Chapter 4
“Josh,
could you get me some milk?” his dad called to the living room where Josh was
watching TV. He heard his son sighing dramatically to show him he really didn’t
feel like going out of the house.
“You
can choose something as desert too” his dad added with a knowing smirk, Josh
couldn’t see. Josh knew what he was doing, desert was the best part of diner
and he could choose it himself, it would be enough to get him to go to the
store. Josh knew his dad’s plan and it was working.
“Fine”
he sighed pushing himself off of the couch, trying to sound not too cheerful as
he pulled on his shoes.
“I
do need money” Josh said poking his head around the kitchen doorframe, wiggling
his eyebrow playfully.
“On
the table” his dad replied pointing towards the kitchen table without turning
around, keeping his eyes on the food boiling on the stove. Josh sullenly walked
towards it and grabbed a twenty,
“Don’t
forget my change” Roy said knowingly earning a chuckle from Josh.
“Be
careful” he added serious again. Although there had been no incidents as the
people in town called it, he still wanted his son to be careful. Although his
classmates turned from harassing him to ignoring him over the past few weeks
since the accusation first saw the light of day, he still didn’t trust Frank or
some of he other people in the neighborhood one bit. He’d grown suspicious of
them since the whole mess started and he hated it.
He
wasn’t a suspicious man he didn’t want to be one but after his son came home
with a split lip, a swollen eye or bruises covering his body, all because of
Frank he couldn’t help but be protective of him and that automatically caused
him to grow suspicious of them all.
“I
will” Josh said taking Roy out of his thoughts. He pulled on his jacket before
slipping out the door,
“I’ll
be back in 15 minutes” he called before he pulled the door shut.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Josh
walked inside the small market only a couple of minutes from his house. He
grabbed a basket and went straight to the aisle which held the milk, after that
he could scan the racks to search for the perfect desert. He strolled through
the small store, seeing Mr. Hayden with his daughter in one of the aisles, he
knew the girl but he made no attempt to say hi, knowing she didn’t want to know
him.
Mr.
Hayden confirmed his thoughts when he discretely pushed his daughter behind him
in a way to protect her, thinking Josh would lunge at her in the middle of the
store. Josh met the man’s eyes but soon looked the other way, seeing a
concerned and protective gleam in his eyes.
He
turned away concentrating on what he came here to do; picking out a desert that
would somehow make him feel a little better. He ignored Mr. Hayden shooting daggers
at his back while he picked out the whipped cream to go with the strawberry’s
he got from the vegetable department. Then he went to the front of the store to
pay for the things he was carrying. He walked outside when he bumped into
someone,
“Ooh
sorry” he said automatically, cradling the few products in his arms.
“Josh”
a voice grumbled, Josh recognized the voice as Frank’s.
“Frank”
Josh returned taking a step back. Frank smiled down at him,
“You
shopping?”
“Leave
me alone” he said hoping he sounded brave while trying to walk passed him but
Frank stopped him.
“Going
to use that on your next victim?” Frank asked pointing at the products in his
arms; Josh looked down at the items in his hands. Josh kept his mouth shut; he
didn’t want to piss him off anymore than he was doing by just breathing.
“Huh?”
Frank asked stepping closer to the shorter and younger man who gripped the
items as it would somehow protect him.
“Doesn’t
feel good to be scared huh?” he asked pushing him up against a wall, grabbing
his jacket. Josh faintly shook his head no.
“See
what you put my sister through you son of a bitch” he wasn’t asking, he was
telling him, pushing him against the wall with every word that came out of his
mouth.
“Please
let me go Frank” Josh pleaded softly when he finally found his voice, afraid of
the strong grip Frank had on his jacket.
“Why
should I? My sister begged you to let her go but did you?!” he raised his voice
at him.
“So
why should I?” he asked not even waiting for an answer to his previous
question.
“You
know why? Because I’m not a damn rapist like you!” he hissed into his ear, Josh
shuddered; Frank’s breath on his skin and the closeness of his tormentor
causing him to tremble in fear. Frank laughed amused at the scary figure he was
pinning against the wall with just one hand.
“You’re
pathetic” he said disgusted releasing his grip on him.
“See
you at school, you pig” Frank hissed in his ear, patting him on the shoulder,
feeling him flinch beneath his touch. He disappeared into the darkness of the
night.
Josh
took in a few shaky breaths before pushing himself away from the wall quickly
heading back home, afraid Frank would come back to punch him senseless. On his
way back he soon made the decision to not tell his father about this, he’d
caused enough trouble and he had enough on his mind because of him, he didn’t
need this as well.
This
was his battle…. a battle he was planning on winning…..
He
hoped,
No he prayed.
