TRIGGER WARNING (Also this is after they painted his room, it's blue *shrug*)
Flashback (3rd person POV)
"Look dad!" Six year old Chandler said running into the living room, holding a family portrait he drew. "Hey, buddy what is it?" William asked, standing up from his spot on the couch. Chandler outstretched his arms to show his dad the picture he drew.
"Wow! That's awesome! Why don't you go show your mom?" William asked him. Chandler looked down. "I-I think she's mad at me." He said, barely over a whisper. "Why would you think that?" William asked.
"I spilled Apple juice in her car." Chandler admitted. William laughed, thinking something was actually wrong at first. "And did she say she was mad at you?" William asked Chandler. "W-well no but still--" Chandler started but William cut him off.
"She's not mad at you, son. Kids make mistakes. She knows that."
End of flashback
Chandler's POV
"Kids make mistakes." I wonder if he forgot that the day he started to drink. Like no matter how old I was, I was to follow one rule. Stay out of his way. And it didn't matter how many mistakes I made, it didn't even matter if I made one at all.
He'd always come up with something.
This is what I choose to think about at 2:46 am, while I'm awake and Parker and Zay are all passed out on air mattresses. Laura and Ava are in Payton's room.
I'm tired of having these dreams. Why do they have to be about Keith of all people?
What he did, has that ever happened to other people? I just don't get it. When they were cutting me with knives or punching me in the face it still didn't scare me near as bad as what he did.
And the worst part is, I can't even tell anybody. They would see me as more of a freak than I already am. Maybe Laura knows, he was gonna do it again before he shot her. Maybe she knows if other people have went through that.
I'm not gonna ask her, I don't even wanna think about it anymore.
I don't wanna think about anything anymore. Like how two loving people who went to church and cared about everyone can just stop being good, happy people.
How a man who worked hard for everything he had can just come home one day and drink until he can barely stand.
And for the first time, I'm realizing that what they did wasn't okay. They always told me I deserved it, and for the first time I don't believe them. Maybe I did, but no one can convince me a seven year old who just wanted to show his dad a damn sticker deserved to be locked in a closet for 3 days.
I don't even think my parents are convinced of that, now that they're forced to be in their right minds.
I'm thinking too much. I decide there's no point in trying to sleep so I sit up.
"Chandler?" I suddenly heard Zay ask. Oh no. What's he doing awake?
I quickly wiped the tears off my cheeks that I didn't even realize were there. "Y-yeah?" I whispered. Zay stood up and sat on the bed beside me.
"What are you doing up?" He asked me quietly. "I-I could ask you the same question." I said, but my voice was shaky.
I could tell he was gonna know somethings up.
"You sound like you've been crying, are you okay?" He asks me. Crap. I was hoping he wouldn't ask me that.
I'm terrible at lying. "Y-yeah I'm fine. Just go back to sleep." I said, trying to sound confident. It didn't really work.
"You know you suck at lying. What's up?" Zay whispered.
"I-I uh. . .I just have bad dreams sometimes okay? I-I know it stupid but--"Chandler started. "It's not stupid Chandler. You can't help that kinda thing. What are they about?" He asked me.
Oh no. I was really hoping he wouldn't ask that, too. Well, no point in lying I guess.
"O-Okay, fine. You known that guy that shot up our school?" I ask.
"Yeah, did he do something? I mean I know he shot Laura, is that what your dreams are about?" He whispered.
"N-no." I whispered and started playing with my fingers. "H-he did other stuff that I don't want to talk about. That's what the dreams are about." I whispered.
"Oh...okay well I'm not gonna bug you about it if you don't wanna talk about it." He said. "Thanks man." I said. "So what do you wanna do now?" Zay asked me.
"I-I don't know, maybe try and sleep?" I suggest.
"Sounds good to me, goodnight man." He said, getting back on his air mattress.
The Next Day
We were all sitting in the living room, playing Uno. It was 3:00 in the afternoon, Andy was sitting on the couch watching the news. I hate the news, it seems like someone I know is always on it.
Anyways, I'm losing at Uno, Parker is also losing and he's not very happy about it, and either Laura or Payton is probably gonna win. I was about to draw four cards when something on the news caught all of our attention.
"Attention! Lock your doors! William Russell broke loose from jail for a third time. If you see him anywhere contact police immediately." The news lady said.
I knew they were all looking at me, waiting for a reaction. They probably weren't expecting the one they got.
"So what? It's not a huge surprise anyways. This kinda stuff always happens to me." I shrugged. If I'm being honest, I don't care if my dad wants to come shoot me.
Maybe he should so I can escape this endless nightmare.
"Chandler, you have every right to be scared right now." Laura said, walking over to me. "What's there to be scared about? What can anyone possibly do to make me any more scared than I always am anyways?" I ask, and I feel angry all of a sudden.
Not at Laura, just at the fact that any time something goes well for me it can never last. "Chandler, he's not gonna get anywhere near you okay?" Andy said, trying to calm me down.
"Yeah, neither was Keith. There's nothing you can do to stop it, Andy. He's gonna find me, and he's gonna kill me. It's inevitable." I say.
Laura's POV
I don't what's going on with Chandler right now, he's really mad. I guess that's what happens when you never show your anger. He's always sweet, I guess I never thought he got angry too sometimes.
I feel so bad for him, he's been through more than most adults. I just don't understand it, what did he ever do to anyone else?
"He's not gonna kill you, Chandler. Your dad's definitely not the best but, I know he would never do that." Andy explained to Chandler.
"He used to be such a good dad, you were his world Chandler, he would never kill you." He continued.
"He wouldn't ever hit his kid either, would he?" Chandler said barely above a whisper. I could tell his anger was being replaced with sadness, so I walked over and hugged him.
We hugged for a good 10 seconds before pulling away.
"Don't worry, Chandler. I won't let anything happen to you." Payton said and hugged Chandler's legs.
"Me neither." I said.
A/N: Ahhhhhhhhhh! So I did this so that my friend wouldn't kill Chandler in her story
sorry if it's rushed and short, I'm gonna try really hard to make the next one a lot longer
AND OMG THIS IS THE CUTEST PICTURE OF WILLIAM AND CHANDLER EVER ↓↓
AHHH HE WAS LITERALLY 3 DAYS OLD
ALSO ↓↓
AHHHHHHH HE'S SO CUTE
K BYEEEEEEE!