Decisions Made (03)

Decisions Made

Reilly began to tell me about when he was started dating Jason. “He was really nice for the first few months. He would always buy me things, and take me places. There were really cool places I never thought I going. Then, he wanted me to dress like a girl. He bought me with pink sun dress, saying that if I didn't put it on that he would hit me. I did it, and he just stared at me. He took his sisters make up and put it on me. Once he even went so far as to make me wear girls underwear” he paused. I watched him as he struggled to tell me the rest.

“Go on” I said. He nodded and continued on.

“I refused one day, when he told me he wanted to take my virginity. I thought he was just joking at first, but then... So I refused. He didn't like that and started beating me until I would agree. I managed to get out from under him and into the kitchen. The first thing I grabbed was a knife from the counter. He came after me again and I slashed it across his side. I didnt mean too, I was just so scared” he began to shake again.

I got off from my bed and pulled him into a close embrace. “And then he went and told lies to the school” I finished.

He hugged me, as if glad that someone finally understood him. “Edward is his best friend. Thats why they hate me”

I patted his head and we sat in the corner. Remembering I had to report back to my mom I got up and took Reilly’s hand. “We need to tell. Also, Matt can't stay with that guy”

“Their dating?” Reilly asked, wiping tears from his eyes.

I nodded. Once downstairs, mom held a cup of coffee to her head. She had just got over talking to Jason of his side of the story. “Jason told us everything” Matt said, holding his hand. Reilly hid behind me.

“That he is abusive and commanding?” Matt and I went into an arguing screaming attack before mom could silence us both.

“Shut it you two!” she demanded. She looked over at dad, who was reading his paper again. “What do you think?” she was not in the mood to play games, and we could tell.

“Think of what?” he asked. Mom glared at him, no smile. “I think that I don't know” he quickly responded, then put his paper down. “If Reilly really attacked him there should be a police report, right?” he asked. Mom nodded.

Reilly pulled in closer to my side. “That s**t is a lier, he uses is cute looks to get you and then attacks you for no reason”

“He didn't attack you for no reason!” I pulled in front of Jason. Mom walked forward and pulled us away.

She took the stage and pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll call Joe and see what this is all about”

Joe, our american friend, works in this town as the chief of the police station. He would know the answers to our questions, and I was hoping Reilly was right. We sat on the couch. Matt and Jason across from us. Mom seemed to be on the phone with Joe for ever, but came back shortly after.

We each stood up, waiting for the news. Jason gulped, as if he were hiding something. “The report made by the parents says that Reilly attacked him out of self defense. According to the police report Reilly is telling the truth” she sighed, then sat into the chair.

Matt looked angrily at Jason and ordered him to leave. Once he did he stomped upstairs to his room where he proceeded to slamming the door shut.

“So now what?” Dad asked childishly, mom smacked him again and got up on one of the chairs for another one of her famous speeches.

She began with her so called american accent and began to sing her words. “Obviously we can no longer allow Matthew to date such a violent boy” she declared. Dad tried to hide his satisfaction away from her, but failed.

By dinner, dad had all new bumps on his head. Reilly sat next to me. As this was the first time in a long time I would be eating dinner with my family I felt very content.

Abigail passed out the bread and handed it to me. Matt remained upstairs, even for all of dad (and mom’s) screaming.

“Um, why is your mom so...” Reilly asked, leaning over to me.

He couldn't figure out what to say, although I knew what he was trying to say. “She’s just temperamental” I concluded. Although if you look closely its probably an abusive marriage.

Reilly hardly ate anything, nor did I, and we walked back to my room once we finished. Upstairs Matt could be heard shouting in his room. Ignoring him, I took Reilly with me. “Lets find my DVD player. Its in one of these boxes”

He nodded and opened boxes looking around. It didn't help that none of them were labeled other than with a quick marker saying ‘Kyle Room’ and duct tape that covered half of the lettering. I pulled out a few things that didn't even belong to me, some of Matt’s cd’s and old notebooks. Eventually I noticed that Reilly stopped looking for the DVD player and was looking into a yearbook.

I crawled over to him, he had been looking at the same page for five whole minutes. When I got over there I noticed he was looking at a picture of Lucy and I. Lucy, the girl I smacked when she tried to kiss me. Quickly, I snatched the book from him and closed the book.

“Keep looking, its in one of these” I said, throwing the book on top of my bookcase and continued to look.

He opened another box, with more pictures. Which angered me, not because all the boxes I kept opening were filled with Matt’s crap but because I didn't want him to be looking at all those. They were pictures from my old high school.

“Who is this?” he asked, pointing to a deaf girl I befriended as if he were fine with prying into other peoples photos. I took the picture from him again.

“Her name is Henrietta. She was a friend from a club I went too frequently, but she attended a deaf school” I put the picture on the shelf as I did with the other one. Then, I took the box of pictures from him.

