Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Bleeding Heart ❯ Chapter V ( Chapter 5 )

Part V

A week's time passed, and Relena's boyfriend, Alex, was still yet to be seen. Me and David had become good friends in that short time, and he told me that Alex hardly ever stepped foot through their front door. But, when he did, it wasn't pretty. David described Alex as being a bad tempered drunk that always got into arguments and, sometimes, even physical fights with Relena. I asked David why Relena was still with Alex, and David told me that Relena had wanted to stop seeing him. Alex just kept coming back.

I slipped off of the couch that served as my bed onto one of the only clean patches of floor in the living room. I had to sleep on the couch because there wasn't enough room for me in the boys' room. That was, in part, due to the miniscule amount of space there was in the room to begin with.

I stood up and began my journey, through the piles of toys, dirty laundry, blankets, and stuffed animals, to get to the kitchen. When I reached the safety of the tiled floor, I caught the disgusting stench of nicotine that told me Relena was already awake. The top of her bleach-blonde head was poking out from behind the newspaper she was reading.

"Morn'n 'Lena" I managed to push from my dry throat.

Her head snapped up from the newspaper's haven, "Oh, Duo, you're awake earlier than usual."

Now that I could see her face, I noticed that her eyes were puffy and red like she was crying. Her face looked sickly. I thought she would vomit then and there, but she just waited for a response from me. I decided not to ask her why she was crying, and, instead, I sat down across from her and broke the awkward silence, "Well, when I woke up, I wanted to go back to sleep, but I couldn't."

"Ahhh. I see. Did you want me to make you some breakfast. I think we still have some biscuits or waffles if you want some. I seriously need to go to the grocery."

"No, I'm not hungry."

"You haven't been eating much. Are you not feeling good?"

"I'm just not hungry."

"Okay. If you say so. We're going to go to the store today and get the rest of your school supplies for Monday. Oh, and I forgot...There's a letter for you that came yesterday when you and David were down by the lake." Relena pointed to the counter by the microwave.

I scooted out of the uncomfortable, white chair and walked over to retrieve the letter. When I picked it up, the first thing I saw was that it was already open. Relena had either read it or mistook it for her mail. Then I read the return address on the front. My mouth went dry, and my body tensed. My jaw tightened so much that I thought it would break. The letter was from the San Diego women's prison. I slowly took the paper out of the envelope and unfolded it. In it lay my mother's fragile handwriting, all curves and perfection.

My beautiful son,

It's been so long since we've seen one another, and I can't breathe through the pain in my heart. I miss your long, flowing locks twisting around my fingers. I miss sitting in the sky with you, watching the city life die, and the night take control. I miss so many things now that I lay here, barred from humanity, thrust into this terrible place full of wicked people. You must believe me when I say that I did not kill him. Not without a good reason. I would never do such a thing as to put you in the dangerous hands of other people. People that aren't me. I know that I was distant from you for a while, and I am sincerely sorry. I was blinded by my own selfishness. I never want you to be in pain. It's so unfair to be this distanced from my only child. I should be the one watching over you at night, putting food on your plate, seeing you off to school. Even though I'm not with you, you must be strong. Remember always who you are. You are my son, and you are perfect. We will be together again soon, my love.

Your mother,

Helen

I could hardly breathe when I finished reading the last sentence. Why did she have to make promises she could not keep? She was in a federal, top-security prison. Innocent people don't just land into that kind of prison. Prison is where they kept murderers, criminals. Prison is where they kept my mother. Prison is where they kept my life.

After that, the day was just a blur. The only thing I remember is my head hitting the pillow, my eyes closing, and my body shutting down to sleep. I wouldn't sleep for long though. For Alex would make his first violent appearance.

It was 2:00 AM when my eyes first opened, and I rolled over on my back to better hear the noise coming from the back of the trailer. It was a sort of squeaking noise followed by what sounded like painful moans. All of a sudden, I felt a soft tug on my hair and heard someone breathing hard in my ear. I turned on my side to look down at David, huddled on the floor in front of the couch, clutching the end of my braid in his hand. He was shivering and had, from what I could make out in the dark, a look of fear on his face.

