His Blue Moon Princess
Chapter 51

"Baby, are you awake?"

I feel mom's hand, caressing my hair. Will she continue if I pretend I'm sleeping? I hear her chuckle.

"Don't pretend. I know when my baby boy is awake."

I raise my head and look at her. She smiles. My mom is the prettiest. She is very thin, but her hair is shiny like the sun and she smells like flowers. I yawn because I am still a bit sleepy. I look at my watch. It's six o'clock! I took too big a nap on mom's bed! "Mommy, I have to go! Big brother is waiting for me!"

"Okay. Here, take this."

Wow, chocolates! She gives me three big bars. I love chocolate! I take my school backpack, put on my shoes, and I run to mom to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye, baby. Kiss your brothers for me, sweetie. And tell them to come to see mommy, too, okay?" "Yes mommy, bye mommy!"

I run out of the room because I'm late. But I have to slow down in the corridor, because I shouldn't run in a hospital, and the old nurse lady scolded me last time. So I walk, but very fast, until the entrance of the hospital. My big brother is there, so I run to him, and show him proudly my chocolate bars.

"Look, mommy gave it to me! One for each of us!"

He smiles but shakes his head. "You can eat it, I don't like chocolate."

"Liar! I saw you eat chocolate one time."

"Maybe. But I have an allergy now, so I won't eat it, anyway. You eat it."

Yes! Lucky me! I take his hand, and we walk down the street. My big brother is taller than me, but that is because he is older than me. He is fourteen, and I will be eight years old very soon. But I look a lot like him! Mom said it, too. While walking, he asks me how was school. I like going to school. I get good grades and it makes my brothers and mommy happy. I like sports and maths. And I have friends to play with, too.

When we arrive, he gives me three big coins from his pocket. "Go. And do your homework, okay?"

"Can I get a hot chocolate? The one with marshmallows on it?" I ask.

"If you do your homework, I'll buy you one tomorrow, when it's Friday. Friday is the day for the marshmallows, okay?"

I frown. I want the marshmallows now. Why do I always have to wait for Fridays...? He pats my head, but I push his hand away. I don't like him messing my hair! "Tomorrow, okay, Liam?" "...Okay."

So, I go inside the café. Nina, the nice granny, knows I have to wait for my brother here. She always saves me one of the seats facing the harbor so I can see my brother. Damian works there after school all the time, but I don't like it because I have to wait until he is done and he always finishes really late. It's annoying to watch, too. All he does he carry around big boxes, and more boxes with fish inside.

Sometimes he waves at me because he can see me behind the window. But I wait for a really long time.

Nina comes back, and she gives me my diabolo. We have a secret: She always gives me free diabolos, so I can keep my coins! Sometimes, when I have enough of them, I can buy one of the cupcakes from the counter! But not today, because today I take out one of my chocolate bars and eat it.

When Damian comes back, it's really dark outside, and I finished all my homework. I frown, because my brother smells like fish... He buys sandwiches from Nina and takes my hand. "Come on, let's go home."

So we walk home. Our house is really far, and sometimes I'm tired, so I ask him to carry me, but not today. We walk home together, but Damian doesn't speak. He looks tired. When we get home, my brother Nate is there in the kitchen. Damian gives him the sandwiches and a big envelope, and I give him the chocolate bar, telling him mom gave it to us. He takes it and starts eating it.

"What about Damian's?"

"He said he is allergic to chocolate, so I ate it!"

"What? He is not... Damian, you..."

"I'm allergic to chocolate, Nate, you forgot?"

I see my oldest brother frowning, and the other one sighs. Damian ignores him and takes off his shoes. I take my shoes off, too, and I run to Nate, who is now eating his sandwich while writing in his little notebook. He puts the envelope with money in a box with the notebook and puts it in the secret closet.

"Mom said she wants to see you guys."

"Really? I'll go and see her tomorrow," says Nate.

"Damian, you too!"

But my oldest brother shakes his head. "I can't go see Mom, Liam."

"Why?"

"... Because I'm ugly."

What is he saying? He is not ugly... He looks a lot like me, so if he is ugly, I'm ugly, too, and mom said I'm handsome. "You liar! Come and see Mom! Mom said she wants to see you!"

