"Chelsea and I hung out a bit at school, way less than usual for sure. I knew something changed between us, but I couldn't figure it out in the moment."
Age: 12
As the sixth grade class dismisses, Miles walks within the crowd of chattering school kids, looking for Chelsea, only to feel a tap on his shoulder. He looks back, but his face drops slightly when he sees that it's Shane. "Oh, uh.. my bad, Shane..", Miles says, but Shane says "You always seem to zone out lately. What's up?", and he leans closer teasingly "Is it about your crush?". Miles, blushing, says "Shh! Not so loud..! And I'm not even sure I'm crushing on her yet..", to which Shane shrugs, saying "Sure, sure.. You've been using that same response since I figured it out..". Miles suddenly gets a phone call, he checks who it's from and sees that it's from Mallory. "Oh, sorry Shane.. I'll meet you guys at the café later. I gotta take this.", Miles says ,to which Shane says "Aight. See ya later.", and runs ahead.
Miles answers the call, only to be met with Mallory, in a driere tone "Miles. Come home, now. It's urgent.", Miles, confused, asks "What? What's going on?", but the call ends. Miles, slightly worried hurries home.
"I'll never forget what I saw when I walked through that door.."
As Miles opens the door to his home, he is met by the sight of his parents, in despair, while Mallory just sits on the couch, silent. "Hello..? What's.. going on..?", Miles asks, feeling the weight of the tension in the room. Mallory taps the spot on the couch next to her, telling Miles to sit next to her, which he does. "Mal? What's happening?", Miles asks, only to be stopped by the sound of the table being slammed. It was their father, his face a vision of fury and sorrow as he shouts at their mother "How could you?! After everything we've been through..!", to which their mother winces, as if the words pierced her chest. Miles' eyes widen in shock, and he tries to get up to protest, only to be stopped by Mallory, who tightens her grip on his hand, saying quietly "Miles. Sit down.".
Miles and Mallory could only watch as their parents' argument grows more intense, their father shouting "How could you leave our kids to sleep with another man!?". This sudden reveal shakes Miles and Mallory to their core, Miles' breath hitching as he stutters "Wh.. what..? Mom..?" and Mallory grasp on Miles' hand trembling. Their mother shouts back "Richard, I didn't want to hurt you! Or the kids!", which makes their father slam his fist down on the table again, tears falling from his eyes, he says "Save it!", staring daggers at her "Susan, It's clear now that you were never meant to be my wife, or a mother.". Susan gets up, in tears, and tries to grab him, begging him while wailing "No, Richard! Please, give me another chance..!", but Richard coldly declares "It's over. I want you out by tonight.". Miles, paralyzed in shock, feels tears well up in his eyes as he sees Susan, crawl towards them, begging them for forgiveness, but Richard continues "I said out!! Out of this house! Out of our lives!!!". Miles looks up at Mallory for solace, only to be met with the sight of her, completely devastated, her face streaming with tears and her shoulders shaking, but her grasp on Miles' hand never faltering.
"I didn't even know how to feel. Seeing my mom like that, begging at my dad's feet like that.. for forgiveness.. for being a cheater."
Miles and Mallory eventually run upstairs and go to their rooms, Miles shutting the door, and sitting on his bed, shivering, in tears. "No.. no way..! Mom.. she wouldn't..", he thinks to himself, but suddenly he hears a knock on his door, he leans closer to it, only to hear Mallory's voice, saying "Can I sleep here tonight? I.. Can't be alone right now..". He opens the door, only to be met with a tight hug from his beloved sister, which he returns.
As night falls, Miles and Mallory cuddle in Miles' bed, Mallory constantly rubbing Miles' back to soothe his pain, even a little. Miles thinks to himself "Now what? What comes next for us..? Are we.. still even a family..?".
A week later, Miles lays on his bed, staring at the ceiling, unmoving. But, suddenly, he hears a knock on his window, instinctively replying "Not now, dad.", but jolts up when he looks to his window to see Chelsea with a worried expression on her face. "Ch.. Chelsea?! What are you.. doing here..?", Miles asks, opening the window, and she replies "It's been forever, what's been going on with you? Are you.. okay..?". Miles looks away, wiping his puffy, reddened eyes, saying "I'm fine. I.. it's just..", but starts breaking down in tears, and Chelsea leaps into his room, hugging him tightly. "H..huh..? Chels..?", Miles utters, but melts into the embrace, hugging her back. "You don't have to tell me anything, but at least tell me when you're not okay..", Chelsea says, hugging him warmly. Miles replies, sniffling "You.. too. Please.. tell me if you're not okay..".
"That was the moment, where I had decided. I'd help her with whatever she was dealing with, because that hug, and those words.. saved in more ways than I can describe."