Lily Hates Me: A Love Story — Chapter 17

"That's not how you eat sushi you uncultured swine!" Lily screamed as I stabbed the sushi in the middle with my fork.

We were sitting in a Japanese restaurant that Lily picked out because she insisted on taking me out on a date and I couldn't say no to those big blue eyes.

"Well it's food and forks were invented to pick up food with, so that's what I am doing?" I asked.

"Yes, but this is sushi. You are supposed to use chopsticks to pick them up. Like this," she proceeded to show me how to do it and I scowled.

"There's no way I'm using two sticks to eat food. Fork or nothing," I said.

"Fiiine!" She glared at me which made me chuckle.

"You know it's my birthday in two weeks." She said all of a sudden.

"What! Really? How old are you going to be now? Twelve?" I grinned. She had a very young-looking face and I liked to tease her about it because it was cute when she got mad.

"Shut up you jerk!" she poked me with her chopstick. "I'm turning sixteen. Daddy usually has a party for me every year and this year is no different so..." she paused and gave me a hopeful look. "I want you to be there this year. Will you come?"

I hesitated. A party full of people whose world was completely different from mine? I felt insecure just thinking about it. But I couldn't let her down. I wanted to be there for her birthday. It was time for me to suck it up and get out of my comfort zone.

Lily sensed my discomfort and touched my arm. "I know you don't like to associate with the type of people I'm usually around but it would make me really happy. I don't care about anyone else being there, I just know it won't be the same without you," she said quietly.

I squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I'll be there princess."

"What's with you still calling me that?" Lily pouted. "Just because I was born into money doesn't mean I'm a rich spoiled girl. Why do you still mock me and call me a princess?"

"Mock you? That's not why I call you that!" I exclaimed.

"Then why?" she asked.

"Well, I'll admit when I called you that the first time I was mocking you but I continued to call you that because you are so beautiful, like a princess." I paused and held her chin up with my thumb. "And because you are my princess."

She blushed and I leaned over and kissed her.

Lily and I have been going out for a week since the night we kissed. I guess you could say we are dating. I never imagined myself being with a girl and calling her my girlfriend but I wanted to call her that. I just didn't have the guts to say it out loud. I cared deeply for her. Hell, I think I am in love with her. But I couldn't tell her that. I was afraid. Deep down, I knew I was a total reject compared to her and I wasn't ready to face the truth.

On the day of her birthday, I went home from school. I heard a commotion in the kitchen so I went to see what was going on.

My father was frantically searching the kitchen cabinets and cursing profusely.

"Where the fuck are they, you bitch? I know I put some in here. What did you do to them?" he snarled.

My mother was shaking and crying at the same time. "I don't know, for the love of God, you probably drank them all already!"

"You are calling me a liar?" he asked and yanked her hair making her yelp in pain.

I stepped in despite knowing better. "Let her go, dad, she said she didn't take them."

"Or what? You shit." he pushed me.

I don't know what came over me. Maybe because being with Lily made me have more respect towards women, so I decided to defend my mother for the first time and pushed him back.

My father's eyes were glowing like they would burst into flames at any moment. He charged at me and threw a punch at my face. I fell on the floor with my hands on my nose, I think it was broken.

"You a big man now, talking back to your father?" he scoffed and kicked me in the ribs. I groaned as it hurt a lot. Just get up Jacob, I told myself. I beat up kids in the past many times. I can take this one man.

"Fuck you." I cursed and tried to punch him, but at this point, the pain in my nose and ribs was too much so I missed his face.

"You gonna hit me, boy? I'm gonna fuck you up you son of a bitch!" with that, he kept kicking me in the ribs, over and over again until I blacked out.

I don't remember what happened after that, but I woke up on the hospital bed. I tried to sit up and groaned. I saw my left side was bandaged.

"Take it, easy hun, you don't want to get up too fast." a nurse said as she entered the room.

"How long have I been in here?" I asked.

"It has been five hours. You have a couple of broken ribs and a black eye but other than that, you are okay and will be ready to go home soon," she said reassuringly.

Five hours! That means I must've missed Lily's party. Sadness washed over my mind when I thought about how disappointed she must've been when I wasn't there for her. I wanted to call her and tell her everything that happened but I was embarrassed. I didn't want to expose her to the ugliness I face every day. My thoughts were interrupted when I saw mom walked in. She also sported a similar black eye on the left side of her face.

"How are you doing sweetheart?" She asked gently.

"I've been better." I scoffed. "Where is that bastard now?"

"The police...the neighbor called them and they came and took him away, she said quietly.

"Good," I said.

"I am sorry honey, but I didn't press charges so he will be out by tomorrow," my mom said. Her tone was full of regrets.

Figures...she always chose him over us and our safety.

"When will you stop letting that bastard get away with this!" I screamed and winced in pain.

"I am so sorry! I just can't afford to lose him right now. We just don't have the money, please understand," she pleaded.

"I am sick of this shit. You'll never leave him and one day he will end up killing one of us," I said sadly. "Please leave, I want to be alone."

She didn't argue and left the room. I longed to see my princess since she was the only one who can take this pain away.