"Stop yelling. Eat your sandwich, Liam," says Nate.

I don't want to eat this stupid sandwich! I want him to go see Mom in the hospital! Why does he never go to see mom?! It's always just me, and brother just works all the time... I'm really mad, but I still eat the sandwich, because I'm hungry, and go to our bedroom. I start playing with my toys, but I hear my brothers talk again.

"Seriously Dam, let me do this and go take a shower, you reek of fish."

"I'm going, I'm going. There are mackerel and salmon in the bag. Can you put in the freezer?"

"Yeah, just go."

After that, I hear the shower running. Nathaniel comes to the bedroom.

"Take your pajamas and go shower with Damian, Liam. Hurry."

So I go shower with my big brother. I don't really like it, but Nate said hot water is expensive. After the shower, I put on my pajamas, and I want to start playing, but I hear the door's bell. Nate and Damian get up immediately, super-fast like ninjas. "Liam, stay with Nate."

"Who is it?"

"Stay here, I said!"

He goes out, and Nate asks if I want to play Power 4, so I say yes. I win three times, and Damian comes back.

"Sam?"

"Yeah. He asked if he was here."

"Seriously? s**t, he must have gone to the..."

"I know. Don't worry."

"Damian..."

Nate has a very worried look, but Damian ignores him and smiles to me.

"What are you playing? Power 4? You want to play against me?"

"Yes!"

This time, I play against big brother Damian, but he is so bad I win again until I'm bored. I yawn, and Nate looks at the clock on the wall. Damian nods, and puts the Power 4 back in the closet. "Liam, time to go to sleep. We are playing go under the bed."

"What? No!"

I don't want to play that stupid game! It's not funny at all! I don't like that game! All I do is sleep under Nate's bed! It's stuffy and hot, I don't want to go!

"Come on, Liam, it's like pretending you are a mouse."

"No, I don't like this stupid game! I want to sleep in my bed! Can't we play another time?"

"Liam, no, we are playing tonight. Now, go."

"No! I don't want to! I'm not playing!"

I hate their stupid game! It's just funny for them! They are so mean! They make me sleep under Nate's bed and Damian takes my bed! I want my own bed! Damian says he is okay with sleeping on the floor, so why does he take my bed now? I don't want it! I want my bed! "Liam, stop it!"

"I don't care! I want to sleep in my bed! You're mean!"

"You don't want to?" Asks Damian.

"No!"

"Even if I get really, really mad?"

"No, I don't care! I want my bed!"

I see brother Nate looking at him. Damian looks angry, but I don't care. He is not scary at all! He is frowning, but now, he looks at the clock on the wall and sighs.

"Nate, hold him."

What? Why is brother Nate holding me! Let me go, you stupid brother! I try to break free, but my brother Nate is bigger than me, too, and he is stronger. I try to pinch him and bite him, but he doesn't let go! I want to yell at him, but before I do, Damian takes my mattress out against the wall and suddenly kicks my bed.

"Stop it!"

He kicks it again really hard, and the wood breaks. Why is he breaking my bed?!

"Stop it, you meanie! I hate you!"

But he is not listening to me! Nate is holding me, and Damian is breaking my bed! I don't want him to break my bed! I'm crying, I'm mad at him! I hate him! When he stops, my bed is now just broken in big pieces.

"Now, you hurry and get under Nate's bed!" He yells.

"I hate you!"

Nate takes his mattress up, so I go in the hole under it. I hate being under his bed, it's all dark! I keep crying, but Nate puts the mattress back, and I can't see them anymore. But I can hear them. "Damian..."

"It's okay. I'll save money and buy another one next time."

"I can ask Mom..."

"No, don't tell Mom. Go to bed now. I'll take this out."

I hear him move things around, but I don't care. I'm still mad at him! I'm not talking to them again, I hate them! I want to stop crying and sleep. But it's hard to sleep in here! It's so tiny, I have to curl up. I hear my brothers walking around, but after that, I feel Nate going to bed above me. Sleep, Liam, says Nate with his wolf voice.

I hate you.

I know. Go to sleep now.

