BETTER THAN DRUGS
"Feel your every heartbeat
Feel you on these empty nights
Calm the ache, stop the shakes
You clear my mind
You're my escape
From this messed up place
'Cause you let me forget
You numb my pain"
~Better Than Drugs~ Skillet~
It was a cold night. Outside snow was falling, covering the ground in a thick, white blanket. Inside a modest two-story house, a mother was struggling to convince her eldest daughter to give up her bedroom for the night.
"Mama, why do I have to sleep in Anna's room?" pouted Elsa. "She always wakes me up to play."
"I'll be good tonight, Elsa," vowed Anna, shuffling over to make room for her sister. "I promise that I'll let you sleep tonight."
"You always say that, Anna, and you always break your promise," Elsa shot back, rolling her eyes at her sister. "Plus, you're a bed hog and you kick me when you're sleeping."
Lillian watched as Anna crossed her arms and turned to stare at her sister. "I am not a bed hog and I do not ki-" she began.
Ignoring her, Elsa turned her back on her sister, effectively shutting off the line of communication while she directed her attention back to Lillian.
"Mama, you didn't answer my question," Elsa stated matter-of-factly. "Why do I have to sleep in Anna's bed again?"
Lillian sighed. She had hoped that Anna's enthusiasm and Elsa's lack thereof, would have proved enough of a distraction to push the question from her eight year-old's mind. However, it would appear that it wasn't the case. Her eyes flicked between her two daughters, both of whom had stopped what they were doing in order to look at her. She felt her heart softening as she took in their small, angelic features. Suddenly, she felt her resolve to avoid the question strengthening.
She knew that there were parents out there who would argue that she should respond to the question with a simple answer. Some would say that she should tell her inquisitive daughter that her room was needed for an overnight guest. However, Lillian knew her daughter and Elsa would not be content with such an answer. Instead, she would likely respond with even more questions. She would then want to know why Anna couldn't give up her room, or why their young visitor couldn't sleep downstairs on the plush couch. The line of questioning may be steeped in childhood innocence, but the answers that she was withholding weren't. The reasoning hinted at a subject matter that she, as an adult, struggled to comprehend.
"Mama?" Elsa asked, tugging at her pant leg.
Lillian frowned. She needed to think of something to distract Elsa's train of thought. She glanced at Anna, who could normally be counted on to provide a distraction, and groaned. The younger girl had settled herself with her picture book which she flicked through, pointing out the pictures to her teddy. For some reason, it always seemed that the one time she wanted her youngest to be a bundle of energy at bed-time, was the one time that she opted to be quiet. With any luck, her husband would be returning home soon with their guest. After all, he didn't have to go far in order to collect him.
The sound of the front door opening and closing downstairs alerted her to her husband's return. Lillian sighed, making a mental note to thank her husband for returning just in time. Her eyes glanced at her daughters as she ushered them into bed. Leaning down, Lillian pulled the covers over her daughters and tucked them in before pressing a soft kiss on each of their foreheads. Pausing at the doorway, she cast one last look at her beloved girls. Flicking the light switch off, she pulled the door closed behind her and made her way downstairs.
The sound of her husband's voice greeted her as he spoke in a calming tone to their guest. Raising her head, she cast her eyes over the small visitor who had just arrived.
The slight eight year old boy was a mess. As usual, he was dressed in pyjamas which were far too small for him and his eyes were stained with tears. Clutched in his hand was Bunnymund- the beloved toy rabbit that her husband had purchased for him a year ago.
"I was just going to make a hot chocolate. Care to join me?" she asked, offering her hand to the small boy.
Nodding, he took her hand and walked with her into the warm kitchen. She watched as he hoisted himself onto the stool before going to get two sachets from the container to empty into a mug each for her and the boy and turned the kettle on. Once the drinks had been prepared, she led him to the lounge room and beckoned for him to join her as she sat on the floor beside the warm fire.
They sat in silence while they sipped at their drinks. The boy let out a soft giggle when he caught sight of his milk moustache in the mirror. Her husband walked in a few minutes later with a few extra marshmallows to drop in the boy's hot chocolate. Tucked under his arm was his medical kit. Sitting down, he called the boy to him and commenced his examination. She heard him let out a sigh of relief which suggested to her that he had failed to notice any fresh bruising or scars on the youngster. Tonight, it seemed fate had been kind to the boy.
Lillian glanced up to catch her husband's eyes and noticed the frown that marred his face. She knew he was thinking about the boy and wishing he could do more. They both did. He was a great kid and it hurt them to know the circumstances in which he lived. His mother was a lovely lady and she doted on him, but she was powerless against her alcoholic and abusive husband. The death of her second child, the boy's younger sister, had sent her spiralling into depression and she'd seemingly lost the will to fight back and to protect herself and her son from her husband's violent moods.
Lillian and Walt had provided an anonymous report to the authorities in the hopes of getting some help for the boy and his mother, but it had been denied. Apparently the boy's case was deemed unfortunate, but not urgent. The only small mercy was that Lillian had managed to form a weird friendship with the boy's mother, who had agreed to let the Andersen's help by taking the boy off her hands from time to time to give him a sense of comfort and security and to keep him as safe as possible. She knew that on nights like this all she had to do was call and they would collect the boy and care for him.
The sound of soft snores broke her from her thoughts. Looking down she saw that the boy had fallen asleep with his head resting on his cuddly toy rabbit. Gently, she picked him and the toy up and carried them up the stairs and into Elsa's vacant room. She leaned down, placing him on the bed before pulling the covers up and over him.
Standing at the doorframe she cast one last look at him before bidding him goodnight.
Elsa landed on the floor with a thud. Once again she'd been forced to share her sister's bed and once again her sister had managed to kick her out. The only consolation was that her sister had stayed true to her words and hadn't woken her to play as she normally did. Getting up, she was just about to climb back into Anna's bed when she heard an all too familiar noise.
