Back to Life

Micheal had messed me up pretty badly.

 

We were together since I started my freshman year and we split up a couple days before my junior year started. That is, I finally got the guts to call the police and put a stop to his s**t.

 

See, he was controlling. And abusive.

 

He didn't hit me that much, but when he did, I was down for days. Somehow, my parents didn't catch on until I called the cops and put a stop to it. He would fly into these uncontrollable rages and just start going off on me. But somehow he always managed to control himself not to hit me where it showed.

 

Like I said, he didn't really hit me that often. Mostly, he would find ways to slowly kill my self-esteem.

 

Right now, I'm in therapy for bulimia. Compliments of Micheal. He would tell me I was fat, and no one would want me if I kept up being so fat.

 

I have almost no self-confidence because Micheal always told me I couldn't do anything right and never would be able to.

 

Did I not say Micheal messed me up pretty bad?

 

But that's okay because I'm slowly but surely bringing myself back to life.

 

"Jerilynn?" came my mother's voice, forcing me back to the present.

 

"Huh? What? Oh, sorry," I told her, "I was just thinking."

 

She gave me a knowing glance, like she knew exactly what I had been thinking about, and said "I asked you if you would mind helping dad with the gardening today. His back has been hurting him."

 

"Sure mom." I smiled at her to let her know that my memories weren't effecting me and started to leave the kitchen.

 

"Wait." I turned around and my mom was holding out a pop tart. "Eat something please, honey."

 

I took the pop tart and looked at her pointedly and took a great big bite. The turned and went outside to help my dad with the gardening.

 

I was in the middle of pulling up a stubborn weed whose roots had gotten too attached to the ground when I heard a male voice calling my name from down the street.

 

I stood up and turned around to see who could be calling me. And immediately plopped down onto the ground.

 

No.

 

This couldn't be happening.

 

We moved. Only my best friend knew where.

 

How did he find me?

 

Oh, things were going so well. I don't need a reminder of the past.

 

It was Alec. Micheal's best friend.

 

"Jerilynn? Honey, what's wrong?" My dad's lovingly worried voice penetrated my consciousness.

 

"Uh, nothing. I just stood up too fast that's all." I tried my best to smile at him. I was too distracted to notice the disbelieving look he shot me.

 

I stood up again and started walking towards where Alec was standing. Better to get this over with away from my dad.

 

As soon as I was close enough Alec reached for me and pulled me into a really tight hug. I stiffened instantly. I didn't like bodily contact under any circumstances. The only time I could stand it was when one of my parents hugged me and even then I was extremely uncomfortable. I squirmed, waiting for him to let me go.

 

Finally he released me and I wasn't up against his hard chest anymore.

 

I tried to make my expression icy but it's a hard thing to do when everything about you screams warmth. How could green eyes and red hair say icy? Just not possible.

 

"What do you want?"

 

He looked a bit taken aback. "Jerry," He said, using the nickname from middle school, "Aren't you happy to see me?"

 

The truth was, I would have been ecstatic to see him if he didn't have a close connection to Micheal. Micheal, Alec, and I had been good friends in middle school. Alec was Micheal's best friend since about 3rd grade. Of course that doesn't mean he was responsible for anything Micheal did to me, but it was the connection I had a problem with. Alec means memories of Micheal. And those were some things I could live without.

 

So, I didn't answer when he asked me if I was happy to see him.

 

He frowned. "Jerry, I'm sorry for everything he did to you. I would have helped if I had known about it." I held up a hand.

 

"Stop. Just stop it." I didn't want to talk about it. I was just starting to get better, I didn't need to be brought back to rock-bottom. "How did you find out where I moved?"

 

He was still frowning; "I didn't. I just moved in down the street and I was taking a walk to check out the neighborhood when I saw you over there."

 

It was such a coincidence. Too bad I didn't believe in coincidences. Everything had to happen for a reason, I had to believe that or life wouldn't mean a thing to me.

 

"Alec!" Someone was calling him. We both turned. It was his mom.

 

He turned back to me, " I have to go back and help. Can I have your number so I can call you later and settle this?" I shook my head no. " Okay," he said, "I'll just show up outside your window tonight. Work for you?"

 

I definitely did not want that happening so I relented and gave him my phone number. "Thanks." He grabbed me and crushed me to his chest one last time before rushing off to help his mom.

 

I walked back over to my dad still kind of out of it.

 

"What was that?" My dad asked me.

 

"Nothing." I assured him. "It was nothing."

Reviews

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this is a very descriptive superb start to a book-KUDOS!!!

;)