Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to zetaboards. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Pretty Tied Up; A Guns 'n Roses story; Izzy/Axl (slash)
Topic Started: June 11, 2012, 7:40 pm (2,329 Views)
Wishful
Member Avatar
Cliff and Lars Lover
[ * ]
Bless ya Iz, Axl needs someone and help to get away from his monster of a father! I hope Amy can get help too! This needs to stop!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Lilith
Member Avatar
Jaimelicious

Oh, poor Izzy, he paid for the others. It makes me sad his mother didn't help Axl, though, I'm not surprised, back then it was a really common thing parents hitting their kids. I hope they become friends soon.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Cosmic Gerbil
Member Avatar
Forbidden Forest Ranger
[ * ]
That is great that Izzy's mom bought him a drum kit :D

I think Izzy's mom is just being cautious about the abuse. I mean, she doesn't really know if William is being abused or not and she would get into trouble if she called the police and they went round to William's house and he wasn't being abused. I do think that she (and Izzy) need to look deeper into it though...maybe try and find out more. It is difficult though cos of Izzy liking William but not actually being friends with him and it didn't really help when William punched Izzy :O
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dave's Girl
Member Avatar
Sanity is entirely overrated...
[ * ]
Hey guys! This chapter is back in William's POV. ^^

@Wishful: Yup, Axl definitely needs Izzy in his life right now! Hopefully, Iz can find a way to help Axl and Amy. Thank you for reading!
@Lilith: Yes, poor Izzy! And yeah, that's true. Parents hitting their kids happens all the time. Thank you for the review!
@The Cosmic Gerbil: Hehe, I agree. I think that Izzy will have lots of fun with that drum kit. xD That's definitely true about Izzy's mom. That would be kind of awkward if the police went to William's house and he wasn't really being abused. And yes, William punching Izzy was not a good step for their friendship! Thank you for reading. :)

Chapter IX

One of those very long, very awkward silences falls as the bathroom door swings shut behind Jeffrey. We're all alone for the moment at least. I peer out at him defensively from under my long lashes. Brian is right to some extent when he says I look "girly" with my long hair and feminine features. But seriously, who gives a fuck about long lashes? I don't mind them and I don't see why Brian does. The bastard's probably just jealous since he's slightly overweight and not all that good looking anyways.

Time seems to have stopped in the bathroom. I stiffen where I'm standing against the sinks and prepare to defend myself just in case Jeffrey decides to have a go at me for giving him a black eye and a bloody nose yesterday. Most kids wouldn't think twice about getting revenge on me, but Jefferey isn't looking at me with hatred. In fact, he hasn't even taken another step towards me.

Another minute passes and we're still just standing and staring at each other. I feel a weird curiosity about this boy. Not once in all my years has another student looked at me like I'm something other than a freak. Jeffrey's not looking at me like I'm the freak of the school. He's looking at me like I'm just another human in a sad, sick world.

Finally, Jeffrey speaks. He doesn't step towards me, but he pushes his dark bangs off of his forehead as he says quietly, "Hello."

My eyebrows knot together and I can't help but feel shocked. Hello? Jeffrey actually said hello to me? Why the hell would he do that? He has to have some ulterior motive for talking to me. My suspicious nature kicks in and I refuse to greet the boy opposite me. Instead, I glare at him.

If Jeffrey is a smart kid, he would be backing away from me and getting out of the bathroom after I smashed his pretty face yesterday. However, Jeffrey doesn't move. Alright, so he's either very bold or he's very stupid. I'm going to say that he's bold. He may appear shy, but under that timid exterior, I bet there's a hell of a strong personality there.

Jeffrey turns and slowly swings his school bag off of his shoulder. He dips his hand into it and rummages around the inside of it for a few minutes. Unable to help it, I find myself watching him. I have no clue what he's doing, but I find myself relaxing just a bit. If he was going to fight with me, he would have done it already.

Jeffrey finally finds whatever he's looking for and pulls it out of his schoolbag. Now I see that it's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. My eyes literally glaze over at the thought of food. I haven't eaten since two days ago and I really want something to eat. Is Jeffrey going to eat that damn sandwich right in front of me?

"I hate peanut butter and jelly," Jeffrey says aloud in a quiet voice. He sets the sandwich on the counter and says, "You can have it if you like. Peanut butter always gets stuck in my throat."

With that said, Jeffrey swings his shoulder length dark hair over his shoulder and exits the bathroom just as quietly as he entered it earlier. I find myself staring at him with my mouth wide open. Not once in my wretched life had anyone ever offered me free food before. Since Jeffrey's gone, I make no effort to mask my hunger and practically pounce on the sandwich.

