I looked at the little boy laying in bed. He was so adorable when he slept. It was nearly four in the morning and I still hadn't been asleep. I hadn't been able too. Everytime I closed my eyes I saw Garrett and Jason and it brought back memories that I didn't want to remember. I had to get away for a few days.
When I had left the school, I had went straight to my stepfathers house. I rushed into the house to gather the things I would need and quickly left the house. I made sure to be in and out before Jackson got home from work. I had gathered enough stuff to last me and Christian a while out on our own. I just couldn't go back to that school after what I saw. I knew I would have to go back eventually, but that didn't mean I had to go back right away. The only people who would be worried were my siblings, Jake..... and possibly Garrett. The sports teams would be happy that I wasn't around. It would give them a shot at captain in every sport. It would give them a chance to prove themselves. I laughed at the thought.
Standing up, I moved to the corner of the room and started looking through my bags, making sure that I had everything. Phone. Check. Charger. Check. Fake ID. Check. Money. Check. Clothes and toiletries. Check. And I had some other various things.
I couldn't think of anything else that Christian and I would need, so I shrugged my shoulders and walked back over to the bed. I had driven for almost five hours after school before pulling into a motel for the night. Christian hadn't asked anything since we left, but he seemed unusually quiet. It made me wonder if he had seen Garrett while we were in school. That would probably be a bad thing at this point.
I layed next to my son and closed my eyes, trying to force myself into sleep. In the end, it didn't work out very well for me.
***
"Momma, I'm hungry," Christian piped up from the backseat. I smiled at him through my rearview mirror.
"Okay, baby. We'll stop for something here soon okay?"
"Okay, momma." He was silent for a few moments. "Momma, where are we going?"
"We are going to see grandma and grandpa. You remember ridin' the horses up there?"
"Yea. It's pa's mommy and daddy's house, ain't it momma?"
"That's right, bub. We were up here just a few weeks ago."
"Momma, I wanna wait till we get to granddaddy's to eat. Mammaw makes good food," he said with a smile on his face. I couldn't help but laugh at how cute he was.
"Okay, man. We'll be there in about an hour. Can you wait until then?"
"I can if it's for mamaws food," he replied. I laughed at that. He was just too adorable for his own good.
***
I unbuckled Christian from his carseat and sat him on the ground. He yelled happily and ran up to the porch. The occupants of the house heard him through the screen door and made their way outside. Debbie's face lit up as Christian ran into her arms. Steven was walking out of the house right behind her. I walked up the porch steps and stood beside them. Steven wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
"Now what brings you up here?" He whispered.
"I missed you guys... And I had an encounter with someone at school yesterday. I needed to get away and I figured you both would enjoy seeing your grandson."
"Well, you were definitly right about that. But we love seeing you too, so don't make this all about him. Now are you going to tell me what happened at school?"
"Did you know all of your boys are in town?" I asked quietly. Steven was taken aback by my question.
"What do you mean?"
"Jason and Garrett are teaching at the school. I haven't seen the other two, but I have a feeling they are at that school somewhere."
"Is that what happened? Did Jason say something to you?" Steven asked, truly concerned.
"I will explain everything later. After Christian is asleep. I don't want him to hear this," I said. Steven nodded.
"Now tell me, why are you wearing long sleeves in ninety degree weather?"
"I'll show you later."
"I'll hold you to that," he whispered to me. He then clapped his hands. "Now, who wants to go inside and have some food?" He asked. Christian yelled 'yay' and we all went inside.
While Christian sat down at the table to eat his supper, Steven and I went outside to get our bags out of the car. It only took one trip considering their were only three bags and my backpack. When we got back into the house, Steven helped me get the bags into the guest room that Christian and I usually used when we came up to their house. Steven excused himself, wanting to go see Christian, and I stayed in my room. I opened the dresser and pulled out my laptop that I kept here. I opened it and pressed the power button. While I waited for my laptop to boot up, I started putting Christian's clothes away.
