Date: Sun, 01 Aug 2004 22:43:18 -0400
From: rhaven <rhavenlo@rhavenlore.com>
Subject: The Next Tomorrow Chapter Seven

This is a story from imagination, nothing more; it could not exist in
our reality. Be warned it is a tale of man/boy relationships with some
bad language.
I'd like to thank my dear friend Astral Toad for helping me with this
story.
If you like this story, please visit my site for more at
www.rhavenlore.com

The Next Tomorrow

By Rhaven

CHAPTER SEVEN
All I had to say was `football' and that seemed to explain everything
why I had a black eye. Mom acted almost excited by the word as if it
was a gift from God. It hurt to see my Mom so happy, like my life had
been nothing but a disappointment until I had picked up a football.
I don't remember sleeping, I left Mom and Greg to do their fooling
around and hid in my room. Sleep hit more from emotional exhaustion
and anything else. When morning came, I ate Mom's breakfast, with Greg
still in the house. He had spent the night, leaving me with the
impression that I would never have my mother alone again.
Greg too Mom to work, finally giving me some time alone to think. In
the bathroom, I stared into the mirror, looking at my new black eye.
If it had been an accident, I would have been very proud of my black
swollen eye. But since this was caused by Greg, thee was no honor in
the bruise, I wore it like a scarlet letter for all to see, it was my
mark of being a coward.
For the first time since I had met him, I didn't want to see Sean
today, I didn't want to lie to him about my eye. Ronnie and Mark
appeared early that morning and sat with me on the front porch. Ronnie
had been grounded for the last two days, apparently from a fight he
and his brother had in the living room. Like true friends, we didn't
have to do anything to entertain each other. Ronnie and Mark talked
about anything and everything as I quietly listened. The truth was,
all I could think about was Sean sitting on the beach of Slinger Lake,
waiting for my arrival. I wondered how long he waited, before
returning home.  Would he hate me now, for not showing up? I was
crying before I even knew it. Mark and Ronnie put their arms around me
and didn't bother me with questions of why.
After I managed to stop my tears, Ronnie finally spoke. "Would you
like to head over to the Dragon's Lair, Jonah?"
"You guys go ahead. I think I'm going in." I said weakly, but tried to
smile so they weren't be too concerned.
"Jonah, wouldn't it be better if you weren't alone?" Mark asked and I
noticed then that he too had tears running down his cheeks.
"It's okay Mark, I'll be fine." I kissed Mark on the cheek and then
gave Ronnie a hug. "Thanks guys for being my friends." I stood up and
walked inside before they could say anything else. I needed to be
alone, I wanted to swim in my misery and feel sorry for myself. At
that moment, I felt that no one cared about me.
I sat on my bed all day, unable to read any of my books or write a
story. I couldn't do anything, sleep would have been easy, but I
forced myself to say awake, I wanted to feel bad, I wanted to hate
myself.
Mom and Greg returned home, their cheerful voices filling the house.
"Honey, we're home." Mom said. When I didn't answer she walked into my
room. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing." I said grinning like a fool. Greg grabbed Mom from behind
and she squealed like a schoolgirl.
"So what's our little boy been doing today?" Greg asked as he kissed
my mother's neck.
"Nothing." I repeated, looking away from them.
"Did you tell him yet?" Greg asked Mom, still kissing her, but now had
his hands on her breasts.
"I was about to, sweetheart." Mom said in her baby sweet
voice. "Jonah, Greg and I are going to get married!" She screamed with
excitement. "Isn't that wonderful?"
Wonderful? How could she think this was wonderful? Was my mother so
blind that she couldn't see what kind of man Greg was? No, it wasn't
blindness, she didn't care about me, she didn't care about anything
but herself.
"Honey, aren't you excited?" She dared to ask me.
"Excited... fuck you all!" I screamed, but wasn't able to say anything
else. I jumped from my bed and tried to run. As I came to the door,
Greg's fist stopped me.
"You apologize to your mother!" He yelled.
I fell to the floor from the punch in my stomach from Greg. I was
having a hard time breathing as Greg lifted me up and tossed me back
onto my bed.
"What is wrong with you Jonah?" Mom yelled. "This is the happiest day
in our life and you have to ruin it."
"I told you he was spoiled." Greg barked. "Come on, let's leave the
baby alone."
"Sometimes Jonah, I just don't understand you." Mom said before
slamming my door shut.
Despair is a horrible feeling. It felt like I was trapped on the moon,
no air, no hope of escape and forgotten. I could hear them in the den,
laughing and joking around, oblivious to my pain. I welcomed the new
pain in my stomach, savored its sickening pulsation of discomfort.
Nothing else mattered to me, only the sparks of pain were real. It was
something I had to grow accustomed to, pain was my new life.

