Mom and Dad were still No-shows, while Ryan and I were acting as if we were
sitting on eggshells the entire time. I could barely keep my eyes open as
we watched TV in silence.
Full House was ironically on.
Every other minute it seemed like one of us wanted to say something but we didn't.
I stood up from the couch and proceeded to head for the bathroom.
"Where are you going?" Ryan rushed and I just looked at him like he was insane.
"I have to piss, okay?" I replied harshly.
He glared at me, as I walked toward the downstairs bathroom. I really did have to pee. I had been living off water and Fruit Stripes gum for the past couple days.
I didn't dare look at the mirror as I entered the bathroom, practically slamming the door behind me.
After I was finished, I thought about simply not retreating back to the couch. Ryan was preoccupied with the unrealistic problems of the Tanner family so I had a clear path out now.
I opened the door quietly and was about to sneak out, but stopped when I found Ryan waiting right outside the door.
He quirked his eyebrow at me, and I dragged myself back to the couch, and he joined me.
Mom and Dad had arrived minutes later.
Ryan was found still watching Full House, whereas I had given in to sleep yet again. I couldn't figure out why I had been so tired lately.
Anyway, I had the dream again. Only this time Ryan was there, just as I fell through the opening in the ground. He grabbed onto my hand, and desperately tried to pull me up but I was just too big for him. I pleaded for him to save me, but he just looked down at me sorrowfully. We both knew there was nothing he could do. He tried and tried but I was just too big. He whispered sorry, as he let go of both of my hands and I fell back into the darkness.
"No." I uttered, waking myself up. I anxiously studied my dark surroundings, and for a moment there, I thought I was still in that unknown darkness from my dream.
Out of the corner of my eye I could see light coming from the den and I could hear muffled talking coming from the same direction. I propped myself up off the couch, where I noticed Ryan's quilt was thrown over me. I smiled to myself, and made my way toward the voices. I approached the wall around the corner of the den, with caution, as I listened intensely to the person who was talking. It was Ryan.
"...I feel like I'm betraying him in some way, but I just- I don't know what else to do..." He explained softly and my heart starting racing.
"No, you're doing the right thing by coming to us, Ryan." Dad comforted him.
Maybe they weren't talking about me...
"I can't believe he tried to punch you." Mom stated with skepticism in her voice.
Or not...
"I know. I couldn't believe it either. He-he told me that he thought I had called him Heff."
They knew then, and there was a silence.
"What?" Ryan asked, noting the sudden hush of my parents.
"I forgot... I can't believe I forgot." Dad said, letting out a sigh.
The shit was about to hit the fan and I couldn't let that happen.
"I don't understand" Ryan questioned.
I had to stop them. I couldn't let them tell Ryan. He was too smart it would all come together and he would find out exactly what was going on with me.
I knew what I had to do.
I jogged back to the couch, where laid down, and covered myself with the blanket again. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and screamed at the top of my lungs until I was sure they had all come to see what was wrong.
"Seth!" Dad shouted, and I shot my body up like I didn't know what was happening or where I was.
"Dad?" I called out with confusion and when he reached me I buried my face into his shoulder and sobbed.
"Shh... it's okay, buddy." He soothed, rubbing circles into my back, "We're here. We're here." I grabbed for Mom, and pulled her close to me.
I continued this for a while, gradually "calming" myself down with the "aid of my parents' love"
I was good... I was so good that I almost believed it myself.
"I'm sorry..." I purposely struggled my planned out sentence with a shaky voice, "I didn't mean to scare you guys. I just... I had a really intense dream." I gulped and rested my head on Dad's shoulder, holding onto Mom's hand.
"It's okay, baby." Mom consoled, kissing my hand in hers.
I had learned to be quite the little actor over the years. Coming up with every imaginable bathroom excuse, and lying about my odd excessive exercise hours wasn't as easy as one would think.
But throughout my brilliant performance, Ryan eyed me with cynicism. I realized then that if I was going to survive here with Backstabber McGee over there, I'd have to start flying right... or at least try my hardest to fake it.
"I think I'm okay now." I gave them all a flawlessly empty smile and continued with my string of beautifully told lies, "I feel so stupid." I let out a small chuckle, and stood up from the couch.
"Don't- We all have them, sweetie." Mom reassured, and went to kiss me on her regular spot, when she noticed the forming bruise from my cast.
"What Happened?" Her voice rose, and she pulled me into the kitchen to get a better look.
"Oh, um..." I began, and slowly nodded my head in the direction of Ryan.
"Ryan..." Mom spoke up, turning to him, her hand still at my temple.
"What? Kirsten, I didn't hit him." He told her firmly, but it came out almost guiltily, and that was exactly what I was counting on.
"H-he didn't mean too" I jumped in, adding in just a touch of fear in my voice.
I knew it was wrong, but I didn't what them believing a single word from his deceitful mouth. I had no idea what he had already told them while I was sleeping. So this was my way of making everything he said before seem totally fraudulent. I knew he was just trying to help but I wasn't worth any of it.
They both eyeballed him, really thinking over what he had told them about their first born.
I mean, it was all pretty unbelievable. I never got into any fights as a kid. I always got good grades, and always told the truth, and now I was this abusive kid? Who would believe that?
Ryan shook his head in disbelief and I think he knew precisely what I did.
"Guys..." I began, "Please, it was an accident. I didn't mean to make it seem like anything else, really." I clarified to the rents, and when the coast was clear I quirked a brow in Ryan's direction.
They both nodded simultaneously, while Mom let her arm drop to her side, and Dad shifted his weight from side to side.
Everyone was tense, angry, and confused. We all just stood around for a moment, not knowing exactly what came next.
