Can't take it any more!

"Hello Gee. You're here early."


Rosy said as she climbed out of her beat-up old car, locking the door and walking towards him, a bright smile on her face, but concern in her pale blue eyes.
Gee looked up from his drawing, his own soft smile tugging at his lips. He nodded slightly as he stood up to let her past, his sketchbook clung tight to his chest.


"D-dad was very d-drunk l-last night."


He stuttered quietly, his smile fading and his head dropping. Rosy was one of a very few people that Gee would speak to. Many at school actually thought he was mute.


"Well then..."


Rosy smiled, unlocking the door to her shop, and inviting the thin boy inside.


"I guess you'd like a hot chocolate then, huh?..."


Gee's eyes lit up as his head bobbed in excitement. Rosy chuckled.


"And something to eat?..."


Grateful tears glistened in Gee's eyes, quickly brushed away with the back of his hand.


"Blueberry waffles?"


Gee grinned, nodding happily. Rosy led him through to the little back room and sat him down at the table in the corner, then set about preparing their food.


Rosy was like the mother that Gee had lost...that he'd never really known.
She was sweet and kind. She never judged him, but would always listen if he needed to talk.
Gee was pretty sure that if it hadn't been for Rosy...he wouldn't of still been alive.


Rosy hummed some old tune that Gee didn't know as she poured the waffle mix that she'd just made into an ancient waffle maker, that looked like it was created back in the stone-age.
Gee didn't care what it looked like...Rosy had made him waffles in it before, and they were always delicious...that's all that mattered.


He watched as she bustled around the tiny kitchenette, collecting plates and mugs, melting a large bar of dark chocolate in a pot, adding heavy cream and cinnamon along the way, before pouring the thick, rich, chocolatey goodness into the two large mugs, and setting one in front him.


"Whipping cream?"


She asked, already scooping some on top of his drink, as she knew what his answer would be, then sprinkling white chocolate shavings on top.


"Th-thank you, R-Rosy."


Gee smiled, scooping up some cream on his finger, and sticking it in his mouth as she returned her attention to the waffles.
A couple of minutes later, they were both sat at the table enjoying their breakfasts.


Rosy didn't know the full extent of Gee's father's cruelty and abuse, but she knew that he got drunk, she knew that he hit, and it was pretty obvious that he wasn't feeding the boy properly...if at all.
If she could, Rosy would take the boy in. Gee was such a sweet, polite young man, and she hated to see him getting hurt, but the fact was that she just didn't have the room in the tiny studio apartment she owned above the hairdressers over on Washington Avenue.
Three months time, he'd be going off to college though...leaving Belleville and his abusive dick of a father far behind him. Until then, she would do whatever she could to make his life that little bit easier.


Gee couldn't finish the waffles, however much he wanted to, because his stomach just wasn't used to food right now, and had shrunk to an unhealthily tiny size. He frowned as he looked at the leftovers on his plate. He didn't want to seem rude.


"S-sorry R-Rosy..."


He mumbled.


"I'm f-full."


Rosy shook her head.


"You don't need to apologise sweetheart. I understand..."


It was true, she did understand, as her eldest daughter Rebecca had suffered from anorexia in her youth, and had struggled to eat enough once she began to recover.


"How about I make you a sandwich to take for your lunch later?..."


She asked with a wink. Gee nodded gratefully.


"Cheese and tomato?"


Again, Gee nodded, taking a final sip of his now cooled hot chocolate, then picking up their plates and mugs, and taking them over to the sink in the corner, putting the plug in and starting to run hot water into the bowl.


"Oh no..."


Rosy reached around him to turn the tap off, and steered him back toward the table.


"You're my guest, and I won't have you cleaning up. I'll do that when you go."


Gee smiled and reached out as she turned away, his hand touching her arm. She turned back.


"Th-thank y-you Rosy..."


He murmured.


"D-don't kn-ow what I'd d-do w-with-out y-you."


Rosy smiled and leaned in to give him a gentle hug...she could feel his ribs through his shirt.


"You're always welcome here Gee...I just wish that I could do more."


Gee shook his head against her shoulder.


"Y-you d-do enough..."


He lifted his head to meet her eyes.


"M-more than a-any-one e-else e-ever has."


Rosy smiled sadly, hugging him against her for another moment or two, before letting go to fix his sandwich.


Gee sat back down and watched her work. He wasn't sure how old Rosy was, but he thought that she must at least be in her sixties, and as far as he could tell, she worked in her little sweet shop every day, from 7am to 6pm...all on her own. He wasn't sure quite how she did it.


When she had finished making Gee's sandwich, she wrapped it in Saran Wrap, then put it in a Tupperware box.


"Do you want an apple too?"


She asked, turning back to him.


"Y-yes p-please."


Gee nodded.
Rosy opened her little fridge and pulled out a bright green apple, knowing Gee's preference for them over red ones, and put that in the box too, before adding a juice box then closing the lid and handing it over.


"Now...you better run along. Don't want to be late, do you?"


Gee rolled his eyes, sighing deeply as he put the lunch box into his bag, along with his sketch book and pencil case.


"N-no...wouldn't want th-that."


Rosy laughed as she ushered him back through the shop.


"Come back after school if you want. I'll make you some pasta."


Gee smiled, leaning in to place a kiss on her soft cheek.


"O-0k. S-see you l-later."


Rosy watched him go and prayed that he'd make it through another torturous day, then turned to start opening up her shop. So, she was 50 minutes late opening...Gee was worth it to her.


As Gee approached the gates of Hell, or school as most called it, he was struck by a sudden desire to run the other way. But this feeling was nothing new to Gee, so he hitched his bag up on his shoulder, ducked his head low, and headed inside. God help him...the nightmare begins.

Notes

Hi there chipmunks.. How you doing?..

Sorry you had to wait for this, but the hot weather made it really hard to write, and it gave me headaches..

But I'm back now, so enjoy, or don't!.. up to you really!

Anyway.. Please comment, stay safe, and peace out babies!
<3 Love ya!