Title Picking Up Pieces
Characters Teddy & Ace
Warning Child abuse
Author Notes The boys are 15 in this one. I always thought that Teddy exhibited a lot of behaviour typical of an abused child, so abusive parents have become part of my personal fanon for him, and I like to write about that. A lot. ;)
"I'm going to give you one more chance, even though you don't deserve it."
Teddy didn't know what to do. If he gave in and took the blame, his father would beat him. If he kept denying it, his father would beat him. It was a lose-lose situation, with equally horrifying outcomes.
"I didn't do it." So he might as well take the moral high ground and be honest, even though his father would think he was lying.
"Bullshit." Before the boy had a chance to react, his father swung fast with his right hand, his fist catching Teddy in the jaw. The impact of the blow sent Teddy a few steps to the right, crashing into the wall. This was nothing new.
"Why the fuck do you always lie to me, you piece of shit? Are you stupid?" Another blow to the jaw followed the question. "Are you? You must be, otherwise you'd smarten up and at least admit it when you fuck up!"
Teddy stayed where he was, side pressed into the wall, hoping his father was at least quick about it this time.
"You're an embarrassment, and a mistake!" These words in particular didn't have any effect on Teddy any more - he'd been hearing them daily for as long as he could remember. But what came next was something new, and it was something that hit an unfortunate nerve.
"I don't understand what that Sweetheart girl sees in you."
"Shut up! Don't talk about her!" Teddy knew that saying anything was a mistake - he'd learned that lesson three years ago when he'd talked back during one of his father's rages and woke up in the hospital. Fighting back was useless, it just prolonged the inevitable and made it worse.
"I'll say whatever I like, boy!" Another crack to the head followed, this time to his left temple above his eye. "She's young and stupid, give her another year and she'll drop your worthless ass. Find herself a real man, since I doubt you can even give her that, can you?" This comment was followed up with a knee to his crotch, and Teddy dropped to the floor, coughing and reeling in pain. He deserved it though for opening his mouth.
"Huh? Do you even know how to satisfy a woman, you little cockroach?" A kick to the stomach was delivered before his father leaned down, grabbing Teddy's shoulder and forcing him onto his back. "I bet you don't. I bet you'll turn out to be a little sissy boy, and Sweetheart will leave you for a real man who can fuck her properly."
Every time his father mentioned Sweetheart, it was like a barricade was put up in Teddy's brain, not allowing the logical thinking part of his head to access his functional part. "Shut up! Don't fucking talk about her!"
His father grinned, pressing his knee to Teddy's chest. "In fact, I bet she's out already, on her back somewhere, spreading her legs for some rich boy-"
"Fuck you!" Without thinking, Teddy's fist flew out of nowhere, connecting with the side of his father's head, sending the bigger man backwards and giving Teddy a chance to scramble to his feet.
His father was a tough man, and the punch hadn't done much to phase him. "You little cock sucker, you're going to pay for that!" He lunged but it was too late. Teddy scrambled around the corner and through the kitchen door, sprinting for the hallway. He made it to the front door and threw it open just as his father came around the bend, charging down the hall.
"Come back here Teddy!" He stood on the porch, screaming for all the neighbours to hear, but Teddy didn't care. He ran down the driveway, sprinting away from the house as fast as his legs would carry him. He knew his father wouldn't follow him. It was too much work, and he had a bottle of whiskey waiting for him on the coffee table in the living room. He was safe for now.
He was, however, presented with a new problem as soon as he stopped running. He had to lean against a telephone pole to regain his balance. Maybe one of those punches to the head had been a bit harder than he'd realized. He stood still for a moment, wondering if maybe he ought to sit down. A moment later and he'd cleared his head enough to keep walking, though he wasn't exactly sure where it was he was going to go. He couldn't exactly go barging in on any of his friends, not the way he was. Not many of his friends knew about his father, and he intended to keep it that way.
He couldn't go to Sweetheart, either. Her parents didn't like him enough to begin with, and they'd probably assume he had gotten in a fight with another kid his age, instead of with a man twenty years and at least forty pounds and four inches on him. They wouldn't understand, even if he did tell them the truth. They'd think he was just a bad influence on Sweetheart, coming from such a poor family.