“Who was that other girl?” he seemed depressed, but I pretended not to notice.

“A girl named Lucy” I responded. That was all I planned to say, but he continued to press the topic.

He looked up at the pictures, the box I took from him. “So, who is Lucy”

“A girl”

“I know that, but was she your friend... or a... girlfriend” he got quieter as he continued on.

I tossed a few boxes out of the way. “A girlfriend” I finally said. “It ended as quickly as it started though”

“What happened?”

“Why do you care?” I fired back, not meaning too. Instead of looking sad he sat there glaring at me.

He got up and kicked a few boxes over on his way out the door. “I’m going home” he said. I didn't try to stop him, he walked out.

I laid down on my bed, wondering to myself. When morning came I was the first one up, and began to walk to school. The neighborhood we were now living in had a very country feel to it. All of the people were nice, and most farmers as well. I stopped when I caught sight of Mr. Ruthless in the fields of an orchards.

He looked up at me as I waved. Then he walked over to meet me by the side of the street. “Wanna pick some apples?” he offered. I shook my head.

“No, thats alright, I'm not a big fan of apples anyway. I found out about Jason”

His smile faded and turned to pity. “Terrible situation that was. You know, sometimes I would overhear their arguments. Jason was always very persistent, ordering him around like that”

I put my head down, to express my sympathies. He grew a smile again. “But now he has you” he placed his hand on my shoulder.

“I guess. When you say that, what exactly do you mean?” I asked.

He put his finger to his head to think. “Why don't you find out for yourself. Like I said, he tells me everything”

Mr. Ruthless and I parted ways. He seemed to be content in the orchards so I didn't ask for a ride to school. When I got there it was open and Mr. Ruthless was not in his classroom. I waited outside the door for a while, reading. Reilly walked down the hall, stumbling around and fell next to me.

He didn't speak, nor answer any of my questions if he was alright. Suddenly, he lend his head on my shoulder. “Hey, what's wrong?” I asked. I could smell alcohol on his clothes, then noticed they were the same clothes he had on yesterday.

“I really hate life” he said, throwing his hands up and practically hitting me in the face. “All it is, is filled with people who care about themselves” he hiccuped, clearly drunk out of his mind.

“Reilly, you're really drunk” I pointed out.

He fell from my shoulder into my lap and cursed. “I'm not drunk stupid!”

I sighed. “Hate to tell you, but thats what they all say. Now sit up”

“No”

“Reilly, what if a teacher finds you like this?” I thought. Mr. Ruthless might understand, but he was busy picking apples. If I took him to the health room he would be charged with underage drinking.

“Hey, I really like you” he said, getting up and holding my cheeks between his hands. “How come you're so awesome?”

His eyes were half open, and his breath reeked of heavy liquor. “how much did you drink?”

“I dunno, three I think”

“Three what?”

“Wha you asking so many questions for? Are you interrogating me?” he slurred. He lend in to kiss me again. I pulled him back. “Thats what I don't like about you?”

“What?”

“Youre so cool! So why the hell aren't I good enough? I'm cool too” he fell into my lap again and began to laugh. A crazy drunk?

I picked him up by the shoulders and he sat up again. “Could you please stop this?”

“You're funny” he swirled his hand around. It seemed like he was high too. Mr. Ruthless turned the corner and stopped when he saw him. “Hey teacher! Do you have a twin?”

“Reilly, what the hell is wrong with you?” he crouched down by us, then looked at me.

“He is really drunk” I concluded.

“I told you stupid! I not drunk” he slurred again.

Mr. Ruthless forced him to his feet and brought us both inside. He began to pace around the space between his desk and the white board before speaking. “Why is he drunk?”

“Why are you asking me? He seems high too” I pointed out. Reilly was slumped over in his chair drooling. I picked him up and he sat normally. “What are we going to do?”

“Call his house” Mr. Ruthless picked up his cell phone and dialed a number. “Hey, its me. Reilly seems to have gotten himself drunk. Yes. Yes. Ya, again” he hung up the phone after a few more ‘yes’s’ and looked at me. “Could you walk him to his house? I’ll mark you here but you need to hurry” he passed over Reilly’s address and began walking with a drunk.

Reilly kept getting side tracked with squirrels and birds, each time I had to drag him along with me. It was difficult to find, but he lived in the same neighborhood as me so that made it easier. We finally got to a white ranch house and the woman at the door walked to us angrily. “Reilly” she grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him along. I turned to leave, but she pulled me along with him.

We sat in her kitchen, which was messy and filled floor to ceiling with dirty dishes. “I want to say never to speak of this to anyone” she said, lighting a cigarette. “My dumbass husband keeps leaving his room around the house and that even dumber dumbass of a son keeps drinking it whenever he is sad. Which happens quite a bit actually”

“Does that mean he has an alcohol  problem?” I asked. She laughed at me. “So, can I go back to school? I only had first hour to bring him here”

She sat down and pulled the robe she wore over her legs. “Don't worry, I can drive you at the end” she said. Her voice was crusty, like she was old. She didn't look old though, just worn out. Must be because of the cigarettes.

