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Chapter 8

    The first few days were the most difficult, but by Sunday, I slipped back into some form of normality. Instead of tossing and turning all night, I now slept decently; though, the dreams I had were dark and usually catapulted me from my slumber, leaving me panting and coated in sweat. The days seemed to inch by even more slowly the more I looked forward to Tuesday.

    When I awoke on Monday morning, it was impossible to erase the smile from my lips. Daniel would be working in my Dad’s office today, and I was spending tomorrow night with him.

    Nearly skipping down the stairs, I entered the kitchen to throw together breakfast; I was feeling scrambled eggs and toast, but when I stepped into the kitchen I was greeted by an overly elated mother.

    Her eyes were large and she grinned while preparing a vast breakfast consisting of cut fruit, a mountain of scrambled eggs, pancakes, and turkey bacon. She greeted me instantly. “Good morning, Tyler. You look absolutely lovely this morning.”

    “Thanks?” I asked, running a hand through my messy morning hair. I raised an eyebrow as she practically danced around the kitchen. She looked genuinely happy; it was an unusual look on her. Then, I spotted the source of her happiness sitting at the head of the kitchen table with a newspaper in his hand: my father.

    My father was a tall, broad shouldered man. He was actually quite fit, but I mean, he did have a gym membership. He had very nice, strong features that seemed to strengthen with age and thick blonde hair that grayed by his ears. Part of me wished I would have inherited his jaw line, instead of looking so much like my mother.

    He was a very good looking man for his age. Before my mother turned to the bottle, she would go on and on about how all his female assistants and clients would gawk over him.

    My father looked up from his newspaper and locked his hazel eyes to mine and shot me an intense stare. “Good morning, Son.” My father’s voice was always booming, demanding. It felt like when he spoke, you had no choice but to bend to his will.

    I was terrified of the man. With good reason, I might add.

    “G-good morning,” I stuttered, staring blankly at him. I grew accustomed to not seeing him except maybe once a month. When I tried my best, I would avoid him for a few months.

    “Sit down and have breakfast with your family,” he ordered.

    I felt his words reverberate through my bones. Eyeing the floor, I walked through the kitchen and sat as far away from the man as I could.

    “How’ve you been?” He folded his paper and sat it on the table in front of him.

    Fiddling with my thumbs, I mumbled, “Good.”

    There was a long pause. “Just good?”

    I nodded.

    “Look at me when I speak!” He shouted with a voice so loud that my heart skipped a few beats, and I heard my mother gasp loudly.

    Immediately, I jerked my eyes to his. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest. He had his regular crazed look in his eyes. Still, it sent shivers down my spine. “Don’t make him mad,” I thought to myself. “Just don’t make him mad.”

    “Are you going to ask how I’ve been, or do you only care about yourself?”

    My mother buzzed over, sliding a plate piled high with food in front of him. She slid a plate to me as well; it was equally overloaded with food. “How have you been, Cory?” My mother asked as she sat at the table with a cup of coffee for herself.

    He kept his eyes planted on me. “I was talking to Tyler,” he hissed.

    My mother fell silent as she sipped her coffee.

    Forcing myself to keep eye contact, I bit my bottom lip nervously. “How have you been?” I asked softly. My hands were shaking.

    My father began shoveling food into his mouth as he shook his head in clear disappointment. “What did we do wrong, Tyler?” I knew better than to answer him, so I sat quietly and allowed my eyes to fall to the food in front of me. “We have given you ever opportunity in the world, but you’re still living in my house doing absolutely nothing with your life.” He shifted his attention to my mother. “What did we do wrong, Rebecca?”

    My mother lowered her gaze. “I don’t know,” she mumbled.

    I closed my eyes at the cruelty of my parents. Things used to be decent between us, but once I got into high school, something between us changed. He had a tendency to get violent. I truly believed that he hated me.

    “I’m talking to you, boy!”

    I swallowed hard, opening my eyes and blinking a few times to shove back tears. “I don’t know,” I said dryly. It wasn’t their fault I was so screwed up; they didn’t do anything wrong. It was my fault; I couldn’t do anything right. “May I be excused?” I asked quietly.

    My mother began to speak, but my father spoke over her. “Without eating the food your mother made you? I don’t think so. You aren’t leaving this table until that plate is clean.”

    “Cory…,” my mother began, but she kept quiet.

    I lifted my head and found Daniel standing on the other side of the kitchen. He had a mix of shock and concern plastered on his face. I instantly burned a bright shade of red. Picking up a fork, I started eating, but after a few bites, I couldn’t bring myself to eat anything else.

    I couldn’t eat like this. There was too much pressure, and everyone was staring at me. I placed the fork on the table and met my father’s furious eyes.

    “I said eat,” he barked.

    I opened my mouth, but Daniel stepped closer and spoke over me. “Mr. Greer,” he began, “I don’t mean to interrupt, but I need your signature on some things that have to be faxed to the main office A.S.A.P.”

    Lifting my eyes, I found my father’s attention shifted to Daniel. He paled as my father spoke. “They better be damn important,” he spat his words like venom as he pushed himself from the table.

    My father walked past Daniel and started upstairs toward his office. Daniel followed behind, stopped, and looked over his shoulder. “Are you ok?” He mouthed silently.

    I shook my head in a silent no and added a mouthed, “Thank you.”

    He nodded once more before turning and walking upstairs.

    Taking advantage of the situation, I stood up, tossed the contents of my plate in the trash, and started to leave the kitchen. Stopping in the doorway, I turned around and found my mother turned around in her chair. She looked so upset, hurt.

