CHAPTER 4

Kai smiled happily when he noticed his mother standing in the school playground to collect him, but she didn't look too good. Her eyes were red and tearful; she'd been crying. He ran over to her, no longer smiling but looking slightly concerned.
"Mummy?" Kai looked up at Kay who smiled reassuringly as she balanced a crying Kyris on her hip.
"Yeah, Kai?"
"Have you been crying?"
Kay's smile disappeared for a moment before it came again, "No, don't be silly, Kai, I haven't been crying, I just have hay fever."
"But it's winter..."
Kai's mother shook her head and took his hand, "Don't worry about me, Kai, Mummy's fine."
"Is Daddy going to be at home tonight?" Kai blinked up at Kay, who didn't look down at him, she just looked straight ahead of her and didn't say anything as she continued to walk on. Kai knew that this was a bad sign... he didn't like the look on his mother's face as he asked that question, and he knew not to speak until they got home, well, until Kay spoke at least.

Kai walked out of his bedroom a while later and noticed something was happening in his mum and dad's room. His dad wasn't home yet, so he just presumed his mum was tidying up in there, but he could hear crying and sniffing. Kai pushed the door open gently, preying his mum didn't hear it and slowly poked his head round the corner. He blinked. What was his mum doing? She was shoving a load of clothes into some bags... but they weren't her clothes; they were Dark Ace's clothes. What was happening here? Maybe his dad was going on a school trip and Kay was simply trying to help, she was crying because she'd miss him?

Kai stepped into the room a little more and Kay looked up, her eyes red from crying.
"Kai? What are you doing in here?" Kay asked, sniffing.
"What are you doing with Daddy's clothes?" Kai replied.
Kay sighed, "...You're dad's going away for a while, that's all. I'm just packing for him so he doesn't have to do it when he gets back from work."
"Oh... Where's he going?"
"I can't remember, Kai, stop asking me questions please I've got a headache," Kay said, rubbing her forehead.
Kai shrugged; it did make sense. His mum was crying because his dad was going away for a while and she was going to miss him. So that must explain why she was crying earlier, his dad had spoken to her over the phone and told her. Kai knew he had nothing to worry about now, everything was going to be fine; he knew his dad would be back.

Kai sat in his bedroom, looking down at the piece of paper in front of him; he had no idea what to draw for his Art homework. He couldn't draw very well, but then again, he doubted many 4 year olds could draw well. Sighing, he picked up his pencil and drew a round circle for a head – he was going to draw his family: his mum, dad, three sisters and two brothers, and then himself, smack bang in the middle. All six of them in front of a large square building, that represented the house he lived in.

Kai's concentration was broken when he heard shouting. His dad. His dad was shouting, why? Then he heard a reply – his mum. They were... arguing? Kai had never heard them argue before, and his dad sounded pretty angry, maybe a little upset. He didn't like it; there was a lot of swearing involved and he started to get scared. Maybe his dad didn't want his mum to pack for him; perhaps he wanted to do it on his own so he knew what he was going to wear when he was away for a bit... It couldn't be that bad, could it? Kai winced as the shouting got louder. Kyris started crying. He heard James come in and start shouting too. Then Kacey joined in. Everyone was shouting at each other. None of them had ever been violent before; he knew his dad used to be Dark Ace but he thought that he'd stopped being him. Now Kai wasn't so sure. He started shaking and crying quietly. He'd never been scared like this before. He heard his mum start crying. Kai wanted to go out there and cuddle her, but he was scared he could get hit.

"Why the hell have you packed for me?! Are you just deciding that I'm going to leave and never come back? What the fuck have I done?" Kai heard his dad yell.
"All you use me for is sex, Ace! That's it! That's all, every bloody night you try it on with me and I have to give in!" Kay replied, loudly.
"No I don't! That's a god damn fucking lie, Kay! I don't bloody use you for sex!"

Kai wondered what 'sex' was, perhaps it was a game?

"Just get out, Ace."

Kai's eyes widened – his dad was going to leave?!

"You can't make me."
"Yes I can."

Don't go, daddy...

"I love you, I'm not leaving."
"You love me for my appearance, not my personality."
"That's not true."
"Get out. And never come back."
Kai's eyes widened again – his dad was never coming back?
"Don't go daddy..." he whispered quietly.
"I don't want you here anymore, get out."
"But... but I love you, Kay. Look, you're just being silly, let's just forget this all happened, yeah?"
"You're a lying bastard, a hypocrite, a user... Get out. I don't love you anymore."

Silence followed.
No one knew what to say.
"It's amazing the heart makes no noise when it breaks..." Kai heard someone say quietly. Then there were a shuffle of footsteps...down the stairs... an opening of the front door...and the slam...