Random Trash From Wattpad #1
Ronald Knox ran a hand through his messy blonde hair and yawned. It had been a long day at school - full of annoying teachers asking tedious questions that he had no answers to. Winter break was quickly approaching, which meant there was going to be a huge exam within the next couple of days. All of his peers were studying for it, spending their nights at libraries in study parties. Ron, however, decided to hit the bar scene - as usual.
Ronald didn't have that many friends at school, so unfortunately he was alone. He had gotten in quite easily, though he was only sixteen. After the night shift officially started, there was a more scrutinizing tender, who kept staring at the young lad quite often. When Ron asked for another drink; the man had hesitated, then began questioning the boy. Ron took a look at his watch and made a remark about "how late it was getting" and that he had "places to be". Honestly, he had nowhere in particular to be. Though the boy dreaded it, he knew he would have to go home soon - before a constable stopped him, questioning him as well.
The blonde kicked some pebbles and jumped in a couple of puddles on his long trip home. As he passed the library, he swore he could hear some familiar laughter of some of the guys from his school. He thought about going in and joining them in their 'study' but he knew he would get kicked out as soon as he entered. If not by the librarian, smelling alcohol on his breath, then the boys from school would literally kick him out.
Though he hated to admit it, Ron was beaten up quite a lot during school. He would always come home and tell his mother that he had a great day - spending most of his time laughing with his 'friends' instead of listening to the teacher. She would scold him, but there was a smile on her face. At the dinner table, when his parents asked him what happened that day, he would make up a story about how he had told the lads a joke a lunch and they all laughed, patting him on the back, saying things like, "Good one Ronnie!" "You're a killer, Ronnie!" His parents would eat it up faster than the soup in their bowls.
Ron had even made up names for his friends. There was Reggie, the pig of the group. Good ol' Reg loved to steal lunches or flirt with the cooks enough to get some extra potatoes on his plate. Though he ate and ate, Reg never gained a pound. 'Though I suppose you can't gain weight if you don't exist.' Ron thought to himself as he kicked another stone.
Then there was Pat; the dumb one. Pat was always coming up with ideas that he thought were oh-so-brilliant, but they would always end in someone getting in trouble. Whenever his parents received a letter from one of his teachers, it was always, "It was Pat's fault, mum. You know how he is." His mother never questioned him, just shook her head and said, "Oh that Patrick..." Though she had never even met the fellow.
Most importantly, there was David. David was Ron's all around favorite. David was his best friend. He always told his parents not to expect him home right after school because he was "going over to Dave's to study" or "going over to Dave's for dinner". His parents, especially his mother, seemed to adore David. Sooner or later, Ron knew he was going to have to muster up the courage to ask a bloke from school to pose as David, seeing as his parents were starting to wonder why their son's best friend of almost a year had never stepped foot in their house. Sometimes, he would say, "Oh, yeah, I walked home with David today - but you just missed him! The guy's a fast walker!" He never really described David to his parents, just in case he couldn't find anyone at school who matched the depiction.
"Oh Ron," his mother would laugh when he came back from school, "you and those friends of yours."
'Imaginary friends.' Ronald thought to himself, feeling somewhat disgusted. There he was, sixteen - almost seventeen - years old, and he didn't have any actual friends to speak of. He could not think of one guy in school who would be willing to be his friend. There was one guy in a pub that he was close to calling his mate. His name was Tyler; but two days after Ron had met him - the poor fellow was run over by a carriage. He had been too zonked to even hear the driver shouting at him to move. Normally, that would have discouraged Ron from drinking anymore - but where did he have to go besides the pubs? If he went home, he would have to come up with another lie to tell his parents when they asked about his day at school. Any other places that boys his age would hang out were all occupied by the very boys that enjoyed tormenting him during his lessons. The pub was the only place he could enjoy himself and have a not have to worry about some kid from school punching his face in. In any case it would be a random stranger, who would forget him the very next night, punching his face in.
