Title: Never let your guard down
Author: Simple Plan Rulz
Rating: T, I'm not sure, I'm not very good with the whole ratings thing.
Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own ER or any of its characters.
Author's notes: I don't like this chapter, or the next, don't ask why, but I can't take them out because their important to the story, I think I don't like them because the writing in them sucks, but I don't know! Thanks for the reviews, sorry it took a while to update!
Chapter 4: The Apple and the Tree
A few days had passed, Abby was back to herself, feeling much better, Jake had returned from his mom's but they where now working different shifts. Abby and Ray where, still good friends, they had become almost inseparable always talking and joking with each other, although Jake hated the friendship between them he never said anything to Abby. So, in a nutshell everything was going smoothly, too smoothly.
"Hey Ray, you wanna grab something to eat with me after our shift?"
Sure, it's a date," he flashed her one of his familiar cheeky smiles.
Since his return Abby and Jake had to work separate shifts, which made Abby feel quite lonely. So Ray came to the rescue and would spend a lot of time with her instead. He spent so much time with her he practically lived in the apartment with them, which oddly, never bothered Jake.
"So, do you like the food?"
"I love it," Abby scoffed her mouth full of spaghetti. "How come you know this place?"
Ray shrugged "I just know places,"
"Its weird how you know all these small, quaint little restaurants that are soooo good."
"Well, there my secret place,"
Abby looked confused "Secret place?"
"Yer like you know, where a guy takes a girl when he, you know, wants to get with her," Abby's face dropped a bit and Ray quickly covered up what he said, "Not that I want to get with you, just that you know, I thought you'd like the restaurants."
"Whew," he thought, "that was close,"
"Yes Ray," Abby chuckled at the number of times he had said 'you know' in that sentence "I do know,"
"Whatever Abby," he said trying to copy her.
She flashed him back one of his cheeky signature smiles.
"So, what'll it be, shall I whip you at scrabble again?"
After the meal, it was traditional for them to go back to Abby place and play board games. Abby refused to play monopoly, as apparently, Ray cheats, really she just hated that he always won but cheating seemed a better excuse. Usually they ended up playing scrabble.
"I would have won if you'd let me play orgasm!"
"Yes, but the game is aged at people from 12 up, and you don't want to be teaching any twelve years olds that word."
"But we where the only people playing and I let you have boobies,"
"Boobies, is not a rude word, you get four years olds saying that,"
"But it was so perfect, I had the O and the R 'n' G 'n' S 'n' M. That kind of thing only happens once in a scrabble lifetime."
"Scrabble lifetime?"
"Yes," said Ray trying to appear wise "It is a lifetime, of scrabble,"
"Mmm, yer, I bet it is,"
"What it worked at school,"
"How?"
"For example, what is an eco system?" Ray smiled "You just flip it round, and put a system that is eco,"
"That wouldn't work!"
"No, but my geography teacher found it amusing," Ray sighed "Miss McKenzie, she was what I went to school for, I'm still surprised no one ever found out, she would have gotten so fired!"
Abby shook her head "I don't wanna know!"
Ray grinned, Abby went of to go get scrabble and returned with a little box and the board game.
"Look at what Jake got me," she opened the box to reveal a pair of beautiful earrings, "There so gorgeous, isn't he the sweetest,"
"And he just gave it to you, out of nowhere?"
"Yer, ain't that so cute?"
Ray shook his head, "You're reading it all wrong, that, is what we guys like to call a guilt present,"
Abby looked confused.
"When you buy something for your girl cause you feel guilty bout something,"
"That's not what it is, Jake's not like guys like you,"
"Face it Abby when it comes down to it, all guys are assholes,"
"Well not Jake,"
"You just don't want to admit he's cheating on you,"
"You're only saying that because you jealous!"
"I am not jealous!" Okay he was just a little, but the way she said it, it made him feel so, weak.
She began to chant,
"Ray is jealous, Ray is jealous, Ray is…"
Shut up, he thought, shut up, I'm not jealous!
"Ray is jealous, Ray is jealous, Ray is…"
Shut up! Shut up!
"Ray is jealous, Ray is jealous, Ray is…"
"SHUT UP!" Ray screamed. He shoved Abby straight into the sofa.
"Dad, please Dad don't be angry,"
"Don't be angry!" the man screamed "look at this, look!" he grabbed the boys neck and shoved it into the paper.
"Dad," the boy choked "Dad you're strangling me,"
"Good," the man tightened his grip, "Maybe it will knock some sense into you,"
"Dad," the boy choked desperately.
The man released his grip "What did I tell you?"
"You've got to get good grades, that's the only way you'll do well in life, the only way you'll succeed, you got to get good grades," the boy repeated what he'd been told like a robot. He massaged his neck, it would certainly hurt the next day, he would have to wear a polo neck to cover the bruises.
"You've disappointed me again," the man stared straight into the boy's eyes, rage pumping through the veins. "You know I hate being disappointed."
The boy nodded.
"So what do you have to say for yourself?"
Normally the boy would have gone into the whole 'I'm so sorry,' routine but he couldn't be bothered, his dad made him so angry he just wanted to scream, scream, scream!
"You know why I get bad grades, because you're the worst father ever!"
The two looked each other, both surprised by the outburst.
"You're… the…worst…most…terrible…and…meanest…dad…ever!" It was the boys turn to seethe with rage.
"SHUT UP!" The man screamed and threw the boy onto the sofa "Don't you dare speak to me like that," he shook the boy vigorously, so vigorously, he felt like he would be sick. "Dad," the boy screamed.
The man grabbed his boy by the head "Don't you ever speak to me like the again," he spat "understand?"
The boy wiped the spit off his face and nodded, "yes dad,"
The women wiped her sons face, gently with a warm, wet cloth, he would flinch every now and again in pain, but the cloth was helping. "There we go, my poor baby, is that better?"
He nodded.
"You're dad may be a terrible man, but he means well, he just wants you to succeed."
"I hate him," the boy said with simple, childish, honesty.
"I know, I know baby," she soothed him, "shhh, hey baby will promise me something?"
"Anything,"
"Promise me, no matter what, you won't be like him,"
"Of course I won't be like him," the boy scoffed with youthful innocence.
"Well you know what they say; the apple never falls far from the tree,"
"Don't worry mum," he hugged her and pulled her close to him "I promise,"
It was the best day of his life; he was finally leaving the monster that was his dad. But he felt bad about leaving his mum; she should have to put up with him either. She hugged him tight, "Don't forgot you're promise,"
"Never," he smiled, waving good bye.
He watched Abby on the sofa, writhing in pain, and he knew what he'd done, he broken his promise. The one promise he thought he would never, ever break. He took one last look at her and ran all the way home, never looking back.
Did you like the busted refrence? I don't like busted except for that song!