Page 65 of Together in Harmony
“Little fucker,” Hugo hisses.
“So yeah, it was mostly just me and Screech. When I say aloud the kinds of things he did, it doesn’t seem so bad. But I was terrified, I never knew what was coming next, like it was a psychological war.”
Asa strokes my hair and I continue.
“His main thing was isolating me. He did everything he could to make sure I never had friends, or even contact with the outside world really. When I asked dad for a phone, Screech would steal and break it. Then he would tell Dad I threw my phone at him in a tantrum—so no more phones. I had no money, no bank account, no way to be independent. I sometimes went to school, but a lot of the time I would try and ditch. Just have a little time to myself. Screech was in my class. He’d been held back a couple of years, and didn’t care at all. Sometimes I think he got held back on purpose, just so he could torment me. If I made a friend, Screech would always do something to ruin it. Spread lies, say I was talking shit.”
Now I’m finally laying it all out, it feels good, easier to keep talking.
“He would tell boys that I was an easy slut, so I was always getting cornered and felt up. He told girls that I called them fat and ugly—that was all it took to make the girls hate me. I know it sounds petty, but it was awful. Life was hell. I thought about killing myself, but I didn’t want to be like my mom.”
I wanted to be braver than her.
“When I was fifteen, Screech put some drug in my soda, I don’t know what. Then he took me to a party—I was out of my head. It was wild and crazy, everyone was high. He just left me there, like a door-prize. I wasn’t roofied, because I remember it all, but I was so stoned it was hard to…function. These men and women, they…”
Oh fuck. I’ve never told anyone this.
“They were trying to kiss me, stroke me. This old man started to unbutton my shirt, and I said I had to puke. I finally got into the bathroom and locked the door. I didn’t have a phone, so what could I do? I climbed out the window, then hid in some bushes all night. When it was light, I hopped a bus to get back to our neighborhood. None of the staff even noticed I’d been out all night. That kind of thing would happen when Dad took us on tour as well. Wasted hangers-on thinking it was hilarious to give Clash’s kids drugs.”
I shudder. It makes my skin crawl talking about it.
“I thought about talking to a school teacher, but all the teachers hated me. I got in trouble for drugs in my locker after an anonymous tip. Another teacher had a social media campaign against him, it was horrible, outing him for being gay. Screech had everyone believing I was responsible. He somehow made it so I had a terrible reputation everywhere I went. No one…no one ever believed me.”
“Not even the aunts?” whispers Lennox, holding my hand.
“Sheila and Mom were estranged. Sheila wanted Mom to get clean, and Mom loved drugs more than her family. Then Sheila moved to Germany with the air force, and met Patsy. I never even knew I had an aunt until I was eighteen and I came across some of Mom’s old things. That’s when I got in touch with her and she helped me escape.”
Asa is rubbing my back, I start crying again. Hopelessly sobbing. I am baring my soul, my deepest wounds to these three men. What if they can’t handle it? What if it is all too much?
Everything we have, the peace and happiness we have built, feels balanced on a knife edge.
HUGO
Asa carries Harmony up to his bedroom. She is not going back to the cabin tonight, or ever again if I can help it. Einstein will just have to come and live here.
This beautiful girl, our beautiful girl has had all the pain that she will ever have in her life. From this moment forward I am dedicating my life to making hers…glorious.
???
I wake up early, my mind going a thousand places, but always coming back to one. Harmony. I’d gone to Asa’s room last night and found her curled up in his arms, asleep. It’s good. The big guy is what she needed right now. The safety of our gentle giant.
I, on the other hand, am feeling anything but gentle.
Banging down the stairs, I go into the kitchen, slamming things around to make coffee.
“Hey,” says a soft voice behind me.
Immediately I turn and gather her into my arms.
“Sweet darling, how are you? I love you, you know that?”
Her eyes are puffy from crying, and her hair is wilder than ever. I’ve never loved her more.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through all that darling. Your childhood, and then seeing him here, in our place. I don’t know how to help, but I will do whatever you want.”
I kiss her again. “Lennox and I are arguing about who is going to take the twenty-to-life. He thinks he should kill Screech, whereas I think I should have the honor.”
Her eyes soften as she looks up at me. “He is not worth a second of your time. It’s in the past. I’m glad you all know…” she hesitates. “Actually there is still one thing. I want to say I’m sorry for not telling you.”
