Broken

Chapter: 5

Author's note: I apologize for not updating recently. School has been crazy since CST's are coming up and a bunch of other tests as well. In fact, I'm supposed to be studying right now…. : P grrr I hate algebra : /

…broken

Mom cried the lonely night Dad left. All night, I listened to her painful sobs, and all I could do was sit in my room, like the scared little boy I was. Sit, and wonder what went wrong.

That morning was awfully silent. Mom didn't come to wake me up… so I went downstairs, almost expecting to see Dad there, and everything would be ok again. I was stupid… he wasn't there.

Mom was sitting at the kitchen table, sadly hunched over, holding a cup of coffee and gazing dreamily at a photo album.

"We were such a happy family, weren't we Vaughn? I can still remember our first Christmas. You were so small, and you couldn't wait to open your presents," mom whispered as she smiled sadly.

"You just liked to tear the wrapping paper…."

Mom looked up at me with tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. Her beautiful hazel eyes were already so red… I couldn't bear to see her that way.

I made my way towards her and bit my lip, "Mama?"
Mom pulled me into a tight hug and gently stroked my hair.

"I'm so sorry Vaughn… I'm so s-sorry. I love you so much."

I buried my face into her shoulder and began to cry as well.

"I love you too Mom," I choked.

We never did hear from Dad again… but Mom never did seem to give up on him. Sometimes, she would wait for hours by the phone, silencing every little noise, claiming she won't be able to hear the phone ring when Dad calls. She would fall asleep on the couch, still clutching on to that damn phone.

"Mom, I have to go to school now… I'll see you later!"

Mom came wobbling down the stairs, holding an empty wine bottle. This was the first time I ever seen my mother drunk. And it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"Go ahead! Leave just like your father! Don't expect to come back then!"
I gave her a confused look. I was only going to school? Why was she acting like this?

"Mom, I'll be back… I promise…"
Mom fell to the floor, and I rushed to her side.

"Mom? Are you ok?"

Mom picked herself back up and nodded. Then she began to laugh.

"You know Vaughn? You look so much like your father… it makes me sick."

I backed away from her; terrified of the hatred in her eyes. Her eyes seemed to burn through my soul, the hatred buried in them searing my heart.

I grabbed my back pack, and ran out the door. I could hear Mom scream and curse my father's name.

My father…. He was to blame. He made everything fall apart.

….broken

I slowly opened my eyes to see blinding florescent lights and to the sound of the steady beeping of a heart monitor. The room was sickeningly white and cheery, and my stomach was covered in bandages. I had wires all across my arms, and I tried to get up, but was stopped by a terrible throbbing pain. I was alive?

A young, black haired doctor came in and smiled gently when he looked at me.

"I'm glad to see you awake, Vaughn. You gave us quite a scare."

"Who are you? What's going on?"

The doctor chuckled. "My name is Dr. Trent. You're neighbor's found you and immediately called 911. You had a fatal injury, and you were on the verge of death. You are a very lucky young man."

Hope filled my heart. If I survived… then just maybe, so did my mom. Maybe if she's alive…. The doctors can make her better and she will call me Vaughn… not Gray.

"What about my mom? Is she ok? Can I see her?"

Dr. Trent slowly walked towards the bed and sat down in the chair next to me. He sighed and gently placed his hand on mine. "I'm sorry, Vaughn. You're mother didn't make it."

I pulled my hand away from his. This couldn't be true… this is just some horrible nightmare you wake up to late at night... This whole thing is just a bad dream. Dad never left. Mom never got sick. She never tried to kill me… she's still alive!

"No! You're lying! She's ok!"

Dr. Trent didn't look me in the eyes; pity plastered on his face.

"Please… please tell me it isn't true!"

"I'm so sorry Vaughn. I did everything I could."

I stayed silent as my eyes grew watery, brimming with tears. My hands began to shake, and I no longer felt the pain from my stomach. My heart grew heavy, and memories came flooding back to me.

I don't have a father. And now, I don't have a mother.

