Coming Clean (From the Damage)

by Genna Denton

  “Gage,” he heard his mother’s soft voice exclaim. Before he turned to see her, he remembered how he used to wonder why his mother’s voice sounded so welcoming when she talked to him, but so icy when she spoke to his dad. Turning, he came face to face with her and she threw her arms around him and Lizzie, enveloping both of them with her thin, warm arms. “How’ve you been?” She searched his face as she pulled back. “Do you need money? Do you have food? You’re looking skinny. You’ve been eating, right?”

  “Everything’s fine, Mom,” he said, laughing a little at her worry. “I’m not here because I need anything.”

  “Of course not,” she said, smiling at him. “You wouldn’t ask for my help anyway.” She reached her arms out for Lizzie and Gage let her hold his little girl. She didn’t get to see her enough; he could probably count their meetings on one hand. But that was more his fault than hers. His parents had freaked out when he’d told them about wanting to marry Peyton and keep the baby, so his dad left him with a choice. Pay Peyton off and stay with them, or move out and forfeit all claims to the family’s long-possessed money. In a heated, dramatic fight, he’d chosen the second option without a thought. It was only once he was out on hisown, paying his own bills and working all the time that he realized what a sacrifice it was.

  “Actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about. It’s about Cole.”

  She sighed, that heavy and worried sigh he’d come to know well during his rebellious days. “What’d he do, this time?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

  She motioned him into the kitchen and he sat down on the bar stool. “Well, first it was the stealing from Hot Topic and then he took your father’s car on a joyride and crashed it.” She sat down across from him, nestling Lizzie on her lap. “What’d he do now, rob a liquor store?”

  With this new information, he was even more worried about his younger brother. Resting his elbows on the counter, he leaned in to talk to his mom. “No, it’s nothing like that. I’m just concerned about him. I caught him sleeping in the park the other day.”

  “You’re not the first one,” she muttered. “A police officer brought him home one time. I’ll tell you, it’s everything your father and I can do to keep that kid out of court.”

  “Why do you do that? Maybe if he had to take responsibility for his actions, he’d stop doing stupid things.”

  She smiled at him, shaking her head. “Let’s not trade parenting tips, okay? Cole will be okay; he’s just going through a phase. I want to know more about you. How’s your life been?”

  He wasn’t sure how to answer that question.

  Chapter Seven: Black and Blue

  Alex stood on the sidewalk in front of the local video game store. Maybe he was just stalling, but this was where Kay had mentioned Zander worked after school. And if Zander was as good a friend as she made it seem, he would know what to do. He cautiously opened the door and walked in, then pretended to browse through some video games. Video games; he hated the things. They stomped out a kid’s imagination. Give me a football any day, he thought, and then grimaced because he realized he sounded just like his father.

  He casually looked around the store and his eyes landed on a very geeky looking, tall, slender guy with black hair and big glasses. Alex narrowed his eyes, trying to read his nametag from the distance.

  Nope, not Zander. He continued to look around the store. The only other guy in there was also tall and slender, but he looked like he had a bit of muscle to him, and his light brown wavy hair hung down in a skater boy kind of way. A big, white-toothed smile spread across his face as he handed a customer a shopping bag and said something. Alex looked at his nametag. That’s Zander? he thought. That’s her best friend in the whole world?

  The way Kay described him made Alex think he should be a dork. The captain of the mathletes or head of the chess club or something. Not this good-looking guy who looked like he belonged on the football team. Alex wondered why they weren’t together in a romantic way.

  Alex took a deep breath and walked over to him.

  “Hi, how can I help ya?” Zander asked.

  “Actually, this is gonna sound really weird…My name’s Alex…I’m a friend of Kay’s from…” He glanced around to see if anyone was listening.

  “From group,” Zander finished.

  “Yeah,” Alex replied. “Do you think I could talk to you for a second?”

  Zander looked confused, but stepped around the counter. “Hey, Matt,” he hollered to the geek with the big glasses, “I’m gonna take my break!”

