You Fell Into The Back Of My Mind - 4. Children

Chapter Four: Children

Mark was staring off in the distance; they had put the kids to sleep in Mark’s bed. Sara had sobbed herself to sleep and he had to rub Kyle’s back before he joined his sister. Tyler was staring at him in looks between frustration, confusion, pity, and sympathy.

He wanted to tell him, tell him everything about Scarlet and Victor and even Terry but he couldn’t if he opened his mouth he would start sobbing again he knew it. He knew Tyler felt betrayed. Mark was very open on most things and he hadn’t told him an inkling about this. Well that wasn’t really quite true, Mark was open with things that didn’t matter with people that didn’t matter. He never told anyone about his childhood and definitely not about any of them.

Tyler had become something different than the rest had been but he had kept those scars close to heart for so long that he couldn’t make himself have the first say, if Tyler asked he would have told him that’s what he always told himself. He knew better though because he was so very certain that it would never happen and here it was, happening. It was just his luck really.

Tyler looked up from the sofa he was sprawled on when he heard Tyler come in. Tyler leant against the doorway that leads to the kitchen a coffee cup in hand. He walked over toward Mark and pressed the steaming liquid into his hands.

“Here I thought you would need this.”

Mark sat up and tried not to grimace at the hot black goo, Tyler like it black no milk, sugar or cream the exact opposite of the way he liked it but he took a sip anyway – and choked much to Tyler’s amusement. He scowled at the smile Tyler was trying to muffle that ass always found amusement in his misery.

It was silent for a bit as Mark forced down more taste bug killing liquid, it was calming him even as it melted his insides. Mark could almost understand why Tyler drank the stuff, almost.

“So are you ever going to tell me?”

The exasperated, irate question had Mark tense, “About what? I thought I made it clear that I never knew about either of them.”

“You knew their mother,” Tyler replied blandly.

Mark felt annoyed, “And what if I do?”

“You never told me about her.” Tyler answered so indignantly that Mark felt anger rise in him.

“So what, don’t act like I’m supposed to tell you every little thing! You’re not my Dad! You hardly even act like a friend!”

Once those words left Mark’s mouth he wanted to snatch them away, it wasn’t true. Sure tyler didn’t show outward positive emotions like happiness and he liked to sneer and could be rather sarcastic and mean but he was Mark’s best friend. He showed that he cared in his own way and was always there for him just not in the typical way.

A flash of pain swept over Tyler’s face before it became impassive again. He didn’t even say anything before he turned on his heel and left.

Tyler sat on his bed glaring at the wall wishing it would crumble. Break and smash and fall at his feet. He wanted to scream and throw things and punch something till those words disappeared from his thoughts.

You hardly even act like a friend!

A hiss left Tyler’s lips. He wanted to not believe it but it was true. He always acted like a jerk to Mark. He hit him a lot, always glared at him and insulted him to no end. He sneered at his smiles, snorted at his attempts at being civil and judged everything he did, who he talked to, what he said or ate.

He wanted to hit the wall but really he wanted to hit himself he was a reclusive jerk that pried to other people’s business and secrets when he was neither wanted nor forthcoming to their own inquisitions.

Tyler woke up to the smell of coffee. The sun wasn’t even down yet, he couldn’t have been asleep for very long. A glance at the clock confirmed this, 11:35. He’d slept two hours and a half. He got up feeling groggy; he sluggishly stood up catching a glance of himself in the mirror. His suit was wrinkled, buttons undone, hair in disarray and a glum look on his face. He looked terrible.

He took off his clothes and dragged his feet as he headed toward the kitchen in his boxers. Mark – who was dressed – raised a brow at him but wordlessly handed him a cup of coffee.

Tyler took it gratefully and took a sip, he nearly sighed in relief. Black and scorching just the way he liked it.

He heard a fake cough and looked over at Mark, “Um… I’m sorry for yelling at you…”

Tyler gave him a look, “Hm.”

Mark scowled, “Is that an ‘I’m sorry too’ or a ‘fuck you’ or a ‘Raccoons are invading frisking America!?’ ”

Tyler couldn’t help the smirk on his lips, “Take a guess.”

Mark tried to keep it down but his lips twitched. He suddenly grew serious, “Um so about Scarlet…”

Tyler tensed, “You don’t have to tell me.”

Mark looked at his feet, “I use to live in a small town, she was the perfect small town girl. We were predicted to fall in love. We didn’t… or I didn’t.”

Tyler couldn’t stop himself from perking up at that, “So how does not loving a girl a long time ago equal to knocking her up a long time later?”

Mark looked up looking sheepish, “You remember when I went to visit my brother?”

Tyler nodded, Mark sighed, “I saw her there she was in a bad way something about her husband cheating on her… it was comfort sex we were both to emotional to really think…”

“You had sex with a married woman?” Tyler interrupted in disbelief.

Mark glared at him, “She was filling for a divorce and it wasn’t like we were having a secret affair it was a one night thing.”

Tyler snorted, “That got you stuck with two kids, well at least till we call child services to handle it.”

Mark glared, “I never knew about Sara she wasn’t in the house and I didn’t see any pictures of her… well any pictures at all really and yeah just until… wait what!?”

“Until child services get here, obviously.” Tyler responded easily.

“What do you mean child services?” Mark began darkly.

Tyler gave him a incredulous look, “You can’t serious be thinking of keeping them can you?”

“Why not, they’re my kids!” Mark hissed, “Do you think I can’t take care of them!?”

“One of them is your kid,” Tyler pointed out, “And you’re not exactly the type of person that raises kids…”

“You don’t trust me to take care of them!” Mark accused.

Tyler glared, “No I don’t but you have to face the facts: without me you can’t even support yourself these days!”

Mark became pale with anger, his hands balled at his sides and his body shaking, “Well fuck you they’re my children and I’ll keep them if I want to!

Sara woke up with the sun and the sounds of her ‘father’ and his lover screaming. Thankfully Ky was still snuggled into her chest sound asleep. They obviously hadn’t wanted children and especially not two strangers. Not that she blamed them she never knew about either of them until Kyle was born, or rather she never heard of Mark she didn’t even know the other one existed – what was his name? Did he say it? She had been angry thinking that her mom had hooked up with another dead beat until she explained that ‘the dead beat’ was him.

As in the boy her mother had loved before when she was little. She never said his name but after she died Sara had found out about the picture books, a recent picture of a tall raven haired man that looked like an older version of Kyle. On the back of the photo read: Mark Sanchez, 13 Milberry Ave, Saltin st NJ

She had no clue when the picture was taken or if he still lived there but the distance wasn’t so far she could get there by train. She desperately wanted to be given to anyone except him. It seemed that she was given her wish though maybe not, Mark didn’t know them if keeping them meant upsetting his lover they’d be kicked to the curb surely?

A thought came to mind and she tried to shake it off, she couldn’t do that! Kyle murmured in his sleep and clung even tighter. She bit her lip if it was just her than she wouldn’t even think of it but it wasn’t just her, she had Kyle with her and mom always said that she had to protect him. She couldn’t just let them get handed over to that jerk without even trying to stop it, now could she?

Sara looked up as the screaming got louder, she could make out a bit of what they were saying, something about not trusting and secrets and ‘you can’t even support yourself these days!’

It wouldn’t be that bad right? They were fighting anyway couples shouldn’t fight they probably weren’t right for each other it would be okay to give them a tiny push wouldn’t it?

If she ‘helped’ just a little it wouldn’t be anything bad right? They were obviously going to break up anyway so it’s not like she was doing anything bad.

Kyle shifted in his sleep and Sara made her decision, she would break them up so Kyle could have a better life.