I rested my head on the stiff pillow, and began to sob softly. Each tear I shed held in it many memories, good and bad. Those cries let go of years of pain and suffering.

"I wish there was something I could do to make things better, Vaughn. I really do."

"You could have just let me die," I whispered.

Dr. Trent looked at me sympathetically, left the room, and turned off the lights.

"Goodnight Vaughn. I promise… things will be better for you from now on."

I wish I could have believed him, but I have been told this many times before.

"Mommy, I think he's waking up!"

"Shhh, honey. I'm sure he's still very tired."

Chelsea was leaning over my bed, smiling brightly. Her smile could cheer anyone up, on any given day. Her mother, who looked almost exactly like her, was smiling as well. Her father, who looked like your average businessman, was holding flowers.

"Vaughn! I'm so glad you're ok! I was so scared."

I genuinely laughed. I'm glad Chelsea came. "I'm alright now."

I couldn't help but notice, Chelsea's eyes were red and puffy from crying, and she had large dark circles under her eyes… as if she was up the entire night.

"I know you're ok now…. but don't scare me like that again! I thought you were going to die! I would be sad if I lost my best friend!"

Chelsea's parents chuckled.

"Here, Vaughn. These are for you. Chelsea picked them out especially for you."

"Mom, don't say that. It's embarrassing." Chelsea giggled and blushed slightly.

The flowers were a beautiful dark violet and smelled sweeter than roses. They were a sight for sore eyes, I can say that for sure.

"They reminded me of your eyes… that's all," Chelsea shrugged while her cheeks turned a bright pink.

"Thank you Chelsea."

Chelsea and I began to laugh and talk like we did on any other normal day. I loved to be her friend. She was so easy to talk to and be around…

"Are you sure you want to do this Hikari?"

"I'm sure. It's the right thing to do after all, Gill."

Hikari, Chelsea's mother, sat down next to me and her daughter. She placed her hand gently on my shoulder, and looked at me with such caring eyes.

"Vaughn, honey, I know you've had a very hard time for the past couple of years, but I'd like to ask you a question."

"What is it Mrs. Furukawa?"

"We would like to know if you want to stay with us for sometime, while the North Carolina Child Services is finding you a home."

I pondered this thought… I wasn't really sure how to answer. I didn't want to burden them… not to mention their house is so close to mine…

Then I looked to Chelsea, and her cheery smile, her mother's gentle hand in her father's. They all waited happily and patiently for my answer. I knew this family was inseparable. It seemed as if nothing could tear them apart. Not even me, as difficult as that seemed.

"Ok."

"Yaaaay! Vaughn is staying at my house! This is going to be soooo fun!"

As Chelsea hugged my head tightly, I could see Dr. Trent smiling in the door way. I smiled back…

"Thank you… Dr. Trent. You saved my life," I whispered quietly to myself.

I had to stay in the hospital for another two weeks for observation, but every day I was there, Chelsea would skip into my hospital room with our homework and some snacks. Although we hardly got any work done, and talked almost the entire time, I enjoyed her company.

Finally, after two long weeks, I went home with the Furukawa's. I had so many mixed up feelings, I couldn't identify one prominent one.

We were silent as we passed familiar roads, trees and neighborhoods. We were soon close to the house where all of it happened, and when we parked and left the car, I found myself staring at my old home. It looked exactly the same. Only now, it's just an empty shell of a house filled with bad memories, and ghosts of my past. I don't know why, but I just stood there… watching. Waiting for Mother to come out and tell me to come inside. The cool, fall air slowly brushed my silver hair back as I began to remember. I shivered.

Then, Chelsea grabbed my hand and gently pulled me away.

"Come on Vaughn… it's time to go home."

I gazed at Chelsea, her house, and then to her parents.

"Yeah… let's go home now."

…broken

The first thing we did was eat dinner together. To be honest, I had forgotten what it was like to eat with a family. Chelsea rambled about her day at school, and surprisingly, both her parents listened with interest. Mom used to do that when Dad was still home. I listened as well, and watched. Observing what it was like to be in a family again… it was still pretty new to me.

