Vincent:
Victor released my chin and started pacing around the small room, the wheels in his mind spinning as he considered how to appropriately punish me for attacking his beloved princess. I would have been terrified by this a few weeks ago, but I was so numb from Mommy's death that I could not have cared less what happened to me. Besides, what could he do to me that he hasn't done already?
I leaned back in my chair and folded my arms behind my head. "If you're going to beat the crap out of me...can you go ahead and get it over with? I don't feel like sitting here all day."
Victor stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at me, his jaw clenched and the vein in his forehead throbbing. "What did you say, boy?"
"You said you're going to punish me. So, do it."
I was immediately snatched from my chair and slammed into the wall. Victor pressed his arm against my neck and raised his fist in the air, getting ready to beat the hell out of me, until the door to the coffee room flung open.
Grandma stepped inside with her bible in her hand, dropping it on the floor when saw what was happening. "What in God's name are you doing to him!?" She demanded, pulling Victor off of me with a glare on her face.
"This is none of your business, Ma!"
"Like hell it isn't!" Grandma growled, "I told you to keep your hands off of him."
"I don't care what you said! The little asshole beat the shit out of Violet, and I can't let him get away with it! He needs to be punished!"
"Then, go ahead!!" I challenged again, taking a brave step towards him. "Beat me right here in the funeral home! I don't give a flying-"
"Vincent!" Grandma gasped, covering my mouth before I could finish. She wrapped her arm around my shoulders as my chest heaved up and down violently.
"You see what I mean?" Victor said, shaking his head. "The boy is a loose cannon. If this kind of behavior continues he'll grow up to be a a low life criminal."
His hypocritical words sent another wave of rage through me and I pushed Grandma's hand away from my mouth. "You're one to talk! If it wasn't for you Jordan and Mommy would both still be alive!"
"Why you little-" Victor raised his hand up to hit me, but Grandma stepped in between us.
"Stop it! Both of you!" She shouted sternly, extending her arms out so that her hands were on both our chests. "This is not the time or the place for this nonsense. We are here to pay our respects to Vera, and so help me God if you two don't stop this useless bickering right now I'm going to knock you both into next week! Do I make myself clear!?"
Victor and I glanced at each other briefly before our eyes shamefully shifted down to the floor. "Yes, ma'am." We answered in unison.
"Good." Grandma breathed, lowering her arms down to her sides. "We'll talk more about this tonight at my house. But, for now, let's go out there and put on a good face for everyone."
The three of us made our way back to the main hall of the funeral home and mingled with the other mourners, as if nothing had happened. I stayed with Katherine and Molly for most of the time, and when the time came for us to leave I rode home with Grandma.
She made me a cup of hot cocoa and insisted that I change into a more comfortable set of clothes. I went into my bedroom to do as I was told, and when I returned to the living room I saw her and Victor sitting on the sofa.
In the recliner next to them was Reverend Michael Dawson, the pastor of Grandma's church. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his brown hair before standing up, extending his hand towards me. "Hello, son. How are you feeling this evening?"
"Okay, I guess..." I answered, halfheartedly shaking his hand.
"Good. I'm relieved to hear it."
Suspicion immediately went through me and I looked over at Grandma. "What's going on?"
"Nothing." She said, though her eyes told a much different story. "Your father and I just thought you might like to talk to Reverend Dawson about what happened this afternoon."
Reverend Dawson nodded his head and sat back down on the recliner. "Your grandmother tells me there was an incident between you and your sister."
"Yeah..." I admitted, "But it was her fault. She told me that she was glad our mom was dead."
"You're lying." Victor sneered, "Violet would never say something like-"
"Ah ah ah.." Reverend Dawson interrupted, holding his hand up. "We need to hear his side of the story before passing judgment."
Victor rolled his eyes and folded his arms behind his head, leaning back into the sofa.
Reverend Dawson looked back at me. "You hurt your sister pretty badly, Vincent."
My eyes averted from his. "I know...but I just wanted her to take it back."
"I understand, but even when someone says something that hurts us we should never resort to violence. Jesus taught us that to live by the sword is to die by the sword."
