The family secret

8 - Angry dad, hungry dad

JADEN

It was Jaden's second day working at his father's office, yet he still didn't figure out what he was supposed to do here. Some lady tried to explain it to him. Something with filing some papers and bringing it to section B, but then he had to luck it up at section C and he was lost. At least the lady, whose name he couldn't remember, tried to help him. Jaden knocked at his father's office and opened the door without waiting for an answer.

‘You asked for me?’ Jaden asked.

‘Yes, sit down son.’ His father didn't even look up from his computer screen. Typical, Jaden thought. This was how his father greeted him most of the time.

Jaden looked around. The big office with all the books and large windows. He used to come here a lot as a child. Especially around the time Ava was born or when she was a toddler. He liked coming here, but not right now. He hated his father for making him work here. He waited till his father looked up from his computer.

‘Right, Jaden. Son. Lasey didn't speak highly of you. She explained the concept, right? So, why oh why can't you do it?’ Dad's poker face didn't tell him how he felt. This was his serious I-am-working-face.

‘Ehm, because it is like math for me. I failed math, remember? Pick up this, bring it to that, lock it up there. I just don't get it.’

‘You can't do it, because you don't want to.’

‘No, I just..’

‘Stop this bullshit.’ Jack's voice was loud and angry. ‘I only gave you this job, because you can't do anything else. I don't like having you home all day, doing nothing and drink the beer I buy from my money.’

‘And I appreciate it you gave me a change.’

‘No, you don't. You know what I had to do for you, right? You remember what happened after your graduation party?’

That hurt. Jaden looked at his feet. He didn't want to cry; he was stronger than that. He never got over the accident. He never got therapy for it and he hated his father for bringing it up. ‘I couldn't forget it, even if I wanted to. I remember everything, dad.’ His voice broke at the end. ‘I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.’ Jaden never was the type to apologize, but here it was. ‘I will do better. I promise.’

‘Son, I only want the best for you. Go find Elias. Ask if you can help him today.’

‘Who is that?’ Jaden was just really bad at remembering names.

‘Ugh, you can find him yourself. I'm not going to make it that easy for you.’ Jack wavered his hand. A sign for him to go. He tried asking someone, after he left his dad's office, the person gave some directions for him to follow. Jaden wasn't made for this. He turned left and walked straight into a wall. Was it right, left, left, and right? Oh, never mind. He was totally lost again.

AVA

‘Mom, please look at me. I didn't do it.’ Ava tried to apologize to her mother again, but she walked away and slammed her bed room door shut. She looked at the door with disbelieve. Her mother never acted this way. ‘Mom, please.’ Ava was desperate. It has been two long days since they have to bail her out of the police office and her mother totally ignored her. ‘I'm sorry.’ Ava said still standing outside her mother's bedroom door. ‘Mommy, I'm so sorry.’ With no response she walked to her own room and laid on her bed. She had cried so much these past days. Why did no one believe her? Was it so hard to believe the boy used her? Why was it so easy for them to believe she would steal something? She had a credit card. She didn't need to steal anything.

Ava didn't know how long she had been on her bed, crying her eyes out. Suddenly she felt a warm hand on her arm. She slowly turned toward the person standing behind her. It was her brother Jaden. The only brother she had left, right now. He looked not good as well. He looked tired, almost white like a ghost.

‘You look awful.’ she said to him.

‘Thanks, sis. You look awful too, by the way. I see you don't have any mascara on today. How long have you been laying here like this?’ He gave her a warm smile. She sat up and fell right in his arms.

‘Mom hates me. I keep trying to tell her, I didn't do it, but she doesn't listen.’

‘Welcome to my life.’ Jaden kissed the top of her head. Ava only crawled closer to him.

‘I feel so alone. Dad gave me house arrest, my friends are on their holidays and mom ignores me. Oh, and they took my phone..’

They both looked up when they heard a door close with a loud bang, quickly followed by footsteps on the staircase.

‘You two.’ their dad said a little out of breath. ‘Come with me.’

They had followed their father to the kitchen and sat at the breakfast bar waiting for him to say something, but he was pacing back and forth, not saying anything. Then mother walked into the kitchen with red eyes and father almost lost it. ‘I can't even begin to tell you how angry I am. You!’ he pointed at Jaden, throwing daggers with his eyes. ‘You can't even do one simple task I ask you to.’

‘I got lost.’ Jaden said, trying to defend himself.

‘SHUT UP!’ Jack screamed back at him. Now he turned to Ava. ‘And how disappointed I am in you Ava. We didn't raise you like this. We raised you to be honest and fair. Not like a brat, who does things like this just to get attention.’ He looked away with disgust.