And now that he was thinking of Sweetheart he couldn't help but think about what his father had said. He'd always worried, in the back of his mind, that Sweetheart was going to find someone better. There were days when he couldn't think of a single reason why she was still dating him. He wasn't going to let his father make that decision for him, though. He couldn't.
If he'd been more aware of his surroundings he would have realized that as bad as he felt, he must have looked worse, since everyone he passed was giving him a wide berth and worried expressions. He didn't notice, though. He was too caught up thinking about his father and his girlfriend. When he finally did look around him he realized where he was, and he wasn't surprised. Ace was one of those friends who knew about his father, and Ace was also the best option for secrecy, since his parents probably wouldn't be home.
Teddy entered the apartment building and walked up to the security desk. He was about to ask the guard to buzz Ace, but he didn't get the chance.
"Fuck, kid, are you okay?" The young man looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and disgust, as though he was worried that Teddy was going to contaminate the swanky building with his poor germs.
"I'm here to see my friend, he lives in suite PH03. Ace Dahl." Teddy hoped he'd just call Ace, because his head was starting to swim again.
The security guard looked as though he was trying to decide whether to call Ace or toss Teddy out of the building. Finally luck appeared to be on Teddy's side, as he picked up the phone. Seconds ticked by and suddenly Teddy worried that maybe Ace wasn't home. He'd be screwed if that was the case.
"Hi, this is Trent, calling from the front desk. There's someone here to see Ace..." Teddy blinked to try and focus his sight on Trent, but he was having a hard time and didn't hear when the man asked him for his name. "Sorry? Uh yes, that's exactly what he looks like. You'll come down to get him? Fine, thank you." Trent hung the phone up and studied Teddy again.
"Your friend is coming down to get you."
Teddy heard and nodded his head, though the action made him feel slightly sick. He'd walked all the way here, he wasn't about to collapse in Ace's lobby! He heard the ding of the elevator opening and looked over towards the wall, feeling slightly panicky when he couldn't make anything out. His sight was blurred.
"Shit, Teddy, you look terrible." He heard Ace's voice and felt a hand touch his arm. "Come on, let's get you upstairs." He started leading Teddy to the elevators. "Thanks, Trent. He'll be fine." He smiled at the guard before leading Teddy into one of the elevators and pressing a button for the top floor of the building, which was eighteen stories up. Teddy didn't look too well, so he forewent asking him what happened, instead intent on first getting the boy into his apartment.
As he led him off the elevator and down the hall, Ace was unusually grateful that his parents weren't home. This would not be fun to explain. He pulled open his front door and pushed Teddy in, telling him to lean against the wall while he crouched down to untie Teddy's shoes.
Teddy felt better already, now that he was here. He looked down and tried his best to focus on Ace, forcing a smile to his face. "I'm half dead and you're still worried about getting dirt on the carpet." Ace didn't reply, and Teddy didn't know whether it was from Ace being annoyed or something else. He didn't really care, though.
"Come on, let's get you in the bathroom and clean you up." He took Teddy's arm and led him down the hall and into his private bathroom. He pushed him down to sit on the toilet, and Teddy felt a little light headed now that he was off his feet. He thought that was weird - shouldn't he feel less dizzy since he was sitting down?
He sucked in his breath when he felt a warm face cloth being pressed gently to his head. If Ace was wiping his head, that could only mean that he was bleeding... Funny, he hadn't felt like he was bleeding.
A few minutes passed and neither of them said anything. Now that he was here being cleaned up, Teddy had started thinking about what his father had said about Sweetheart. What if it was true? What if she was finding someone else right now?
"Ace, do you think Sweetheart loves me?"
Ace dropped the cloth in the sink, finished for now. He was caught off guard and confused by Teddy's question. "I guess so. She is your girlfriend, after all. Why are you asking?"
Teddy could see a little better now and wondered if maybe he'd had blood in his eyes? "How can I be sure? What if she's out with some other guy right now?"