I can't seem to get the plastic wrap off of it quickly enough. I grab the sandwich and suddenly become suspicious again. What if Jeffrey did something to the sandwich? Is there a possibility that he put something in it so that I'll get food poisoning? Shit. Maybe it would've been better if I had just eaten the sandwich without having thought of this.

I battle with my head for a few minutes as I scrutinize the sandwich carefully. It looks safe enough with the sticky gobs of peanut butter and grape jelly between the slices of bread. Oh, fuck it. I have to eat. Hoping I'm not going to get violently sick from this, I eat the sandwich like a starving animal and then lick my fingers. I have no idea when I'll be eating next.

Ding, ding, ding! The school bell rings and lunch is now officially over. I frown and stare at the ground. I don't want to go to my next class. You know, I could just sit in this bathroom for the rest of the day. Nobody would miss me. Then again, there is always the possibility that one of the teachers will call my dad and hell will insinuate after that.

I go to my last two classes and keep my temper under control for the most part. Although I don't participate in either of the classes, I don't cause a ruckus either. Father will be proud of me. Oh wait, he's never proud of me. I'm always doing something wrong in his opinion.

Since I'm not creating mischief in class, I find myself staring at the other students. Most of them are pretty boring to watch. They scribble notes on their pieces of scrap paper and pay attention to the teacher as if they're enraptured by what she's saying about the particles from Kingdom Monera.

I do, however, find myself spying on one student in particular. Jeffrey is sitting not too far away from me and I know he's looking at me from under his hair. Unable to help it, I peer right back at him. Why is he staring at me? Is he waiting for me to get sick after eating the sandwich he gave me?

Finally, the school day comes to an end and I get up slowly and trudge to my locker. On the way there, I pass Brian and his gang. For once, they don't see me though. I'm tempted to trip one of the fuckers, but father warned me about getting home on time because of church. So I manage to resist the devil and go straight to my locker and shrug my schoolbag over my shoulder before going straight home. Ha, "home" is more like "hell" actually. I don't really have a home. Nowhere in this world is safe.

I arrive home much sooner than I want to and this time don't hesitate to open the door. I'm just going to get this over with. Besides, I should be safe today if all goes well. We have to go to church and father wouldn't dare hitting me before entering the house of God. Well, I think he wouldn't anyways.

Creak! The door makes an extremely loud noise as I push it open and step into the living room. Father, Amy, and Stuart (my youngest sibling) are all sitting on the couch. I drop my schoolbag by the door and start over to them before father starts growling at me as usual.

"What do you think you're doing, boy? You aren't wearing that to church. Put on some nice clothes and make sure you wear something that covers your arms," father bitches at me.

I don't respond, but turn and trudge out of the room. There's no point in arguing with father. He always wins. Always. I go to my room and kick the door open before going to look through my closet. I strip quickly and change into something more appropriate for church. This time, I don't bother looking at the bruises covering my chest. It's not like they're going to disappear if I keep looking at them.

As I walk to the living room, I realize that I don't feel sick at all. My stomach isn't knotting up or doing somersaults inside of me. Is there a possibility that Jeffery gave that sandwich to me just because he wanted to be nice? The idea seems far-fetched and I'm probably going to start feeling sick now, but the idea continues to swim around in my head. There has to be one nice person in the world, right? Maybe Jeffrey's that one in a million. Maybe he's the only one who can see something besides a freak in a small red-headed asshole.

"Sit down by us," father orders me as soon as I step into the living room. "I want us to be ready to leave for church as soon as your mother gets home."

To try and make the time pass by more quickly, I decide to play a game with myself. I'm going to see if I can get through the whole evening without saying anything to father. I know, I know, it's downright stupid, but these are the kinds of things you come up with doing when you're bored out of your mind.

I cross the room obediently and sit between Amy and father, mainly for Amy's sake. I know she feels safer when she's next to me. My suspicions are proved correct when Amy looks up at me with her hazel eyes and then gives me a thankful smile.

Smack! A hand slams into my back and pushes me off of the couch. I land on my knees on the floor as father hisses, "Not there, boy! You can sit by Stuart."

My blood boils, but I manage to stay silent as I go to sit by Stuart. I know exactly why he doesn't want me to sit by Amy. My fists clench and I'm having a hard time not yelling at father. The bastard makes me fucking sick. Just then, the door pops open and my mother steps into the living room to see us all sitting in a row on the couch. She smiles when she sees us and exclaims, "Look at my perfect little family! Are we all ready to go to church?"

