Chapter 2

It’s been another month now and I have been going to soccer practice every afternoon and Fridays I’d meet with Ms. Presley for my extra lessons, we’ve written a few tests and she was impressed with my marks! Gladly.

However, I have been noticing some bruises in Ms. Presley’s body like the neck, some time she even came to campus wearing glasses to hide one in her eye, her mouth she tried to hide with makeup, her legs as well and it had me concerned but when I ask her she’d give me some perfect excuses about them.

We have a match tonight on campus and a small celebration after the match, me and my friends were planning to get high and drunk as possible.

The day went by with students eagerly waiting for the event to happen as they see the soccer field getting decorated and looking nice.

Finally after our classes my team and I went to prepare for the match, it was a big opportunity for all of that and we did not want to ruin this at all costs.

So, we ran to the field when everyone else was already seated waiting for us and the team we were playing against was another reputable school from Florida, I was nervous.

Parents of the students walked by and took their seats as well, here to watch us.

I stared around, trying to find familiar faces, I see Ms. Presley with a guy and I thought it might be her so-called husband who had his hand around her waist, I rolled my eyes, u was annoyed.

Then I took my eyes off them and my eyes met with my old man, there he was, I was then overjoyed, my dad couldn’t miss my soccer matches for anything in this world, since elementary school he would work half day and come watch me play whenever I had a match.

He knew how much soccer meant to me and I appreciated him every day for being the perfect father to me.

I see him nodding, like he always did and I never understood what it meant but it always gave me encouragement in the field.

After a few moment we started with the match.

The match went on for hours and I was not only challenged by the opposing team members, Melvin was also being a pain in the ass.

He made it hard for me to score goals when I was just about to just because he wanted to be the one scoring.

We took a short break after.

Coach gave us bottles of water but instead of drinking mine I splashed it to Melvin and we almost fought

“The fuck you doing stupid ass white boy!” he retorted

“Well I should be asking you the same question, brown idiot!”

Everyone was shocked at us, coach pulled us apart from each other.

“What is this guys? Have you gone mad? Aiden?!”

“Coach how did you not see what he was doing? He was in my way to score goals, if he didn’t block my way I’d have scored more than the other team, look now it’s 3-0”

I couldn’t stop complaining because I was mad.

“What the hell are you even saying, you’re not that much of a good soccer player Haley just get over yourself! You are so scared of failure that you end up being paranoid and want to fight the wrong people and I don’t have time to keep entertaining you in the field idiot.”

I got closer to try and lay a punch in his face but coach pushed me away.

“Okay, time’s up, you must be in the field now and Haley and Melvin you must put your difference aside and do this together, I need a meeting with the two of you next Monday after-school we must resolve this.”

After what coach said we ran back to the field and began with the match again.

We did give it our all and surprising enough Melvin and I scored goals and in the final round I deep down could not let him or anyone mess this up for me so I decided to go for a final goal then there we was! The winners!

Our cheerleaders came down to the field and did what they were supposed to do while everyone in the crowd was cheering for us. I felt great! My friends ran to hug me and congratulation me for scoring.

“Congratulations Haley.” I heard Layla’s voice, she was the captain of the cheerleaders, as expected.

“Thanks Layla.”

“Want to go for drinks after this? It’ll be fun.”

“Uh…sorry but I can’t, I promised my dad I’d…”

She cuts me out with

“Its fine, you don’t have to explain I understand. Next time I guess.”

“Yeah sure.”

“See you around.” She smiled at me and excused me.

I ran to my dad who then embraced me.

“I’m proud of you son, everyday it’s a step ahead to your goals in life, no matter how little or big you see this.”

“Thanks pops, I quickly need to rush to the lavatory I’ll be back.”

I ran to the school building walked past the first corridor and I see Ms. Presley with the guy I’ve seen earlier, he was pinning her against the lockers and tightly grabbed her hips and I could see Ms. Presley wincing, he was kissing her neck, I’m pretty sure that must have been hard as well.

“Oakley stop. Please stop.” I heard her say.

She was pleading with him to stop what he was doing but he grabs her by her neck.

“What should I stop? You’re my fucking wife and I’ll do anything I want with you, you hear me?”

He slaps her and she falls to the ground I could not hold it anymore and decided to intervene.

I ran to fight the man.

“No! Haley! Stop!”

Her yelling invited other teachers to our location and they stopped me and that man’s fight.

“What happened here?” my dad asks

“Nothing happened officer, it was just a little misunderstanding”

Somehow this idiot of a husband already knew my dad was an officer.

“Dad he’s lying, he slapped Ms. Presley.” I spoke out

“That’s not true, why are you lying Haley? Domestic violence is real don’t joke about it and Mt husband would never hurt me.”

What the hell just happened?! Did those words literally come out of Ms. Presley who was slapped mouth? Why was she protecting this dumb douch of her husband?

“No, no, no, it’s okay you can tell my dad the truth, he’s a cop he can arrest him.” I tried to convince her.

“Officer your child was just invading in things that don’t concern him, my husband and I were having just a bit of misunderstanding and I’m sure he took it the wrong way.” Ms. Presley said

I sighed.

“This man didn’t lay a hand on you?” my dad asks her

She shook her head.

“No officer.” She said

“Okay then, sorry to bother you, Haley let’s go home.”

I wanted to get home and lock myself up in my room, I was mad at Ms. Presley for the whole situation. So I went home with my dad and did that.

The next morning I was still in my room and I avoided my friends phone calls all night long, before my dad was going to work he knocked on my door and I opened for him.

“Hey son, how did you sleep?”

“Okay I guess.” I sigh

“I understand you wanted to help, but son couples do have misunderstanding sometimes and that’s normal.” He says

“What’s also normal? The man hitting the woman in those arguments?” I shrugged

“But you heard what that woman was saying, her husband didn’t lay a hand on her.”

“Dad of course she lied! I’m telling you what I saw and why would I choose to tight that idiot anyway?”

“Okay look, I’ll be home early today and we can talk about this okay.”

I just nodded.

“Take care, call me if anything.” He said

My dad left the house and I went to bath soon after then I went downstairs to make myself cereal and that’s when I heard a knock on the door, I went to open thinking it would be one of my friends since my other friend Niel doesn’t stay away far from my house.

I open the door and see Ms. Presley in tears.

I was in shock.

“Hey please come in.”

She walked in and I closed the door then lead her to the lounge area to sit down.

She was sobbing I didn’t know what to do but I wanted to do something to make her feel better anyway.

“Can I?” I mumbled, asking if I could touch her, I was reluctant like a little boy who was nervous to touch a pretty glass thinking he might break it since it was so fragile.

Ms. Presley just walked to my arms and cried to me, I comforted her, I’m pretty sure she was not thinking at that moment, she was just in pain, but what happened though?

I let her rest on my shoulders and cry, after letting out her tears she moves back and I gave her something to wipe her face with.

“Thank you.” She says

“What happened?” I ask

“He did it again, when we got home he did it again, and it was worse this time around.”

I was mad as a hatter.

“I’m calling my dad.” I said as I stood up from the sofa and she follows me to the kitchen and stopped me from calling dad with our land-line.

“No stop please! Listen to me.”

“Listen to what Alesia huh? That guy will end up killing you or causing you serious damage is that what you want?”

“No.”

“Then let me call my dad and he’ll put him behind bars, he’s abusive”

“You don’t understand, don’t get anyone else involved in this please!” she yells

“Why? You like it? You like it when he beats you up? Huh? Answer me damnnit!”

She slapped me.

I tried to take the landline phone again to call my dad but she pushes me away from it!

We just stood there, staring at each other.