At 5:30 a.m., I woke up and couldn't fall back asleep. I stared at the pink ceiling of my bedroom. It was really windy, it was already autumn. Then I remembered when I was little, and whenever I couldn't sleep, I would go to my parents' bed.
I got up and decided to go to Dad's room. I also needed news about Pitter. I put on my slippers and went. I slowly approached his room. I opened the door slowly, and when I looked at the bed, he was with Abigail. The shock was inevitable. They were hugging.
I immediately put my hand over my mouth and closed the door, very slowly. It was a mix of feelings. I was happy they were together, but I didn't understand why they hadn't told me. I decided to go to the room where Adam was and walked in. He was sleeping and got startled when I entered.
"Oh no, Mia… I'm sleepy, get out of here."
"Adam, I can't sleep."
He took a deep breath, rubbed his eyes, and said:
"Lie down here next to me."
I laid down, and he hugged me.
"Is it because of Chad?" he asked.
"Also," I answered.
He said:
"He's a good guy, Mia, he's just insecure. Talk to him."
I took a deep breath. He gave me a kiss on the cheek and said:
"Now let's sleep."
"There's something else…" I said. "I went to my dad's room… he was with Abigail."
Adam laughed and added:
"That's not a surprise. They make a cute couple."
I smiled and said:
"Yeah…"
"Let's sleep now, please," Adam said.
"Okay…" I answered.
I stayed there with Adam. I dozed a little, but I couldn't really sleep. When it was 7:30, I got up and shook Adam.
"Hey, get up, it's almost time to leave for school!"
Adam put the pillow over his face and said:
"Oh, no…"
"Come on, I'm going to get ready," I said, and left the room.
In the hallway, I ran into my dad. He looked at me and said, nervous:
"What were you doing in there, Mia?"
"Oh, Dad, we're friends…"
My dad then grabbed my arm and took me to my room, closing the door.
"Friends or not, that doesn't look good, Mia. You're teenagers with hormones running wild. Certain things must be avoided."
I thought my hormones were perfectly safe when it came to Adam. I even felt slightly nauseous thinking about anything other than friendship with him.
I looked right into my dad's eyes and said:
"I couldn't sleep and I was worried. I went to your room, but…"
At that moment, my dad started coughing.
"And Pitter?" I asked, seeing his discomfort.
He left the room saying:
"Get ready for breakfast and come downstairs. Then we'll all talk."
I got ready and went downstairs. When I arrived, everyone was having breakfast. Mrs. Ruth was telling my dad they would go home.
My dad then said:
"No. I'm traveling today, I'll only be back Saturday. It's for business. Stay with Mia and Abigail."
Ruth agreed.
"Mia, Adam… about Pitter: he's in a trustworthy clinic. In a month, we'll visit him."
Adam was shocked:
"A month?!"
"Yes," my dad responded. "If everything goes well, he'll be discharged in three months."
We were sad, but we knew it was for his own good.
My dad drove Adam and me to school. When I got there, Chad was waiting for me. He hugged me.
"Mia, can we go out after school? I want to talk to you."
"But my dad…" I said.
"Tell him you're going to Emma's house," he told me.
I agreed. I said goodbye and went to class. I was startled when Jhenna walked in.
"Hi, Mia. I'm going to study here now."
I smiled and greeted her. Emma didn't like that at all. During class, Jhenna asked me about Pitter. I told her about the clinic. She then looked sad.
She said: "When I ran after him that day, I think I acted wrong."
I asked: "Why?"
"I cornered him and asked where he was going. He yelled, said it wasn't my business. So I yelled and called him a coward, said he was looking for a reason to do something stupid, but real men don't use excuses when they want to do something wrong, they just do it."
"And what did he say?" I asked.
"He told me to shut up. Said I didn't know anything. That a spoiled girl like me would never know what it's like to have real problems, unlike him."
"And what did you reply?"
"I asked if problems had a social class. Then he left me talking alone…"
I went silent for a while.
"Can I visit him when you guys go?" she asked.
"You have to check with Ruth, with Adam…" I answered.
She nodded. Then I didn't talk to her anymore during class. Emma didn't like her, and with good reason.
I also found her behavior with Pitter unnecessary. And there's the Brandon issue… getting close to her would automatically bring me closer to him. Something I didn't want.
After class, Chad took me to Key West on his motorcycle. We sat on a pier.
"The sunset is soon," he said.
I stared at the sea. The mood between us was strange.