Nobody bothers to answer mother. We all know that we're going to church whether we're ready for it or not. Like soldiers going of to war, we all stand up stiffly and walk to the door before we file into dad's chevy and take off in the direction of the church. At least for this ride I get to sick next to Amy. Her eyes are dark and puffy. She's obviously exhausted and is probably having an even harder time staying conscious than me.

I'm in a downright pissy mood, but somehow or the other, I make an effort to cheer Amy up. I pretend that she's my own child and that I should treat her as if she belongs to me. She's my treasure; the light of my life. Those thoughts make a smile appear on my face and I lean over and stroke her hair.

Amy glances up at me in surprise and then leans against my shoulder sleepily. I pinch her cheek playfully and watch as she grins at me and bats my hand away. Smirking, I take her hand and tickle her palm until she's giggling quietly in the backseat next to me.

"What's going on back there?" father demands, glancing at us from the front seat.

"Stephen! Pay attention to the road, please!" mother cries out as father is forced to swerve back into the proper lane he's supposed to be driving in.

I roll my eyes and twist my index finger in circles by my head to indicate father's insanity as I mouth, "He's fucking crazy!"

Amy finds this even more funny for some reason and can't help but giggle one more time. We get another annoyed look from father now that he's adjusted the mirror to see what we're doing. Still though, fucking around in the back seat is worth it. Seeing Amy smile again is worth just about anything.

I like children for the most part. I honestly do. You'd probably think the opposite considering all the shit I've been through growing up, but nah. When I'm older, I want to have a family of my own someday. I want to have children and be a good father to them. They'll be raised by loving parents and live their lives without being haunted by their parents' abuse.

Our car parks and we all tumble out of the car before walking to the tall, dark shadow of the church. It looms above us and casts an ominous darkness over us. The church seems evil to me. Honestly, what kind of place teaches us that televisions and women are evil? Mother's a woman for fuck's sake. Does that make her evil? The church is just full of a bunch of hypocrites.

Once we're inside the building, Amy takes my hand and smiles around as we walk to the sanctuary. My heart seems to crack as I realize something for the first time. The only place Amy feels safe is in this church. She knows that while she's here, father won't dare to lay a hand on her. Isn't that sad? This has got to be the most boring place in the world, yet, it's the only place Amy can call home.

The sermon seems to pass by rather quickly tonight. Maybe it's because I'm wishing that it would last longer for Amy's sake. Either way, we're already back in the car and we're almost home. Just as father parks the car, mother looks at the three of us and says, "Mrs. White requested that you three would sing at church on Sunday before Sunday school. Would that be alright?"

"Of course!" Amy exclaims, nodding excitedly. Like me, she also finds singing as a way to spill out her heart.

"That's my little angel," father says approvingly.

My fists clench again and I bite my lip until the pain in it disappears and all I can feel is numbness. How dare that bastard speak to Amy like that? How dare he act like he fucking loves her after he showers her with abuse every night? This is more than I can stand. How long has it been? It feels like we've been through this for forever and it's never going to end.

To be continued...
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Wishful
Member Avatar
Cliff and Lars Lover
[ * ]
Axl beat the fucking shit out of ur father and get urself and Amy the hell out of there!!!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Lilith
Member Avatar
Jaimelicious

Oh, I can't wait till Izzy and Axl become friends. :3
Poor Axl, his stepfather is a total monster. Poor Amy too! I wished they'd run away. ;_;
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Cosmic Gerbil
Member Avatar
Forbidden Forest Ranger
[ * ]
That was kind of Izzy to give Axl a sandwich :) I felt bad when Axl was worrying that it was poisoned. Hopefully, now he has eaten the sandwich and found out that it was alright, he will start to make friends with Izzy :)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dave's Girl
Member Avatar
Sanity is entirely overrated...
[ * ]
Thanks for the reviews everyone! :D This is still in William's POV.

@Wishful: I know! Too bad you can't really do that to your parents. =/ Thanks for reading!
@Lilith: Hehe, Axl and Izzy will be such cute friends! And yes, poor Amy. She has it so awful. D:
@The Cosmic Gerbil: It was nice of Izzy to share his sandwich. ^^ Hopefully, Axl will relax now that he hasn't gotten poisoned. Thank you for the review!

Chapter X

It feels as if the next few days pass by in a blur. I don't find going to school at Jefferson High School to be much different than going to my middle school. I'm still getting a lot of homework, I'm still getting teased, and my life is just as hellish as before. Nothing ever seems to change or get any better. It feels like I'm just running in circles. The more circles I run, the more tired I get. Someday, I'm going to collapse and not be able to get back up. I'm not sure if I look forwards to that day or not.

