Tom Harris wasn't having a good day. He had got back from football practice which wasn't as fun as it normally waas because Tom had been tackled toughly and had pulled something in his leg. When he had come home and walked through the door, he heard screams, shouts, angry voices and breaking plates. The despair that had become an accustomed feeling to Tom started again. As the constant arguing continued.
Momma please stop crying, I can't stand the sound
Your pain is painful and its tearin' me down
I hear glasses breaking as I sit up in my bed
I told dad you didn't mean those nasty things you said
When his parents argued Tom felt like a helpless little child. He was always playing mediator for his parents, sorting out the silly arguments so they could at least have a dinner together if he was lucky. Seeing his parent at each others throats made it hard to believe they were ever happy, if once they had actually loved each other and if so what had happen between then and now? All he could think of was him, he had been born, he had grown up. He could remember the smiles on their faces many years ago, the smiles he hadn't seen in what seemed forever. You fight about money, 'bout me and my brother
And this I come home to, this is my shelter
It ain't easy growing up in World War III
Never knowing what love could be, you'll see
I don't want love to destroy me like it has done my family
What is love? That was the question running through Tom's head, could love really destroy people like it had his parents? Because if it did he wasn't sure he wanted it. Jerry had already said his piece to mum and dad and left. They were always arguing about which one of them had pushed him away, blaming each other about who's fault it was that he had decided to move out of the country and hardly ever visit. Tom had felt a bit angry at Jerry for leaving him there to deal with them on his own. The littlest thing like that one time Tom had got a F in geography caused such a big argument about who fault it was tom had been worried one of them would walk out and never come back. Daddy please stop yellin', I can't stand the sound I ran away today, ran from the noise, ran away
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave
Make mama stop cryin', 'cause I need you around
My mama she loves you, no matter what she says, its true
I know that she hurts you, but remember I love you, too
Don't wanna go back to that place, but don't have no choice, no way
It ain't easy growin' up in World War III
Never knowin' what love could be, well I've seen
I don't want love to destroy me like it did my family
Tom just couldn't stand it he ran and ran. He just left the house and all it's bad memories behind him he ran in not particular direction, just were ever his feet took him. Tom some how had ended up at Alex's door. He almost didn't knock because Alex was away on a mission it would be just jack in the house but by now Tom didn't care he needed a place to stay for a night. So you can imagine his surprise when a very tired and annoyed looking Alex opened the door, when he saw Tom the annoyed look was quickly replaced with worry.
"I need some where to crash for a night." Tom blurted out and Alex just nodded with a knowing look on his face and let him in. Alex was doing such a good job making Tom feel better he had nearly made him forget about why he had run away in the first place, they had laughed and played computer games like they didn't have a trouble in the world. Until of course the next day that Tom had no choice but to go home, his parents were calling him every ten minutes panicking about were he was. Can we work it out? Can we be a family? In our family portrait, we look pretty happy
I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave
Let's play pretend, let's act like it comes naturally
I don't wanna have to split the holidays
I don't want two addresses
I don't want a step-brother anyways
And I don't want my mom to have to change her last name
They were actually divorcing. Splitting up for good. How did this happen? Why could they just work it out? All these questions were tearing Tom up from the inside. The fact that even after they agreed to split up they were still arguing excepted now they had lawyers to do it all for them. Mum was demanding for more money, for me, for the house and dad was fighting her tooth and nail because he want all these things too. Then a group of stranger would judge Tom's parents, Tom's life and decide what was best. Tom's whole world felt like it was tumbling down around him and there was nothing he could do about it. In our family portrait we look pretty happy In our family portrait we look pretty happy Daddy don't leave
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
Let's play pretend, act like it goes naturally
(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
(I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything)
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)
Can we be a family?)
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
(I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave)
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Turn around please
Remember that the night you left you took my shining star?
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Don't leave us here alone
His dad was leaving, he had packed his bags and was walking out the door. Tom had begged and pleaded. He had screamed and shouted but it seemed like no one heard him like the world was going by without a care for what Tom thought or felt. Jerry had come home to help Tom and he had just hugged his little brother as he had got himself so worked up that he had burst into tears. Tom had just sobbed into Jerry's shoulder as the car had pulled away. Tom hated how weak this all had made him, how he still blamed himself but he couldn't find a reason why. Mom will be nicer
I'll be so much better, I'll tell my brother
Oh, I won't spill the milk at dinner
I'll be so much better, I'll do everything right
I'll be your little boy forever
I'll go to sleep at night
After a year long custody battle which his brother had joined in too hoping to get Tom away from his parents after he had told him how bad it had been for the two years Jerry had left him. In end Tom moved in with Jerry in Naples. Tom would miss Alex and his other friend but he needed a new start and no one had the heart to stop him.