What a father should be, chapter 13
Billie felt Brad flip him onto his back and smack his head on the corner of the table. Billie began to feel drowsy...
"You little BITCH!" screamed Brad, punching Billie in the face. Billie felt Brad punching him, kneeing him, beating him all over again. Billie's head went numb as Brad dragged him by his shirt collar and slammed him hard into the wall. Billie saw fury in his step father's eyes, and Brad saw helplessness in Billie's. Brad smashed Billie in the mouth, sending him falling to the floor as his knees gave way from exhaustion.
He'd fought all his life... and this was still happening. Brad pulled Billie up and grabbed his crotch hard. Too hard. It was the rough abuse Billie knew so well as the pain descended through his legs. Brad had him off the ground, up on the wall. Billie was crying and drawing sharp breaths. His head was on fire, his chest was icy, and his mind was unbearably full. He was ready to let Brad kill him.
"Fucking little bastard, like father like son. Just like you're father was. Just like you are. Just like your fucking son is."
Billie's beating head suddenly went silent. His swirling thoughts came to a halt. He looked on at Zach, with bruises all over him, lying on the floor. Like father like son. He could change things. Brad wasn't his father, this wasn't his future. Like father like son? He'd show Brad what a fucking father was, he'd show Zach what the father he deserved would do for him. Even when Billie was ready to give up, he knew Zach didn't deserve a future without him. Like father like son.
Billie felt adrenaline pumping through him. He threw Brad off him, and felt his feet on the ground. He could barely stand, but he knew he was going to fight. Brad fell backwards into the table, and Billie fell on top of him.
"I'm a real father... " he said, grabbing Brad's shoulders and pinning him down. Brad saw a man in Billie's eyes, and it scared him. No child for him torture, no boy for him to beat, but now an equal for him to meet, and Brad knew he was too weak to meet the challenge. Billie Joe had found strength inside himself that Brad hoped he would never find. He had found Brad's weakness, Zach's love and his own will to finally overcome he had ever feared, and protect everything he had ever loved.
"You're nothing... " Billie whispered, raising his hand to plow one final blow onto Brad's face. Brad's head swerved and hit the glass. Billie slid off him and onto the ground, weak and bleeding. He looked at Zach, whose face was also contorted with pain and innocence. He slid himself toward him, but felt his vision clouding over with pain. He fell gently onto the carpet, with a final look at Zach and his outstretched hand.
Billie could finally take it and hold it forever, the monster they both knew was dead. No more pain for either of them, Billie slipped his hand in Zach's own small, pale fingers, sheltering his hand.
"And you're everything... " Billie whispered, before closing his eyes and watching Zach's soft young face drifting away...
"You little BITCH!" screamed Brad, punching Billie in the face. Billie felt Brad punching him, kneeing him, beating him all over again. Billie's head went numb as Brad dragged him by his shirt collar and slammed him hard into the wall. Billie saw fury in his step father's eyes, and Brad saw helplessness in Billie's. Brad smashed Billie in the mouth, sending him falling to the floor as his knees gave way from exhaustion.
He'd fought all his life... and this was still happening. Brad pulled Billie up and grabbed his crotch hard. Too hard. It was the rough abuse Billie knew so well as the pain descended through his legs. Brad had him off the ground, up on the wall. Billie was crying and drawing sharp breaths. His head was on fire, his chest was icy, and his mind was unbearably full. He was ready to let Brad kill him.
"Fucking little bastard, like father like son. Just like you're father was. Just like you are. Just like your fucking son is."
Billie's beating head suddenly went silent. His swirling thoughts came to a halt. He looked on at Zach, with bruises all over him, lying on the floor. Like father like son. He could change things. Brad wasn't his father, this wasn't his future. Like father like son? He'd show Brad what a fucking father was, he'd show Zach what the father he deserved would do for him. Even when Billie was ready to give up, he knew Zach didn't deserve a future without him. Like father like son.
Billie felt adrenaline pumping through him. He threw Brad off him, and felt his feet on the ground. He could barely stand, but he knew he was going to fight. Brad fell backwards into the table, and Billie fell on top of him.
"I'm a real father... " he said, grabbing Brad's shoulders and pinning him down. Brad saw a man in Billie's eyes, and it scared him. No child for him torture, no boy for him to beat, but now an equal for him to meet, and Brad knew he was too weak to meet the challenge. Billie Joe had found strength inside himself that Brad hoped he would never find. He had found Brad's weakness, Zach's love and his own will to finally overcome he had ever feared, and protect everything he had ever loved.
"You're nothing... " Billie whispered, raising his hand to plow one final blow onto Brad's face. Brad's head swerved and hit the glass. Billie slid off him and onto the ground, weak and bleeding. He looked at Zach, whose face was also contorted with pain and innocence. He slid himself toward him, but felt his vision clouding over with pain. He fell gently onto the carpet, with a final look at Zach and his outstretched hand.
Billie could finally take it and hold it forever, the monster they both knew was dead. No more pain for either of them, Billie slipped his hand in Zach's own small, pale fingers, sheltering his hand.
"And you're everything... " Billie whispered, before closing his eyes and watching Zach's soft young face drifting away...