Ronald almost passed the door to his own home, he was thinking so much. He turned towards it and took a deep breath, as if he were about to walk into a battlefield. As soon as he turned the door handle - he heard the yelling. The sound of dishes breaking made it pretty evident that he wasn't the only one in the house who had something to drink that night. He rushed into the kitchen where he saw a sight he was unfortunately used to. His mother was pressed up against the counter with his dad screaming in her face. His mother's blonde hair was matted to her face and there was a small cut on her forehead. Blood streamed down her head, to her cheek, staining it the way tears would.
Ron quickly went to his father and grabbed his shoulders. With all of his strength, he pulled the man away from his terrified wife. "Dad, would you calm down? I can barely understand a word you're sayin', so I doubt mum can!" He yelled in his father's face.
"Ronnie..." His mother sobbed, shaking her head slightly. "Don't..."
"Well, mum, if he's gonna yell, we might as well know what it's about! Don't you think so, dad?" Ron folded his arms, like a parent who had asked their child to wash the dishes - only to find them piled even higher the next morning. "Well, out with it!"
Ron's father stared at the boy as if he were insane. "You listen here, ya little brat." He slurred, taking one step forward, stepping on some broken glass. The man instantly recoiled in pain, and hit the counter, knocking over several more glasses.
"Richard!" Ron's mother exclaimed, moving out of the line of fire.
"Oh, there ya go, dad, see what you've done now?" Ronald rolled his eyes. "As if my list of chores wasn't long enough!"
Richard pointed a finger at his son warningly. "Ya don't tell me what ter do and what not!" He exclaimed, shaking his finger. "I'm yer father and the mern of this house!"
"The what?" Ron frowned slightly. "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware we had a 'mern' in this house." He mimicked his father, getting a look from his mother.
"Ya see, Emma? No respect fer his elders!" Richard yelled at his wife, rolling his eyes dramatically. "No wonder the boy's havin' trouble in his lessons," hiccup, "he can't even... Ohhhh..." He groaned and raced to the rest room, throwing up everything he had eaten.
Emma sighed and looked at Ronald. She didn't say anything as she knelt to the ground and began picking up the shards of glass and china.
"Oh c'mon, mum, don't do that. Let me clean you up first, then I'll come back and take care of this." Ron quickly walked over to the woman and touched her head. She let him lead her out of the kitchen and into his room. He closed the door. "You know he falls asleep after he pukes. I think we'll be fine for the rest of the night." She nodded slightly and watched as her son grabbed one of his old shirts and tore the bottom of it. "Don't look at me like that mum... It barely even fits any more." He wet it slightly with his tongue and pressed it on the cut on her head.
Emma winced and grabbed his hand. "Ronnie, you shouldn't speak to your father that way."
Ron rolled his eyes and pressed the shirt back on her wound. "Mum, he shouldn't speak to you that way." He pointed out.
His mother looked down. "He's your father. You still owe him some respect."
"You're his wife. You cook and clean for the bastard, he should show you some-" Ronald was interrupted when his mother's hand struck his face. He stared at her in horror. She rarely ever hit him.
"Don't say that type of thing about your father." She scolded. By the glassy look in his eyes and the way he silently continued to clean the blood from her forehead, she knew she had hurt him in more ways than one. "Oh, Ronnie... I'm sorry." She took the shirt from his hands and threw it on the ground. She pulled his head into her chest, resting her chin on the top of his head. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean it. I'm just... I'm just so... so unhappy." Tears fell from her chocolate eyes.
Ron pulled his head back. "Then why don't we leave, mum? Why can't we just leave father and never come back? Make a new life for ourselves. We can move. We can make new friends, we can-"
"Oh, darling!" She cried, a sad smile on her lips. "You think I'm going to pull you away from your school? All your friends? What about David? Don't you think he'd miss you."
"I'm sure I'll find another David." Ronald looked down, hating how his lies were now coming back to bite him in the ass. "Mum, I'm tired of seeing him hurt you, then act like nothing happened the next day. I know he apologizes and apologizes, but that doesn't change what he did."
His mother stared at him for a moment, taking in her son's features. He had her same large cocoa brown eyes, and her brightly colored golden hair. "Darling, most of the time, I have done something to upset your father. The way he reacts is only how I deserve to be treated."
"Mum, no!"
