I Have A Really Big House In Miami!

Chapter 7

It Was His Dad!

"That was no one." he said in a defensive tone yet again.

"Ronnie! You can't expect me to see that type of tension in a conversation and not be curious!" He saw my point and he decided to tell me who that was.

"That was my dad. . ." he seemed like some screaming would be coming even though we were in a movie theater. But that only made me more concerned and I don't know why he would think I would be mad.

"That was your dad?!" I couldn't make sense of anything. How could father and son act like that?! Why did Ronnie's dad look so evil?! Why was Ronnie in such a defensive position when he was talking to his dad?!

"Yes." I wanted to ask more but his voice rang with finality.

"Oh. OK. . ." I decided to just leave it alone for now. . . I would ask him about it later. The rest of the date went really well accept that I could not sit still with the curiosity and Ronnie was obviously not paying attention to the movie and was instead, staring off into space. I was wondering about why they acted like that together, and where and how and with what Ronnie got those terrible bruises! He had them on his arm and completely down his back. It was horrible. . . it didn't look like a sport injury. . . I didn't know what it was. And then something popped into my head. "Is your dad... abusing you?" It was hard to get the words out because the visuals I had in my head were just so terrible! I mean, to have that type of bruise all down your back... and know that it came from your father. Ronnie looked almost scared now.

"Um... no." Ronnie was a terrible liar.

"Oh my god." I couldn't think. I was standing up. I looked around the theater and I felt about 50 pairs of eyeballs staring back at me. Apparently I had been screaming. I didn't know. I couldn't hear. I couldn't see. Tears welled up in my eyes. It was silly because I wasn't the one being abused, Ronnie was. Yet I was the one that needed comforting. He rubbed his arm up and down my arm.

"It's okay. I'm okay." I couldn't believe how much I was getting to know Ronnie! I mean, before he was just another silly boy in my grade! But know he is a real person with big, real problems. And I knew the most important one. I felt a surge of energy and I burst out of the theater. I didn't know where I was going, I just had to get out of there and get the gruesome visuals out of my head! I burst through the double doors of the movie theater and down the road. I don't know how long I was running, but I finally saw a fire station. I charged toward the doors until someone grabbed me. The thick, muscular arms let me twist around to see the face. It was Ronnie. I didn't know he had been following me. I couldn't speak. I just hugged him and buried my face in his chest. "I was calling for you," he said in a concerned voice, "Did you hear me?" I shook my head against him. He was so tall! "But listen. You can't tell ANYONE about this.If you do... well you can guess." I felt horror flash through my body. "He will get mad."

"But your bruises! I-I-It's terrible! Doesn't it hurt?!" I was a stupid question, but he didn't seem to be in pain at all.

"I'm fine. Are you okay?" I couldn't believe it.

"WHAT?! Am I okay?! WHAT THE HELL?! You're the one who's father is abusing you, and you're asking ME if I'M okay?!" I heard a man yell something inside the fire station. Uh oh. Someone heard me. I was in big trouble. Ronnie said nothing and moved quickly through the back yard. He carried me instead of letting me run beside him. I thought that was kind of insulting. Except there was bigger things to worry about. The yelling of the man became louder. I didn't bother to turn around because it was obvious that he was outside with us.

"HEY!" he yelled at us. "STOP RIGHT THERE!"

I Have A Really Big House In Miami!

Chapter 6

A Disturbing Night

Robbie had his arm around my shoulder while we walked into the theater. It was uncomfortable but also sweet. I always hate it when you're walking and talking in the hallways of the movie theater, and then when you walk into the theater for your movie, you finish your sentence and you feel like you were yelling and interrupting the movie, just because it was all quiet in there! That makes me nervous... I don't know why. I tell Robbie this, and he says

"Oh my god, me too! That is so cool!" And it didn't sound like he was saying that just to agree with me, it sounded like that was an honest thing that we had in common! That is cool! He was just quivering with excitement as we entered the theater! I was looking up at his face, and I finally realized how tall he was! He must be 6"4'! Then he stopped cold. His body froze but got hot as if he was nervous. I was still looking at his face as his features tightened into an almost scared expression. I didn't know what he was looking at until I looked in the same direction he was. I saw a very bulky man with his muscles rippling through his arms. He looked about 40 years old maybe but still young. He had some facial hair but not that much. He looked mad. I couldn't understand how Robbie knew him, but he seemed to. Robbie looked like he was in pain.

"Hey Robbie. Are you alright? Who is that?" I whispered in his ear so that the man won't hear me. Robbie didn't answer. He just stared ahead.

"What are you doing here?" Robbie asked in a defensive voice.

"You mean you aren't happy to see me?" the man sneered. He flashed a devilish smile.

"Answer the question." I couldn't make sense of anything. Robbie looked so mad and the man looked so sinister. The man just chuckled and left the theater. Robbie stared after him as if he was ready to defend himself if something happened. I didn't notice until now that the whole talk was whispers. Because no one in the theater seemed to notice us in the doorway. I could feel how tense Robbie was and I was scared. There was just WAY to much tension in that conversation to not be concerned.

"Robbie. Who. Was. That?" I asked nervously while we walked to our seats.