"Alright kids, time to take a bath," Hikari giggled as she washed the dishes.

Almost immediately, Chelsea's smile faded, and turned into some sort of frown.

"Mom…. I hate baths."

Gill rolled his eyes. "Do you want to start smelling like Mom's old barn back home?"

Chelsea ran away, shouting that she was going to take a bath before she turned into a cow.

I laughed and looked over to Hikari, who chuckling at her weird daughter. She then turned to me and grinned.

"How do you like it here so far, Vaughn?"

I shrugged. "I love it here. I… kind of forgot what it was like to be this happy."

Both Gill and Hikari gazed at me with sad looks. I felt guilty, I didn't mean to make them upset.

"Well Vaughn, I'm glad you like it here sweetie, but you can't escape… the bath rule!"

Gill once again rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Come on Vaughn, I'll show you to the other bathroom."

I followed Gill happily into the large bathroom. The bath was full of bubbles, and it smelled just like watermelons. Gill left, leaving me alone with my thoughts. The water was just right, and I found myself immediately relaxing, bubbles soon finding their way up my nose.

"Vaughn… I can never stop hating you. Ever."

I jumped, looking all around the room, expecting to find my mother…. I could have sworn I heard her voice.

"You look so much like your father… it makes me sick."

I began to shiver. "Mom? Is that you?"

Soon, all I could hear was her hate-filled words. All around me was images of the past. The only thing I could do was listen.

After I got out of the tub, Hikari had me sleep in Chelsea's bedroom until they could fix the spare bedroom, and read us a bedtime story. I decided not to tell her about the incident in the bath-tub.

"Goodnight you two. I love you both very much."

And before I knew it, the lights were off, and I was settled in a warm bed, fighting off sleep.

"Goodnight Vaughn. Sleep tight and don't the bedbugs bite," Chelsea giggled.

"Goodnight Chelsea."

Soon, we were both sleeping soundly.

It was cold. It began to snow even… My mother was by a dead tree… crying.

"What's wrong Mom?"

She slowly looked up at me, with a very familiar, strange look.

And then, she stabbed me. Blood trickled down, staining the beautiful white snow.

"Look what you've done Vaughn! Do you have to ruin everything?"

My eyes began to water, and I fell to the ground. For some reason, this was all too familiar to me.

Mother glared at me, "You will tear a family apart. Everyone who knows you…. Their lives will be destroyed. You ruin everything you come into contact with.

You are nothing. Forever hated by this world," she said darkly.

"T-That's not true…."

I tried to reach my hand out to her, but she just slapped it away. She laughed and began to walk away. Leaving me in this horrible, cold place… and I just kept bleeding. Wishing things would just come to an end. But I remained alive… no matter how much I longed for death to come quickly. I was alone.

I was screaming, sweating and thrashing all over the place. My hands were shaking. I was back in Chelsea's room…

Then, I felt someone's warm hands grab my clammy, shaky ones. Chelsea was by my side, tears rolling down her porcelain cheeks. My eyes were wide with fear, and I could feel myself on the verge of tears as well.

"It's ok Vaughn. I'm here," she whispered.

"Please don't go Mom! I love you!"

I don't really know what came over me… the words just slipped out. Chelsea was quiet for a moment and hugged me tightly.

"I'm not going anywhere. Everything is going to be ok now."

"C-Chelsea…. I-I miss my family…"

I could feel tears falling on my shoulder as I said this.

"I know Vaughn… I know. But I'll always be here for you when you get scary nightmares. I'll give you hugs when you need them… Just know I'm here… that's what friends are for!"

I rested my head on her shoulder, and we stayed like that for a while. Hugging each other… hoping my nightmare will soon be forgotten.

…..broken.

Author's note: Once again, I'm really sorry about not updating! But I hope you liked this chapter! Please review and let me know what you think :D

-forevergone123