She held up her hand. "Yes, Ronald. That's how the world works. I am his wife. I am to stand by his side, no matter what. Oh, my darling, you would understand if you had a lady in your life."
"I would never hurt her." Ronald said coldly, shocking his mother. "I would never hurt the woman I love the way dad hurts you. It isn't right. No one deserves it. If he really loved you, you wouldn't have so many bruises. You said yourself that you were unhappy." Emma opened her mouth to speak but Ronald kept going. "No, don't say that you were just upset at the time. You are unhappy. I hear you crying at night when no one else does. I see the terror in your eyes when he hits you, or corners you. Even when he comes to kiss you goodnight when he hasn't had a sip of anything, you jump. You're scared of him. You shouldn't be scared of the person that you're supposed to love. He doesn't love you, mum. I love you. I don't hurt you."
Emma wasn't quite sure what to say, so she simply wrapped her arms around her son. "You are the most amazing thing God has ever given me." She whispered in his ear, kissing his cheek gently. "You are truly a blessing from above, Ronald Andrew Knox."
"I love you so much, mum." Ron whispered back, tightening his grip on the petite woman.
"And I love you, darling." She kissed his golden hair. "Now, sweetheart... Tell me about your day."
Ronald's smile faded and he looked at the ground. "Nothing interesting happened today, mum."
Emma raised her eyebrows. "Oh, really? Was Pat not there?" She joked, nudging him slightly. "What about David? You never come home this late unless you're with him."
"I was studying for my exams. David... didn't come to school today." Ronald hated the fact that he was lying once again; especially after his mother's doting that he was such a blessing. "I don't know when he's coming back." He glanced at her.
"Oh, sweetheart." She took his look as disappointment at the absence of his 'best friend'. "Well, winter break is coming up. Why don't you invite him over here?" He stared at her in disbelief. "Don't worry, your father will be on your best behavior. You know how quickly he changes when there's company." She snapped her fingers. "I would love to meet the boy that makes my darling Ronnie so happy."
Ron laughed awkwardly, nodding his head slightly. "I'll ask him. I don't know though... You know how his family is. They're always busy with something." He muttered, knowing that he would have to come up with an excuse - then face his mother's disappointed look when he returned alone from school the last day before break.
"Hm... Well maybe you need someone else to keep you company." She gave him a knowing smile, kissing his forehead again.
"What do you mean?" He questioned, genuinely curious.
"Well, love..." A sad smile crossed her face, "if I can't have the perfect relationship..." Ronald stared at her in surprise. Her admittance was something new, and he knew where the conversation was going.
"Maybe you should."
As soon as Ron entered the school, his books were knocked from his hands. Whether it was an accident or not; he didn't know. All he knew was that he was going to dread today, just like every other day. He had been up all night, letting his mother sleep in his room, making sure that his father didn't get up. It wasn't until the sun came up that he finally decided that they were safe. He was still reluctant to go to his lessons the next day, but his mother told him that he could not miss out on his education. He told her he would be home right after school, and she urged him not to worry about her and to just spend time with his friends.
'The friends that don't exist.' He thought as he picked his books up from the floor. He went into the classroom, sitting in the very back of the room in the farthest corner from everyone else. He hated sitting up front - it was one of his worst fears. The first time he had sat up front, the teacher had asked him to stand and answer a question about Ancient China. Instead of actually answering the question; Ronald stood and stammered something about an emperor - which was absolutely wrong. The entire classroom burst into laughter - even the teacher had trouble keeping a smile hidden. Ron sat down in his chair meekly, staring at his books.
It wasn't that he wasn't smart. Ron always received high scores on his exams - which several times led teachers to suspect that he was cheating. It was simply that he did not enjoy school. When you're terrified that someone will beat you while you are traveling to your next class - it is difficult to be focused on the study of arithmetic. He absolutely loved learning, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone. He was just terrified of the people around him. He honestly wished that he had Pat, Reggie and David to keep him company throughout the day. Even if they could only see each other at lunch - he would have been satisfied. He felt so lonely, knowing that there was no one he could turn to when several of the lads decided to gang up on him. He couldn't even prattle on to someone at the pub; for fear that it would give away his true age. The last thing his mother needed to know was that her 'baby Ronnie' was drinking.