"Mia… I love you."
I just looked at him and didn't respond. He then grabbed my waist and sat me on the guard rail, keeping me safe with his hands.
He stroked my hair and said:
"Forgive me…"
"Chad, you have to apologize to Pitter."
He nodded and added:
"I will, at the first chance."
His eyes filled with tears.
"Mia, I don't want to lose you. Please, you're so important to me…"
I stayed silent. He took a deep breath.
"I'm really too jealous. It's something I can't control. My mom told me to go to therapy… but I don't know. Considering my crazy stepmother is a psychologist, it feels weird."
"Go," I said. "It will be great. Chad, tell me about yourself… there's so much that doesn't fit. So many loose ends. I don't know what to believe anymore."
He then put me back on the ground, held my hand and said:
"Let's sit on that bench over there."
We sat. He turned to me.
"I was born and raised in a normal family… until I was 12. At that age, my parents started fighting constantly. Lots of yelling… even physical aggression. It confused me. My dad had a mistress. My mom found out and begged for a tiny bit of attention from him every day. Until one day he left. Said the mistress was pregnant. I remember my mom dragging herself to his feet begging him not to leave…" he said, and a tear rolled down his face.
He wiped it away quickly and continued:
"My mom fell into depression. Tried to take her own life. She wouldn't get out of bed for anything. I tried to help, taking care of my siblings. My dad never helped financially. He simply forgot he had kids after the separation."
"How do you live?" I asked.
"My grandfather, my dad's father, helps a little. My mom works, and I have an internship to help with college. We don't have much, but we manage. My grandpa is a good man. He never supported what my dad did."
"So you have a sibling from your stepmother?"
"No. That baby was never born. I think it was a lie…"
I was shocked.
"My stepmother is evil," Chad added.
"If I told you the things she's done, you wouldn't believe me."
I looked into his eyes and answered:
"I believe you, I trust you."
At that moment, he hugged me tight and we ended up kissing. With his lips close to mine, he whispered:
"Sorry. I don't want to lose your dad's trust. We can't…"
I kissed him again. After a few seconds, he pulled away and smiled, with a sad look.
"My stepmother… She accused me of starting the fire. She once put drugs in Will's backpack, my brother. We know it was her because he was at my dad's house having lunch with them, and he took a test showing no contact with any chemical substance. And the worst part… that was the reason we cut contact with them forever."
He paused, trying to control himself.
"A year ago, my little sister Amber was having health issues because of my dad's absence. Then he took her on a trip with them, purely because of pressure from her psychologist and my mom. Amber almost drowned in a lagoon… My stepmother said Amber disobeyed and went there on her own, but Amber says it was our stepmother who dared her to do it. They were alone… We believe Amber's version. My dad, however…"
Chad gave a heavy sigh, and I stayed silent, feeling the pain in his words.
"Look at the sunset," I said, to break the tension.
He looked, and we admired the view together. Chad gently held my hand, and I let myself enjoy that calm moment.
He took me to Emma's house. From there, Adam and I went home. When I arrived, my dad had already traveled.
I kept thinking about everything Chad had told me. I felt happy that he opened up to me, that he exposed his heart, but at the same time, I felt immense pity for him. I couldn't even imagine, not even in my worst nightmares, that someone could be so cruel, so despicable.
While I thought about that, I remembered a day when I was around 11. I was walking home from school, and I saw some boys throwing stones at a bird's nest. I yelled at them to stop, but it was too late. The nest fell, and the eggs broke. I just stood there, watching, while the mother bird had her beak near the broken eggs. I picked her up carefully, she was hurt. I ran and took her to my grandpa.
He was at his desk and, when he saw the bird, he said:
"Let's see what we can do." He said as he put on his glasses.
He looked at her calmly and said:
"She might be okay. Let's put her somewhere warm and wait."
I then started crying, not understanding the cruelty of that.
"Grandpa, why did they do that to her?" I asked, my voice trembling.
He gently stroked my hair and said:
"Mia, dear, some people do evil simply for pleasure."
Crying, I said:
"I don't like those people."
He hugged me and said:
"I will pray every day that you never meet that kind of person in your life again."
What my grandpa told me back then I didn't fully understand. But now, over time, I understand the weight of those words. Katty, Wender, and Chad's stepmother were that kind of person. People who hurt others just because they can, without remorse or a real reason. And even now, seeing Chad's suffering, I knew he was also facing the evil those people caused. They were in my path, and I couldn't just ignore it.