A Different Kind of Love, chapter 3
"What do you mean...Zach?" Billie wanted to put his arm around Zach and hold him, but he knew the kid had a fear of contact. So he watched Zach's small body shudder and listened as Zach poured everything he was never supposed to say to a complete stranger.
"My...mum died...when I was five. We had to move. I didn't wanna go. After my mum's funeral, my dad started...to...drink...this stuff...all the time. And whenever he did he'd just sit there and do nothing. He was a doctor..but he quit. After a while, he decided we were moving. I didn't want to go. On the morning we were...we were supposed to move...I grabbed onto our stair railings and wouldn't let go. So...so..."
Zach burst into tears. Billie could not bare to leave him like that. Billie Joe moved closer to him, but wouldn't touch him. He took off Mike's coat and wrapped it around Zach's shoulders. Zach pulled the coat tighter around himself and felt a warmth. Billie smiled sadly, as the coat engulfed Zachs fragile frame. Zach sighed and swallowed a new sob, and began to speak again.
"So...he pulled me off the stair well and threw me against the wall. I didn't know what was happening...I still didn't know after hits and kicks...then he let me go and I fell onto the floor. I was lying there...just trying to wonder what was happening...and why...I was hurting a lot...and I couldn't breathe properly. We'd already packed everything into the car...so I guess he thought it would be obvious if he carried me to the car like that...he doesn't want anyone to know what he does to me. He says no one must ever find out....I don't...I don't know w-why I'm telling you...I just...I..."
Billie spied Zach's small fingers poking out from under the blanket of coat and gently wrapped his own larger ones around them. They were freezing. He felt Zach go quiet and slowly curl his still fingers back around Billies. One of Zach's hazel, tear filled eyes slowly peered up at Billie from underneath the fur of Mike's jacket. Billie smiled gently at him. Zach's eyes softened as he retreated back underneath the coat again.
"Anyway...he went to the car and tipped out some stuff in a box...came back...and shoved me into it...he carried me to the car and threw the box into the back seat. I was too scared to move...so I just lay there the whole trip. It didn't seem long at all, it all seemed like a dream. I spent my time looking at my arms...where he'd hit them. It was real and I was so scared. When we got to our new house, he picked up my box and dumped me on my new bedroom floor. I got out after a while...when it was dark. My room was empty and I was so scared of everything around me. I felt like everything was going to hurt me more...so I crawled back into the box and slept there. Thats when it began. Thats when it all began."
"My...mum died...when I was five. We had to move. I didn't wanna go. After my mum's funeral, my dad started...to...drink...this stuff...all the time. And whenever he did he'd just sit there and do nothing. He was a doctor..but he quit. After a while, he decided we were moving. I didn't want to go. On the morning we were...we were supposed to move...I grabbed onto our stair railings and wouldn't let go. So...so..."
Zach burst into tears. Billie could not bare to leave him like that. Billie Joe moved closer to him, but wouldn't touch him. He took off Mike's coat and wrapped it around Zach's shoulders. Zach pulled the coat tighter around himself and felt a warmth. Billie smiled sadly, as the coat engulfed Zachs fragile frame. Zach sighed and swallowed a new sob, and began to speak again.
"So...he pulled me off the stair well and threw me against the wall. I didn't know what was happening...I still didn't know after hits and kicks...then he let me go and I fell onto the floor. I was lying there...just trying to wonder what was happening...and why...I was hurting a lot...and I couldn't breathe properly. We'd already packed everything into the car...so I guess he thought it would be obvious if he carried me to the car like that...he doesn't want anyone to know what he does to me. He says no one must ever find out....I don't...I don't know w-why I'm telling you...I just...I..."
Billie spied Zach's small fingers poking out from under the blanket of coat and gently wrapped his own larger ones around them. They were freezing. He felt Zach go quiet and slowly curl his still fingers back around Billies. One of Zach's hazel, tear filled eyes slowly peered up at Billie from underneath the fur of Mike's jacket. Billie smiled gently at him. Zach's eyes softened as he retreated back underneath the coat again.
"Anyway...he went to the car and tipped out some stuff in a box...came back...and shoved me into it...he carried me to the car and threw the box into the back seat. I was too scared to move...so I just lay there the whole trip. It didn't seem long at all, it all seemed like a dream. I spent my time looking at my arms...where he'd hit them. It was real and I was so scared. When we got to our new house, he picked up my box and dumped me on my new bedroom floor. I got out after a while...when it was dark. My room was empty and I was so scared of everything around me. I felt like everything was going to hurt me more...so I crawled back into the box and slept there. Thats when it began. Thats when it all began."
