Chapter Five
Both teenagers sat up, startled. Leah's father stood in her doorway, glaring at them. Simon pulled on his jeans and Leah slipped on her robe.
"What the hell is going on?" Mr. Agastis demanded. He shoved Simon against a wall. "Don't you touch my daughter, you little shit!"
"Hey, at least I'm not hurting her when I'm touching her!" Simon snapped, shoving Leah's father back. Mr. Agastis punched Simon in the nose, causing Simon's nose to gush blood.
"Dad, stop!" Leah shrieked. Her father spun around and slapped her hard across the face. Simon rushed her father and punched him in the stomach as hard as he could, but Mr. Agastis was much stronger, and kicked Simon roughly in the ribs.
"Stop!" Leah shrieked again. She was completely helpless.
Simon grabbed the pocket knife he kept with him, raising it to stab Leah's father, the zealot in him taking over.
"Simon, no!" Leah screamed. It was too late, Simon's blade met with Mr. Agastis's chest. He stumbled back, stunned. He choked, blood trickling from his mouth. Leah kneeled down beside him. She looked at Simon with accusing eyes.
"What have you done?" she sobbed. Simon couldn't believe what he was hearing. This man had been beating him, and he was only protecting them. How could Leah be angry with him?
"I-I'll get help," Simon stammered. He ran from the house, throwing his front door open.
"Simon, dear God! What happened to you?" his mother questioned, looking horrified.
"Leah's father, he attacked me. I defended myself with my pocket knife."
Realization seeped into Abigail's eyes. "Oh no, Simon!" she gasped. She rushed from the house, Simon trailing behind. They found Leah crying on the floor, covered in her father's blood.
"He's dead," she said, sorrow in her voice. Those two words hit Simon with strong force.
"Oh, God!" Abigail cried. She began to sob as well. Simon felt ill, he didn't know what to do.
"Leah," he started, kneeling beside her. She pulled away.
"Don't touch me, Simon!" she snapped. "You killed my father!"
"What was I supposed to do, Leah? Huh?! Let him beat me to death?" Leah turned away and left the room.
"I'm calling the police. I'll tell them the truth, but I never want to see you again!"
Simon was amazed. He had just made love to this girl, why was she being so cold. He did what he had to do to protect himself and Leah as well. Besides, she was the one who wanted to get away from her father. He had treated her like shit, hurt her. Why was she so upset?
"Simon, let's go," Abigail said, gently, guiding her son towards the door. "You did what you had to do." At least my mother doesn't blame me, he thought.
A Week Later
Simon watched the dirt fall onto the grave, burying Mr. Agastis's father. He watched Leah from across the hole in the ground. She was standing alone, tears in her eyes, her blond hair falling across her face. She looked up and Simon and held his gaze for a long time. A week had given her time to think. She didn't blame Simon for what happened, he had to do what he did, or else her father would have definitely killed him. She loved Simon, and she couldn't bare being apart from him.
As the service end, Simon began to leave with his family, everyone present except for Matthew and Calista, who had given birth two days earlier. Andrew and Jake were also with him, being true blue friends.
"Simon?" Leah called, stepping up behind him. He turned and looked down at her. The rest of his group exchanged glances, but kept walking, leaving the two alone.
"I want you to know that I'm sorry," Leah said. "I don't blame you for what happened, I guess I was just in shock."
Simon nodded and turned to leave. "Simon, wait!" Leah exclaimed, grabbing his hand. "Please don't leave, I can't stand being alone anymore."
A wave of sympathy hit Simon. He felt terrible for Leah, she was an orphan, and had no relatives.
"Do you want to come over for dinner?" he asked, taking her hand. She looked relieved and smiled up at him.
"I'd love that," she replied. "I heard about you being an uncle. Congratulations."
Simon smiled. "Thanks." He held her hand as they walked towards his house, following the crowd.
"Are you okay, Leah?" Simon asked, staring at the ground as he spoke.
"I am now," she replied, and Simon stopped to kiss her. When they pulled apart she had tears in her eyes again.
"I'm so sorry, Simon," she whispered.