It's Sunday and although it feels like the average Sunday for me, it ends up being a hell of a lot more than just a typical Sunday. Actually, looking back, I realize that this Sunday changed my life. Without this certain Sunday, I would never have gotten interested in starting a band and Guns 'n Roses would never have existed. But now I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's get back to this Sunday.

I'm sitting on my bed and watching the time pass on the plain wooden clock hanging on the wall opposite my bed. We have to leave for church right at eight. Father is very picky about this. If we leave even a minute late, he acts like we've committed a crime or some other awful shit. I think he's trying to show off for mother, but I don't know how father's twisted mind works.

I've showered, brushed my hair, and am wearing clean clothes. Everything about me looks clean and neat. Of course, we all know that my life is anything but that. Chaos hides underneath my plain exterior and threatens to reveal itself at any moment. Sometimes, I want to just let myself break and scream out all my sorrows to the world. Sometimes, I just want to let it all go.

"William! It's time for church!" father yells loud enough to shake the fucking house.

I glare at the wall since I can't glare at father and get slowly to my feet. I trudge through the hall and meet father, mother, and my two siblings by the door. Everyone looks so clean and Christian-like with their polite smiles pasted on their faces. I almost have to laugh at the irony of this. It is ironic how fake we have to act around everyone, don't you think?

Despite the fact that I don't want to go to church, I keep my big mouth shut and pile into the chevy after Amy and Stuart. Father still has his mirror adjusted so he can see what I'm doing with Amy in the backseat. He keeps shooting me disgruntled looks as if he's worried that I'm going to do something to her. Ugh, he's such a fucking hypocrite.

As I glower at father in the reflection of the mirror, I feel Amy's hand wrap around mine. Since father can't yell at us for holding hands, I take hers firmly in mine and smirk in the mirror. Father's glare deepens. For some reason, I like making him mad.

"Stephen!" mother exclaims as father accidentally veers the car to the right side of the road.

I laugh silently. Father always ends up paying more attention to what I'm doing in the backseat than what's going on with the road in front of him. Amy obviously finds it funny too since she's smiling as well. We exchange a knowing look and then go back to our stony expressions as father gives us another glance in the mirror as if it's our fault that he almost drove off the road.

I don't know if you've notice this or not, but Amy and I get along much better than we do with Stuart, our youngest brother. There's something about Stuart that just seems off. Amy and I have a special chemistry. We can exchange a lot of words by just looking at each other. I know what she's thinking and she knows what I'm thinking. With Stuart, I can't tell a thing just by looking at his face. He's different from us and I can't help but wonder why. We are all siblings...right?

Our rusty old chevy squeaks to a halt in the church parking lot. All five of us step out of the car and start towards the church. Lots of other families are also walking to church. Mother makes an attempt to smile and wave at everyone who passes by us. I think she looks kind of ridiculous constantly waving and smiling. Why should we bother smiling at complete strangers?

We enter the church a minute later and are surrounded on all sides by masses of people. Don't ask me why, but for some reason, the church is always packed on Sunday. I guess that everyone living in Lafayette is a member of this Pentecostal hell of a church. People here are crazy. I wish I was growing up somewhere else.

"Hello Mrs. and Mr. Bailey! It's very nice to see you. Are your children still able to perform today?" a voice asks from our right.

My head jerks up automatically to see who's talking to my parents. It's Pastor Hall, our priest. I don't like him very much. He's bald and has this creepy look on his face. When he stares at you for more than a minute, it seems like he's seeing right through you to your fucking soul. I wonder what he sees when he looks at me. Maybe an empty heart and a blackened soul?

"Of course the children will be able to perform today," mother tells Pastor Hall with that extremely fake smile on her face. She glances down at us and waves us forwards, saying, "Children, follow Pastor Hall. He will let you know when it is time for you to sing during the service."

Amy, Stuart, and I all nod obediently since this is what we've been taught to do. We don't dare mess up in front of Pastor Hall. If we do, father will almost certainly knock us senseless when we get home. He's always in his worst moods after Sunday. I guess going to church makes him realizes just how much of a hypocrite he is.

The three of us follow Pastor Hall to a back room that leads to the sanctuary of the church. We sit on three chairs lined up against one of the walls and stay quiet. Mother has taught us never to speak to the Pastor unless he asks us a question first.

"Is there anything you three need for today?" Pastor Hall finally turns to us with what would be a kind expression on his face if his dark eyes didn't look through you as if you are transparent. As before, we stay silent and just shake our heads. Pastor Hall nods and walks towards the door leading to the sanctuary, saying, "Very well. I will come for you when it is time for you to perform."

