Finally getting to class, I sat down and just wanted to sleep. I didn’t have the energy to go job hunting after school. My nails dug into my palms, as the frustration that was my life, was getting to me. Ryder sat beside me making it to where nobody else could sit next to me. Somehow, in each of my classes, the guys would make sure I was by a window and sitting next to me. Ryder must have seen it on my face that something was wrong. He grabbed my hand and unfolded my fingers to see the crescent-like shapes from my nails. I really didn’t want to see the look of pity on his face.
When I looked away he whispered my name, and for some reason, I couldn’t resist turning to face him. Instead of pity, I saw a look of determination. What that meant, I wasn’t sure. He laced his fingers with mine and that was how we sat for the rest of the class.
The end of the day was finally here and it was time to find a job. There were always the easy ones, like being a waitress or being a cashier at a grocery center. It isn’t what I wanted, which was to be a nurse and help people. I have applications in my bag from a couple of places that were already filled out and just had to drop them off. Ryder was holding my hand while we were all walking out of school and I didn’t really want to let go. He felt like safety, they all did really.
“So I figured you guys could just drop me off at the park where we met this morning. I have a few things to do before I go home.” I told the guys. “How will you get there?” Asher asked me.
“Don’t worry Ash I have my ways,” I answered, while throwing him a playful wink. For some reason, I felt like I could really open up around Asher and be an actual teen, instead of this person that was just surviving.
“Well, I can drive you if you want. We could have the guys take us to my house and we can go from there. If you are interested in that?” Asher looked at me with bright eyes and I found myself not able to turn him down.
“Alright Ash, I will take you up on that offer. Just this once though. You are still a strange guy, remember?” I snickered at the look on his face and left with the guys to go to Asher’s feeling better than I had earlier in the day.
6.
Peaches and Sunshine
Asher
While on the way to my house, I sat in the back with Malia. Sitting next to her made me nervous. It’s not that I was uncomfortable, she just seemed like a strong-willed woman that could make any man fall to his knees, in her presence. She smelled like peaches and sunshine. I couldn’t really explain it, but I was antsy to get to my house. I hated home. Just like Ryder and Grayson, we all hated going home. Normally, we would go to the park and throw around the football or shoot some hoops. Since I was not going to be staying, I would just run in and drop off my stuff. I was hoping I didn’t run into anyone while I was there.
I lived with my parents, which wasn’t so bad. Also living with us, was my older brother. He was twenty-two and had the whole world in front of him. During one of his college football plays, he got injured and it ruined any shot he had in the NFL, like he planned. Now he was almost always home, with a bottle in hand. My parents dealt with it all the time, but they didn’t realize the shit he put me through, almost as if it was my fault he couldn’t play anymore. Sometimes he used his words, but most of the time it was his fists. I hid the bruises under my clothes but really they were always there, mentally, along with all the shit he said.
When Ryder pulled up at my house I asked them to hang back and keep Malia in the car. I knew I would have to explain eventually, but hopefully, she would understand. Jogging up to the door, keys in hand, I was ready to unlock the door when it was thrown open with a snarl. My brother Jason was looking at me like I was going to be his punching bag for the moment. Sighing, I pushed past him so Malia wouldn’t see the issues I dealt with.
“Hey, little brother. How was school today?” He asked like he really cared, with a hint of a sneer on his face.
“It was great Jason. Now if you will excuse me, I have something I need to do.” I tried getting up the stairs but I didn’t make it that far before I was slammed into the wall. Trying to catch my breath from the impact, while simultaneously trying to push him off me, was hard. My brother may have always had the bottle at hand but he was no slouch. He was built like Grayson, who was pretty hard to fight, even though I was at the gym all the time.
“Jason, I don’t have time for this. I have shit to do.” I pleaded with him.
“Awe, is Asher begging?” his tone said he was getting a thrill from hurting me. He kept going on and on about the same stupid shit he always did. Some days I felt he wanted to break me so I would be just as broken as he looked. The thing was, I would never give in