  Matt motioned for him to go on and Alex and Zander walked out the front door. Once outside, Alex lit up a cigarette. He offered one to Zander, but he passed. He took a long drag and let it sit for a minute, then exhaled. “Kay and I were hanging out the other day…” Alex started, but then questioned if that was the right way to approach the subject. “Well I saw…does…does somebody hurt her?”

  Zander shoved his hands in his pockets and cocked his head. “Why would you ask that?”

  This is gonna be harder than I thought, Alex thought. “Well, it’s just, I saw some bruises on her.” They began to walk down the sidewalk. He took another puff off his cigarette. “A lot of bruises, actually…all over her stomach and back…”

  Zander nodded. “And how’d you see that?”

  Alex sighed, feeling embarrassed, and he wondered if Zander would clobber him if he told him the truth. “We were…we were kind of hooking up…” A look of jealousy instantly overtook Zander’s face, even though he obviously tried to hide it. “Anyway, I stopped when I saw all the bruises and whenever I ask her about it, she just walks away…well, actually, she gets mean and then walks away.”

  “Yeah, Kay does that when she feels likes she’s been backed into a corner,” Zander said. “It’s her father.”

  “What? Her father did that to her? Why?” Alex asked, shocked. He and his father had some pretty bad fights, sure, but nothing physical. He took another drag off his cigarette, wondering how bad Kay’s home life was, and why she didn’t do anything to stop it. He never understood the stories he’d heard about battered-woman-syndrome.

  “I don’t know…I think she breathed or something.” He stopped and looked at Alex. “Why did you come to me? Why didn’t you just let it go?”

  “I came to you because she told me you were her best friend…if anybody knew what was going on, it’d be you. And I can’t let it go…”

  “Do you care about her?” Zander inquired.

  “It’s not like that…let’s just say some things have happened recently…and I’m not the kind of guy to just sit back and take shit anymore. If I can help, I want to.” He tossed his cigarette onto the ground and stomped out the cherry.

  “How do you want to help?” Zander asked, shrugging his shoulders.

  “I’m glad you asked,” Alex said. “Because I have a really good idea.”

  ***

  It was dark by the time Meagan arrived at her house. She locked her car and walked up the sidewalk to the front door, pausing when she noticed the sheet of paper taped to it. Her name was printed on the front. She slowly walked up to the door, her heart pounding, her breath caught in her throat. She felt like she would faint. She took the paper from the door and cautiously opened it. The note said one thing—Soon. She took a deep breath, debating on whether to panic or roll her eyes and forget about it. She looked around, then crumpled the piece of paper in her hands and walked inside.

  She shut the door behind her and locked it, then turned to walk inside.

  “Mom, I’m home—” she hollered, but stopped in mid-sentence when she saw Seth sitting on the living room couch. “Seth? What the hell are you doing in my house?”

  Seth gave her that grin that always made her sick to her stomach. Panic and fear and disbelief crept up inside her. She took a step back. She thought seriously about running to the door and back outside.

  “Mom and Dad went out to dinn
er,” Trevor said, coming into the living room holding two cans of soda.

  “Trevor?” Meagan asked, gasping for breath. Trevor handed a can of soda to Seth. “What? What’s going on here?”

  “Oh, you remember Seth, right?” Trevor asked. “I played football with him. Well, I ran into him down the street today and invited him over to play some Halo.”

  Do I remember? How could I possibly forget? Meagan thought.

  “Meg, chill out, you look like you’re gonna faint.”

  “I-I-I’m gonna go upstairs…” Meagan said slowly. She darted up the stairs, taking her jacket off on the way. She hung it on the coat rack in the hallway. Then she made her way to the bathroom. She slammed the door shut behind her and locked it.

  “Okay, get a hold of yourself, Meagan,” she told herself as she splashed some ice-cold water on her face. “Just calm down.” She splashed one more handful of water on her face then turned the faucet off. She took the towel from its place and patted her face dry, then walked back out the bathroom door.

