HIS BEAUTIFUL SECRET (completed)

CHAPTER 1 - THE JOCK HAS A HEART

THIS IS MY ORIGINAL WORK AND SHOULD NOT BE COPIED OR TRANSLATED.

Walking toward my front door, his car lights beamed behind me, illuminating the secret that I had always tried to hide. Each step was humiliating, and I felt like I was standing in the middle of Times Square, buck naked. I didn't dare look back so he could see the humiliation on my face.

I wanted him to just drop me off and leave, but luck was not on my side that night. To my dismay, he was a gentleman and made sure I got inside safely. That was what I was telling myself at least, the truth was he was just sitting there in shock, taking in the horror that surrounded him.

There was a reason that I would let no one but Jenny near my home. One look around and the only proper response would have been sheer disgust. As you turned toward my house, a strange mailbox greeted you. Made of PVC pipe, it extended over the ditch, covered in mold and mildew. Lining the driveway was plumbing parts and old metal junk. Once you reached the cleared area just in front of the house, they consumed every available space.

The house itself was nothing more than a run-down shack with a rusty metal roof and a wooden porch that stood in shambles. The exterior was an unconventional shade of blue that my father concocted from old paint cans containing every color of the rainbow. There weren't even curtains on the windows, giving anyone who cared to look a full view into our distorted world.

As I inched closer to the door, I saw it swing open, and I just froze in place. Aware that he was still watching, I prepared myself for whatever was about to happen. There, before me, stood my mother. She was wearing an orange moo-moo with hideous flowers on it and house shoes. Her hair and general appearance were that of an unkempt mad woman. She stepped out on the porch as I stepped onto it. Without warning, she grabbed me by my arm and snatched me forward. The force she used propelled me inside the house and I was dying inside. Please mom, not now!

Glancing behind me, it relieved me to see he was backing out of the driveway. There was no doubt he saw what had just happened, but at least he wouldn't see it all. When the door closed behind us, I knew that she was just getting started.

She always amazed me. She was an average-sized woman, but when she was angry, she had the strength of ten grown men. It only took a moment for her full fury to reveal itself and the screaming to begin.

"What were you doing, whoring around?" she questioned.

Looking down and trying to avoid eye contact I replied, "No mom, he just gave me a ride."

With her, I always tried to stay under the radar. It didn't help me at that time, though. She grabbed me forcefully, propelling me backward, sending my body crashing into the floor. "Don't lie to me, you little bitch," she shouted at me.

My back took the brunt of the impact, sending reverberations throughout my body. Before I even realized what was happening, she was straddling me. Her fists were flying, seeking any target they could find. It paralyzed me with fear, my mind desperately wanted to fight back, but my body betrayed me once again. The only defense I managed was to throw my arms in front of my face for protection. If I could protect my face, at least I could hide the other bruises.

Tears streamed down my face as she hurled verbal and physical assaults at me. My eyes were closed tightly, praying she would stop. The attack felt like it went on for an eternity. In reality, it was probably only a few minutes, but when you are getting the crap beat out of you, time seems to standstill.

Finally, when I felt like I could not take another second, she tired herself out and got off of me. She did not apologize or even have a look of remorse, she just headed off to her bedroom. I sat there stunned. After a few minutes, I pulled myself together and get up off of the floor. I was so rattled that I was literally shaking.