"I'm sorry too," Simon replied, kissing her again. Leah hugged him and buried her face in his spiky hair. She thought she smelled something funny, like cigarette smoke but a bit different, but she let it go and they continued to walk towards his house.
Leah sat down on Simon's bed, feeling full from a large dinner. Simon came in after her and shut the door, grinning at her.
"Do you have something I could sleep in?" she asked, wanting to take off her uncomfortable skirt and blouse.
"Nope," Simon said, slyly. "I guess you're gonna have to sleep naked."
Leah smiled. "Ha, very funny." Simon shrugged and gestured towards his dresser.
"T-shirts are over there, just gonna go brush my teeth." Simon left, leaving Leah to choose a t-shirt. She opened his dresser drawer and gasped, shocked and feeling sick at what she saw. Marijuana. That's what smelled funny in his hair, she thought.
"Leah, what's wrong?" Simon stopped, looking very upset all of sudden when he realized what she had seen.
"Simon, what are you doing?" she gasped, choking on sobs. She didn't want to believe that Simon was doing drugs.
"Leah, please don't tell my mother," Simon said. He looked terrified.
"When did you start?" she demanded.
"About a week ago. I needed it to keep me going after what happened."
Leah felt like vomiting. "This is my fault," she cried, tears pouring down her cheeks. Simon rushed towards her and wrapped his arms around her.
"No! No, Leah!" he soothed. "This is my own fault. I didn't know I'd become addicted."
"You're addicted?"
"Yeah, I am. It kept getting worse. Andrew helped me get some, since cigarettes and beer just weren't cutting it."
Leah moved away from him and sat down on his bed. "I can't believe this," she moaned. Simon sat down beside her.
"Leah, don't worry, I'll get help, I promise." Simon stroked her arm and kissed her neck. Leah closed her eyes, laying down on the bed.
"Simon, I'm tired, stop distracting me," she said. "We need to talk about this in the morning." Simon nodded, letting her go. She slipped a baggy t-shirt on, and climbed into Simon's soft, comfortable bed. He layed down beside her, wrapped his arm around her waist and closed his eyes.
"I love you, Simon," she whispered, her voice thick with guilt and pain. She hoped to God things couldn't get worse.
Both teenagers sat up, startled. Leah's father stood in her doorway, glaring at them. Simon pulled on his jeans and Leah slipped on her robe.
"What the hell is going on?" Mr. Agastis demanded. He shoved Simon against a wall. "Don't you touch my daughter, you little shit!"
"Hey, at least I'm not hurting her when I'm touching her!" Simon snapped, shoving Leah's father back. Mr. Agastis punched Simon in the nose, causing Simon's nose to gush blood.
"Dad, stop!" Leah shrieked. Her father spun around and slapped her hard across the face. Simon rushed her father and punched him in the stomach as hard as he could, but Mr. Agastis was much stronger, and kicked Simon roughly in the ribs.
"Stop!" Leah shrieked again. She was completely helpless.
Simon grabbed the pocket knife he kept with him, raising it to stab Leah's father, the zealot in him taking over.
"Simon, no!" Leah screamed. It was too late, Simon's blade met with Mr. Agastis's chest. He stumbled back, stunned. He choked, blood trickling from his mouth. Leah kneeled down beside him. She looked at Simon with accusing eyes.
"What have you done?" she sobbed. Simon couldn't believe what he was hearing. This man had been beating him, and he was only protecting them. How could Leah be angry with him?
"I-I'll get help," Simon stammered. He ran from the house, throwing his front door open.
"Simon, dear God! What happened to you?" his mother questioned, looking horrified.
"Leah's father, he attacked me. I defended myself with my pocket knife."
Realization seeped into Abigail's eyes. "Oh no, Simon!" she gasped. She rushed from the house, Simon trailing behind. They found Leah crying on the floor, covered in her father's blood.
"He's dead," she said, sorrow in her voice. Those two words hit Simon with strong force.
"Oh, God!" Abigail cried. She began to sob as well. Simon felt ill, he didn't know what to do.
"Leah," he started, kneeling beside her. She pulled away.
"Don't touch me, Simon!" she snapped. "You killed my father!"
"What was I supposed to do, Leah? Huh?! Let him beat me to death?" Leah turned away and left the room.
