Excerpt #2 from Raising Above The Bar Chapter 2
#2 of Raising Above The Bar
I sighed and said "I'll talk to mom about it. If nothing else it'll get you out of the house, but I thought you had a job at the skate shop." He blinked and said "I do, but it's only on Friday through Sunday. I was wondering if I could work at the bar Monday through Thursday, and when study when things were slow." I sighed and said "Again, I'll talk to mom. However I make no promises, since she's already set against me owning the bar in the first place." He snickered and said "No she also doesn't want you to be a lawyer. She still thinks you should be a doctor, meet a nice girl and settle down." I glanced at Gabe and we both burst out laughing our asses off at the very idea of me settling down. After a bit Gabe stopped and said "Here's the house." I studied my old home holding back feelings of deep pain and sorrow. The house was an ordinary two story house with white trim around the roof, and light blue siding. It didn't look like the home of an evil bastard who beat the fuck out of anyone who crossed him when he was drunk, was distrusting, and abused his family. Then again, most places like that don't exactly have signs advertising the fact.
We slowly walked into the house and I had to resist the urge to run that suddenly welled up inside me. Gabe opened the door slowly then walked in. As I followed him over the threshold I felt years of pain and terror slam into me and had to hold onto the doorway to keep from falling over. Then my wrist started burning and I wondered if my past had any correlation to my mark. I shivered at the thought then took a deep breath and followed Gabe to the kitchen. As soon as I walked in I smelled blood and looked at the table where my mother was wiping up a red stain on the table. I walked over and gently pushed her into a chair then cleaned the table and tossed the rag in the sink. I knew my old man wasn't home, other wise she wouldn't have let me make her sit down, and Gabe wouldn't have gotten me. She looked up and I smiled at her over my shoulder. She smiled back tiredly then said "So, you finally decided to come home?" I nodded and said yeah, but you've changed a lot since I left."
I wasn't joking. Her fur which used to shine with it's own inner light was dull and lifeless. The black looked like it was gray, I could tell it hadn't been brushed for days, the white was dull, her raven's wing hair was in total disarray, and her cheeks were sunken in. I sighed and said "Mom you need to eat more. I can tell you've been slowly resisting the urge to eat, and that you haven't been taking care of yourself. If that bastard has anything to do with it then I'm going to kick his ass." She stared at me surprised then sighed and said "So I'm guessing you still agree that he isn't your father?" I nodded and said "That's the only reason he and I have ever agreed. We are nothing alike except for that."
She smiled sadly and said "You're right about that. He's always been one to look out for himself, while all you care about are your friends. Also you never wanted to impress anyone, yet he must impress everyone he meets. I didn't see it when you were younger, but it really showed when you met your friends in high school. It also left a mark on your little brother, so why are you here?" I grinned and said "You asked me to come over, and Gabe wanted me to ask if he can work at the bar after school. He won't quit his job at the skate shop, but if he doesn't keep his grades up I won't let him work."
I sighed and mom said "Do you really want to do this?" I shrugged and said "I don't know what I want anymore, mom. All I really know is that I'm glad I don't hear the old man bitch, I'm happy my friends are back, and I'm worried about getting my license. That's honestly all I know." She smiled slightly her eyes lighting up for the first time since the day I'd left and let out a small laugh. I raised an eyebrow and said "Is something funny, mom?" She smiled then said "You've grown up so much, yet you still act like the little boy you once were. I remember that up until you met Dasher and the others you always second guessed yourself. What makes you think the test won't go well?" I shrugged unable to express my thoughts and she said "Old doubts, I'm guessing?" I thought about it then nodded and she got up then hugged me and said in my ear "You're better than either of you ever thought. You've always doubted yourself, and he always thought you were no good, but look how easily you got through everything."