We nod again and wait for Pastor Hall to leave. As soon as he's gone, I slouch in my chair and stare at the floor with an irritated expression on my face. I like singing, I really do. There's one problem though. I'm sick and tired of singing at church of all places! You'd think there could be at least one other place in this wretched town where I could sing.

"Bill? Are you alright? You seem upset," Amy asks tentatively, sensing that I'm about to explode at any minute.

I tell myself to hold it together, but since Amy did ask, I decide to tell her part of the truth and say, "Don't you ever wish we could sing somewhere else? I don't like it here at the church. I hate feeling suffocated on all sides by these Christian hypocrites. They act all godly on Sunday and then go back to their shitty lives Monday through Saturday."

Amy pauses and thinks about what I've said before she shrugs and says, "I guess you're right. I don't really pay all that much attention to the other people though. I kind of like it here at church."

Oh, of course Amy likes it here. It's the only place she feels safe from father. I guess that slipped my mind in my moment of rage. I toss Amy a sad smile and stay silent. We sit for what seems like a long time to me. I can hear the choir from this secluded room and it makes me sad not to be able to join them. When I'm singing, I feel like I can pour out my soul and finally rid myself of all the repressed anger.

Finally, Pastor Hall comes for us and opens the door to our room. He doesn't speak. Instead, he just motions us forwards with his index finger. All three of us are immediately on our feet. We walk to the door and step out onto the platform in front of all the rows of seats in the sanctuary. A multitude of faces stare at us, but it doesn't bother me. I want to sing for them and share my talent.

After a nod from Pastor Hall, Amy starts singing first. We sing a hymn and although I don't really like the lyrics to it, I still do my best to unleash my emotions into the song. What I like most about this song is that I get to sing with Amy. Something between us seems to connect when we sing together. We're able to let out inner spirits and allow them to mingle in temporary happiness.

As we sing the hymn that has a bit of a sad edge to it, I look over the crowd of people gathered before me. Most of them are smiling and nodding like the goddamn hypocrites they are. They're not paying any attention to the lyrics of this song. They're just impressed to see three small kids singing their hearts out. I wish they would pay more attention to the song lyrics. It wouldn't hurt them to take a lesson or two from them.

My voice gets a bit edgier as I think through all this. I continue scanning the crowd and suddenly notice a familiar face hidden by long, dark bangs. Although I keep singing, my eyes stop moving and I zero in on that face. It's Jeffrey Isbell. Has he always been coming to this church or is this his first Sunday here? You'd think I'd have noticed him here before, but I guess not.

I keep watching Jeffrey as I finish singing the hymn with my siblings. I may be wrong, but I think Jeffrey is looking at me. It's hard to tell since his hair hides his eyes, but his head is tilted in my direction. Fuck it, what the hell am I thinking? Of course Jeffrey is looking at me! The whole church is looking at me since I'm the one standing on the platform with my brother and sister. Still though, I find myself wondering if Jeffrey recognizes me from school or not...

The song finally ends and I go back to the secluded room with Amy and Stuart. Pastor Hall has told us that we're allowed to go and join our parents in the sanctuary, but we prefer to stay in the secluded room for obvious reasons. Sitting next to father during church just feels so damn wrong.

Now back in the little room, Amy takes a look at my face and frowns. Knowing something is still bothering me, she tugs on a strand of my red hair and asks, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just thought I noticed some kid from my school. That's all," I tell Amy, not wanting her to worry. Amy's a worrier. She worries about everything. You'd think that she'd have enough to worry about with her own situation with father, but no. She has room in her heart to worry about me too.

"Oh," Amy says when I tell her about Jeffrey. "Are you friends with the kid from school?"

I give a dry laugh and shake my head, saying, "No. You know how it is, don't you? Nobody wants to be friends with the freak."

"You're not a freak. You're just...different. I'm different too. There's nothing wrong with that. I think that the people most different from everyone else are the people that do the greatest things in life," Amy says confidently, faith in me sparkling in her eyes.

I smile at Amy and wish that she's right. More than anything else, I want to do something great in life. I want to show my parents and myself that I'm more than just father's punching bag. That's true, isn't it? I am worth more than just a fucking punching bag, right?

I frown and realize that I don't even know what I'm worth anymore. I can't be worth very much either way. I'm just a small, red-headed freak who probably won't ever achieve anything great in life. Probably Jeffrey will do something great in life. ...Why am I thinking about Jeffrey again? For some reason, he keeps popping up in the front of my mind. It's weird really. I haven't thought about anyone from my school this much before. Still though, Jeffrey's different. He gave me a sandwich the other day and I never got sick from it. I think he was really just trying to be nice. Imagine that.

