Title: Another Brick in the Wall
Author: Lea of Mirkwood
Disclaimer: You know the drill.
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Casey curled up on his bed and stared at his locked door. It was very late at night, he looked at the clock and saw it was one a.m. His mother was still not home. Terror gripped his heart as he counted the minutes. Suddenly he heard the door slamming and high heels clipping up the stairs with a frenzied beat.
"Frank!" he heard his mother cry angrily, then he heard the squeal of the hinges as his mother threw open the bedroom door, then a bang as she slammed it behind her. Angry voices floated through the drywall, and Casey heard the unmistakable sound of swearing. He dove under the covers, pulling the comforter over his head. He brought his knees up to his chest, trying to be as small as he possibly could. After what seemed like an eternity of yelling, he heard the door open again and his mother stomp out into the hallway, dragging something with her.
"I'm leaving, Frank!" she hollered.
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"I'm leaving you! Work out your fucking sex life on your own, this is over!"
"Fuck you, Patricia!"
"Fuck yourself!"
Casey felt himself shaking in terror, wishing he could make his voice work to call his mother back. But the front door closed with a rattling slam, and he heard his father running back up the stairs. He pounded on Casey's door, making the seventeen year-old jump.
"Are you happy, Casey?" he roared. "Are you happy with what you've done?"
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The next day at school, Casey was lifeless. His mother had not returned in the morning, and his father had stayed in his room while Casey fixed his own lunch and walked to the bus stop. Throughout the day he didn't speak to ask or answer a question once, and avoided Kit and Gracie studiously. Keeping track of how to stay away from them was the only thing he concentrated on all day. In the locker room, he was shoved into the lockers, but didn't move, like a rag doll. He didn't concentrate on a single insult, but ignored the world. After school he ran out of the building and sat down on the bus directly behind the driver. When he got home he found his father in the living room, reading Sports Illustrated. Only when Casey heard the ice clinking did he see the glass of scotch on the end table.
"Dad?" said Casey tentatively. "I'm home."
His father nodded. "Casey, look," he said tersely. "I'm sorry for what I said last night."
You're sorry? asked the old Casey. That's a first.
"It's okay," said Casey, as if he were talking to a stranger.
"You see, Casey," said Frank Conner, lowering his magazine and leaning forward. "You might be a little young to understand about all of this, but as for my unfaithfulness, well, it's a different thing than you might think."
"I know exactly what you did, Dad."
"Casey, it meant nothing!"
"I know what you did, Dad. You cheated on my mother, you cheated on her, and you took vows!" cried Casey through gritted teeth.
"I don't expect you to understand that your mother-"
"Shut up," snapped Casey. "Shut up."
He turned on his heel and fled up the stairs.
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"Casey?"
Casey opened his eyes slowly. He rubbed at them, feeling the dried tears flake off.
"Casey?"
Casey sat up and threw off his blanket.
"Mom?"
"Can I come in?"
"Sure," said Casey blankly, rubbing his eyes again and crossing the room to unlock the door.
"How are you, sweetie?" she asked, hugging him close. Casey blinked.
"I'm okay."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You?"
His mother crossed to the other side of the room and sat down on his bed.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, sweetie. Your father and I...are getting a divorce."
"You are?"
"Yes. I'm so sorry."
"That was...umm...quick."
("Well, that's the wonder of fiction! You can bend the judicial system!" "Really?" "Yes, sweetie." "Wow.")
"I've been thinking about it for a while. I didn't tell him, but I had already started to file for divorce. I was going to leave him and go live in Kentucky with my sister."
Casey was stunned. His heart fell to his shoes as he stared at his mother in shock.
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To be continued...
Will Casey tell Kit? Will Casey have to move away!? Will he never see his true love again? (But who is his true love...?) You'll have to wait...until I can sneak the computer again! (Probably tonight after I see Les Misérables...)
Look soon for:
a)update on Kindle My Heart
b)Two new Arwen/Aragorn stories
c)New fic involving Legolas
d)New romance fic with an unusual love interest...one I've not seen before.
And lastly
e) The next chapter in this fic.
By the way...sitting on my computer is the last scene from this fic. It is written, and it is a plot twist. But it won't come about for another twenty chapters or so.