Sophia, Marisa Redhead16 [phonics reader txt] 📗

stop squirming. I know you're stressed out. I am, too. I've called Daniel, and he'll come over later." I had an idea. I thought it was stupid. I told Dad. He grinned. "Nice idea, son." "I swear, it was an accident." Dad looked at me. "Tobias...look at me, son. You are a smart and handsome boy. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. I'm glad I had you and Tony. Your mother once told me that now she knows what real beauty is. To her, you two are the most beautiful things on the planet. I agree with her." He kissed me. He brought me more movies and books and I watched them.

Mom arrived at lunchtime. "I won another case. Want to hear about it?" "Sure." She sat cross-legged on my floor. "This woman got mad at her husband for hitting their kids. A girl your age, who goes to your school, and a boy Tony knows. The girl's name is Chloe Kink." I sat up. "Say that again." "Chloe Kink?" I nodded. "She has a huge crush on me, and dresses like a prostitute." "I'll say!" Mom said. "Anyways, and yes her mother works for a pimp. She filed divorce and abuse charges."

I felt satisfied knowing part of Chloe's life. Turns out, her mother makes as much money as mine does. And of course her mother got arrested and my mother offered to take in Chloe and her brother until their grandma arrived from Texas. Their aunt lives in California, and she was arriving too. I knocked on Chloe's door. "I'm putting makeup on!!!!" she called. "Only Tobias can come in." "I am Tobias." "Then come in silly!" Chelley's 'Took The Night' was playing. Chloe was burning aloe oil and putting mascara on. "Guess what? I get to live with you until my grandma arrives, which will be in a week." "Huh? It takes two hours to get from here to Texas." "Yes, but by plane. She's driving a Chevrolet made in the fifties." "Why?" "Who knows why? Anyways, we'll be together for another week or so."

I wore a flannel shirt the day the news crew was meant to arrive. I had to straighten things out with me and my love. Chloe loved it. She wore a miniskirt and a reallly tight tank top. Daniel was there. He and Dad talked. He was " the family friend". Dad offered him beer and wine. Daniel sort of flirted with my mother, so Dad tried to get revenge. Daniel drank one glass of champagne. Dad offered him really fattening food, but he politely refused. "I'm on a Nutrisystem based diet." he told Dad. "Hmmph. Is it working?" "Yes. I've lost ten pounds since I started working with your sons." I noticed Daniel's stomach had been shrinking. He grinned when he saw me. "This is a really good idea, Tobias. I would never have thought of it. Good ideas are signs of a smart mind. If I'd been going through what you are, I'd be already dead. I wasn't as strong as you are, sir. I was a nerd in middle and high school. I couldn't defend myself. I had to count on other people for that." "Thanks." "You're welcome." Dad looked at the clock. "We still have an hour. Do you want to talk to him?" "Yes." "Want me to leave?" "Yes."

I talked to Daniel. He listened closely and took notes. "Tobias, I think you should talk to Sophia. She needs you now. You didn't mean to insult her." My phone vibrated. "Can I look at this?" "Yes." 'Tobias, Sophia thinks she needs laser surgery to remove her freckles. Can you talk to her? You're the reason why. Love ya, Nina.' I didn't think anything of it. My phone three minutes later. Sophia. "Did you really make out with Maureen?" she asked. This was it, I was about to lose both my love and best friend. "I can't tell a lie," I said, imitating George Washington. "Yes, babe, I did make out with Maureen. I'm so so sorry, Sophia, wait...." "Shut yourself in a locker and never climb out! I hope you break your other leg or better yet, become roadkill!!!" She hung up. "Ouch," Daniel said. I got myself together in the bathroom.

Interview time! "So I am here back at Tobias' Grass' house. Tell me Tobias, why did you call us back?" "I need to point out a few mistakes. Some that I made, some that you made." "What are they, sir?" "The first mistake is yours, ma'am. You said that Sophia Martinez is my girlfriend. She's not my girlfriend at all. I want her to be, she wants to be, but she's not." "Why not?" "She has a boyfriend. Tom Paers." I suddenly realized I wasn't afraid of him anymore. "The truth is, Sophia, if you're watching this, I did make out with somebody. I won't say who on camera, that would ruin her reputation, and she's a good person. Neither of us were thinking, we were in her room, I'd been drinking fruit juice I found out is spiked. So was she. We were in her room, it was heat of the moment, and I hope you can forgive me, Sophia Martinez. I love you, I'd fight for you, and I'm sorry. I hope you find someone better than me." I kissed my finger and touched the camera. Nobody said anything. The news crew left. "So that's what happened at Maureen's. Tobias why didn't you say anything?" Mom said.