Silently, she let herself out of the room and tiptoed down the hall to her own room. She pushed open the door and saw him. The covers had been pushed back and he was tossing and turning in his sleep, murmuring indecipherable words.
Sighing, she climbed into her bed. She leaned down to pull the blankets around them before wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.
"It's okay, Jack, I'm here. You're safe," she whispered.
The weight of an energetic five year old woke Lillian from her sleep.
Opening her eyes, she noticed the hint of early morning light breaking through the curtains. It was early, too early. According to the clock on her bedside table it was not even 7am. Beside her, her husband mumbled and turned to lie on his side, unwilling to face the day this early.
Undeterred, Anna pounced, coming to lie between her parents before flinging her arms out dramatically. "Mummy, Daddy, get up. The sky's awake, so I'm awake and we have to play," she whined.
Lillian sighed and shuffled to a sitting position. There was no point in her delaying getting up, not now that Anna knew she was awake. Her youngest was a bundle of energy and was on the go all the time. Stretching, she pushed herself out of bed and urged Anna to go wait for her in the kitchen where she would prepare breakfast.
Grabbing her robe, she wrapped it around herself before letting herself out of her room. Silently, she tiptoed across the hall to Elsa's room where she could check in on the boy.
She felt her heart melt as she caught sight of Elsa and Jack curled up in Elsa's bed, their arms wound tightly around each other while they lay sleeping. She knew it would happen and that Elsa would end up back in her own bed with Jack. The boy was prone to nightmares- a side effect of the situation which he faced at home. Elsa, it seemed, would always sense when he was crying or having a nightmare, and would go to him to offer comfort.
Shaking her head, she pulled the door closed behind her and left the two friends to sleep.
8 YEARS LATER
Elsa frowned as the sound of the neighbours fighting could be heard over her small television. She grabbed her phone and waited, knowing that it wouldn't be long until he contacted her. Moments later her phone beeped and a new message appeared on her screen.
'They're at it again, I'm on my way' ~ J
Getting up, she raced down the stairs to meet him. Finding her parents in the lounge room, she greeted them and let them know that the teen was about to arrive at their home. To her relief they didn't object. After all, he'd always been a welcomed guest in their home.
Opening the front door, she saw him, his eyes downcast and schoolbag in hand as he made his way up the path towards her. She smiled and ran to meet him. He said nothing and she didn't press him. Silently, she reached for his hand and pulled him into the warm house.
Inside, they paused briefly at the entrance to the lounge room. She waited patiently while Jack and her parents exchanged pleasantries, before she interrupted to let them know that she and Jack had homework to attend to prior to going to bed.
Only once they'd reached the privacy of her bedroom did she loosen her grip on his hand. Sitting down on her bed, she reached over and pulled him to sit beside her. Softly, she reached her hand out to check over him, choking back a tear as her eyes fell on the new bruise on his face.
They sat in silence for a while, his arms wrapped around her waist while her head rested on his shoulder. Eventually she broke her hold to reach into her bedside table drawer and pull out a bag of Hershey's Kisses, unwrapping one and popping it into his mouth before taking one for herself.
"It never fails to amaze me that you manage to always have a stash of Hershey's despite the fact that Anna, the chocoholic, is your sister" remarked Jack with a smirk.
Elsa laughed. "That's because I told her that Hershey's Kisses are our thing. I warned her that if she dares go for them I'll whoop her ass."
Jack smiled. It was true. Hershey's Kisses were kind of 'their' thing. It was one year ago when he'd realised that his feelings for Elsa had changed. He no longer loved her as a friend. He was in love with her and after months of deliberation, he finally decided to admit his feelings.
He'd picked up a bag of the sweet chocolates on his way home and had taken them next door to share with Elsa. They had been sitting on the couch, making their way through the treats, when Jack had made his move. Leaning forward, he'd told her that he wanted to give her a kiss and waited for her approval before placing a soft kiss on her lips.
Her parents had walked in on the duo kissing later that afternoon and their responses had been one of amusement. Lillian had been rapt, claiming that she'd been waiting for the moment since they day the two had met as six year olds. Walt Andersen, on the other-hand, had pointed at Jack, telling him that while he approved, he expected to see a ring on her finger before he saw his daughter pregnant.
He felt Elsa pull away from him and watched as she scooted under the covers, beckoning for him to join her. Grinning, he ripped his shirt off and tugged his jeans down, leaving him in only his boxers before climbing under the covers.
Jack would forever be grateful for Elsa and her family. When they'd moved in next door, they had changed his life. Not only had Jack found a friend in Elsa, but he'd also found a safe haven, a home that had provided him with more love and care than the one his parents had provided for him.
The Andersen's had always been there for Jack. Whenever his father became violent towards him and his mother, they had been there. When Jack's parents had forgotten his ninth birthday, the Andersen's had stepped in to whisk him off to the zoo and then back to their home for dinner and cake. Lillian Andersen had even taken to purchasing clothes and school supplies for Jack when his own parents forgot, something she continued to do even now despite the fact that Jack had a part time job and could purchase his own clothes and supplies.
Elsa was his safe place, and whenever he was with her the world felt more positive. She was the reason he was so stable. He knew studies showed that kids like him were at risk of falling into negative patterns and continuing the circle of substance abuse and violence in which they had been raised. He may have been one of those people, a statistic, had his guardian angel not come into his life all those years ago.
"Elsa," he murmured, stroking a strand of hair from her face.
"Yes, Jack," she replied, smiling at him.
"I love you, my angel," he whispered, leaning in to place a tender kiss on her lips.
"I love you, Jack," she responded, smiling into the kiss.
