Can't Resist His Charm

The One With The Charger

The next day I wake Damian and we leave home earlier than I normally would because I didn’t want him to be seen. I drive to the nearest cash machine and made a withdrawal, giving him all the cash. He stared at the five hundred in my hand seated next to me in the car and doesn’t take it, so I push it into the pocket of my jacket that he’s wearing and I drove out.

“Tell me where to drop you off before I head to school,” I say as I pull up to a red light.

“Er, I’ll go with you- I can’t accept your money,” he mumbles quietly beside me. “I have to check the school nurse for this,” he points to his face.

Everyone stares at him as soon as he steps out of the car and he grumbles to me, “Go ahead, I’ll catch up with you.”

Nodding I head to the form room.

I see Damian again when lunch period is almost over but he doesn’t join us. Instead, he waves and walks out, heading to the next class. Mel and I have that same class with him. He acknowledged us but kept a distance until I take a seat next to him in the last period. Mel is in another class but Nat is here and stares at him.

“Hey, you okay? Have you spoken to Natalie?”

“Nah, man. I’m breaking up with her, later,” he informs me, glancing up then back down onto his open textbook.

“What? Why?” Obviously, I want him to stay with her now as I now know he's into females. As a friend would be better because he’s messed up mentally but I thought he would have told her the truth- clearly, he needs a friend and well Nat's parents were professionals in that field. She must know the correct thing to say to him. Even as I think it, I know Nat is very judgmental. Maybe, I am thinking, they both would rub off on each other in a positive way?

He blows out loudly but his voice is low for me alone to hear,” You and the Melanie thing? Didn’t I tell you last night?”

“What?” I hiss then I remember the conversation. “No- I don’t like her. Are you crazy?” I didn’t dare look back at Nat for I know she would be watching us and I didn’t want her to know we were talking about her. “I only said to stay away from her because I thought you were gay."

“Oh wow. We’re back there again?” he gives a sort of irritated shrug with his face and shoulders.

“What, no, chill,” I whisper when a group of students walk past us and take their seats.

“Look, man. I don’t want your money-"

“Keep it. You need it.”

“I don’t know when I’ll pay you back,” he reaches in the pocket of the jacket and I see the money is still there. I didn’t want it back, I gave it to him, I push his hand back down. I can’t believe that he hasn’t secured it.

“Pay me when you can,” I whisper just as the teacher walked in.

I wait for Damian after class and Nat walks away to join Mel who nods at me before walking away. I had told her earlier that I was dropping Damian home after school. I see him taking his time to pack up his books and I know he’s trying to avoid me but why? I was only trying to help him.

“Give me directions,” I say as he finally walks up to me.

“To where?” he returns as he falls in step with me as we turn the corner and make our way down the stairs from the three floors up.

“Your home?”

“My home- why?”

“Because you need to check on your mother and-”

“Listen- I don’t think you know me well enough to make decisions for me,” he snaps and turns to face me just as another student walks past us. The staircase is almost empty now.

“I know you worry about your mother and your sister."

"From our little preppy chat, you got allll that?" he mocked me but I know he's hurt and is just lashing out at me.

"Why don’t you go to the police?”

“Police? My father is the police!”

He's with the police? No wonder Damian seemed so scared to make a report.

I stare at him as he sneered his mouth, “My sister is a minor and lives with her parents, I can’t do anything unless she is in danger. Should I scar my sister for life by taking her to another police station where she can lie again?”

Lie again? Scar who? From his words, it sounded like he was the one scarred not his sister. Again…which means he tried to get her out before ... and she lied?

“I get that you want me to leave you alone so why pretend to care?”

Pretend? I was pretending?

“I bought you medication, snuck you in, took you to the hospital- literally almost died from germs, clothed and fed you and you say I pretend?”

“You forget to mention the money,” he comments before he jogs all the way down the stairs ignoring me as I call out to him. On the ground level, he turns to me with a big smile, “Let me give you directions to where I live.”

Minutes later, he opens the door to the dirtiest building I have ever seen people residing in and shouts, “Welcome to my home, Bryan,” as he walked in. It felt strange to hear him say my name for I think it’s the first time he’s said it.

I see a mattress on the floor, with two pillows and a sheet. On the right side, I see a rickety table and a chair with two boxes containing clothes and a bottle of water. Nothing else. Not even a pair of shoes was in sight. I look at Damian, dressed in my clothing and he didn’t look like he belonged here. Maybe it was the expensive clothing he wore, or maybe it was just him but I knew he didn’t belong here.

“This is where I live and as you can see by the clothing on the floor, my father was here.” Damian did a circle around the small room and finished with a ‘tada’ display of child-like magic hands. He is mocking me again I know but I can see his hurt look. His facial features look as if they were about to crumble.

So that’s why he was afraid to return- not because the place was a dump but because of his father. If he put his mind to it, Damian can take his father down physically. I can see he feels guilt- why do victims feel guilt when they are never in the wrong. I have seen my mother cry over many similar situations similar to his. Mostly domestic violence against women by their significant other.

I am very lucky to have the best parents. But not everyone has my luck and I feel for them. Particularly the pain of the man in front of me now.

“Do you have anything of value here?” I question as I take in the clothing on the floor. I see a cup and a bowl with a metal spoon, next to a box of cereal then and it nearly broke my heart to think that this is how he had to live just so he could afford rent and school.

“Valuable? Hah. I can’t afford another pair of jeans,” he snickers and he picks up the bottled water and drinks from it as if showing me this is where he belongs. Nobody belongs in a place like this. “Well thank you for dropping me off, as you can see-”

“Valuable as in of special meaning to you,” I interrupt his crazy rumblings and I walk to the door but he doesn’t answer. “Laptop, phone charger?”

“What? Of course, I have a charger,” he sniggers and he walks to the outlet on the wall and pulls it out, holding it up for me to see. “Who doesn’t have a charger in this day and age.”

“Good, for I loathe lending mine.”

“Tch,” he looks away showing his obvious irritation at my words and I walk out of the smelly room. I would need to get him a laptop it seems.

“Bring it when you lock up.”