Coming Undone
Chapter 1
Rating: T
Pairing: None
Summary: His parents felt that moving to the United States would mend their broken marriage, but everything went down in flames, leaving him to deal with the aftermath.
A/N: I'm a member of The Outsiders RPG as Steve. This is in the POV of my most popular OC, William Gordon.

--

"Out!" my father screeched at me, planting his boot into my ass and kicking my out of the house, literally. I sprawled onto the porch, my keys flying onto the lawn. My face was pressed against the porch for a few moments, which crushed my cigarette, before I picked myself up. The bruises on my body were throbbing from the unwelcome fall. A slight groan escaped through my parted lips. I was a mess. I traced my lips with my tongue, feeling the split in it and tasting the blood. Arsehole.

I staggered on my feet for a few moments before getting steady. My eyes narrowed in his direction. Gregory was fixing his glasses on his nose, and then he ran his hand through his graying hair. That was a habit I picked up from him. A bad habit. I needed to stop doing anything that that I picked up from that bastard standing in front of me. For a while me and him just met eyes. I examined him, something I hadn't done in quite a long time. His face was long and hard, eyes blue and hair dark gray and thinning. Wrinkles lined the side of his nose and his mouth, over his chin where an old scar was, and around his eyes that fit neatly under his glasses. From just looking at him, someone would think of him as a simple, older man, nearing his mid-fifties. But I knew the other side of him. I knew what he did to my mother, to Charlie, and to myself.

And he did it all for pleasure. All for fucking pleasure. I knew it. That was the only reason. He drank and got angry, knocked me or my mother around, then once he felt the pleasure of his inflicted wounds, he did it again and again. To feel the bones crunch, to smell the blood, to see the bruises… Finally my mother got fed up with him and left. Sure, she told me when she was leaving, but then she just picked up and left. I could have gone with her if I woke up early, or stayed up that night waiting for her to make her move. But I didn't. Something inside of me told me to stay and protect her. I felt as if I owed her my life since she was the one who gave birth and protected me. Once I was fifteen, though, she stopped protecting me, figuring I was old enough to take care of myself. There was anger and fury inside of me for that, but I didn't let it show. My emotions were bottled up and secure. I'd bet anything that if I let them out, I'd either go on a rampage and kill someone, or I'd sit in a dark place and cry my eyes out. Either was pitiful enough.

Finally Gregory up and slammed the door in my face. From behind the new barrier, I heard his voice cursing me to bloody hell. Well, good for him. But it pissed me off. What a way to say 'Good morning.' It was more like, 'Get your shit and get out so I don't have to see your face.' Fine with me. I was planning on it anyways. Edith and I both were. It was a good thing she was at a friend's house. Marcia's house to be exact. Everyone knew that I had only eyes for her. No matter how many other girls threw themselves at me, or how many I dated, they all knew that I only liked Marcia. And Marcia knew that too. My only problem was with Randy. He was in my way. Sure, I had other problems all together, but he was the main one.

Angrily I launched forward and let loose on the door. I punched and kicked and kneed and elbowed and bumped into it with my hip and everything else I could possibly do. I had no clue was I was going to accomplish with that. It made me feel good. That was all that mattered. And as I hit the wooden door, and I heard the splintering of the wood, I threw chains of cursed into the air to rebut against Gregory. He deserved it. I knew I should have killed him when I had the chance. But I had to be stopped. Gail and her complaining, and the other boy there too. He had to pull me from my goal. My arm was right against Gregory's throat. Gregory had stopped struggling. Gregory was about to fucking die. And I was pulled away.

I stopped unleashing against the door. It didn't splinter as much as I wanted it to. However, it did leave a nice faded marking with red drops of blood in the middle. That was good enough for me. I shook my hands, the blood dripping from the torn and broken skin. It gave a sort of thrill, almost like Gregory's pleasure, to unleash against something, anything. Maybe that was why Dallas Winston and I tolerated each other enough to fight but never really cause too much damage to the other. I wouldn't know about him, but I personally enjoyed our fights. Fights always thrilled me. And I heard about Rumbles around here, but I had never been 'blessed' to fight in one. Maybe one of these days, though. I hoped I would.

Tulsa wasn't as cold as it was in London around this time. Normally, the beginning of January was some of the coldest it would get. This, on other hands, was warm and comfortable compared to that. It was a nice change. I rubbed my hand up my biceps on my left arm, then scowled at the door before turning on my heels and retrieving my keys. Then I made my way over to my motorcycle. It was old and needed repairs, but it ran just fine for me.

I needed to go see Eddie. Something inside of me wanted to go talk to Eddie. I don't know what it was, though. Since the time she came to live with me, I feel like we've grown fond of each other. I know for sure I'm fond of her. And I would even be willing to call her my sister instead of my cousin.

