Three

Kian

I woke at the first sign of sunlight, my eyes stinging raw with fatigue, having hardly slept a wink. The deep rumbling snores coming from my parents’ room was enough to tell me Dad was still here. That meant Mom was somewhat stable, or so I hoped.

Tossing back the sheets, I dangled my legs out of bed to sit up. I stretched and yawned, then rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Tomorrow was Saturday. I just had to get through one more day of school, then I could hang out with Jaxton.

He was the only friend I had who was my age. Jax was home-schooled, and our dads were mutual friends. They introduced us during a Cage fighting match, and we became great friends ever since.

It took me no time at all to shower and change, not wanting to spend a moment longer in the grubby bathroom. Brown scorch marks stained the edge of the tub from where Mom would prepare her next fix. I could still smell it faintly in the air, even after I opened the window to let out the steam.

The house was calm when I crept down the stairs. Cigarette smoke curled through the kitchen doorway in soft wisps. I peeped through and saw Mom sitting at the small wooden table that was littered with crushed beer cans. She flicked her cigarette ash in one of the empty cans, using it as an ashtray.

"Morning," I acknowledged her sitting there. She groaned in response, scrubbing a hand over her pallid face.

Her brown eyes were heavy, sunken, and gaunt. I had seen pictures of her in her younger years, long before she met Dad and had me. She used to be beautiful. She had long, brown hair with bouncy curls. Her cheeks used to be plump with dimples on either side of her full lips. Her teeth weren't blackened, and her bones weren't protruding through her skin like sticks beneath rags. The drugs Mom pumped into her veins had robbed her of vitality. She looked back at me with empty eyes, her fingers trembling as she brought her cigarette back up to her lips.

"You're going to school early today; what gives?" she asked with a vague curiosity creasing her brow. Her face was momentarily distorted under a cloud full of exhaled smoke.

I could sense what her problem was. She was all out of gear, and she was hoping to catch me early so she could try and persuade me to go get her some. It was more than my life was worth. Dad would tan my hide if he caught me doing that.

"I didn't do my homework, so I have to make up for it." I shrugged, coming up with an excuse and not wanting to tell her about Mrs. Banks looking out for me.

"I already told you." Mom narrowed her eyes as her tone turned sour. "Schoolwork should be done at school."

"I know, Mom," I added quickly, "but my teacher asked if everything was all right at home."

Mom's cursing caused me to recoil, scared that it would wake up Dad. "Fuck, Kian, what did you tell her?"

"I didn't say anything. I ran home. I heard you and Dad fighting, so I stayed and ate dinner with Mrs. B." I told the truth, hoping to placate her.

Mom huffed in agitation. "So that's who called last night," she muttered under her breath.

Dad's heavy footsteps thundered down the stairs, then he entered the kitchen, brushing past me on his way over to the fridge.

"Problem?" he asked in his gruff tone.

"No," Mom spoke with a sigh. "Just school, poking their noses into our business."

Dad dragged a can of beer from the shelf, then let the door fall shut with a rattle. Using one finger, he cracked the ring pull, which then made a hissing sound as the gasses escaped.

"It's simple. We'll just pull him out." He shrugged as if it was as simple as that.

Panic froze me, scared shitless of the future I dreamed about being ripped away. "But I wanna go to school!" I squeaked fearfully.

Dad chugged his beer, unaffected by my distress.

"Why, Kian? Don't you wanna do something more useful with your time?" Mom asked me, then looked to Dad for some backup.

Dad let out a silent belch before answering. "Tomorrow morning, you're coming down to the Cage with me. You're gonna get your first taste of what it feels like to be a man."

"But I promised Jaxton that I'd hang out with him tomorrow," I whined with disappointment.

Dad rolled his eyes. "You'll both be there. It has all been prearranged. You and Jax are of age now. It's about time we begin training you boys."

I frowned in confusion. "Training? But we have training lessons at school," I told him, referring to the compulsory classes which involved shifting, combat, and survival skills.

Dad scoffed as if he thought that was a load of baloney. "Not the crap that they've been teaching you at school. You wanna end up stuck in a deadbeat ranger's job like me?" He gestured at himself and then all around the grubby kitchen space. "Take a look at this place. Is this what you want, Kian?" He made a face and cocked his head to suggest that he didn't think so.

"No, sir," I agreed with him, too scared to say anything else.

"Good, then it's decided. You'll start learning how to handle yourself in the Cage first thing tomorrow." Dad's words were final.

I grabbed my school bag and skulked over to Mrs. B's shack next door.

She fed me a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausages, and toast, then sent me off to school with a brown paper bag that contained my lunch.

By the time I arrived at school, the gates were just getting unlocked. Kids piled through after waving goodbye to their parents and hurried toward their classrooms. Any anxiety I harbored was squashed under a satisfied stomach.

"Hey, Austin!" one of the moms yelled from the edge of the schoolyard. "You forgot your lunch bag!"

I turned to see a kid a few years younger than me hurry back to where his mom was holding out a Power Rangers snack pack. I recognized the lady as Dr. Rayne.

She had made quite a few house calls to Mom over the last few months. She noticed me looking and smiled. Her son, Austin, was a little shorter than me and had blond hair that refused to be tamed. His mom dressed him in smart clothes, making him look coddled and cared for. He hadn't the faintest idea how much he was envied by me. His momma took care of everyone. Yet she still made sure he went to school with a full belly and his lunch bag. That was one lucky kid, even if he did take it all for granted. He rolled his eyes as she pulled him back, squishing his face between her hands as she kissed him goodbye. I would've traded a vital organ just to have my momma care about me like that.

Bodies bustled around the halls, forming a single file outside each classroom door along the walls. Colorful pictures decorated either side where some of our best work took pride of place. I was third in line today, which was a new record for me. Usually, I wandered in last.

Miss Halloway noticed me enter the room, raising her brows with surprise. I guess she figured I'd be a “no show” after yesterday's fiasco, not show up early. The teaching assistant she was speaking with turned her head in my direction and gawked at me.