Camille sat down on the grass that surrounded the pond. Dean settled next to her.
Camille played with the grass, and then she spoke.
"So what did he say?"
Dean sighed.
Seeing that he was still reluctant. "I can't help you if you won't let me Dean..."
Then he spoke.
"He said some things about my family... Specifically about my father, and my mother."
Camille nodded.
"Did that set you off, him talking about your dad and mom."
"Well yeah, it did, it wasn't really specifically because of my father, but because of my mother, I could care less about my father."
Camille chuckled lightly.
"There's something we have in common... I don't really care for my father either."
Dean looked over at her, he couldn't believe she was being so open.
"Really... What's the deal with him?"
Camille looked up at the blue sky.
"Well for one, he's never around... If I'm being honest I feel like I don't even know him well enough to call him my father... And he's cheated on my mother for as long as I can remember, we get cards sometimes for holidays... But I don't really see him much."
Dean nodded.
Then she asked, "What about your dad? Why do you hate him?"
Dean was quiet and then said, "He's... abusive... He drinks, and he hits my mother... This". He pointed out the bruise on his face. "Was because of him... I just couldn't take it anymore... Seeing him harm her since I was young... So we fought last night..."
"I'm sorry Dean, it's unfortunate you have to go through that."
Dean shook his head. "It is what it is, I'm sorry that you have to go through your problems..."
He sighed. "What about your mom?"
Camille laughed again, more of a sarcastic laugh.
"My mother is... A complex person I guess you could say... She seems like she loves me... But she refuses to let herself show that love to me... I have a love-hate relationship with her, she's hard on me, in my opinion harder than she needs to be, but I know it's because she wants better for me... And also because she wishes she had done better... Perhaps she tries to vicariously live through me."
Dean listened as she spoke, he hoped this conversation would let her realize she can rely on him, that she doesn't need to keep all her troubles to herself. He hoped that this could change things, change her fate.
Dean put his hand over hers, Camille turned her head, looking him in the eyes.
"Camille... I just want to let you know, if you are ever going through something hard, you can rely on me... Tell me your burdens, lay down your load, I'll help you carry it, what friends are for right?"
She looked like she was tearing up.
"Thank you." She said as she squeezed his hand.
Dean drove her home and promised to text her later. Then he drove back home.
When he stepped in the doorway his mother stood there expectantly, like she had been waiting for him.
He sighed once he saw her questioning stare.
"I was with my friend, we were just talking, I was-"
"Dean that's not the problem here."
He was quiet.
"I got a call... From school today...That you punched a boy in the nose and made him bleed."
Dean sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
"Dean, I understand they explained you two argued and he said some offensive things, but you cannot get violent over words."
"Mom, he called you a whore... He said you married a drunkard who liked to beat on his wife and kids.. was I supposed to just let him talk that way?"
"No, you don't let people talk to you that way, but your last resort should be violence, not you losing your temper and doing something silly in the heat of the moment."
"Why do you always act like nothing is wrong... Mom you know that it's wrong... You know it hurts your feelings... You know it hurts my feelings. You know we aren't in a good situation."
Samantha sighed, closing her eyes.
"I know Dean, I do know, and it does upset me, but I can't afford to act all those ways just because something or someone hurts my feelings."
"Mom, why haven't you left him?"
"What?"
"Why haven't you left him... Divorce him, we do fine enough with me and you working, Daniella is turning 15 this summer anyways and she plans to get a job too. That bastard doesn't contribute towards anything anyways."
"Hey don't talk about your father that way."
"FATHER?!?" He lowered his voice "Father? He's no father, and he hasn't been for a long time... Father's don't beat their children till they're weak all because they didn't want to see their mother being harmed. Father's don't spend days at a time out of the house and only come back to threaten and disrupt the household... I don't consider him my father, and I really don't understand why you still stay with him... Admit it mom, it's been over for years now, leave him, you need to leave him."
His mom stood shocked before taking a seat and covering her face with her hands.
She began to tear up.
"I'm sorry Dean... I'm sorry to you and to Daniella... At first I thought I could deal with it, as long as he wasn't hurting you guys... And then he did start... But I didn't want you to have a broken family, and part of me hoped that maybe the man I fell in love with would come back. But I know that he's gone.. his addiction has ruined him... I should have divorced him years ago."
Dean settled next to his mother. "Mom I understand, you did love him, you probably still do... But the best thing for our family would be to get the hell away from him."
His mom nodded... "I know baby, I know."