"So..." Dad spoke up, clearing his throat,
"Take out?"
Full House was ironically on.
Every other minute it seemed like one of us wanted to say something but we didn't.
I stood up from the couch and proceeded to head for the bathroom.
"Where are you going?" Ryan rushed and I just looked at him like he was insane.
"I have to piss, okay?" I replied harshly.
He glared at me, as I walked toward the downstairs bathroom. I really did have to pee. I had been living off water and Fruit Stripes gum for the past couple days.
I didn't dare look at the mirror as I entered the bathroom, practically slamming the door behind me.
After I was finished, I thought about simply not retreating back to the couch. Ryan was preoccupied with the unrealistic problems of the Tanner family so I had a clear path out now.
I opened the door quietly and was about to sneak out, but stopped when I found Ryan waiting right outside the door.
He quirked his eyebrow at me, and I dragged myself back to the couch, and he joined me.
Mom and Dad had arrived minutes later.
Ryan was found still watching Full House, whereas I had given in to sleep yet again. I couldn't figure out why I had been so tired lately.
Anyway, I had the dream again. Only this time Ryan was there, just as I fell through the opening in the ground. He grabbed onto my hand, and desperately tried to pull me up but I was just too big for him. I pleaded for him to save me, but he just looked down at me sorrowfully. We both knew there was nothing he could do. He tried and tried but I was just too big. He whispered sorry, as he let go of both of my hands and I fell back into the darkness.
"No." I uttered, waking myself up. I anxiously studied my dark surroundings, and for a moment there, I thought I was still in that unknown darkness from my dream.
Out of the corner of my eye I could see light coming from the den and I could hear muffled talking coming from the same direction. I propped myself up off the couch, where I noticed Ryan's quilt was thrown over me. I smiled to myself, and made my way toward the voices. I approached the wall around the corner of the den, with caution, as I listened intensely to the person who was talking. It was Ryan.
"...I feel like I'm betraying him in some way, but I just- I don't know what else to do..." He explained softly and my heart starting racing.
"No, you're doing the right thing by coming to us, Ryan." Dad comforted him.
Maybe they weren't talking about me...
"I can't believe he tried to punch you." Mom stated with skepticism in her voice.
Or not...
"I know. I couldn't believe it either. He-he told me that he thought I had called him Heff."
They knew then, and there was a silence.
"What?" Ryan asked, noting the sudden hush of my parents.
"I forgot... I can't believe I forgot." Dad said, letting out a sigh.
The shit was about to hit the fan and I couldn't let that happen.
"I don't understand" Ryan questioned.
I had to stop them. I couldn't let them tell Ryan. He was too smart it would all come together and he would find out exactly what was going on with me.
I knew what I had to do.
I jogged back to the couch, where laid down, and covered myself with the blanket again. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and screamed at the top of my lungs until I was sure they had all come to see what was wrong.
"Seth!" Dad shouted, and I shot my body up like I didn't know what was happening or where I was.
"Dad?" I called out with confusion and when he reached me I buried my face into his shoulder and sobbed.
"Shh... it's okay, buddy." He soothed, rubbing circles into my back, "We're here. We're here." I grabbed for Mom, and pulled her close to me.
I continued this for a while, gradually "calming" myself down with the "aid of my parents' love"
I was good... I was so good that I almost believed it myself.
"I'm sorry..." I purposely struggled my planned out sentence with a shaky voice, "I didn't mean to scare you guys. I just... I had a really intense dream." I gulped and rested my head on Dad's shoulder, holding onto Mom's hand.
"It's okay, baby." Mom consoled, kissing my hand in hers.
I had learned to be quite the little actor over the years. Coming up with every imaginable bathroom excuse, and lying about my odd excessive exercise hours wasn't as easy as one would think.
But throughout my brilliant performance, Ryan eyed me with cynicism. I realized then that if I was going to survive here with Backstabber McGee over there, I'd have to start flying right... or at least try my hardest to fake it.
"I think I'm okay now." I gave them all a flawlessly empty smile and continued with my string of beautifully told lies, "I feel so stupid." I let out a small chuckle, and stood up from the couch.
"Don't- We all have them, sweetie." Mom reassured, and went to kiss me on her regular spot, when she noticed the forming bruise from my cast.
"What Happened?" Her voice rose, and she pulled me into the kitchen to get a better look.
"Oh, um..." I began, and slowly nodded my head in the direction of Ryan.
"Ryan..." Mom spoke up, turning to him, her hand still at my temple.
"What? Kirsten, I didn't hit him." He told her firmly, but it came out almost guiltily, and that was exactly what I was counting on.
"H-he didn't mean too" I jumped in, adding in just a touch of fear in my voice.
I knew it was wrong, but I didn't what them believing a single word from his deceitful mouth. I had no idea what he had already told them while I was sleeping. So this was my way of making everything he said before seem totally fraudulent. I knew he was just trying to help but I wasn't worth any of it.
They both eyeballed him, really thinking over what he had told them about their first born.
I mean, it was all pretty unbelievable. I never got into any fights as a kid. I always got good grades, and always told the truth, and now I was this abusive kid? Who would believe that?
Ryan shook his head in disbelief and I think he knew precisely what I did.
"Guys..." I began, "Please, it was an accident. I didn't mean to make it seem like anything else, really." I clarified to the rents, and when the coast was clear I quirked a brow in Ryan's direction.
They both nodded simultaneously, while Mom let her arm drop to her side, and Dad shifted his weight from side to side.
Everyone was tense, angry, and confused. We all just stood around for a moment, not knowing exactly what came next.
"So..." Dad spoke up, clearing his throat,
"Take out?"