Ron couldn't even find a reason as to why he was drinking. His father always bragged about the fact that he had started drinking with his mates at a young age. The last thing Ron wanted was to become anything like Richard Knox. His father was an entirely different man when he got the right amount of drink in him. When Ronald was younger, his dad would play catch with him like most fathers. As soon as he would return from work, Ronnie rushed into his father's open arms. He would tell him all about his day; playing with his friends and receiving appraisal from his teacher. Back then, they weren't lies. Back then, Ron really had friends, and they did laugh and play all day long.
"Mr. Knox?" Ron's head shot up and he straightened up in his seat. "May I speak to you after class?" Mrs. Lynch tilted her head; her expression was completely unreadable.
Ron nodded his head slightly and she continued on with the conclusion to her lesson. Soon, the class was dismissed for lunch and Ron slowly walked up to her desk. "Have I done something wrong, ma'am?" He asked tiredly.
She stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. "No, but I would like to talk to you about your recent test scoring. As you know, we are having quite an important exam in the next couple of days." Ron nodded. "I wanted to show you," she pulled out a piece of paper from a stack on her desk, "this." She slid the paper towards him. "You were one out of two students that answered every question correctly."
Ron frowned at the paper and blinked a couple of times. "I'm not sure I understand where you are going with this, Mrs. Lynch." He admitted.
"Ronald, you have great potential. Have you thought of your plans for university?" Ron shook his head and the teacher frowned, obviously disappointed. "Well, the headmaster and I were hoping to have a conference with your parents to discuss your future." Ron shook his head again.
"No, thank you ma'am. My parents have a lot going on. I really doubt they'll have time for a conference. It's good to know that I'm doing well though." It was Ron's own way of saying that his parents didn't need another reason to keep him in this prison they dared call a school. Before Mrs. Lynch could carry on any further about Ron's impeccable scores and intelligence, he quickly excused himself from the classroom and headed towards the exit doors. He quickly pushed past the crowd of people, hoping to get to a spot where he could be alone and unbothered until the next class approached.
"Hey! Hey you! Blondie!" Ron frowned and turned around to see a girl with long auburn hair running towards him. She had a friendly smile on her face and an excited gleam in her green eyes. Ron glanced around, making sure she was actually talking to him. "You're hard to keep up with." She said, jokingly. "Why are you in such a hurry? Meeting a lady friend for luncheon?"
Ron blushed and shook his head. "I just... I'm not a big fan of crowds and noise, so I normally take a walk during lunch." It wasn't a total lie, just an edited version of the truth.
"Hm, that's nice. Do you mind if I join you this time around?" She asked, flashing him a dazzling smile. He nodded weakly - in awe that the girl was even speaking to him at all. "I've seen you around the school, and I think you're in my class after lunch. Mr. Hensley?" Ron nodded again, still unable to speak. She smiled. "My name is Abigail, but everyone calls me Abby. You're... Robert, right?" She scrunched up her nose.
"Ronald, but you can call me-"
"Ronnie!" She exclaimed. "I believe I'll call you Ronnie, if that's alright." Normally he would have said something against it, seeing as his mother was the only person who had ever called him 'Ronnie'. However, something about Abby made him feel comfortable. "I was fairly close..." she continued, "I knew it began with a 'Ro'." She giggled and he felt a warm feeling creep to his cheeks. "Well, Ronnie, has anyone ever told you that you have the most stunning brown eyes?"
Ron blinked, trying to tell if she was joking or not. He had honestly never thought of his eyes as 'stunning'. In fact, he hated his plain brown eyes. He had always preferred something more exciting like emerald green or sea-blue. Even a stormy grey or ever-changing hazel would have been preferable. Yet, he had been born with brown. His mother had brown eyes, but hers were wide swirling pools of chocolate. He realized that while he had been thinking this, Abigail was staring at him; waiting for an answer. "No, Abby, I can honestly say that no one has ever told me that. Thank you."
"Well you do and you're very welcome." Abby giggled, flipping her reddish-brown hair over her shoulder. "I've wanted to talk to you for a while now, but I haven't mustered up the courage. I guess I'm fairly shy when it comes to meeting new people." She blushed and Ron couldn't help but think how adorable she was acting in front of him - so nervous... it was cute.