  She took a deep breath and walked quickly to her bedroom. When she was safe inside her bedroom, she shut the door, and standing behind it was Seth. Meagan gasped and opened her mouth to scream, but Seth lunged at her, knocking her into the wall and clamping his hand down over her mouth.

  “Don’t you dare scream,” he said in a hushed voice right next to her ear. “I warned you to shut your pretty little mouth about me, but you didn’t, did you?”

  Meagan struggled free from his hand and swallowed hard. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! I haven’t said anything!” she screamed. He slid his hand from her waist to her throat. “Please, just stop,” she whimpered through tears.

  Seth squeezed his grip around her throat. “I’ve been aching for another piece of you, MVP,” Seth said as he kissed her neck.

  Meagan tried to get his hand way from her neck, tried to scream. “Trevor!” she choked out, but it came out no more than a whisper. “Seth, please don’t do this,” she pleaded. Seth pulled a pocketknife and held it to her chest. “Trev—”

  “Shut up!” Seth snapped, poking the knife into her skin.

  “Okay, okay,” Meagan said, trying to calm herself. “I just don’t understand. What did I ever do to you?”

  His eyes were crazed, and his breath ragged. He looked insane. “You know for years, years I watched you. Everything you did. I watched you at school, and your ballet recitals. I hung out with your brother so I could watch you at home. I dated your best friend so I could be with you even more. And you never once looked at me like you even noticed I was there,” he shouted at her. He was holding the knife right at her heart. “You never noticed me. Not once!”

  “That’s not true—” Meagan said.

  “Yes it is! You were too wrapped up in Meagan Parker to notice anyone else around you. We were all just there to be your little toys. Something for you to play with and then discard. You never even saw that I was in love with you.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Meagan cried. “That’s not who I am.”

  A sly smile crept across his thin lips. “No, not anymore. I changed all that for you. Now you’re just sad, weak, pathetic little Meagan,” Seth said with a sickening laugh. “I bet you notice me every time you see me now, huh? I bet this was the only place you felt safe, and now you don’t even have that.” He loomed over her. She started crying harder. “I’m right, aren’t I? Have I been in your head, Meagan? Have I been in your dreams?”

  “You sound crazy. You’ve driven yourself crazy,” she whispered.

  He grabbed her face hard. “No, babe, you did this. You’re the reason I sound crazy. You think you could just get away with it?”

  “Get away with what?” Meagan exclaimed.

  “Making me crave you. Wearing those sexy clothes, dancing those beautiful and provocative dances, leading me on and then saying no.” Seth grazed his lips across hers, sending a disgusted chill over her skin. “I might have let it go…but you promised you wouldn’t tell anybody. You lied.”

  “A promise to a rapist while he’s attacking you isn’t a promise. It’s begging for your life,” Meagan whispered. He looked furious for a minute then suddenly calm.

  “Take a good, long look because my face will haunt you forever.”

  He let go of her with a sudden jerk, his knife cutting into her skin. He darted out her bedroom door and flew down the stairs, and Meagan heard the front door shut.

  She staggered into the hallway to find Trevor rushing up the stairs. Collapsing against the wall, she started crying. Soft and gentle tears slid down her face.

  Obviously concerned, Trevor knelt down in front of her and took her by the shoulders.

  “No, don’t touch me!” Meagan jerked violently away from him. “Get off me, don’t touch me!”

  “Meagan, Meagan, what happened?” Trevor asked.

  She started sobbing harder and harder. “How could you do that?” She knew she sounded hysterical, but she couldn’t make herself calm down. The bottled up terror spilled out in a burst of anger. “How could you do it? How could you let that monster into our house?”

  “Seth?” Trevor asked, looking confused. “What are you talking about?”

  “Just forget it,” she sobbed. “You never did care about anybody but yourself. So what if some asshole raped your little sister? Let’s invite him over for some video games!”

