Disclaimer: I don't own Holes or the characters.
Summary: When the D-tenters find their "Mom" hurting himself for his failures they learn that not eveyone can deal with reality and that they are lucky to have something, where someone else lost everything. WARNING: contains self harm, verbal & physical abuse, drunkedness, rape, and a sad/depressed Mr. Pendanski. DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T LIKE.
Authors Note: I had a weird dream of Mr. Pendanski cutting himself once and I thought it'd make a good story. I just love him because it seems like he truly cares about the D-tenters. Though, I also kind of dislike him because he is so mean to Hector. I'll have a theory as to why in the story. Maybe.
It was night time at Camp Green Lake and everyone was asleep. Everyone, except our favorite D-Tenters, were fast asleep that is. They had been planing a prank on the counslers for almost a month now. It was a rather simple prank really. They'd sneak into the counslers' tent, stick their hands in warm water, and laugh about the aftermath later. It was a rather stupid prank, and they knew it, but they had been stuck at the camp for too long and need a laugh, even if it was short lived.
"Shush! Are you guys trying to get us caught?" Armpit asked, setting a bowl, one that Magnet had "found" during dish duty, full of warm water next to the bed of the A tent counsler.
"Don't shush us! Your gonna get us caught!" Squid muttered.
"Both of you guys shush!" X-Ray whispered, moving towards the exit of the tent. All the boys moved away, smirking and placing hands over their mouths when dark stains appeared on the sheets of the sleeping counslers. They laughed quietly before Zig-Zag noticed a certain counsler was missing.
"Hey, guys, where's Mom?" He asked.
They looked around the room, Mr. Pendanski was nowhere in sight. "You think he stepped out?"
"God, your a fucking piece of shit!" A voice from outside whispered in anger from the outside. The boys instantly recongized who it was. Squid poked his head out the tent, to see Mr. Pendanski walking back in another direction. "Mom's not looking, let's go." He said.
"He sounds upset." Zig-Zag said.
"He'll be really upset if he finds us in here." X-Ray said as he ushered them to follow. The tent followed him before they realized Zig-Zag moving in the direction that Mr. Pendanski had walked off to. If he were to get caught, they knew, that they'd all instantly be in trouble. They went after him.
"You're a worthless coward!" Pendanski said as he grabbed at his short hair. He was fully dressed with puffy, red eyes. His breathing quickened and his eyes became glazed over with unshed tears. He moved over to the water tuck and leaned aganist it, burying his face in his hands and crying softly.
The D-tenters watched in surprise as Pendanski cried like a child. Other times, they would've laughed it off, but he seemed really really upset. They watched a safe distance away, behind another one of the water trucks.
"I'm a useless, worthless, piece of fucking crap!" He pulled on his short hair again and reached into his back pocket. He produced a pocket knife.
"Whoa!" Squid, whispered in shock and the other D-tenters, though equally surprised, shushed him.
He sat down in the dirt and pulled down his sock.
The D-tenters covered their mouths upon seeing Mr. Pendanski's leg. Useless. Worthless. Stupid. Weak. Pathic. Were scars on his leg. He flipped the knife open and begun to carve into his flesh once more. The D-tenters wacthed with wide eyes and dropped jaws. Pendanski begun pushed the knife in deeper, F.
"Mom...cuts himself?" Squid said, watching in horror as Pendanski added another letter. A
"It looks like he does WAY more than justs cuts." X-Ray says. He flinched when he tuned to look at Pendanski, three more letters were carved into his legs. ILU
"W-we should stop him." Zig-Zag said. Armpit looked at him than at the other Dtenters, "We should. He's hurting himself."
"Yeah but..." Squid looked back at Pendanski's leg, RE
"Failure..." X-Ray whispered. "He cut that into his leg!" He said, slightly louder. The others were sitting on their beds, unable to sleep after what they saw and because of the fact that they had run back to their tent after Pendanski had finished cutting his leg. X-Ray had tripped over himself, causing his glasses to fall off his face but he didn't feel like going back to get them. He didn't want to risk running into Pendanski.