I want to go to sleep, stop talking to me! But I don't think I said that with my wolf voice. It's hard to make the difference sometimes. Damian and Nate are really good at using their wolves, but not me. They say it's because I'm too young. I don't care. I want to be a big wolf and beat them! I'm starting to feel tired now.

Suddenly, I hear a loud bang. Dad is here... I curl up a bit more. I'm a bit scared now.

Liam, we are playing hide and seek. You stay where you are, okay?

I don't answer, because I'm scared I will speak with the wrong voice. I cover my mouth. I hear dad's steps. Someone burps loudly.

Damian...

Shut up, Nate.

I hear a loud sound again, it's our bedroom's door. I don't move at all.

"Where is he?! Where is that damn little...?"

"He is not here! Now get out of here!"

"You little bastard! Where did you hide him?!"

Boom! I hear a really scary sound again. Is Damian okay...? I want to go out and see, but I'm really scared to.

Nate, don't f*****g move.

I know, I know. Liam, stay there and don't speak.

A lot of booms and bangs again. I hear dad yell a lot, but I cover my ears to not listen, because Nate said I shouldn't listen when adults are yelling. Damian yells at him, too, and it's really, really loud in the room, even if I cover my ears. I start crying again, but it's because I'm scared. I try not to make too much noise. What is going on? I hear a lot of noise... Like things breaking, or something punching against the wall. Big brother yelling and our dad, too. I close my eyes and cover my ears really hard to make it go away. It's too scary...

I hear a loud bang again, and the sounds stop. I stay without moving for a very long time. Is it okay to speak now? I don't hear my brothers...

"...Nate?...Damian?" I whisper, really quietly.

I want to get out, but is it okay? I try to replace my wolf to speak, but I don't feel him. What do I do?! I want to see my brothers... I wait again, but after a while, I push the mattress up a bit. I hear their voices! I step out of the hole and walk very quietly to the entrance of the bedroom. I take a look in the living room.

Nate is there, and Damian, too! They are sitting on the floor, next to the couch. But Damian is injured... Nate is helping him wipe off blood from his face. Damian looks up and sees me. He sighs. "Liam... What are you doing here?"

I run up to him. He looks very, very bad... His eye is all black, and he has blood on his forehead and on his lip. His cheek has a weird color, too. His arms don't look good, either, so I sit very close to him but don't touch him. He pats my head. "Are you okay...?" I ask, because I'm worried

"Yeah. It's not painful at all. You are not scared?"

I take a look around us, to be sure. "Dad is not here?" I ask.

"No, he went out again," says Nate.

"Okay, I'm not scared then."

Damian smiles. "Good boy. Hey, can you get the ice cubes from the freezer? Like when Nate makes lemonade."

I get up and go get the ice cubes in a little plastic bag. I accidentally spill a bit of water on the floor; I hope it's okay. I walk back to my brothers, and Nate is doing something with a black string.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Don't look. I'm stitching Damian's arm."

"Why are you explaining if you tell him not to look?" Asks brother Damian, laughing.

"Oh, shut up..."

I keep looking at them, and Damian puts the bag of ice on his eye. It looks painful.... I frown. Nate is bandaging him, and I ask him if I can try to do it. They let me try, and I have fun playing with the bandages until Nate asks me to stop because Damian looks like a mummy, but we laugh.

After a while, I turn to Damian. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

He nods. "Okay. But no snoring."

"I don't snore, you snore!"

They both laugh at me. I turn to Damian, but he really doesn't look good like that. He sighs and makes a grimace to me. "Told you, Liam. I'm ugly."

After Damian is covered in bandages, we go back to the bedroom, and he puts my mattress on the floor. I come to sleep next to him, but the mattress is really tiny with the two of us on it, so we have to sleep on our side, facing Nate. Damian's feet are even on the floor. I still feel better than in the hole, though. Nate falls asleep quickly, but not us.

"...Damian?"

"Hm?"

"Can I sleep with Mom at the hospital?"

"...I don't think so, Liam."

"Oh..."

I stay silent for a while, a bit disappointed. But after a while, I feel Damian patting my head.

"You know what?" He whispers.

"What?"

"When we are rich, we will buy the hospital. That way, you can sleep with Mom all you want." "Okay, then."

I like that idea.

I fall asleep thinking of when I can sleep with Mom.