Voices suddenly sound from outside of our room. Glancing up at the clock, I realize that the first church service has come to an end. There's about fifteen minutes and then there's another church service. Instead of attending this second church services, Amy, Stuart, and I all go to Sunday school. Although they just tell us a lot of preachy shit there, at least we're away from father.

Without saying a word, all three of us get up and exit our room. The entrance and hallways of the church are filled with talking, laughing people. I weed my way through them and suddenly stop in my tracks when I notice Jeffrey standing not all that far away from me. This time, I'm positive he's looking at me.

Thud! Not expecting me to come to a sudden halt, Amy accidentally walks into me. I mumble an apology to her and quickly start to the stairs that lead to the Sunday school classroom. However, just as I'm about to put one foot on the stairs, I feel a tap on my shoulder. Without turning around, I already know who it is. A question is still spinning around in my mind though. What the hell does Jeffrey want from me?

To be continued...
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Wishful
Member Avatar
Cliff and Lars Lover
[ * ]
Bless those kids, I'd have commited suicide before now!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Lilith
Member Avatar
Jaimelicious

Poor kids! ;_; But don't worry, Axl! Soon you'll end up singing better stuff. :P I wonder if they will finally start talking. (Axl and Izzy). Moar!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Cosmic Gerbil
Member Avatar
Forbidden Forest Ranger
[ * ]
I think it is nice that Axl and Amy are supportive of each other :) Oooh, I wonder what Izzy wants? :)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dave's Girl
Member Avatar
Sanity is entirely overrated...
[ * ]
Hey guys! This chapter is back to Izzy's POV...

@Wishful: Me too! All three of them are very strong. Thank you for reading! :)
@Lilith: Haha, that's true! Axl will not be singing hymns for forever. ;P Thank you for the review!
@The Cosmic Gerbil: I agree! The two are like best friends even though they're siblings. There will be more about Iz in this chapter. :)

Chapter XI

Mother and I don't usually go to church. It was just not something that we do. Ever since father and mother had gotten the divorce, mother had seemed to be a bit averted to religion. I had never exactly appreciated the long sermons at church and had no problem not going to church every Sunday. You can probably imagine my mother's surprise when I asked to go to church this Sunday. Clearly, I was not going to church to try and find Jesus and save my soul. Nope, I was going for an ulterior motive. My conversation with mother went something like this.

After messing around with my drum kit for a few hours on Saturday morning, I heard my mother clanging around in the kitchen as usual. If you don't know where mother is, chances are that she's going to be in the kitchen. She spends just about all of her free time in there. It's really unfortunate that mom has to work for a phone company. She would enjoy being a baker, I think.

Anyways, I walked into the kitchen and said a tentative, "Mom?"

Mother almost dropped the bowl she was holding and quickly turned around in surprise. Putting a hand to her chest, she exclaimed, "Jeffrey! Honey, please don't scare me like that. You're so quiet that I can't even hear you come into the kitchen. What do you need?"

"Sorry, mom," I said. People have always complained about me sneaking up on them. It's not on purpose though. I'm just naturally shy. Shifting from foot to foot, I thought about what I wanted to say and finally admitted, "You know how we used to go to the big church up on the hill every Sunday? I, um, kind of wanted to go there on Sunday."

Mother's eyes widened in surprise and she set her bowl down on the counter before she fixed me with a curious gaze and asked, "But why, Jeffrey? I don't believe in a God and I don't know why you would want to. If there really was a God, he wouldn't have allowed your father to leave us like he did."

"I'm not going because I want to become a Christian or anything like that," I told mother. I was tempted to stop talking there, but the questioning look in mother's eyes was enough to make me go on. I explained, "You know how I thought there was another kid at my school being abused? Well, I thought he might go to the church and I want to talk to him."

"Oh, Jeff, you have such a kind soul," mother smiled at me, suddenly seeing no reason why I shouldn't go to church. She picked her bowl back up again and told me, "Very well, you may go to the church on Sunday if you'd like. I hope you're able to talk to this other student at your school. If you don't mind, I'd prefer to stay home though."

"Yeah, that's cool," I replied, knowing that it would be about impossible to get my mother into a church. After giving her one of my small smiles, I stepped out of the kitchen after a quick, "Thank you. I'll just be gone for the morning on Sunday and then I'll be back in case you need me for anything."

So on Sunday morning, I had dressed as nicely as I could and gone off to church. I felt extremely awkward at the church, but I think you know why I went there. I wanted to talk to William at somewhere other than the school. He always seemed so defensive and uptight when he's at school. Maybe he will be different at church.

