Broken Life

Mia’s POV:

I hurried inside the house and locked all the doors. Luckily, Jaret was on the night shift. He waited for me to come home before leaving Oliver.

My mind skipped Davon. After clearing the table and tucking Oliver in bed, I went to my room and got ready to sleep when Davon suddenly appeared like dust being dragged near the notebook again.

“Davon!”

“I can feel the notebook is slowly sucking me in, Mia,” his face gloomed.

“So you’re free in the morning and trapped in the evening? Is that how your curse works?”

“I have no idea, but this is better than staying in the dark for fifty years,” Davon watched the sun goes down as his body slowly pulverized and sucked inside the notebook.

I flipped to the last page and asked Davon if he had found his pack. He didn’t. But he found his land and the tombstone his pack built to commemorate him and Laura. I feel sorry for him. This isn’t the world he used to live in, but I hope I can help him find his pack.

I slept with Davon and Nixon, clouding my brain. My day was full of surprises and engrossing occurrences. I hope I know how to handle it furthermore.

The following day, I woke up with Jaret’s raucous rants. I wonder how mom endures it all. If the reason is love, damn, I don’t want to be in love! I mean, mom has a choice. Even proof to send Jaret to jail, but she just let him be. If she’s afraid of his threat, well, he can’t touch us if he’s behind bars. Sometimes I think being a parent makes us dumb.

“You slut! I should have let you starve to death with your impertinent daughter!” he yelled and cussed at my mom.

I saw Jaret heading to his car and found mom crying in the stock room. Did she really think she could hide her tears from me?

“Mom?”

“Mia, are you going to go to work now?” she went to the kitchen and packed some food for me, “Here, have some breakfast on the way.”

“Will you be okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me,” mom touch my cheek.

I hugged her before I went. She needed it, I know. I hurried out, holding back my tears. One day, we will leave this house and go somewhere safe, away from Jaret’s shadow.

“Are you okay?” Davon showed up out of nowhere. I almost forgot. Morning is Davon’s freedom time.

“I’m fine. Get used to it if you want to hang out for a while,” I looked away to hide my tears. Davon went back to the house where he found his tombstone. Waiting for his luck to see his pack.

Since I am not motivated to go to work, so I go with him to meet Laura’s grave and his. Maybe that will talk some sense to him that his pack has probably moved on and forgotten about him. That it’s time for him to move on as well.

“Wow, isn’t it creepy seeing your own grave?”

“Not at all. But the pain of the past is terrifying. Can’t escape it.”

Seems like his pack visit once in a while. The grass is trimmed, and the flowers are adequately cared for. That’s a fresh start.

*******

The days passed without Cheska. We missed her so much, but I know she enjoys her time with her parents. They barely come home, so Cheska makes the most of their time together whenever they are around.

“Mia, my aunt is cooking later. She’s inviting you to come over,” Theo went to school early. He knows Cheska will still be absent and doesn’t want me to be alone.

“Really? Oh, I love your aunt. Sure!”

“Great. Did you find a job?”

“Nope. Still searching.”

“I’m waiting for my friend to call. Hopefully, it’s good news.”

“I will pray for that.”

Since Cheska was not around, Nixon sat on her chair unexpectedly. He seems persistent in becoming our friend.

“You guys want to hang out later?”

“Where?” I glanced at Theo, who looked as surprised as I was. I hate Nixon Bronx. But now, it slowly changed. Did he realize all he did, and this is his way to make amends with us, especially to me?

“My place. My parents are not around, and also, I need help, Theo. You’re the only student who got an A in Physics and Geometry. Could you help me with that? Will you?”

“Of course! No problem, man.”

I’m sure Theo saw me glaring at him to turn down Nixon’s invitation. But because it was so cool for him to hang out with the most popular guy in school and probably become his friend, he pretended not to see me.

“I hate you. Cheska won’t like this. Did you think about that?”

“She doesn’t need to know,” Theo said firmly.

“Seriously?”

“Damn serious, Mia. Do you want her to hate us?”

I didn’t answer because Theo got some points, but as much as possible, I didn’t want to lie to my best friend.

“I guess so.”

Nixon was waiting for us outside in his car. I don’t want the games he is trying to play, but Theo is on. I kept thinking about her aunt’s cooking. It would have been better than hanging out with Nixon teaching Physics and Geometry.

Nixon prepared food for us. It looks like he already anticipated us accepting his invitation. He lived near Cheska’s mansion. Unlike her, Nixon got his relatives to live around their house. It’s like a small community, but they have the biggest house, and shockingly, he got a lot of maids. He looks up to him like their king and does whatever he asks. Although that is what maids do, their gesture is so weird. Like he is some ranking official or something. 

Theo did well in teaching Nixon, or I doubt he didn’t know the subjects. He seemed like an intelligent guy. After the teaching session, Nixon offered some movies to extend our stay. He said he would sleep alone in the house since the maids also have their own homes. But I don’t have plans for a sleepover. Not in the man we barely knew.

But Theo was excited and insisted that we stay a little longer and watch the movie he picked, which I knew he watched countlessly. He was busy taking pictures of him and Nixon hanging out. He would brag about it on his social media account for sure.

Halfway through watching the movie, my phone rang, and it was my mom.

“Mom?”

“Mia…,” mom’s voice cracked.

“What happened? Hello?”

She hang up. I knew something was wrong.

“I need to go home,” I quickly grab my things.

“What’s wrong?” Nixon asked.

“It’s mom.”

“Okay, I’ll drive you home.”

Since the movie was canceled, Theo decided to go home as well. When I arrived home, I saw my mom in the kitchen sobbing. She got some bruises on her arms, and her lips were bleeding.

“I’m going to kill him!” I blurted out, taking a knife.

I thought Jaret was gone. Usually, he goes out for a drink after their fight, but this time he stays. He heard me, came out from the back door, and grabbed my neck, pinning me to the wall.

“How dare you disrespect me in my own house, you ungrateful bitch! And what is this?” he twists my wrist and retrieves the knife.

“You’re going to kill me, huh?” he laughs and slaps my face. I felt my cheek burn.

“Jaret, no!” Mom tried to pull him, but he was strong and bulky. I didn’t move a muscle and stared into his eyes without fear. I have had enough of his mistreatment. I will not let him kill me without giving him a good fight.

“Please, Jaret. Let her go, please,” mom pleaded, crying.

“Coward!” I fired back as soon as he released me, “You only raise your hand to a woman. How pity!”

“What did you say?”

“She didn’t say anything. Jaret, please,” mom blocks his way, but he shoves her to the side. Jaret seizes my arm. I struggled to break free, so I kicked his balls. He crouches in pain. I was about to run away when he caught my hair. Pulling me backward and tossing me on the floor.

“I own you and your mom! Say that again, and I swear I will let you watch while I cut your mom’s throat!” he spits.

“Dad? What are you doing to Mia?” Oliver heard the commotion and came down. Mom quickly covered her face with her hair and folded her arms.

“Nothing, buddy. We were just…I was teaching her some self-defense. Why don’t you go back to your room and sleep? You still have school tomorrow.”

Oliver stared at mom and me confusingly.

“Okay,” Oliver kissed mom goodnight and came to me, “Goodnight, Mia. I love you,”

“I love you too, baby,” I suck my tears. Jaret went upstairs with Oliver to put him in bed. I immediately grab my bag and run outside.

“Mia!”

I heard my mom call, but I didn’t stop or look back. All I wanted was to get away from that place. To my surprise, Nixon was still outside.

“Get in!” he said and drove off.