Chapter One
They'd joked about it before.
He wouldn't tell his mother if he got into trouble, saying that she would go berserk. Cartman would take the piss out of his mom, calling her a fat bitch. He was scared, so he told him to shut up every time.
Every damn time.
Placing a tentative hand on the door handle, he steadied himself, drawing in a few deep breaths.
He could stall for a few minutes. He could hang out with Stan at his own house. He could even go back to Kenny's. Sometimes he envied his friends. Their mothers didn't just put on a display of false affection, they actually loved their children, enveloped them in absolute hugs.
His own mother? She did all the right things; taking him to a doctor if he was ill, picking him up and kissing his knees if he fell and grazed them.
But did she really love him? Her over-protective personality and pet names said yes.
But the bruises and welts that regularly streaked his backside, thighs and back told a different tale.
The door opened, drawing Kyle from his reverie.
"Kyle?" it was his dad, probably on his way to the store. "Why are you out here?" He looked up at his dad, blinking hard, trying to keep the tears back. Slowly, regretfully, he pulled out a scrunched piece of paper from his pocket. His math test.
His failed math test. Seeing the red circled letter at the top of the test, his dad sighed and squeezed his son's shoulder
"Don't worry" he said softly. "Just show mom. I'm sure she'll be fair."
And off he went. Kyle watched him go, the first tear trickling down his face. If only.
He entered the living room, where his mom was reading a magazine.
"Hey, snooky-kins, did you have a good day?" Kyle opened his mouth to speak, but on finding no words that could fit the question, he gritted his teeth and held out the piece of paper to her.
She read it, and her expression hardened. She said nothing, only glared at her son.
"Go get the belt, honey" she ordered.
He wanted to argue, to tell her where she had gone wrong. But he didn't dare, knowing it would only make things worse.
He complied, and upon handing it to her bent over the arm of the sofa without being asked.
She tugged down his trousers and underwear, exposing the now faint marks cluttering his peachy skin, and uttered her trademark words:
"Remember honey, I'm only doing this because I love you."
He closed his eyes and clenched his fist as the first stroke whipped down.
I know what it's like to be in Kyle's position, so I hope I've portrayed it well.
I'd appreciate a review if you have time, and thanks for reading! Oh, and also, I am English so writing in 'American style' (e.g., saying Math instead of Maths) is quite different, so yeah.
Toodle pip!