"David," I whispered, "what's going on?"

"He's back." his voice was but a squeak that I could hardly discern.

"Alex?"

David bobbed his head up and down in an affirmative. "I was sleeping in mommy's room and he just came in, grabbed mommy, and threw me out. He said some really mean things to me, and he's hurting mommy. Can you hear it?" Lines of shining silver were now slipping down his cheeks.

"Yes." I whispered, reaching over to comfort him with my arm around his neck. He was covering his ears to the cursing and yelling and pained sounds that were flooding the trailer. Justin and Nathan cautiously appeared by our side moments later, and I threw my arms around all three of them, telling them it would be okay. It was ironic that I was trying to be strong for them.

David still had a death-grip on my braid. I was afraid he was going to tear it out of my head.

We stayed there, unmoving, until, what seemed like an eternity, the horrible sounds stopped. I had thought about going in there and making Alex stop when I heard breaking glass and screams of "Get the fuck off of me you fucking bastard! Don't fucking touch me!" But, I thought better of it, realizing I probably wouldn't live if I told Alex off.

Out from the back came Alex, with Relena yanking on his arm, trying to get him to stay in the room. He had a mean look about his face, like he was ready to strike anyone who got in his way.

"You leave my children alone you asshole, don't you dare touch them!" Relena thrashed around the hall angrily tring to hold Alex back. "I said to leave them out of it, goddmanit!"

Alex turned around and threw a punch, throwing Relena on the floor roughly, "Don't ever tell me what to do, bitch!." He pointed at her, cheeks bulging with anger, flecks of spit landing on her face as he spoke. He reached down to hit her again and I all I heard was the screams of Relena and crying of the three kids in my arms, and flashes of my dad abusing my mom passed through my head. It was too much to bear. My anger had built up for too long. Then, I did the most foolish thing I could've done.

I spoke up without thinking, "LEAVE HER ALONE! What did she do to you?! Nothing gives you the right to hit her like that! NOTHING!" I pushed myself to a standing position.

The room went quiet when everyone realized that I had said that. All I could see of Alex was his back, but I could still tell that he was beyond mad. He quivered with it, slowly turning to see who had dared talk back to him like that. His sinister, obsidian eyes came to rest on my figure, my hands clenched and unclenched, my face contorted with a mix of emotions, my breath was heavy and labored. "What did you say to me?"

"I said," deep breath, "You have no right to hurt her like that, especially when she can't defend herself." I sounded oddly calm, despite my mood.

Alex walked, no, stalked is a better word, over to me, his alchohol-soaked breath hitting my face, making me nauseated. "Really?" He sneered, looking down at me and brushing an errant lock of hair out of my face. I jumped at the contact, knowing that there was nothing remotely innocent or irrelevant about it. He leaned further down, and my stomach threatened to spill its contents. He smelled filthy as he breathed another sentence into my face, his eyes raking down my body, obviously taking in everything he saw, "And you have the right to talk to *me* like that?"

I didn't answer, but turned my face away from his. His arm snapped out and yanked my face to look back at his, "You fucking look at me when I'm talking to you!"

I stood my ground on the outside, but on the inside, I was cowering.

"You're such a pretty little thing." I knew that was coming even before it left his mouth.

"When did you get here, huh? Oh...wait, you're probably another one of Relena's attempts at reconciling for all the bad things she's done in her life, right?"

My eyes flashed at him. As stone drunk as he was, I was surprised he could come up with such biting remarks.

"Well, I'll be going now, " he said, moving away from me, my body heaving a sigh of relief, but he turned back toward me with a nasty grin on his disheveled countenance, "but I promise I'll be back, just for you. " He reached out to touch me, and I moved away, avoiding contact with his dirty skin. I didn't like his remark at all. I wished he would just go and stop undressing me with his eyes. With a slam of the front door that rattled the entire trailer, he did, and I collapsed on the floor, holding back the tears I felt behind my eyes.

*TBC*