"So am I." He admitted. "It's probably why I don't have any friends." He muttered the last part, yet she still heard him.
"I'll be your friend!" She exclaimed excitedly; her curls bouncing around her face. Ron's brown eyes widened in surprise and she blushed once more. "I'm sorry." She said softly. "Again, I'm not good at this."
Ron shook his head, amused. "No, that sounds great. It would be nice, having someone to talk to during lunch and second block." She nodded in agreement.
"Maybe you'll keep me from falling asleep during Mr. Hensley's mind-numbing lectures." She giggled, grabbing Ronald's hand instantly. "I can't wait to really get to know you, Ronnie." She said, blinking her large doe-like eyes up at him.
"Yeah... Same here." Ron muttered, having no idea what he was getting himself into.
A couple of weeks passed and Abigail seemed to be making Ron's days at school a lot less upsetting. He wasn't sure what his exact feelings for the girl were, but he was grateful to have her in his life all the same. He actually walked at a decent pace on his way to school, instead of walking slow - dreading each step. He would stare at his watch during the first half of the day, springing out of his seat when lunchtime came around. The two would meet right outside the doors and take their walk. Abby would pull out sandwiches from her lunch basket and the two would eat and laugh about their days and weekend adventures. After the snow started affecting their idea of walking and eating outside; the two retreated to the library, where they would sit amongst the back section of books - sharing sandwiches and drinking tea.
The winter break was almost upon them and Ron found himself surprisingly dreading the time he would be away from school. Abby seemed just as upset as her friend at the thought of being apart. One day, while they munched on some of the biscuits Abigail had brought with her, she piped up with the idea; "Why don't you join my family and I for dinner tomorrow? They absolutely adore having company, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you showed up. After our families meet, I'm sure they would allow us to see each other over the winter holiday."
Ron frowned slightly, crumbs falling from his lips. "But... isn't it a bit much... having our families meet? I mean, we're only friends after all."
Abby looked hurt at the statement and looked down; a pink blush creeping over her cheeks and nose. "Oh... I feel so... If it makes you uncomfortable-"
"No, no, no," Ron gushed, shaking his head, "I would love to meet your parents. That would be great." She looked at him hopefully and he gave her a reassuring smile. "Besides, I want you to be able to come to my birthday dinner. My birthday is over winter break, on the 27th." He said, blushing slightly.
Abigail's face lit up and she nodded her head excitedly. "I would absolutely love that, Ronnie." She placed a sweet kiss on his cheek and took another small bite of her sandwich.
At dinner that night, a rarity took place. Ronald's father was completely sober, having not had anything to drink for three whole days. His mother looked happy and his father looked, well, decently joyous. Emma started the conversation after placing the food down on the table.
"Ronnie, sweetheart, how was your day at school?"
Ron smiled bashfully and looked up from his plate. "Well, actually, there's something I wanted to tell you." His parents stopped eating and stared at him expectantly. "There's this... girl..."
Emma instantly let out a gasp and Richard beamed at his son. "That's my boy!" He boomed, slamming his drink down on the table.
"I... She's just a friend, dad." Ron stammered, flustered. "Anyway, she invited us over for dinner last night. She wants to spend time together over break, since the only time we see each other is at school." Emma and Richard exchanged knowing smiles. "It's nothing like that..." Ron muttered. "I invited her to come over for my birthday during break."
"Well that sounds lovely, don't you think, Richard?" Emma took a sip of her drink.
Richard nodded. "That sounds fine to me. I'd love to meet the girl who's got Ronald's feathers all ruffled."
"Dad..." Ron looked down, his face burning and pink with embarrassment. He poked at the vegetables on his plate awkwardly. He hoped his parents didn't humiliate him this terribly in front of Abby. Of course, she probably wouldn't mind. She would laugh that adorable little laugh and shake her head; telling him that it was quite alright that his mother was telling stories of him when he was an infant. "I think I'm going to go to bed." He muttered, excusing himself from the table.
"Oh, darling? How's David?"
"Who?"