Ace was starting to put it all together. Teddy must have had another fight with his father, and it had probably been about Sweetheart. "I don't think you should worry about that right now. Why don't we go sit down in my room? Come on." He took hold of Teddy's hands and pulled his friend up, catching him when he stumbled a bit upon getting to his feet.
"I'm a loser, Ace. A fucking loser, who won't ever amount to anything. Why would she love me?" The more he thought about it, the more he was starting to believe his father. There was no way Sweetheart would stay with him.
"You're not a loser, Teddy." He half walked, half dragged Teddy out of the bathroom and over to the couch in the corner of his room. He slowly got Teddy to sit down, and then took a seat next to him. "Sweetheart loves you because she knows you, and she likes you."
"But why? I don't have anything, I'm not smart, I'm not some star athlete like you. I don't have anything." Teddy could feel his eyes watering a little - or maybe he had blood dripping down his face again? He liked the blood better - that was more manly than tears.
Ace reached out and pulled Teddy back against him, letting his friend's head rest on his chest. Damn his father. "Did you have a fight with your father, Teddy?" He knew the answer, it was obvious, but he wanted to hear it for sure.
"He's right, you know. I am a loser."
"He's wrong, Teddy." His father must have done a real number on him, as Ace had never seen Teddy so down on himself before.
"You're only saying that because you're my friend. And you shouldn't even be my friend, really. Why are you my friend, Ace? I'm poor, I'm not cool..."
"Don't say that. You've been my best friend since I moved here, Teddy. If I didn't like you, I wouldn't be your friend. But I am, and you shouldn't let your father make you think you don't deserve any friends." Ace put one arm around Teddy, and with his other hand he stroked his friend's back.
"He's right. I'm not good for anything."
Ace closed his eyes for a moment, telling himself that he couldn't get frustrated. "Teddy, tell me what happened. What did you guys fight about?"
Teddy was silent for a moment, and Ace hoped he wasn't going to keep silent. Luckily he didn't. "He said Sweetheart was going to leave me for a real man. He said she was young and stupid and that soon she was going to realize that I'm a good for nothing loser. And he's right." Teddy felt something on his cheek, and wiped it away. He didn't see any red, and that's when he realized he was crying.
"Sweetheart isn't leaving you for anyone, Teddy. Your father is a horrible person, and you shouldn't listen to him."
Teddy laughed. "But he's right about me. And now I'm crying, and guys aren't supposed to cry. Promise me you won't tell anyone?" It wouldn't matter anyway, Teddy thought. He was a loser and he was sure everyone realized it already.
"Teddy, crying doesn't make you a loser. It just proves that you're a normal person. Anyone would cry in your situation; it's nothing to feel bad about." Ace continued rubbing his back, and wondered how long he was going to have to sit here until Teddy calmed down and realized that his father was manipulating his thoughts. He hoped it wouldn't take long, but regardless of the length of time, he'd sit here as long as he had to.
"Why are you still my friend, Ace?"
Ace wasn't sure how to respond, fearing that anything he said would be twisted by Teddy into something else. But he had to say something. "I just like hanging out with you. Same reason why I'm friends with anyone else. You and I share a lot of history, Teddy. I wouldn't turn on you ever, I'll always be your friend." He hoped that something in that sentence would make sense to Teddy.
"Promise?"
Ace laid his hand on Teddy's cheek. "Promise." Teddy was silent after that, and soon thereafter Ace realized that he'd fallen asleep. He hoped it was just because Teddy was tired, and not because his friend had a concussion. Maybe he should have taken him to the hospital instead of up here. Regardless, he shifted slightly on the couch, pushing Teddy around so he could lie down underneath him. He put his arms around his friend and held them there, wishing he could help Teddy more than he had. He just hoped Teddy would regain some sense when he woke up again, and that he'd realize his father was wrong.
Ace couldn't help but worry, though. After all, how many times did a person have to hear something before they started believing it? Teddy's ramblings might have been swayed by his injuries and the freshness of his father's harsh words, but eventually he wouldn't be able to fight back against them any more. Ace was worried about what he'd do when that day came.
For now though he put the thought out of his head and closed his eyes. Right now all that mattered was making sure that Teddy was going to be okay when he woke up. Everything else would matter again after that.