You can imagine my surprise when I entered the sanctuary and found William and two younger children performing for the entire church! I had slipped onto one of the seats next to an elderly couple and had quickly forgotten about them as I listened to William sing. He had the most amazing voice that I had ever heard. Somehow or the other, his diving pitches and strong tones could move mountains. The whole church seemed to be captivated by his voice.

When the song was over, William and the other two children disappeared from view. At that point, I was left to deal with a long, boring sermon. I, of course, paid no attention to the sermon and instead thought about William. He has an amazing voice, but I don't know if he realizes that or not. Also, I wonder who those other two children are. Are they William's siblings? Also, are William's parents here? I would like to see them. I still have a hunch that someone in that family is being abusive to William.

As I sat through the rest of the sermon, I kept glancing around for William and the other two kids to enter the church. Unfortunately, they did not. Now, church has finally come to an end and I'm getting a bit restless. It's hard to sit on a bench even if it has a cushion and listen to the pastor go on and on about the fiery pits of hell.

To be quite honest, I haven't been following the sermon and the only reason I know church has come to an end is because everyone is standing up and flooding towards the door that led to the sanctuary. I stand up and allow myself to be swallowed up by the sea of people leaving the sanctuary. A minute later, I'm standing in a large room of the church where everyone is talking, chatting, or laughing amongst each other. I could leave, but I think I'll stay.

You know why I'm staying. I want to see if I can find William. The very least I can do is tell him just how amazing his voice is. The only problem is that I don't know if I'll be able to find William in these masses of people. Everyone is standing so close together and it's almost hard to breathe in here. I'm not particularly social and don't feel all that comfortable right now.

Just when I'm thinking that I've been here long enough and should just leave, I see a redheaded boy slip out of a secluded doorway to my right. The two other children are following behind him. William starts through the crowd, his nervous eyes glancing over the sea of people until he looks directly at me. William comes to a sudden halt and stares at me suspiciously. For some reason, he doesn't trust me. I don't know what I've done to him to make him distrust me. Then again, maybe it isn't what I've done. Maybe it's because of what someone else has done to him.

William blinks suddenly and turns away from me as he walks towards a set of stairs that lead to the upper floor of the church. Without me even having to think about it, I find that my legs are moving and that I'm slipping through the crowd in an attempt to catch up to William. I don't know what exactly I'm going to say to him, but I do know that I need to talk to him.

Surprisingly enough, I manage to catch up to William just as he's stepping up to the staircase. Not wanting him to get away from me again, I reach out and tap on his shoulder. William comes to an abrupt halt and doesn't turn around for a moment. I have a feeling that he knows it's me standing right behind him. He's obviously calculating on how to react to me. I sure as hell hope he's not going to punch me again. I wouldn't really appreciate a second black eye.

William looks down at the two children who have been following him around and tells them, "Amy, Stuart, go upstairs. I'll be there in a second."

The two children nod obediently and quickly hurry up the stairs. Before they go, I manage to get a good look at each of them. Stuart seems to be the youngest and has light blonde hair and blue eyes. Amy is probably a year or two younger than William and shares his red hair and eye color.

Finally, William whips around and I see anger in his eyes as he hisses at me, "What the hell do you want from me, you fucking asshole? You've been stalking me everywhere!"

I hadn't known what to expect from William, but it certainly wasn't this! After watching him sing such a beautiful hymn only a few minutes earlier, I hadn't expected him to have such a colorful vocabulary. I open my mouth to speak, but I don't really know what to say.

Abruptly, William reaches forwards and grabs my wrist. I find myself flinching slightly. William has sharp fingernails that dig into my wrist. Still looking angry, William literally starts dragging me up the stairs without another word. Unsure what to do at this point, I follow him and try to ignore the pain coming from sharp nails biting into my flesh.

A moment later, William leads me to the second floor of the church. It's not very crowded here. In comparison to the lower level of the church, this level looks empty. William continues dragging me around and tugs me down an empty hallway. Once there, he pushes me roughly against the wall and then stands back to get a good look at me. He's not intimidated by the fact that I'm taller than him. On the contrary, its like he knows he's running this show.

"So, are you gonna tell me what you fuckin' want from me or are you just going to stand there and look like the fuckin' freak that everyone thinks I am?" William asks bitterly, dark eyes flashing.

Somehow or the other, I manage to find my voice. Looking down at William through dubious eyes, I murmur, "I don't 'want' anything from you. I just wanted to say that you have a really good voice. I mean it. You could sing and be famous someday."

William's face softens just a bit when I mention singing, but then he looks defensive again and mutters, "I live in fucking Lafayette. How the hell is anyone supposed to get famous in this shitty excuse for a town? Say, you never answered my question. Why are you following me?"