"Never thought Mom was the cutting type." Magnet said quietly.
"Y-you think he did those other ones?" Armpit looked up at the group. "The other cuts?"
"Must've." Squid said, staring at the ground.
"They looked pretty bad." Zig-Zag said. "You think he's...?"
"What, crazy?" X-Ray asked.
"No! Just...you think Mom's...upset? Like...really bad upset?" Zig-Zag asked. "I mean...everyone has their own way of coping." They didn't ask what they meant, mainly because they already knew what he was talking about.
"He could be...I mean-" The tent flap opened and they all froze when Mr. Pendanski walked in, his usual grin on his face. Had they not witnessed what he had just done, they never would've thought that he actually cut himself.
"You boys are already awake? That's great! Come on now! The sooner your start is the sooner you finish!" His grin never fell and he stood there, waiting for one of them to move or say something.
They couldn't move, however. After seeing what he did to himself...they could barely look at him without feeling bad. What had happened to make him so unhappy? His wide grin faltered somewhat, "Are you boys alright? You seem upset." He said. It made them feel worse that he seemed so concerned for them when they should be concerned for him.
X-Ray was the one to speak up. "We're fine, Mom. Just tired. We had a...uh...hard time sleepin'." He said, scratching the back of his neck. Pendanski gave them a very concerned look, "Oh? Well, if you boys want...I can see if you can have a...uh...day off."
We must look awful if your offering. Squid thought but didn't voice it. "That'd be...uh...okay. Thanks, Mom."
Pendanski nodded, "Alright than. You boys try to get some rest." He said, the look of concern ever present on his face. "I'll bring y'all some water and lunch later if your still tired." He said and turned to leave but than quickly turned back around.
"Oh, Rex, here! I found your glasses! You must've lost them!" Pendanski walked to his bed and handed X-Ray his glasses. X-Ray noted that they were cleaner now than before he had lost them.
He jumped up and wrapped his arms around Pendanski's torso, hugging him. "Thanks Mom." If the other's asked he say he thought Pendanski needed it. In truth he was overwhelmed with joy. He was basically blind without his glasses.
Pendanski blushed, "Oh, uhm, your welcome Rex. Ha." He didn't move away and actually seemed reluctant to leave. "Well, I should get going now." X-Ray hesitantly let go of him, what if you hurt yourself while you're gone? He couldn't help but think.
The rest of the day was uneventful. Except for the part where the other counslers awoke and found that they wet their beds. They had heard the roars of laughter all day before and after the other campers had finished their holes. They stayed in their beds all day, discussing the "situation" and occasionly sleeping for a few hours.
Soon Pendanski returned, it must've been lunch time because he had large brown bag with him, the smile never leaving. How can he smile when he cuts himself? They often thought now.
"You boys seem a bit under the weather so I made your lunchs myself. Now, I ain't the best cook but this was the best I could come up with." He said, passing out paper sack lunchs to them.
"What is it?" Zig-Zag asked.
"Sandwhichs." Pendanski laughed.
They went through thei lunchs in silence. Uttering small 'thanks' when they saw that he had given them some rootbeers with their lunchs. When Pendanski saw that they were satisfied he turned to leave, "If you boys need anything you just give a holler!"
"Mom, wait!" Zig-Zag said.
Pendanski spun around, "Yes, Ricky?" He asked.
Zig-Zag opened his mouth but X-Ray shook his head 'no'. Pendanski didn't see him do this.
"Uh...nothing. Never mind. Thank you for the lunch." He said.
"You're very welcome. I'll see you boys tomrrow!" Pendanski walked out, the usual bounce in his step and grin on his face.
"We should talk to him about it." Zig-Zag said.
"He's right. I mean...I wanna know." Magnet said.
"Not to mention he is...nice...to us. Yeah, he is dorky and annoying but...he could be worse. He could be like Mr. Sir." Squid said.
"I know what you guys will think, but I think I care about Mom. We should at least ask. See if we can help somehow." Armpit said.
"Alright! Alright. We'll ask during our next group meeting." X-Ray said. The others nodded in turn.