A/N: I love Sick Puppies and this song made me think of Jerome. So it's basically going to be Jerome-centric but I will have mentions of Jara (one of my favorite couples in House of Anubis). I have way too much time on my hands, so I will probably be publishing more stories than I should. I went to the orthodontist yesterday and I got my braces tightened. It hurts too much to go to school, so I have nothing to do but write.
Disclaimer: I don't own HoA. The writers/creators do, whatever nationality they just so happen to be (not trying to be rude. I honestly don't know what country made this show and I'm way too lazy to look it up). I also don't own the song "Howard's Tale" by Sick Puppies.
Age five, just a little boy shy
Is he ready for the big surprise?
He'll be playing Lego in a dream
When the shadows come to life
He was only five when he was dropped off at boarding school. He was playing with Legos in his room when his mom burst in and started throwing things into a suitcase. She completely ignored him when he tried to ask what she was doing. The very next day he was in the car on his way to what would be his home for the next thirteen years.
Age nine and he should've been fine
With a secret he's sure to keep
Two times, had to tell a little lie
For the sake of him and me
When he was nine, he stopped trying to send letters to them, his parents. They never responded, so he figured, why bother? He only had to lie to the other kids twice before they realized they should stop bugging him. And they eventually did.
No it's over
I need closure
He realized it was over, trying to please his parents. He wanted to know why, though. He wanted to know why his mom abandoned him. He hated the fact that Victor was his father figure. He hated the fact that Trudy was more like a mother to him, no matter how much he cared for Trudy.
Hey, look what you did to me
When you were taking me home
Getting me stoned, leave me alone
I waited for mom to comfort me
But when I opened my mouth
Don't say nothing, shh
He hated going home during breaks. His mom was usually drunk. And he once turned to drugs, even at eleven. He stopped, though, when he realized it didn't help. He almost told his mom that he took drugs, thinking she would comfort him, but when he tried, she looked at him with disgust, and he said nothing.
Age twelve and it isn't going well
Now it's three years to the day
Confused, but unlike you
This feeling won't go away
At twelve, his grades started slipping. It was three years after he cut almost all contact with his parents. He was confused. He had no idea why his parents, his mom in particular, since his dad left after he was born. He tried to figure it out, but he couldn't.
Sixteen and the woman down the street
Has invited him to come inside
The first time, it didn't feel right
It'll be the last time he tries
His neighbor, a sixty-something-year-old widow, asked him to help her clean out her attic. He accepted, thinking it'd be a way to get away from his mom. Helping didn't feel right. It didn't feel right at all. After the attic was completely cleaned out, he never tried to help anyone again.
Hey, look what you did to me
When you were taking home
Getting me stoned, leave me alone
I waited for mom to comfort me
But when I opened my mouth
Don't say nothing's wrong
Again, he tried turning to drugs. But, like the last time, it didn't help. He wanted to tell his mom, try and get her to care about him, comfort him. But he realized long ago that he couldn't get any sympathy from her. So he kept quiet and pretended that nothing was wrong.
I won't say nothing's wrong
I won't say, I won't say
I won't say, I won't say
I won't say, I won't say
When he got back to school, Mara and Trudy arranged a meeting with the guidance counselor. He told the balding, bird-like necked man absolutely nothing. He didn't want help. When he did, no one was there. He finally found a way to cope, and he didn't want any help. Not now, not ever
Seventeen, all he's ever seen
Is living in between the lies
It's kind of funny
How a mind can keep living in denial
He and Mara started dating in junior year. Any time she asked about his mom, he'd lie. He figured that if he kept lying, maybe one day it'd be true. He knew it was pathetic, but he didn't care. Mara knew he was lying, but never called him out on it, which was something he loved about her.
Eighteen is a very strange scene
He's still playing with the past
Expelled, maybe someone could've helped
If someone had known to ask
He couldn't accept it. He just couldn't. Mara tried to help, and she made it a little better, but it was still bad. If it weren't for her being the school rep, he would've been expelled. She knew why he flooded the school, and she made sure the school did too, unbeknownst to him. But they never asked him about it, just looked at him with sympathy, and glared when he looked back.
Hey, look what you did to me
When you were taking me home
Getting me stoned, leave me alone
I waited for mom to comfort me
But when I opened my mouth
Don't say nothing, shh
When he went home again, for the last time, his mom ignored him, and he ignored her. He only stayed long enough to get the few things that still remained in that house. He didn't turn to drugs. He didn't try to get comfort from her. He never tried to talk to her. He said what he always did. He said nothing.
Nineteen and he's innocently parked
Right beside a school
He stares at a boy sitting there
And the boy stares at him too
He got a job as a social worker, wanting to help kids like him. He was sitting in his car, with Mara, his fiancé, in the passenger seat, as it was his first assignment. He looked around for the boy he had to, wanted to, help. He saw him. He recognized the empty look in the boy's eyes, the same he had for years. He stared at the boy, and the boy stared back.
He walks over
He needs closure
Letting go of Mara's hand, he got out of the car. Shutting the door quietly, he walked over. Maybe he would be able to help this boy. Maybe this boy wouldn't have a life a bad as his. He the boy's life wouldn't be. That would give him closure.
A/N: And that's the end. Obviously. If you've never heard the song, which most people probably haven't, you should look it up. I think it's really good. But, then again, that's just me.