opening the door.
My mom strolled in a few seconds later. "Oh no, you don't. We're meeting her. Nathan, let's go!" she shouted.
"I'm coming, Julianna!" he shouted back, irritated.
"Your father's such a couch potato, Kyle." she muttered under her breath, an amused smile crossing her face.
I pursed my lips and let out a heavy sigh. This was seriously going to suck.
My dad finally came with a heavy jacket on, considering the season change. We left the house and took Dad's car. We got to the hospital not long after, and before I was prepared, we were outside Gwen's room.
I slowly opened the door and saw Gwen quickly grab a book from her nightstand and cover her face.
"It's me." I smiled.
"Oh, Ky-" She stopped herself as her eyes met my parents'. She looked back at me and I stuffed my hands into my back pant pockets, feeling the tension in the room.
"Uh, Gwen, these are my... parents. Mom, Dad, Gwen." I gestured towards her awkwardly as she stared at them in complete confusion.
My mom's lips formed a nervous smile. She walked towards Gwen and held out her hand.
"Hi, Gwen, my name's Julianna. This is my husband, Nate."
Mom never used Dad's nickname. I never knew why. She just always said Nathan.
"N-nice to m-meet you." she stuttered.
This only made me feel worse. She really wasn't ready for this. I should've at least come in first without my parents and tell her they were here or something. My dad shook Gwen's hand in silence. She tried to sit up, but struggled. I hurriedly bent down to lift her up. Her arm went around my neck as she nervously questioned me quietly. "Why are your parents here?"
"They wanted to meet you." I answered in a very hushed tone.
I lifted Gwen a little bit without difficulty and quickly felt the blanket for the remote to adjust her bed. I found it, pressing the UP button. The bed made a loud churning sound as it formed into a, what I estimated to be, a 115 degree angle.
I could tell she was feeling self-conscious, fearing that my parents might not like her. I leant down again and whispered to her once more. "Don't worry. They'll love you, okay?"
She nodded, her eyes wide with terror.
I sat back and took a seat in the usual chair that is set to the right of Gwen. My parents took seats in the chairs at the table in the corner of the room. I gave her an encouraging smile, urging her to start the conversation. She nodded again and looked over at my parents.
"So, uh, Mr. and Mrs. Hastings, how are you?"
"Oh, please sweetie, call me Julianna."
My dad answered her question with a gentle smile. "We're great, thank you. How are you?"
Gwen sighed in relief. "The usual, sitting in a bed while taking blood tests and stuff." she laughed.
My mom laughed too, completely fake. I could see in my mom's eyes that she pitied Gwen, and for some reason, it ticked me off. The room fell into an awkward silence. I was kind of struggling about thinking what to say.
Then the room door opened and of all people, it was Denise and George. I guess it wasn't really a coincidence - Gwen is their child and this is her room so...
"Gwen, sweetie, how are you fee-"
Denise stopped a few feet from the doorway, George behind her, confused at the two strangers sitting in the room. Their eyes darted to me.
"Oh, Kyle."
"Mom, Dad, uh, these are Kyle's parents, Nate and... Julianna?" Gwen stretched out my mom's name, hoping she was getting it correct. My mom smiled and nodded before getting up to meet Denise and George.
"Hi. It's so great to finally meet you." My mom wrapped her arm around my dad's waist.
"I'm George, this is Denise."
They shook hands while Gwen and I just stared at our parents. She leaned over towards me saying, "It's like we're dating."
"I know."
We laughed together and soon after, Denise and George stood against the wall.
"Oh, you can sit down." my mom offered, standing up from her seat.
"Oh no, we're fine. Thank you," Denise insisted, although I felt like the conversation should've been the other way around: my parents leaning against the wall while Denise and George offered them to sit.
We all started in conversation. It was a lot easier having Gwen's parents here as well. It was maybe an hour later when Mom started to get a little detailed.
"Kyle's brother, Kory visited a few weeks ago," she said.
"Yeah, I met him." Gwen chirped. "He's a great guy."
"Kyle and Kory were inseparable when they were younger."
"Where is he now?" Denise asked, taking a sip of her hot chocolate she got from downstairs earlier.
"He goes to college down in New York." my dad explained.
"Does he, now?"
My parents nodded.
"We're hoping that Kyle can get into college also, but with the law and his record, it'll be a bit tougher, you-"
"Record?!" Denise questioned.
"Mom!" I scolded.
"Julianna!" my dad said.
Her eyes widened and her face paled. "Oh!" She covered her mouth, realizing she just made a big mistake.
"You've gotten in trouble with the law?" George turned to me.
"Gwen, how come you haven't told us about this?" Denise's eyes were angry.
Gwen tried to find an answer to her mother's question, but it just wasn't coming out.
"I don't do it anymore, Mr. and Mrs. Conrad. I promise." I said.
"He doesn't, he really doesn't!" my mom added, trying to make the situation better, but only making it worse.
I sighed heavily and glanced at Gwen. Once I took in her facial expression, I shut my eyes.
They're judging me.
"Gwen, I think it's time you have some rest." Denise suggested sternly.
"Mom-"
"We'll talk about this in the morning." George interrupted.
Gwen sighed, knowing she wouldn't be able to get through to them. I got up from my chair, my stomach twisting. I turned to Gwen and leant down to give her a gentle hug.
"Goodbye." I whispered.
"I'm sorry." she whispered back.
I stood up and turned, leaving the room.
...
A/N
PLEASE VOTE, COMMENT, FOLLOW!