    It wasn’t my fault her husband became a complete and total dick. The three of us used to be so close. Even when I was a little messed up kid, my father would just come home, have us pack our bags, and we would leave on little weekend vacations. He used to take me rollerblading, and we would go to the lake and fish while my mother sunbathed or read a book. All that changed when I got older.

    When he realized that I was a complete and total nutcase.

    Back in my room, I shut the door tightly and turned the lock. Blowing out a frustrated breathe, I stripped out of my clothes and padded into my bathroom. I was in desperate need for a really long and hot shower.

    Once clean, I wrapped a towel around my waist and grabbed another from a shelf and began drying my hair and body. I stood in front of the mirror and wiped away the condensation but stopped suddenly and gawked at my reflection.

    Jerry was standing behind me.

    Whipping around, I faced my bathroom wall; there was no one there. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I was beginning to get a headache, and to top it all off, my stomach was growling hungrily.

    Sighing, I eyed my reflection. I looked gaunt, frail. My brown eyes looked too large, haunted. What did Daniel see in me?

    Frustrated, I shook my hair and left the bathroom to put on some clothes. I chose another of my large sweaters, but instead of sweats, I put on a pair of my jeans. They were dark blue and at one point, they used to actually hug my legs; however, now they were at least two sizes too large.

    Retrieving my sketchbook and pencils, I climbed into bed and flipped the book to the next clean page, deliberately keeping my eyes away from the drawing of Jerry. Ignoring the groan in my gut, I began to sketch.

    The drawing began as the moon and stars, but slowly, the drawing transformed into Daniel and me sitting on the porch staring up at the moon. I paid Daniel the most attention, recalling his features from memory, trying my best to capture the spark in his eyes.

    A light knock on my door yanked me back into the real world. Blinking, I felt my stomach drop and sent a silent prayer up that it wasn’t my dad at the door.

    “Tyler, it’s me,” Daniel said gently.

    The gods were looking after me today.

    I placed the sketchbook beside where I sat and jumped to my feet. Running my hands through my hair, I did my best to not look disheveled. Opening the door, I found Daniel standing with a plate in his hand. I glanced past him looking for my father.

    “There was an office emergency,” Daniel said as if he read my mind.

    I sighed and met his eyes. “Thank you,” I said softly.

    “Can I come in?” There was a small smile pulling at his lips.

    I nodded silently and stepped aside. Daniel walked past me and sat on the edge of my bed; I shut the door behind him. Sitting down, he handed me the plate. “Thanks,” I said shyly.

    “Don’t mention it.” There was a silence that crept over us, and of course, my stomach chose that exact moment to growl loudly. I felt my face redden, and my eyes fell to the ground. “Well, I’m happy that I grabbed you some food.”

    “Me too,” I admitted embarrassingly.

    “Am I going to have to leave the room to get you to eat?” Humor clung to his words, but I felt my blush deepen. When I didn’t answer, Daniel’s voice became serious. “I’m just joking, Tyler. I’ll leave if you want me to.”

    He started pushing himself to his feet, but I said, “No, you don’t have to,” far too quickly. I lifted my eyes to his, and I found him smiling.

    I began cutting the pancakes into small pieces with the fork that Daniel thoughtfully brought with him and chewing silently as I kept my eyes on the ground.

    “Who’s this?” Daniel asked from beside me. Turning, I found him holding my sketchbook in his hands; he was looking at the photo of Jerry.

    I moved so quickly that I nearly sent my plate tumbling to the floor. I yanked the book away from him and slammed it shut. My heart was racing, and I felt sick. I was really hoping that I would never have to tell Daniel about Jerry.

    I never had good luck.

    “Whoa, I didn’t mean to,” he paused, “I was just…” Daniel let out a long sigh and sat silently beside me.

    I swallowed hard and closed my eyes. Maybe telling someone you liked that you were in love with your imaginary friend would be like removing a Band-Aid? “That was Jerry,” I mumbled weakly, staring at the floor. My blush deepened and saying his name aloud left a sick taste in my mouth.

    “Oh.” Realization seeped into his voice. “The same Jerry as before?”

    I nodded silently pressing my sketchpad firmly against my chest. “Yeah.”

    “Well, that was a really good drawing, Tyler.” I lifted my eyes and found Daniel smiling. “You have some talented hidden away.” He smiled once more before he faltered slightly. “Is he your boyfriend?”

    Frowning, I shook my head. “Jerry isn’t real.” My own words made my chest ache. “He was my imaginary friend.”

    Daniel raised an eyebrow questioningly. “I wish I had an imaginary friend like that as a kid.” He was joking around, but it did little for the frown I felt tugging at my lips. “What’s wrong, Tyler.”

    My heart was thudding so loudly in my ears. I felt sick, but I swallowed hard. “If I tell you something, will you promise not to think that I’m a freak?”

    “Of course. You can tell me anything, Tyler.”

    I took a deep breath and ripped the Band-Aid off in one fetal swipe. “I just stopped being able to see Jerry a few days ago; I was kinda-sorta in a relationship with him.”

    Daniel’s silence was enough to bring tears to my eyes. I was so terrified that he would leave me too. I bit at my lips and waited for what felt like an eternity. Finally, Daniel broke the silence. “You’re kidding, right?”

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This wasn't supposed to be uploaded today, but I wanted to finish it since all of you have been so lovely and telling me how much you enjoy this story.

As always, you can vote for this if you like it, and if you are new here, feel free to fan me(: I have lots in the works.

Thank you all so much. This story has over thirty votes, and I'm just so excited that a few of you have told me how much you like it. Thank you again!

- Mason xoxo

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