"I'm calling the police. I'll tell them the truth, but I never want to see you again!"
Simon was amazed. He had just made love to this girl, why was she being so cold. He did what he had to do to protect himself and Leah as well. Besides, she was the one who wanted to get away from her father. He had treated her like shit, hurt her. Why was she so upset?
"Simon, let's go," Abigail said, gently, guiding her son towards the door. "You did what you had to do." At least my mother doesn't blame me, he thought.
A Week Later
Simon watched the dirt fall onto the grave, burying Mr. Agastis's father. He watched Leah from across the hole in the ground. She was standing alone, tears in her eyes, her blond hair falling across her face. She looked up and Simon and held his gaze for a long time. A week had given her time to think. She didn't blame Simon for what happened, he had to do what he did, or else her father would have definitely killed him. She loved Simon, and she couldn't bare being apart from him.
As the service end, Simon began to leave with his family, everyone present except for Matthew and Calista, who had given birth two days earlier. Andrew and Jake were also with him, being true blue friends.
"Simon?" Leah called, stepping up behind him. He turned and looked down at her. The rest of his group exchanged glances, but kept walking, leaving the two alone.
"I want you to know that I'm sorry," Leah said. "I don't blame you for what happened, I guess I was just in shock."
Simon nodded and turned to leave. "Simon, wait!" Leah exclaimed, grabbing his hand. "Please don't leave, I can't stand being alone anymore."
A wave of sympathy hit Simon. He felt terrible for Leah, she was an orphan, and had no relatives.
"Do you want to come over for dinner?" he asked, taking her hand. She looked relieved and smiled up at him.
"I'd love that," she replied. "I heard about you being an uncle. Congratulations."
Simon smiled. "Thanks." He held her hand as they walked towards his house, following the crowd.
"Are you okay, Leah?" Simon asked, staring at the ground as he spoke.
"I am now," she replied, and Simon stopped to kiss her. When they pulled apart she had tears in her eyes again.
"I'm so sorry, Simon," she whispered.
"I'm sorry too," Simon replied, kissing her again. Leah hugged him and buried her face in his spiky hair. She thought she smelled something funny, like cigarette smoke but a bit different, but she let it go and they continued to walk towards his house.
Leah sat down on Simon's bed, feeling full from a large dinner. Simon came in after her and shut the door, grinning at her.
"Do you have something I could sleep in?" she asked, wanting to take off her uncomfortable skirt and blouse.
"Nope," Simon said, slyly. "I guess you're gonna have to sleep naked."
Leah smiled. "Ha, very funny." Simon shrugged and gestured towards his dresser.
"T-shirts are over there, just gonna go brush my teeth." Simon left, leaving Leah to choose a t-shirt. She opened his dresser drawer and gasped, shocked and feeling sick at what she saw. Marijuana. That's what smelled funny in his hair, she thought.
"Leah, what's wrong?" Simon stopped, looking very upset all of sudden when he realized what she had seen.
"Simon, what are you doing?" she gasped, choking on sobs. She didn't want to believe that Simon was doing drugs.
"Leah, please don't tell my mother," Simon said. He looked terrified.
"When did you start?" she demanded.
"About a week ago. I needed it to keep me going after what happened."
Leah felt like vomiting. "This is my fault," she cried, tears pouring down her cheeks. Simon rushed towards her and wrapped his arms around her.
"No! No, Leah!" he soothed. "This is my own fault. I didn't know I'd become addicted."
"You're addicted?"
"Yeah, I am. It kept getting worse. Andrew helped me get some, since cigarettes and beer just weren't cutting it."
Leah moved away from him and sat down on his bed. "I can't believe this," she moaned. Simon sat down beside her.
"Leah, don't worry, I'll get help, I promise." Simon stroked her arm and kissed her neck. Leah closed her eyes, laying down on the bed.
"Simon, I'm tired, stop distracting me," she said. "We need to talk about this in the morning." Simon nodded, letting her go. She slipped a baggy t-shirt on, and climbed into Simon's soft, comfortable bed. He layed down beside her, wrapped his arm around her waist and closed his eyes.
"I love you, Simon," she whispered, her voice thick with guilt and pain. She hoped to God things couldn't get worse.