A new day dawned, filling my room with the warm golden glow of the
rising sun. Mom and Greg had left hours ago, but I couldn't think of a
reason to leave my room.
Tap-tap-tap.
I looked up to see Ronnie and Mark at my window.
"Hi." I said after opening the window.
"Are you all right?" Mark started crawling into the room and fell onto
the bed, Ronnie followed him.
"We were worried about you." Ronnie said once he was in the room.
"I'm okay. What are you guys up to today?" I asked taking a seat on
the floor.
"Checking on you. Mark and I have been talking." Ronnie said
seriously. "We know that something is going on with that guy here."
"No everything is all right. There's nothing going on." I insisted.
"Come on Jonah, just look at you. A black eye, you haven't been out of
the house in two days. We know this guy is bad news. We're here to
help you." Mark said sternly.
"How can you help me?" I sounded as defeated as I felt.
"There's got to be something we can do?" Ronnie whined. "What if we
set his truck on fire?"
"Don't be stupid." Mark barked. "Be serious Ronnie."
"I was serious." Ronnie pouted.
"My Mom is going to marry him." I said to the gasps from Ronnie and
Mark.
"Holy shit Jonah that sucks." Ronnie said quietly. We didn't say
anything for a while, I could tell, Ronnie and Mark were trying to
figure out a plan on helping me, but I knew it was useless. I had to
admit that it was nice to have them here, loneliness had almost
consumed me, though seeing Mark made me think about Sean more. I
wanted nothing more than to see and be with him.
"What about calling the police? Couldn't we make up a story on how
this guy is really a mass murderer or something?" Ronnie suggested.
"Who did he murder?" Mark laughed. "It'll only work if we have a body.
Are you volunteering?"
"Guys!" I tried not to yell, but was very tired of hearing them making
stupid suggestions. "There is nothing we can do. My Mom is going to
marry Greg and that's that. So please shut the fuck up!"
"Sorry." They said in unison.
"I think you guys should go." I looked away from them, no longer was
their company comforting to me. They were my friends, but not even
that was enough for what I saw in my future.
"See you later, Jonah. Don't worry I have an idea." Mark whispered
before he disappeared out my window. I only shook my head, not really
believing that Mark had come up with a wonderful plan to save me. Most
likely, it was something very dumb and would only cause me more
problems.
I watched the clock closely as the time approached for my mother to
come home. Not that I was looking forward to it, not anymore, it was
something I dread.
"I'm finished talking about this Greg!" Mom yelled as she entered the
house.
"Well, I'm not finished talking about this. What that guy hitting on
you?"
"He wasn't doing anything but eating... If you hadn't noticed I work in
a cafe." Mom yelled.
I smiled for the first time in days. I wasn't sure what they were
talking about, but I could only hope this was the beginning of the end
of their relationship.
"Oh yeah, the guy spends hours in the cafe and all he was doing is
eating. I'm not a fucking idiot here. You want to fuck him because his
father's famous."
"Get serious." Mom laughed. "I'm starting to think he was right about
you."
I now knew they were talking about Sean and if possible, I smiled
more. Mom was so lucky to spend some time with Sean, I envied her. But
telling Greg that Sean had talked about him, was wrong of Mom, she
only did it to make Greg more jealous, even I could see that.
"That fuck was talking about me? Trying to make me look bad? I'll
fucking kill him. He thinks he can come to this town and flash his
money, and that gives him the right to talk about me? What the fuck
does he know about me anyway?" Greg was yelling so loud the walls
shook.
"How about your temper? Is that a secret Greg? Sean is worried about
Jonah, should I also be worried?"
"Jonah? Well that little shit!" I heard Greg stomp his way to my room,
I unconsciously hid behind my pillow. My door slammed opened and Greg
glared at me. "What the fuck have you been telling Ponca? Did you tell
him about your eye?"
"I haven't said anything." I said in a weak voice.
"Bullshit boy, you've been talking about me to that bastard, haven't
you?" Greg raised his fist.
"What are you talking about?" Mom stepped into my room; she had that
look that could make me confess in anything. "Jonah you said the
football gave you that black eye."
"It did." Greg said quickly. "I figured the little shit's been telling
lies about me."
"I didn't tell Sean anything. I haven't seen him in two days." I
yelled, feeling the anger swell inside me, Greg had no right to
mention Sean or talk about him. "And the only lie I've told is the one
YOU made me say!" I screamed.
"You fucking little shit!" Greg charged and grabbed me off the bed. "I
didn't tell you to lie about anything!"
"Let him go Greg!" Mom hit Greg on his shoulder. "Jonah hasn't done a
thing."
I shouldn't have been shocked, but I was surprised to see Mom sticking
up for me. Greg released my shirt and took a step away from me.
"Sorry sweetheart." He said to her, not me. "I just get crazy when
people tell lies about me."
They walked out of my room as if nothing had happened, as if I didn't
exist. I sat back down on my bed feeling completely confused. Weren't
they just fighting, didn't I confess to Greg making me lie? Why was
Greg still in my house? Maybe if I did set his tow truck on fire that
would finally get the bastard out of here.
Mom only came back to my room one more time that night and that was
only because she wanted to see if I wanted anything to eat. Of course
I didn't, there was no way I'd sit at the table with Greg and pretend
everything was fine.
My choice was clear to me now. The only choice I had. I was going to
have to runaway.
It wouldn't be tonight, but tomorrow. I would pack up my clothes and
go somewhere, somewhere far away.
I could here my mother and Greg talking sweetly to each other, heading
to her room. They would soon be moaning and groaning, screw like
everything was fine. I couldn't imagine what my mother saw in this
man, he wasn't attractive, not like Sean was. He had no personality
and he was mean. How could anyone love him? Better yet, how could my
Mom choice him over me?
I made myself go to bed, to sleep, to escape this reality so that I
didn't have to listen to the noises coming out of mom's room.