I sat down next to her, Reilly wobbled around into the kitchen and sat beside me. “Youre so awesome” he said. I tried to pull him away but he forced me into another kiss. His mom just sat there, enjoying the show. “I love you” he rested his head on my chest and began to sleep.

His mother laughed and got rid of her cigarette. “Well, I should go check up on Rose” she got up and went upstairs.

Reilly got up again, laughing. “Would you go out with me?” he asked. Again. I remember this happening before, the first day we met.

“You don't want to date someone like me” I warned. He laughed at me, and repeated the question. “Stop asking”

His mom came back and sat down again. “Rose is sleeping” she said, as if I were to react. “What is your relationship with him?”

“I'm not even sure were friends yet. He keeps doing this but we only met a few days ago”

She smiled at us, and Reilly became even whinier. “Hey! Are you listening?”

I pulled him off of me and he gave me a sad look, which was cute. “Stop doing that” I warned. He smiled at me again and hugged me.

“Class should be over soon, you both should get in the car” she got up and took the robe off. She wore a regular waiters uniform.

Once we got to the car, Reilly tried to sit in the passenger seat with me. I refused and pushed him into the back, where I had to buckle him in. Next his mom came out with a baby carrier and strapped the baby into the seat. “Get in, we’ll go” she said.

I sat in the passenger seat and we rode in silence. “What's you're name?”

“Huh, oh, um. Kyle” I said.

She smiled as she stopped at the red light. “Where you from, sounds like an australian accent you got there”

“Yeah, I was born in Australia and lived there until six months ago” I replied.

“Hot as hell there I'm told”

“Its not that bad”

“Go to the Sydney Opera House?”

“Ive seen it, I haven't been inside though. Only my mom and my sister went to an opera”

“Live in Sydney?”

“No, Wollongong, its next to Sydney though” we continued to talk about Australia and the places she wished to go and places I had been. Reilly had fallen asleep, and soon the whole car filled with his odor of alcohol. I got out of the car and walked into the school. Only five minutes of class left when I arrived.

When the end of the day came I grabbed Reilly’s homework from Mr. Ruthless, who had copies from his other teachers, and walked back to his house. It was less of a travel, probably since I knew how to get there now and a drunk wasn't slowing me down.

His mother was sitting at the door, almost waiting for me. She let me in and I looked around for Reilly. “If you're looking for Reilly he’s with his father”

I sat at the table and took out his homework. “This is all of today's homework”

She poured a cup of coffee and took the stack of papers and threw them onto the stairs. “You can wait around if you like, they should be back soon”

“Alright” I said. Avoiding asking the question I wanted to know. It was only waiting for a few minutes when Reilly walked in with his father. He was angry and yelling at him.

“And stop drinking! You’ll become an alcoholic if you keep up drinking like you have been doing” he warned. Reilly rolled his eyes, only aggravating his father more. “Look at me and do not give me attitude” he looked over to me and tossed the bag in his hand onto the couch. Reilly looked over and saw me.

“He was dropping off your homework” his mother said, grabbing the papers from the stairs and ordering him to take them upstairs.

His father walked into the kitchen and sighed. “That kid is going to drink my cellar dry” he grabbed a cup of water and glared at me. “Who the hell are you?”

“Kyle, i'm his friend. Kind of” I replied, on guard.

“His boyfriend?” he asked, sitting across from me. I shook my head, no. “Then what do you mean, sort of?”

“Mr. Ruthless suggested that I become friends with him since Jason is spreading all those lies about him. So, I have been trying. He keeps acting weird though” I scratched my head.

His father sat there glaring at me. “You know about Jason?”

“Yeah?” my reply became a question as I wasn't exactly sure if I should have said that. His father smiled with satisfaction.

“May I ask you a question?” he leaned forward, and continued without replying. “Would you date him?”

“Um?” I sat back, not exactly sure what was happening.

He sighed deeply. “You see, he keeps drinking ever since Jason and its getting on my nerves. I think if he were to date someone again he would be fine again”

“Well, no” I replied. His father glared at me.

His mother chimed in. “Why not?” she demanded.

“Because, once he found out it was just to fulfill your request he’d be angry and would just go back to drinking. And would probably hate all of us in the process” I replied. They sighed in sync and agreed.

Reilly came back down a moment later. His eyes were red. “Hey” he said, never once looking up. I walked over to him, impulsively giving him a hug.

“I'm going now” I said, and walked out.

He followed me out. “Hey, wait”

I turned around to face him. “Yeah?”

“Oh, um. Bye then” he waved. I smiled.

“I enjoyed hanging out with your mom and dad” I said. He shook his head.

“They aren't my parents”

I gave a confused look, then turned all the way around. “They arent?”