Mark Delauter Senior
"Well there was nothing more I could do to bring him together with the rest of the family so I focused on your wife. His defense of his biological father is strong and when she felt I 'betrayed' her confidence and pushed on with bringing her ex into the discussion she bridged part of the gap between them," Dr. Hill explains in my office.
"And you felt the need to upset my wife and step son like this, why," I ask, beginning to side with my family on the doctor.
"Because there was nothing more I could do at this time, after the session where I had to leave and see my sister in the hospital I lost what little of Guy's trust and patience he had left for me. I was hoping that we would be able to have another session where I could focus on your daughter and have him see how scared and vulnerable she was after the death of her mother," Dr. Hill continues to explain and I see some of her logic.
"So now what do we do to get you in a position so that you can continue helping bring this family together," I ask and she smiles a little.
"Pay me for the session; tell them you threatened me with termination and that you haven't decided whether or not we'll pick up where we left off after the holidays. With any luck we'll have more to work with and Guy will be more involved," Dr. Hill explains as I cut another check.
I will admit that Guy and Loretta are looking closer after the past two days but I'm more concerned with longevity than immediate results.
Guy Donnelly
Mom laying down the fucking law on fucking Dr. Hill is a dream come true. She's smiling and humming and I don't even realize I've taken her hand until she squeezes mine.
"I do not know what that bitch was doing but I'm not going to let your father be dragged into something that he has nothing to do with," Mom says and I am curious.
"Why tell her anything," I really have to ask.
"I thought it would help her see some of what made you happy when you were little. Your father was a good man and I screwed up my marriage and then I screwed him out of his son. I have a lot to answer for but I love that man. He was always the best man when it came to me and you," Mom says tearing up and I am confused.
"Why didn't you beg him to stay," I ask and she shakes her head.
"Because by the time I was able to figure out you both were leaving me I knew I couldn't lose you both so I just fought for what I could keep which was you. I don't know how much your father hated me before," Mom pauses and I think of something.
"I think he gave up on me too," I say it and Mom almost slams the brakes.
"He never gave up on you. Everything that kept him from you was my doing, my lawyer did whatever it took to get me you in the divorce and I hurt Neal, your father, doing it. Someday he'll be back and I will pay for what I did to him," Mom says and I realize we're still in traffic but not really moving.
"Okay well can we not get too emotional, stopping in to get a to go order while you're crying isn't what I'm looking forward too for my evening," I state with a little laugh and Mom smiles.
We settle on fried chicken from a Kentucky based chain and return home with more than enough food to feed everyone. Food is dished and everyone is at the table eating when Beth decides to ask a few questions.
"Guy are you going to Winter Formal," Beth asks with half a bite of chicken in my mouth.
"No, why," I mumble half chewing.
"I think you should go," Beth states, taking a bite of mashed potatoes.
"And why in hell would I want to go? Last time I went to a dance I ended up walking home after taking a beating from a gang and being tossed in a dumpster," I recount my night at Homecoming," I'm really not interested in repeating the performance."
"Well you wouldn't be going alone, Brett and I would be there and nobody is stupid enough to screw with him and the team," Beth argues and Mom steps in.
"Beth, Guy doesn't want to go. You don't need him to go to make your night better," Mom says and Beth tries to bring some high school logic into her argument.
"Jenna will be there with Brandon. I say you go to the dance and in front of everyone ask her to dance," Beth argues and I laugh.
"And you think I want to go to the formal just to ask her to dance so I can get turned down," I ask, shaking my head.
"Maybe she'll say yes," Beth argues and Mark laughs a little.
"And maybe monkeys will fly out of her ass," Mark jokes and I laugh harder.
"Give her a green nose and a broom and we've got a real witch," I added to the joke and now everyone is laughing.
It's a good moment and even though Beth is laughing I can tell she is dying hard on me going to the Winter Formal. Dinner is consumed and instead of heading to my room to begin a weekend of gaming I take Mom to the TV room and sit her down on the couch before lying down to rest my head on her lap. Yes it's weird and kind of creepy but all that stops as soon as she begins humming and brushing my hair with her fingers. It makes me feel better, laughing and eating with everyone is nice but I barely feel like I belong anywhere, let alone here but Mom doing this with me makes it feel real. We don't spend the entire night on the couch, maybe an hour or so before I let Mom take care of her stuff and head up to my room. I would like to relax but fate will not allow it as Beth almost follows me from her room to mine ready to wage war on my peace of mind.
"Guy going to the dance is you showing her up for treating you like shit," Beth argues and I have to turn on her.
"So because she screwed with me for a month, I should go and get some level of revenge against her and cause her to feel badly for what she did," I ask and Beth smiles a little.
"Yes, it would put her down a peg after what she did dragging you around like a puppy," Beth states and I shake my head.
"So what should I do to you for revenge after three years of constant and consistent neglect and abuse," I ask and now the argument is in my corner," Or how about Mom, what should I do to her for nine plus years of near abandonment and the crap I had to live through before we moved here? Or your Dad? Abigail? Mark? Where does it end if I go around trying to ruin everyone else's life to make sure I feel better? I'm not a vengeful person; I thought the bad session with Dr. Hill would have shown you that."
"Okay don't go but I think you should go. Get out of the house and do something," Beth argues and I shrug.
"Last time I went outside and 'did something' I got my ass beat, stabbed and left for dead," I state and Beth gives me a look.
"Okay what were you doing when you jumped in an alley? Nobody knows and we all wondered. We were asked by the police what happened, they asked so many questions about who you were that it made Mom cry because she didn't have answers," Beth asks and I shake my head.
"Why should I talk about what I was doing before I was assaulted when the police have been unable to find out who or find evidence that Hector, Carlos or a few of their crew were the ones who did it," I counter her question with a question as Beth sits on my bed.
"So why not just do something to get them back," Beth asks and I shake my head again sitting down on my big chair.
"Because it does me no good. I hit them, they hit me and it goes on and on until they kill me or someone goes to jail and I'm the one who seems to be more likely to suffer from another near fatal or fatal injury," I explain as Beth tries to understand," I just want to be left alone when it comes to school. I get through my classes and then move on with my life."
She would love to convince me that I need to take a stand or something but it's not who I am, you keep fighting wars and you'll lose. I don't have a lot and wonder what the cost would be. Beth leaves me to my room and game consoles so that I can relax and not think about dances, revenge or even nine years of familial hell.
Carlos Jimenez Ortega: The following Monday after the Winter Formal
"Big C, we gotta do something 'bout the heat we got," Hector is talking again and I gotta deal with his nagging.
"Hector there is nothing to do till I speak with Guy," I tell my second for the million and eighth time," We need to sit down and let him know that what happened to him wasn't us."
"The boys think we should sit him down and have him tell the cops it wasn't us," Hector says and my boys are nodding; this is why I'm in charge.
"We pull him in and threaten him? Maybe knock him around a little bit," I ask and my boys nod," Fucking pendejos that is the shit that put us on the fucking pigs radar in the first place. I let you push him around because we all thought it was fun to fuck with the white kid. Now the white kid has money, a family of lawyers and the police watching us because someone tried to take him out. I will talk to him; I will explain things to him and ask him to speak with the police."