A Different Kind of Love, chapter 20
Billie sat on Zach's couch and felt the coldness of abuse. Mike and Tre numbly sat beside Billie and looked intently at Zach. Zach still looked into Billie and Billie into Zach. Zach felt stronger by looking at Billie, and Billie felt more comforted looking at Zach.
"Don't...put me down." Zach managed to croak, tears welling up in his eyes. Billie nodded. Tre nodded vaguely as well, but had no idea why he was doing so. Mike also nodded, and then shook his head, then nodded.
"Mike...Mike your jacket..." Billie Joe asked, and Mike quickly handed it to him. Billie wrapped Zach gently in the jacket again, and Zach felt less sore. Billie held Zach closer to his chest, so Zach could hear Billie's heart beating.
"What's gonna happen to me Billie Joe..?" asked Zach from the coat. Mike looked at Billie, as this was the question he wanted the answer to as well. Tre was still looking around at Zach's house...the blood and the bottles scared him.
"Nothing. Not from now on. All you have to do is trust me. Thats all. Don't think about anything at all. Nothing. Your father's gone. Just trust me, thats all you need to do. I promise you I will make everything OK. Promise. Promise." Billie rocked Zach back and forth, crying himself more than Zach.
Billie held his lips on Zach's feathery head, kissing him softly and connecting with Zach. Zach felt Billie's breath on his head. Zach nodded and listened to Billie's heartbeat. Soon Zach had fallen completely asleep, pretty much unconscious from the pain. Billie stroked Zach's hand, holding it like he first did when he met him three long months ago. Police sirens sounded outside and Mike jumped up, wanting to do something other than look at Zach and worrying himself sick.
"Right...right this way officer...we...we...we heard the kid crying so we came in for him..." Mike said. The policeman nodded.
"Sit down please sir." he asked, and Mike sat immediately. Billie Joe didn't look up from Zach's face. The police man frowned.
"Sir..." he began. Billie Joe's expression didn't change, he still kept the same blank stare.
"My name's Billie Joe...I'm twenty nine and this is Zach. He's six years old, having the shit bullied out of him at school and having hell given to him at home. I met Zach in a park, behind a bush. Zach had bruising from head to toe and couldn't walk. He poured his life out to me and cried in pain so I took him back to my studio to make sure he didn't die when he got home to his fucking abusive father and to show him someone in the world was looking out for him. He's been coming to the studio every afternoon for the past three months, running from sixth graders who peg stones at him, beat him up and make his already shit life even worse. When he gets to the studio I wipe disinfectant on him, bandage him up, let him rest and hug him until he knows he's okay for about an hour a day.
I've watched him go home to this shit hole for three months, everyday. I see him on weekends when he comes around while his father is pissed at the bar for the whole day. I let him listen to music, watch videos, and talk about everything no one else would even ask about. Today I told him I wanted to tell the police about how every night he's almost murdered but he ran out of the studio. I let him go. I then realised i had to do something about it because he was going to die. I realised how it was never going to stop. I got the shit kicked out of me practically everyday when I was a kid by my step fucker and knew that it would only get worse. I came over here, rung the police and said we didn't know him, because you people would think I only wanted to hurt him more.
I love him. He feels so much like a son to me. I love him more than anything in my entire life. I came in here and found him naked in the shower with the absoloute shit beaten out of him. I wrapped him in a towel, told him I loved him and carried him down here, waiting for you. I was going to lie to you again. But I can't. Because the little boy passed out in my arms from pain deserves truth and if I'm going to battle for legal custody of him I'm going to start cleaning up my act and doing whatever possible to make him my son."
"Don't...put me down." Zach managed to croak, tears welling up in his eyes. Billie nodded. Tre nodded vaguely as well, but had no idea why he was doing so. Mike also nodded, and then shook his head, then nodded.
"Mike...Mike your jacket..." Billie Joe asked, and Mike quickly handed it to him. Billie wrapped Zach gently in the jacket again, and Zach felt less sore. Billie held Zach closer to his chest, so Zach could hear Billie's heart beating.
"What's gonna happen to me Billie Joe..?" asked Zach from the coat. Mike looked at Billie, as this was the question he wanted the answer to as well. Tre was still looking around at Zach's house...the blood and the bottles scared him.
"Nothing. Not from now on. All you have to do is trust me. Thats all. Don't think about anything at all. Nothing. Your father's gone. Just trust me, thats all you need to do. I promise you I will make everything OK. Promise. Promise." Billie rocked Zach back and forth, crying himself more than Zach.
Billie held his lips on Zach's feathery head, kissing him softly and connecting with Zach. Zach felt Billie's breath on his head. Zach nodded and listened to Billie's heartbeat. Soon Zach had fallen completely asleep, pretty much unconscious from the pain. Billie stroked Zach's hand, holding it like he first did when he met him three long months ago. Police sirens sounded outside and Mike jumped up, wanting to do something other than look at Zach and worrying himself sick.
"Right...right this way officer...we...we...we heard the kid crying so we came in for him..." Mike said. The policeman nodded.
"Sit down please sir." he asked, and Mike sat immediately. Billie Joe didn't look up from Zach's face. The police man frowned.
"Sir..." he began. Billie Joe's expression didn't change, he still kept the same blank stare.
"My name's Billie Joe...I'm twenty nine and this is Zach. He's six years old, having the shit bullied out of him at school and having hell given to him at home. I met Zach in a park, behind a bush. Zach had bruising from head to toe and couldn't walk. He poured his life out to me and cried in pain so I took him back to my studio to make sure he didn't die when he got home to his fucking abusive father and to show him someone in the world was looking out for him. He's been coming to the studio every afternoon for the past three months, running from sixth graders who peg stones at him, beat him up and make his already shit life even worse. When he gets to the studio I wipe disinfectant on him, bandage him up, let him rest and hug him until he knows he's okay for about an hour a day.
I've watched him go home to this shit hole for three months, everyday. I see him on weekends when he comes around while his father is pissed at the bar for the whole day. I let him listen to music, watch videos, and talk about everything no one else would even ask about. Today I told him I wanted to tell the police about how every night he's almost murdered but he ran out of the studio. I let him go. I then realised i had to do something about it because he was going to die. I realised how it was never going to stop. I got the shit kicked out of me practically everyday when I was a kid by my step fucker and knew that it would only get worse. I came over here, rung the police and said we didn't know him, because you people would think I only wanted to hurt him more.
I love him. He feels so much like a son to me. I love him more than anything in my entire life. I came in here and found him naked in the shower with the absoloute shit beaten out of him. I wrapped him in a towel, told him I loved him and carried him down here, waiting for you. I was going to lie to you again. But I can't. Because the little boy passed out in my arms from pain deserves truth and if I'm going to battle for legal custody of him I'm going to start cleaning up my act and doing whatever possible to make him my son."
