"Owe, what was that for!?" I asked Christian who was pinching me all over. We were walking along the road, kicking an open can which had the soda stemming out down the street.
"Nothing, I'm just bored" Christian was three years older than me, he had our moms gold blonde hair but his dads long, broad features and gold toned skin. Unlike him I had Stevens curled dark brown hair and pale skin, making me stand out.
Christian and I didn't have the same fathers, Christian's dad Marcus was killed in an accident; he was hit head on by a truck he was killed instantly. Christian didn't really know Marcus so he wasn't sad that he had died, which I could not say about our mother. Sarah had a hard time dealing with the death of her husband; until she met Steven he helped her though and has being as much of a father to Christian as he has been to me.
"Emmett are you ok to walk home by yourself??" Christian was always worrying about me, like a real big brother.
"Christian I'm 15 I can walk home by myself" I whined as we past the park, I looked over to see other kids playing and running around together.
"I know, I trust you, tell mom that I've gone over to Daniels ok" he reached down to ruffle my hair and turned and walked ahead down the street I stood watching him until he stopped at the corner and waved before disappearing around the other side.
I walked home, in to what I thought would be a happy place. But as usual I was wrong...mom was sitting out on the front step, it looked as though she had been crying, she was holding the right side of her face.
I walked up to her and sat down the wrapped my arm around her shoulders to comfit her; she turned and buried her head into my chest and sobbed loudly wetting my jumper and the shirt underneath.
"What happened this time, Sarah tell me" I spoke though clenched teeth, I flash of anger come over me. I said Steven was a father not a good one, all he would do is sit at home in rooms without light, and sometimes he would just sit or stand in the middle of the room for hours without moving and he would leave at all hours of the night.
He was a father in the fact we were both home schooled and he taught us everything he knew which was a lot compared to what I thought he would, he knew more than anybody I had never known or met . He had taught us how to read, write and solve math problems. We were both very grateful to be able to go to school and then also be taught at home, though the manner that the classes were conducted was more than just the simple blackboard, Steven would take us out side and show us different flowers and taught us new things about nature and the different categories and ranks of people in the streets.
Then he was neither a good man nor father, he would hit our mother as long as she continued to sob or to wince in pain. These beatings would happen for no reason or if there was a cause it was a little one. Steven had hit me once but after my Sarah had threatened to leave him he stopped, her threat was empty; she could never bring herself to leave him no matter how bad the beatings- both verbal and physical- got.
I pushed myself from the pavement and turned to go into the house, when I felt Sarah pull on my hand. "Emmett, what are you doing?" she asked staring up at me with her large green eyes, she knew what I was doing, and was begging for me to stop.
"NO, not this time." I screamed at her, I could see her trying to get up, but there was blood leaking out from under her dress. "YOU SEE THIS" I pointed to the blood trickling down her carve, "THIS IS WHY I HAVE TO LEAVE." I sat down next to her and dropped my head into my hands; I couldn't just sit here and watch this happen. She was dying a little more every day because that piece of shit that didn't care about anyone but himself!
"Honey you don't have to go anywhere, it's getting better. Trust me, I'm strong I can take care of myself." But the courage in her voice was lacking, she could smile and pretend all she wanted but I didn't believe her and I think she was still trying to convince herself not just me.
"I just can't sit and watch this anymore" I reached over and gently pulled up her dress to show the belt marks that lay indented in her pale skin. "I know you can't leave him but I'm not going to sit around here and do nothing. I have to leave" I spoke as I was getting to my feet, she didn't even move I knew it was the wrong thing to do but she would still have Christian right?