‘I'm sorry.’ Ava cried. ‘But I am honest.’ She wiped away her tears. ‘I never saw the guy before. I just met him at Starbucks. We laughed at someone's clothes and then he left. I didn't even know he was in the store.’

‘Then how do you explain YOU GETTING ARESTED?’ Jack's face was red with fury. His hands turned to fists. She knew it was all over the news. Someone took a photo while she and the guy were taken away by the security guards and brought to the police station. Ava never felt so ashamed and scared at that moment. ‘I think it's best you make a statement to the pres. Tell them you wanted attention and did something stupid. No need to tell them you didn't know the guy. I will find out who the boy is and why he used you.’ Her father touched her cheek lightly before stepping away.

‘Where are you going?’ Ava asked when he almost stepped out of the kitchen.

‘I need to punch something.’ he said.

SHELLY

She felt so cold. Laying here in the cold basement like this wasn't good for her. Thank God, she always slept in long sleeve pajama's, otherwise she might freeze to death. She lightly touched the back of her head again, like she did every minute since yesterday. Jack had pushed her to the wall. He left her on the cold ground, with a bleeding from her scalp. Thankfully it didn't bleed anymore, but she couldn't sleep because of the throbbing pain in her head. She had her eyes closed. Shelly was really tired, but was afraid to sleep. The nightmares she got at nights, were nothing in compare by the nightmares she got in the basement.

The door upstairs went open. Her heartbeat raising in her chest. He was coming. She knew it was him. She could hear his shoes on the stone stair, stomping with every step. The locks were being removed and he came into the room. She didn't move and acted like she was asleep. He was watching her. He just stood there and watched her like he always did.

Then he placed his big hand on her neck and pushed her, so she was laying on her back. Her eyes flew open and she saw his angry eyes staring into hers. Now with both hands he started to squeezed the life out of her. Shelly tried to kick him, hit him, but he only squeezed tighter, while she was trying to breathe. She tried begging him to stop, but there was no sound coming out of her mouth. She felt lightheaded and her eyes were closing by the loss of oxygen. He was going to kill her, she thought. Then suddenly he let her go. Shelly greeted the air again and started to breath in and out. She laid there coughing and panting on her dirty matrass. Tears were streaming down her face. The pain, the hurt she felt, it was nothing compared to what was going to happen next.

‘Stand up.’ Jack commanded her. She didn't and coughed a few times more. ‘I said STAND UP!’

With shaking hands, she lifted herself up against the wall and tried to stand on her wobbling thin legs. With the small light in the room, she could see him watch her with a grim on his face. He enjoyed seeing her suffer. Jack took a step closer and Shelly ducked to protect herself from the blows to come. The first hit came on her side and it slammed her into the wall. He pinned her down with his body and he rammed his fist into her stomach three times. She almost fell over and coughed, before he hit her on her chin and making her slide down against the wall. There was no time to scream, no time to think or to beg. She could only cry in silence and wait until he stopped. Jack started to kick her now. Her legs and arms were protecting her stomach and were catching the kicks from his booths. She got kicked her in her face hard. Shelly could taste the blood in her mouth and she felt dizzy in her head. With her head all dizzy, she rolled her head away from him, making herself available to kick in her stomach again. As she saw him kneel down, he punched her hard on her chest. She let down a scream so loud, everyone in town could hear it. She knew for sure he broke a rib, maybe two. She couldn't breathe for a few second. When she finally did, Shelly felt his fist one more time, making her unconscious in seconds.

AVA

Her mother believed her and hugged her again. Ava was crying from happiness. She just wished her father was here to give her a hug too. She helped her mother preparing for dinner, when she heard her father come back. He went upstairs for a second and came into the kitchen.

‘Smells good, honey.’ Jack said, before giving his wife a kiss on her lips. He gave Ava a kiss on her head and sat down at the kitchen counter. ‘I had to blow off some steam.’ he said. ‘Ava, I will teach you how to throw a punch. Next time a guy is using you like that; you can stand up for yourself and punch him. Alright?’

Ava looked up to him with raised eyebrows. Was he being serious? ‘Okay.’ she said softly.

‘Jack, do you really think teaching her how to fight is the best right now?’ Her mother asked. ‘She has the media already on her, how much more can they take from her when she is punching someone?’

‘At least she knows how to stand up for herself.’ He looked up to his knuckles. Was that blood Ava saw? No way, she thought. ‘Now, how long will it take? I'm hungry.’ Jack gave them his warmest smile. Ava giggled. She loved her father so much. He will do everything to protect her.