"I didn't want either of us to get in trouble." I said. "What's the real reason?" my father said. "That is the real reason, Dad." Before I knew it, my lip and nose were bleeding, and I was on the floor. Daniel and Mom looked shocked. "GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE! NEVER COME BACK! I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF IF YOU DO! HE WAS TELLING THE ******* TRUTH! YOU ******* *****! YOU'VE HURT THIS FAMILY MORE THAN ONCE! FIRST TONY MULTIPLE TIMES, THEN TOBIAS!" Mom shouted a lot more good words at Dad. Daniel and Tony helped me up. Tony dotted my face with a paper towel. Daniel looked for band aids. "Band aids are in the hall closet." Tony said. Dad was crying and trying to apologize. "I'M NOT FALLING FOR THAT FAKE CRAP!"

When Dad tried to help me, Mom got out a gun. Dad quickly left. Mom took off her wedding ring, threw it down, and sobbed. Dad called me. I didn't answer. "Tobias, please pick up. I'm so so so sorry. Son, I love you so much. I..." Mom cut off the connection. She packed all of Dad's things in his bags, including some candles, which she normally would have stolen. She gave them to him. He tried to hug Mom, but she threatened to sue him for rape. He snuck a kiss on her cheek. She flipped him off." ******* you," she said. He hugged me and Tony. "I love you both so much, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt either of you. You two mean everything to me." "Come on, *****. Your own car is moving faster than you." Mom said.

Dad and Daniel both left. Everybody wanted to be alone. I got a text from Sophia. 'We weren't truly dating anyway. I'm sorry 2. go ahead and erase my #. Love u, Sophia.' I called her. "Sophia Martinez, I love you. I love you so much. You have nothing to be sorry for." "We broke up." "What?" "Billy and I. We broke up. Or really, I broke up with him. He's nothing but trouble. And he called Nina a Mexican whore. Hey, I'm part Mexican too, and she's my sister." I didn't say anything. "Tobias?" "Babe?" She sighed."Maybe it's best if we stay...friends. You know? Like 'He's just my sister's best friend.' Or 'She's my friend's sister.' You know? Because we met through Nina, and she didn't want us dating in the first place. The only reason why she let us is because she loves us both and wants us to be happy." I sighed. "Sophia, I love you too much. I don't think I can deal with that." "Then we shouldn't be talking." She hung up.

At school, I got a lot of stares. Nobody talked to me, not even my teachers. Mr. Reed pretended not to see me. Billy was even worse. He insulted me openly. No one cared. No one. Logan totally ignored me. Michael just waved. The only person who still liked me was Nina and Sophia. Even they didn't talk much. When I got home, I went to my room and sobbed. I grabbed a pocket knife and slit my own wrist. "Tobias?" I looked over and saw Daniel. "Your wrist..." He took my knife away and cleaned up my wrist. "Your mother asked me to come over every day. Tobias, I think you feel abandoned and alone. Just know this: You are not to blame for this. Everyone else in your life is. Even me. More people than you think care about you. Tell me what happened today."

I told him everything. Life got worse. My grades lowered to Fs and everybody laughed with Billy. I decided that if I wasn't dead or had run away by that time, I'd move out of state. Maybe to California or Kansas. I listened to 'Clementine' every day. The girl had drowned and her boyfriend blamed himself for it. I know it's a really sad song. Exactly my point. Eventually, Daniel broke down, too. My only people I felt still cared about me was Tony and Mom. "You know Tobias, you don't know what real love is.You're just a kid. You don't know anything!" Daniel said. He got up and left. I knew what to do then. I grabbed a butcher knife and got ready for death. "Tobias, stop it!" Tony shouted. Tony and I wrestled over the knife, causing Jazz and Girlfriend to bark. Tony fell down, and I realized he'd been stabbed in the stomach. I slit my throat and fell down. It was raining hard now. All the lights went out. "Tobias, don't do this to yourself. You'll only make things worse." Tony said, looking at me and his stomach. He reached for the phone and dialed. "911, what's your emergency?" said the operator. "My brother tried to kill himself and we fought and my gut is bleeding and his throat is bleeding and we're both hurt..." "Sir, slow down. Your gut is bleeding and your brother's throat is bleeding?" "Yes, he's in worse shape than I am, just please send somebody. The address is..." I passed out at this point.


I was in a peaceful place. Flowers and something soft everywhere. I saw Sophia. "I love you,Tobias. Will you marry me?" I became excited. "Yes, yes, yes yes!" I saw Billy. "I'm sorry I acted like a slut to you, Mr. Grass. Do you accept my apology, sir, and one million dollars?" "Yes!" I got a glimpse of Michael Jackson. "Young sir, you are in heaven!" he said. 'Heaven Is A Place On Earth' and 'A Lover's Concerto' played. I felt pounding on my chest. I looked down and saw my body in a hospital. Coincidently, I was in the process of reading '90 Minutes In Heaven'. I realized I was dead. "Am I..." "Dead? Yes. Sir, you are literally in Heaven." I saw a familiar looking man. Long brown hair and beard, wearing a beautiful white robe. Jesus. Literally. It was Him. "Tobias Shane Grass, you are in fact dead, but it is not your time." "But what can I do? I can't go home." "Yes, you can. If you wish, go down to Earth and see what everyone else is thinking and feeling. Good luck, young sir. Enjoy your future