  “Raped?” Trevor repeated in confused shock. He searched her face, his gaze landing on her chest. “Meagan, enough secrets. Tell me what the hell you’re talking about right now.”

  “No, forget it.” Meagan scoffed. She buried her head in her hands and let her hair fall across her face. She wished she could just disappear.

  “No, that’s not good enough anymore,” Trevor said. “I’m your brother. Now, tell me what happened. What did Seth do to you?”

  She looked up at him through her puffy eyes. He looked sincere. She took a deep breath and began telling him everything. It felt so good to get it off her chest.

  ***

  Gage rolled the window down as he did a slow drive by the park where he’d last seen Cole. Street lights illuminated the area, barely allowing him to spot the benches. Though there were some teenagers here and there, he didn’t see Cole. He’d tried calling him, but his cell phone was turned off.

  Finally, he spotted him, walking alone down the sidewalk. His hands were shoved deep in the front pockets of a pullover, and his hood was pulled up to mask his jet-black hair, but Gage recognized the lazy, slouched stride of his younger brother.

  He quickly pulled the car over and hopped out, then caught up with his brother.

  “Cole,” he said, stopping in front of him. “I’ve been looking for you.”

  A scowl was the only reply he received.

  Gage eyed his brother, a knot of dread forming when he saw the bloodshot eyes, his chewed and ragged nails and the bruise shading his cheekbone. “You look pretty rough. Something going on?”

  “Why would you care?” Rolling his eyes, Cole walked past Gage, bumping shoulders on the way.

  “Because we’re family. Because I believe family should stick together.”

  Cole scoffed and continued to walk. “That must be something you discovered after you started your own, cuz you sure didn’t have a problem bailing on our family.”

  “Bailing?” Gage caught up with him and fell in step. “Is that how you see it?”

  “Duh,” he said, the sarcasm thick . “That’s what it’s called when you take off. Bailing.”

  “Peyton was having a baby,” he said. “What else was I supposed to do?”

  “I’m not talking about you moving out.” Stopping suddenly, Cole spun to face his brother, his eyes wide and blazing. “I’m talking about the way you cut all of us out of your life just because dad blew up at you. He threw you an ultimatum and you chose that psycho killer over us. You should’ve heard all the times mom cried, all the times I heard her talk about
missing you.” Finished ranting, he turned and continue to stalk down the sidewalk.

  Gage didn’t know what to say, or how to make Cole understand why he’d made the choices he had. After thinking a second, Gage decided it was best to leave that subject for later. “I’m here now.”

  “Maybe it’s too late.”

  “Maybe it’s not.”

  Cole stopped, but didn’t turn around and Gage wished he could read the expression on his face. “I know that with the way Mom and Dad fight, you feel invisible. Like you’re living in one of the circles of hell and no one even notices. But I see you, Cole.” His voice wavered and he had to take a second to steady it. “I see the road you’re on and I know where it goes. Trust me when I say that it’s nowhere good.”

  “You don’t know anything.”

  “I’ve been there, and if you’re not careful, you’ll end up just like me.”

  “Not gonna happen, I know how to use a rubber.”

  “I’m not talking about the kid thing,” he snapped. “I’m talking about my life, and the shape it’s in. I screwed up so many times that one false step, one run in with the police, and I’ll lose everything. And I’ve been screwed over so many times by mom and dad and Peyton that I can’t let anyone close to me. Because I don’t bounce back easily and I can’t afford to be any more miserable than I already am. You’ve heard of rock bottom? You don’t want to hit it.”

  Something stirred behind Cole’s dark eyes, and Gage could tell he’d hit a nerve. He hoped he’d make a difference.

  “Now, I’m no saint. And I’m definitely not the most well-adjusted person in the world, but I give Lizzie a safe, loving home. And if you ever want that for yourself, all you have to do is knock on my door.”

  He bit his lip, looking at his older brother skeptically. “You mean like move in with you?”

  “If you want.”