"Get up you mother fucker."
I almost screamed, the shock of waking up with Greg hovering over me,
pulling me out of the land of dreams into the reality of this
nightmare, was more than my mind could take.
"You think you're so smart." Greg whispered angrily. "Trying to turn
your mother against me... didn't work did it, you little shit."
I opened my mouth to say something, but Greg slapped me first.
"Keep your fucking mouth shut and listen. This is my house now and my
rules. You try to fuck with me again and go tattling to that fucking
Mr. Ponca and I'll kill you both." Greg growled
"Why are you doing this?" I cried.
"Why? Because I can." Was all he said before leaving my room.
I should have left then, but I was afraid that Greg was watching me.
He had become my bogeyman, the monster in my closet and under my bed.
I was afraid to close my eyes, in fear that he would return.
I sat up the rest of the night, clinging to my pillow as if it could
protect me from the wrath of Greg. Morning came, was it always did,
oblivious to me and my pain. I wondered if there was anyone else in
this world that felt the same way I did. Surely I wasn't the only one
who felt this sad and lonely.
Mom and Greg rushed around trying to get ready to leave, after they
discovered they had both overslept. They argued more and I grinned at
their anger. I hope that all day, that's all they did, scream and
yell, fight all day, wouldn't that be perfect.
Greg peeked his head into my room and gave me a wicked smile.
"I'll be seeing you later." He said sinisterly. "I'm coming!" Greg
screamed to my mother in the living room. I was that chained dog,
desperate to run free, but trapped by the leash of fear. I was going
to break free of that leash.
Finally, they left, neither bothering to check on me, thank goodness.
I waited several minutes to make sure they wouldn't return before I
started planning my escape. It had occurred to me late last night; I
would go to Africa and live. I've read every Tarzan book there was,
even a few of his comic books. I could easily survive in Africa; maybe
I'll even adopt an lion as my companion.
Tap-tap-tap.
I grumbled to myself. I wasn't in the mood for Mark and Ronnie. I
didn't have time for their foolishness, I had things to pack before
leaving this country forever.
"Hey Jonah." Mark was alone, the second I opened the window, he
started climbing in. "I got some great news for you." Mark fell onto
my bed with a thud.
"Yeah, what kind of great news?" I asked without really caring what he
had to say.
"Are you okay?" He said quietly, leaning forward to look into my eyes.
"I'm just tired. Mark, I'm kind of busy. What do you want?" I was
rude, but my claustrophobia was getting the better of me. I had to get
out of his house, out of this state and out of this country. If I
didn't, I knew I would die.
Mark slumped his shoulders and took off his raccoon hat. "I talked to
Mr. Ponca this morning..."
"YOU WHAT?" I screamed. "Why... what did you say to him?" I was crying
for no reason at all, Mark talking to Sean had really made me mad,
Sean was mine, not his. Fury exploded from my heart and I grabbed Mark
by his shirt.
"You leave Sean alone!" I wept. "You... leave him... alone!"