Edith came to live with me a month or so ago. She was my younger cousin. Her mother had died from a robbery gone wrong. The man came in and found Stephanie downstairs. He proceeded to kill her, in which Stephanie didn't make a single sound. It was to protect Eddie. Eddie's father works in the military. He was the one who made Charlie want to join. And Charlie did join as soon as he was old enough. So since Eddie's father was useless to her, she went to stay with Edward, our grandfather. But he was sick and died after a few months. Patrick, Edith's father, sent Gregory, my father, a letter and all the paperwork for Edith to come live with me. And why I say me and not us, it's because Gregory wasn't the most thoughtful, caring person in the world. If she lived under him, she'd be miserable. At least if she lived under me, I'd try to make her happy. And it took a lot to remember that she was only a year or so behind me in age. I think it was her short stature that made me think that constantly.

I mounted my bike and turned the engine on. It sputtered then roared to life. I smirked, revving the engine a little before backing out of the lawn. This was one thing Gregory couldn't take of mine. He had already taken my mum and Charlie, but this, he couldn't touch. This was mine. I turned onto the street and sped off, anxious to get away from that house. That broken home. That hell house. I was done with all the shit I put up with living with that man. It had been eighteen years. And that was eighteen years too long to stay with him. I was done.

As I rode down the empty road, I felt the cool wind hit my face and smelt the winter air. God, I loved that smell and that feeling. I was tempted to close my eyes and just enjoy it. But that wouldn't be a good idea, after all my life was in my own hands on this thing.

I came up to Marcia's house soon enough. I'd met her parents a few times. They didn't take too kind that I was a River King and all, but I think my personality and the fact I didn't act like those other greasers around here won them over. So it was alright for me to just stop by. Plus, Eddie was over here and it was alright.

I stopped my bike and killed the engine, dismounting and jogging up to the front door. I knocked on the door roughly, then shoved my hands in my pockets. I ached for a cigarette, but Eddie was on this 'no smoking' idea and 'no drinking' idea. She was killing me. But I smoked whenever I wasn't around her. Unlike now, though.

Marcia's mother came to the door and asked what I wanted. I asked to see Edith. She eyed me, then moved aside to let me in. I nodded politely and walked in. She told me that they were in Marcia's room. Again, I nodded, then scurried up the stairs. I turned at the top and looked into the room. Sure enough, there Marcia and Edith were sitting. Edith looked up at me with big brown eyes, surprised to see me. Marcia also looked surprised.

"Will?" Eddie asked. "What are you… What happened to your face?"

She jumped to her feet and ran over to me, standing on her toes and pressing her hands to my cheeks. Her thumb prodded my split lip. I just waited until she was finished examining me.

"It was Uncle Gregory," I told her, using her term of affection for him.

"What did he do?"

Even though Eddie had lived with me for over a month, she still didn't know about what he did. If she saw me bruised and battered, I'd claim getting in a fight. Then she'd go off on me and tell me that it was wrong to fight, and I'd just shrug it off. Marcia, however, knew what went on at home. I had spilled to her about it one day in the bathroom. Long story short, I was about to die and she helped me go to the bathroom so I could empty my stomach. Two-Bit was there, but he only hurt more than help. The fuck punched me in the stomach, and that day I was covered in bruises.

"I… We…" I stammered, finding it hard to tell Eddie the truth. I blinked. Why was is so hard to talk to her about it? Was it because I wanted to protect her? I wanted to keep her from seeing the real life I lived? I think I was it. I kept looking at her, and her eyes softened even more. I pressed my hand onto her shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze.

"It's nothing," I said finally, letting out a small sigh. I brought my arms around her, hugging her close and putting my chin on the top of her head. My eyes closed and I sighed again, just holding her close. Even a guy like me needed to grab hold onto someone for a while. I opened my eyes and released Eddie after a moment. "Nothing."

Which was a lie. It was something. Something big, in my eyes. But to Edith, it didn't concern her and she didn't need to know. I'd tell her one day. Hopefully I'd get the courage to tell her before she becomes his victim too.

I ran my hand over the back of her neck, pulling her forward. I bent slightly at my knees and pressed my lips softly to her forehead for a brief moment. Then I pulled back and gave her my best false grin.

"Then why did you come here?" Edith asked.

My shoulders shrugged. Eddie's fingers were wrapped around my sleeve as if she didn't want me to go. It was almost as if she knew I was lying through my teeth. And for all I knew, she did. I brushed her fingertips from my shirt.

"I'll be back later," I told her, turning and heading for the door. Behind me Edith made a sound of protest, but I ignored it and continued on my way. I didn't know where I was going, but it was anywhere but home.