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"Violence never solves anything."
I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just shrugged my shoulders again and remained silent.
Victor sat up and looked back at the reverend with a frown. "This isn't the first time the boy beat up a defenseless young girl, Reverend. He hurt a little girl at school for not accepting a Valentine card. This kind of behavior is only going to get worse if we don't act now."
Reverend Dawson was visibly stunned by his words. "Is this true, Vincent?"
"Yes, but Victor said-"
"Have you always addressed your father by his first name?"
"No, but-"
He held his hand up before I could finish, his eyes falling back on Victor. "Mr. Graves, there is one solution to Vincent's behavior that I believe will really help."
"Oh?" Victor said, "What did you have in mind?"
"There is an infirmary called 'St. Paul's' that helps children who are....troubled. Normally, they only allow catholic children, but the head priest is a friend of mine. I'm certain he will make an exception, if that is something you'd be interested in."
"How long would he have to stay?" Victor asked, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips.
"Most children stay for about a year."
"A year!?" Grandma cried, "My goodness, that is an awfully long time."
"Yeah, but it might do the boy some good to get away from here for a while." Victor insisted, his eyes lighting up at the thought of me being sent away. "I'm all for it, Reverend."
"Great." Reverend Dawson said, "I'll call Father Stuart first thing in the morning and set it up."
"But...I don't want to go." I said, leaping from my chair. "I want to stay here with Grandma."
"Sorry, kid." Victor chuckled, "You should've thought about that before you hit your sister."
Reverend Dawson scowled at him before looking back at me, his eyes softening. "I know this is a lot to take it, but this will be good for you. Once you get settled in you'll love it."
"No!" I shouted, slamming my fist into the wall. "You can't make me go! I want to stay here!"
"Vincent, please-" Grandma pleaded, "We're just trying to help you."
I could not believe this was happening! My own grandma was turning against me, and it was all because of Violet! No one cared that none of this was my fault. I was alone.
My lips peeled back and I bared my teeth at them, shoving my middle finger up. "Fuck all of you!"
Reverend Dawson gasped. "Young man, you should not speak to us that way!"
Victor simply shook his head and laughed, while Grandma began sobbing in her hands.
"No one cares about me!" I screamed, "You would all be happy if I was dead!"
I ran into the kitchen and grabbed a butcher knife from the drawer, holding it up to my arm with a scowl. "I should just kill myself now!"
"Vincent, stop!" Grandma begged, "No one is going to make you go. Just please, put the knife down before you hurt yourself."
My grip around the knife slightly relaxed, but I was still wary. "Do you promise?"
Reverend Dawson whispered something into Victor's ear, while Grandma slowly took a step toward me. "Yes, I promise." She said, "We'll work all of this out right here at home."
My throat tightened as I cautiously set the knife down on the counter. Grandma smiled and reached her arms out to embrace me. I smiled back and started to walk towards her, but my arms were seized before I could reach her.
"No!" I screamed, digging my heels into the floor as Reverend Dawson and Victor dragged me towards the front door. "You promised!"
"Your grandmother promised." Victor said, "I never said a word."
I picked my foot up and kicked him right in his shin. "You bastard! I fucking hate you!!"
Victor groaned in pain and released my arm. I swung my fist at him, but Reverend Dawson was quick to catch it. "Calm down, son." He huffed as Victor grabbed my legs. "We are only trying to help you."
They carried me out to Victor's patrol car and tossed me into the back seat. I punched and kicked at the glass windows until Victor took a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket and secured them around my wrists.
Reverend Dawson climbed in the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt. "Just relax now, Vincent. Everything is going to be alright."
"Grandma!" I screamed, staring at her through the window.
She reached out to open the door and Victor grabbed her wrist, shaking his head. Tears poured down her cheeks as she turned around and went back into the house. I choked back my own tears and laid my head against the back of the seat, defeated.
Victor winked at me before getting into the driver's seat. "You may as well settle down and enjoy the ride, boy. Try to think about all the nice people you'll meet at the infirmary."