When I was finished putting Christian's things away, I sat back down on the bed and pulled the internet up on my laptop. I logged onto my account with Footlocker and started looking through the newly released shoes. I was on that sight for about twenty minutes and had bought a pair of running shoes and a pair of basketball shoes for me, and two pair of Jordan's for Christian for his upcoming birthday. Then I went to Eastbay's website and ordered some clothes for Christian. When I finished with that, I shut down my laptop and put it away. I walked back downstairs and into the kitchen. Christian was sitting at the table playing go fish with steven while Debbie was up washing the dishes. I offered her help, but she politely declined and told me to go get some air. I obeyed her, knowing it was pointless to argue with anyone of Scottish descent. We were all stubborn and two Scots going head to head in an argument would be a fight to the death, so I just left it alone. I went back upstairs and grabbed the acoustic guitar that Steven and Debbie had gotten me for my sixteenth birthday. I went out onto the front porch and sat on the swing. I started to play the notes to any song that came to mind. I made it through almost seven songs before Christian came outside. He stretched out on the swing and laid his head on my outstretched leg as I played. I played softer since his head was mere inches from the guitar. He fell asleep quickly to the sound of the music. When I heard his soft snores, I put the guitar down and ran my hands through my son's hair. We stayed like that for what seemed like hours before the screen door opened again. I looked up at the sound of the creaking door and saw Steven. He smiled at me.
"I guess you want some answers now," I whispered. It was more of a statement than it was a question. I knew that I would have to tell him sometime.
"Not so much on the Jason part. I figure you two just had a yell fest and then he tried to put his hands on you. By your appearance he didn't seem to succeed in his voyage," Steven said. IT was funny how he knew everything before he was even told. "Now, what I really want to know, is why are you wearing long sleeves and jeans in ninety degree weather. You gonna die from a heat stroke with all that nonsense." I could see the disapproving look on his face. I sighed and pulled my long sleeve shirt over my head, leaving me in my tanktop. I moved Christian off of my lap and stood up. I leaned against the railing of the porch, facing the yard, while Steven looked at the damage. Bruises covered my entire upperbody in large patches. Some were yellow and faded while some were new, leaving a black and purple marking on my pale skin.
"Is this Jackson's doings?" Steven asked me.
"No one else would lay a hand on me. Especially in front of my son. I need to get away from all of that, but there isn't much I can do being a single mother with no job and no way of supplying a safe home for my child. The money I have is money that I have been saving for years and it can only last Christian and I so long. I don't want him to have to go through the same thing that I had to go through."
"But he won't, Camille. He has people that care about him and a father that desperately wants to see him. You have people that will help you take care of him and you won't quit like your parents did. He has people that can only show him love and give him what he wants. He is probably one of the luckiest kids on the planet to have a mother like you and considering everything you two have been through, neither one of you have lost that smile off of your faces. You both see the bright side in everything and that will get him as well as you to very high places if you just be patient. He will never face the same things that you faced because he has a family that loves him and would do anything to keep that smile on his face. Remember that, okay, Camille?" Steven scolded. "I don't want to hear you talk like that again."
"Yes, sir. I'll try." Steven gave me a hug and leaned against the railing beside me. Just as he did, someone pulled into the driveway, headlights shining right in our faces. It was almost eleven at night. No one should be coming to this house at this time of night. It made me curious as to who it could be, but as soon as the engine cut off and I saw the car sitting there, I didn't want to be curious any longer. I knew who this was just by the car. I didn't even need to see his face. I looked over at Christian, wondering how he would react if he were to wake up and see him standing there. I picked Christian up in my arms when he started stirring in his sleep. He seemed to calm down a little, and was still again just seconds later. When the car door slammed, the man standing there made absolutly no move to come any closer. Instead he just looked at me, surprise evident on his face. Like he never expected me to be here in a million years. Steven tensed up beside me and just looked at him. He didn't say anything to him, just stared.
That is, until the passenger door opened and another man stepped out. Then the two backdoors opened and out came two more men.
"Boys," Steven said curtly. "Garrett," He said in a softer tone. "Come on in the house. There are some things that we all need to talk about," he gave me a meaningful look and I got the hint. I carried Christian into the house while Steven grabbed my guitar and shirt. The boys all came into the house and sat around in various random places about the living room. I sat on the couch with Christian in my lap, holding on to him like he was the only thing keeping me alive.. and at that moment it certainly felt like he was. Debbie walked in and sat next to be in a protective motherly way. She didn't look entirely pleased to have all four of these men back in her house under such circumstances.
"So boys," she started.
"Where do we start?" Steven finished.