Page 2
Chapter 2 of "Tempting Venom" starts with: I peek at Dad, not really daring to look at him fully. I donât think... Continue exploring!
I peek at Dad, not really daring to look at him fully. I donât think he likes itâor meâthat much.
Dad is tall and broadâso tall, both Mom and I have to look up at him.
We share the same cloud-colored eyes, except his are narrower, meaner, and barely shift. His light-brown hair catches the light from the thin sunbeam leaking through the clouds, nearly turning blond.
He hardly smiles or hugs me like Mom. He just looks.
Like now.
His gaze strays toward me, and I stare down at my blue-and-white sneakers Mom got me for my birthday last year.
Mom always tells me Dad is busy and doesnât have time and that I should understand, but I think he just doesnât like me.
âDramatic?â Momâs hand squeezes mine even tighter. âIâm dramatic for asking you to be a decent human being and treat your child right?â
âI give you money for whatever he needs, June. What else do you want from me?â
Mom releases my hand, reaches into her bag, and pulls out a few dollar bills, then throws them at his chest. âFuck your money! Your son needs his father, not money.â
âWell, thatâs all I have to offer him. I told you it wouldâve been better to abort him; itâs not my fault you chose to keep the kid.â
Mom covers my ears with both her hands as if that will magically erase what I just heard.
Then she forces a smile on her trembling lips as she removes them, probably figuring out I can still hearâand see.
Mom crouches down so that sheâs at my level and strokes my hairâit the exact shade of hers, so black, itâs almost blueâaway from my face.
And she smiles, like every time she sees me, but her panda eyes make her look exhausted. When we go home, Iâll cut her the cucumber slices that Mrs. Rodriguez uses at night.
âMarcus, darling, do you mind waiting for Mommy near the car? Iâll be right there, okay? I just need to talk to your father for a bit.â
âOkay.â
âLove you, sweetie.â
âLove you, too, Mommy.â I glance at Dad, and heâs scrolling through his phone. âBye, Daddy.â
âMm.â He releases the noise, but he doesnât look at me.
Mom glares at him, then gives me one last smile before she ushers me down the couple of stairs. Thatâs where weâve been talking to Dad the whole timeâin front of his house. He was waiting for us there as soon as we arrived, and he never invited us in.
I guess he doesnât want his wife and his other children to see us. Mom said I have two brothers and a sister, but they have a different Mom, and itâs better if I donât get to know them.
Dad said Iâll never meet them.
âYou come from different worlds, and itâll remain like that. For your sake,â he told me once while we sat in our living room.
He was helping me put together a puzzle as Mom prepared dinner. It was one of my favorite times we spent together.
Dad had a strange look in his eyes as he stared in Momâs direction. âAnd your motherâs.â
Now, I round the corner and spot Momâs car, tiny compared to the huge, shiny ones lined up on either side of it.
Instead of heading to the car, I hide by the bushes and peek at Mom and Dad.
I know I donât have parents who live together like most people in my class. The other day, Chad called Mom a whore and a gold digger, and I pushed him to the ground and punched him so hard, he started bleeding.
And it felt goodâhearing him crying and begging me to stop.