Why Does My Heart Cry?

Chapter Two

"Why are you so late?" Christian's father didn't even look up from his paperwork to examine his boy. When Christian didn't reply, the old greying man turned around from his wooden desk. "Oh," he said softly. He grumbled, got up and quickly walked over to get a wet towel.

He returned to his son and dabbed the towel under his nose, alongside his mouth and anywhere else with a trace of blood. "Edmund?" he asked solemnly.

Christian nodded his head and whimpered.

Charles, Christian's father, smiled at him weakly. "Did you fight back this time?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Father!" Christian whined. He was amazed at how his father's responses were so demanding. He wasn't even at the school to see what happened. Christian stomped away towards the window. "How can you expect me to fight a boy double my size?" He flung his arms up in the air.

Charles watched his boy star out the window brusquely. He looked him over. He was a downright skinny kid--always had been. He had never taken much interest in sports and never really developed any muscle. And to make it even worse, he didn't eat much anymore. He was always locked up in his room doing his silly writing. Charles sighed and asked, "How did it happen, Christian?"

"He blamed me for putting worms in his food." He choked on the last word.

"And...?"

"And that's it, Dad," Christian cried as he turned to face his father. Charles realized there was a silent tear finding it's way down Christian's cheek. "For some reason, kids stronger than me like to tease me and then beat me up!"

"Christian, it's--"

"Stop! All you're gonna tell me is that I should try out for some sports team!" Christian let out a short sob and then stomped up to his room.

She reached out and grabbed his hands. She had saved his life and he just made her smile the way his hair danced across his face as he beamed with happiness. She bent over and brushed his lips lightly with hers. The two of them could feel it right then. A fluttering shock glued their feet to the floor and their lips to each other. They knew only then that they were in love.

Christian slammed the pen down and burst into tears. It had never been a problem with him that he lived in an imaginary world where he could do anything he wanted. That sort of thing never bothered him until he was shoved back into reality like today. Or rather... punched. Tears streamed down his cheeks and plopped onto his paper, blurring out the words he had worked on so hard to write. He smiled weakly at himself and told himself that everything was going to be alright. But he pounded his desk when he realized he didn't believe it.

Downstairs, his father sat, unable to focus on his work. Christian was such a frustrating person to live with. Charles knew he didn't understand his son but couldn't find a way to get close to him. He didn't enjoy writing which seemed to be the only thing Christian cared about since his mother died.

In his room, Christian threw things. He hurled his writing notebook at his bed. He threw his shoes at the wall and he flung his pen in the direction of the closet. He even hurled himself at his bed and sobbed into the pillow until he had an idea. A few days ago, his whole class had been invited to Betsey's birthday party. He, of course, had declined the invitation knowing that he would get too nervous around her. But maybe, Christian thought. If I write her a poem for her birthday she will fall in love with me. I'll give it to her at school and she'll read it and then she'll fall in love with me. Christian let out a happy sigh at the relief of his brilliant idea.

So... I hope it sounds more like it was written in the right time period. I had written some of this chapter a lot earlier and couldn't change some of it. I'm thinking the next chapter will be the last unless I get some brilliant idea like Christian did. Hmmm... I really don't know what should happen next. Dun dun dun.

Oh, by the way--this is so exciting. In my acting class, I get to do a scene where I act like Satine. It's a scene about a guy who likes an actress but the actress just wants him to leave. It's pretty awesome.