Challenge #21: Weekly Quick Fic
“Where’s the paper, Mom?” he asked, sitting down to breakfast.
His mother glanced at his father before she replied. “It, uh, hasn’t come yet.”
He looked at her skeptically. When he glanced at the trash can, she nervously moved in front of it.
“Mom,” he said rising from his chair. “Let me see it.”
“Oh, honey,” she said tearing up.
“It’s okay. You can’t protect me forever.” Reluctantly, she stepped aside and he pulled the newspaper from the trash. Though he wasn’t exactly surprised and he wanted to hide his feelings from his mother, he can’t suppress the gasp that escaped his lips.
He barely felt his mother’s arms around him. He shrugged off her embrace and dropped the newspaper back into the trash can. “I-I’m going back upstairs for a little bit,” he told her. He could see in her eyes that she didn’t want to let him go, but after a beat, she nodded and kissed him on the cheek.
Upstairs, his mind reeled. He knew it would follow him anywhere. It was to be expected that eventually people would hear about it here, too, that people would talk and sneer. Could he live through that again? Did he want to? His poor mother and father. Soon they’ll be talking about them, too. But I didn’t do it! his mind screamed. If he left, maybe they’d spare his parents. But where would he go? He groaned. Even if he left, even if he was able to hide from their judgment, it would only reinforce their ideas and add fuel to their fire! It would look as if he was guilty! If he left, would he ever be able to escape the scrutiny? Someone would find out and put it on the front of that town’s paper! There was no point in leaving, he decided as he resigned, instead, to grin and bear their ridicule. Maybe something else will make the front page tomorrow and I’ll be old news, he thought hopefully.
His mother glanced at his father before she replied. “It, uh, hasn’t come yet.”
He looked at her skeptically. When he glanced at the trash can, she nervously moved in front of it.
“Mom,” he said rising from his chair. “Let me see it.”
“Oh, honey,” she said tearing up.
“It’s okay. You can’t protect me forever.” Reluctantly, she stepped aside and he pulled the newspaper from the trash. Though he wasn’t exactly surprised and he wanted to hide his feelings from his mother, he can’t suppress the gasp that escaped his lips.
He barely felt his mother’s arms around him. He shrugged off her embrace and dropped the newspaper back into the trash can. “I-I’m going back upstairs for a little bit,” he told her. He could see in her eyes that she didn’t want to let him go, but after a beat, she nodded and kissed him on the cheek.
Upstairs, his mind reeled. He knew it would follow him anywhere. It was to be expected that eventually people would hear about it here, too, that people would talk and sneer. Could he live through that again? Did he want to? His poor mother and father. Soon they’ll be talking about them, too. But I didn’t do it! his mind screamed. If he left, maybe they’d spare his parents. But where would he go? He groaned. Even if he left, even if he was able to hide from their judgment, it would only reinforce their ideas and add fuel to their fire! It would look as if he was guilty! If he left, would he ever be able to escape the scrutiny? Someone would find out and put it on the front of that town’s paper! There was no point in leaving, he decided as he resigned, instead, to grin and bear their ridicule. Maybe something else will make the front page tomorrow and I’ll be old news, he thought hopefully.