William's question revolves around in my head. He has a good point. Why exactly am I following him around? Shoving my hands in my pockets, I decide to go for the truth and mumble, "I dunno, it just seemed like you might need a friend. I thought maybe we could hang out sometime or something."

At my words, William laughs a dry, bitter laugh. Folding his arms across his chest, he asks, "Okay, so where's the catch? What are you really after? Did Brian send you to fuck with me or something?"

I frown and choose my next words carefully. William is by far the most suspicious person I've ever met. Frowning, I shake my head and say, "No. I don't know Brian that well. I saw him sometimes in middle school, but we're not close friends or anything. That reminds me, I should introduce myself. I'm Jeffrey Isbell."

"Well, yeah, I know who you are. Duh," William rolls his eyes. "Alright, so say Brian didn't send you here. Give me one good reason why you want to talk to me."

William asks weird questions. Do you really have to have a reason to want to talk to someone? Apparently, in his mind, you do. I think for a moment and then say, "Well, we're both new to Jefferson High School and neither of us have any friends. It's sometimes nice to have someone to talk to, you know?"

William opens his mouth and looks like he's going to say something crude, but then he shuts his mouth and thinks about what I just said. Finally, he nods and admits a bit grudgingly, "Yeah, I guess it would be. Why me though? I'm the freak of the school. You know that. Don't ya want to hang out with Brian and his asshole friends instead?"

I immediately shake my head and reply, "No. I don't like Brian that much. I told him to stop picking on you the other day."

"I know," William says, looking a bit thoughtful as he adds, "And you saved me from getting into shit with Mrs. Anderson and you gave me your fucking lunch the other day."

I nod since this is all true and say, "I just wanted to be your friend, that's all. If you don't want a friend, then that's fine. I'll just leave."

Not wanting to upset William any more and knowing that I should get home to mother, I turn to leave. Sharp nails suddenly dig into my flesh once more and William grabs my wrist and yanks me back to the wall, saying quickly, "No! Don't go. Just don't."

I'm surprised by William's sudden change in temperament. When I look at his face, I see fear. What's he so afraid of? Is he afraid of me rejecting him? No, that can't be. He's the one rejecting me. Giving this curious boy a confused look, I say, "So you do want to be friends?"

"I..." William trails off, not wanting to admit that he wants to be friends with me. Instead, he looks at the ground and mumbles, "How do I know you really want to be my friend? How do I know that you aren't just trying to screw with me?"

I have no answer to that question and shrug. Finally, I say, "You're just going to have to trust me."

William visibly gulps and chews his lip anxiously. Trust is hard for him. It's written all over in his body language. Someone has betrayed William's trust. Someone has broken his heart. I have a feeling that it's his abusive father who's caused all these problems.

Since I know that I've got to get back home before mother starts worrying, I search William's eyes and explain, "Look, I've gotta get back home. I'll see you on Monday, okay? We can talk more then."

There's a long silence. William is still looking at me with distrustful eyes, but he finally nods stiffly and says, "Yeah...okay."

I nod and let a ghost of a smile cross my face before I turn and start down the staircase. As I walk, I feel William's eyes boring into the back of my head. He obviously finds me to be really, really odd. To be quite honest, I feel the same way about him. He's a strange kid. That doesn't make him bad by any means though. He's just different, just like me.

As I snake through the people gathered by the entrance of the church, I can't help but feel as if a weight has been knocked off of my back. Even though William hadn't agreed to a friendship between us, he hadn't punched me in the face. That was progress, right? All I can do now is hope that William doesn't forget about the conversation we just had. On Monday, I want to talk to him more. I want to help him and show him that not everyone in the world is out to get him.

To be continued...
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Wishful
Member Avatar
Cliff and Lars Lover
[ * ]
Keeping going Iz your doing a great job!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Cosmic Gerbil
Member Avatar
Forbidden Forest Ranger
[ * ]
Awesome...I hope Axl and Izzy make friends now :) I thought that Izzy was very brave, talking to Axl, even when he was being wary and aggressive. (Not that I balem him cos he's gone through so much bad stuff). I am looking forward to finding out what happens next :)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Lilith
Member Avatar
Jaimelicious

I'm glad they finally talked! I don't blame Axl either for being like he is, with all the shit that he has to live through, he has to be mistrustful and aggressive. I hope soon he realized he'll find a true friend in Izzy. :3 :heart:

Great work, more! :D
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Free Forums with no limits on posts or members.
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Inactive Metallica Fan Fictions · Next Topic »
Add Reply