Everybody Loves Henry

Part 6 - Dr. Seuss Said It Well

2009-04-07T15:41:00.000-07:00

Hey! This is Part 6 to Everybody Loves Henry! I really love this chapter, but forgive me if you think I went a little overboard on the love scenes.

CONTAINS PARTIAL NUDITY.

Told by Jessica

I felt the warmth of my bed covers over my head. My eyes fluttered open and a thin line of light shone through the covers. I pushed the covers back and slid out of bed. Then, I realized I was higher off the ground than I was last night.

I ran to the mirror, and I saw that I literally grew overnight! I'm about Henry's height now! After Mum and I go shopping today, I'll look kick-ass for my party. But first, I had to get rid of this ridiculous pink hair.

I got into the shower and scrubbed the color remover into my head until my scalp was burning.

As I was scrubbing the pink out of my hair, I thought of Dad. I always wondered what I did to set him off every time. Or even if I did anything at all. Mum kept telling me it was never my fault, but I don't really know. Did I not spend enough time with him? Maybe my clothes weren't acceptable to him. I never figured it out. But every night, he still came. For 5 months, every night he whipped the covers from atop my body and threw me to the floor. My cries of pain would only make him stronger, even make him laugh. He's called me every name possible, and I can't count the number of times he said he wanted me dead. I thank every spirit on earth that it's over. He won't be coming at night anymore. I can sleep through the night without wondering if my head will crash into the floor a thousand times. I won't have to hide bruises under my clothes, or cover scars with weak makeup that is almost unnoticeable. My life is just about trying to forget him and live the life I've been missing.

I hopped out of the shower and slipped into a simple shirt and pants that Mum lended me. The bruises and scratches are about gone now, and I cover up the rest with makeup so that they aren't visible. My hair was a mess, but I didn't worry about it because Mum said I'm getting a makeover today as well.

I slipped out of my room and went to the kitchen. Our new house was small, but it was cozy. It was only two bedrooms, enough for Mum and I.

There was also a room for our dog and cat (Julie and Lily). So I guess technically you could say it had 3 bedrooms. Our living room was small, with a couch big enough for two or three. There was a little front porch, very relaxing at night. I love to stand out there and stare at the stars, little twinkling nightlights to illuminate the sky.

I went into the kitchen to find my mom making a giant plate of pancakes. She looked happier than ever before, she looked free. She turned her head to look at me and said, "Good morning sweetheart! You look so much taller! Those stretches really paid off. I'm sure your friend Henry will think so too. Come, sit. Let's eat."

I groaned. I hated when she talked about me impressing Henry. I don't even know if he likes me like that. But, he's definitely been there for me. Ever since the day we met, around a month ago, I've always been able to talk to him. Even after my wardrobe change, and when everything went downhill, he called me every night, IMed me on the computer, and even asked my mom how I was. He would tell me, "Jessica, you know you can talk to me. About anything. Even if you just want to talk about nonsense to keep your mind busy, you can. I'm here. Whenever you want."

I walked into the dining room and plopped down into a chair. Mum came out with the plate of pancakes and set one down for me. As she got her plate and sat down, she said, "So, how did you sleep last night?"

I swallowed the lump of chewed pancakes in my mouth and mumbled, "Fine, I guess. Nightmares as usual." I'm sure I don't have to say what the nightmares were about. They were always about the same person, the same scene every time. My trembling body on the floor, and his hand coming down on me over and over, until blood was strewn throughout the room.

Mum sighed. "They'll go away eventually, dear."

"Hopefully." I replied. I stuffed another fork full of pancakes in my mouth. Boy, was I hungry!

"Excited about your party?" Mum said as she put her fork into her mouth. I nodded, being as I couldn't reply with my mouth full. I swallowed. "What time are we going shopping?" I said.

Mum tapped her fork on her plate and turned her eyes downward. "Hmm...." she mumbled. "Your party is at 6, so we can go shopping around 2:30. That way we have plenty of time to choose what clothes you want and get your makeover. Does that sound alright?"

I grinned and said, "Sounds great. Thanks again for letting me have this party." Mum chuckled. "You know I'd do anything for you, hun."

I giggled and got up from my seat. The plate clinked against the sink as I dropped it in and then headed towards the living room. As I reached the living room, a high shrill filled the house.

The phone was ringing rapidly. I went to the phone and picked up the receiver. "Hello?" I said.

"Jessica?" came a male voice. "It's Henry."

Heat came to my face. I managed a stifled, "Oh, hey."

"Can't wait for your party. I can't believe it's at KatSkies! That's so cool!"

I giggled. "Yea, it's pretty cool." I hesitated before asking, "So, you're coming?"

He laughed. I could hear his low, masculine voice echo through the phone. "Well duh." His voice softened, and he mumbled, "Wouldn't miss it for anything"

"What's that?" I said. I wanted to make sure I heard him right.

"Huh? Oh, nothing." He said quickly. "So, is there going to be bright pink hair?" He said as he chuckled.

My laugh joined his. "No, I scrubbed it all out. Just my normal brown hair." I sighed.

"Wonderful. I've always liked your hair the way it was." He said in a slow, low voice. Then a female voice piped up in the background. She said, "Henry! Clean your room if you want to go to Jessica's party!"

Henry managed a short chuckle and a *huff* before saying, "Well, looks like I have to go."

I smiled. "Alright. See you at my party. Bye, Henry"

"Oh wait!"

"Yea?"

"Happy Birthday."

"Haha. Thank you."

I hung the receiver back onto the hook and plopped down onto the couch. Mum came out from the dining room as I turned on the TV and said, "Who was that?" The TV flickered for a long moment before I answered. "Oh, just Henry." Mum smiled and chuckled. "Well, I'm going to take a shower and get ready. Then we'll go shopping."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"What about this sweater? You love blue." Mum said. She pointed to a blue sweater with pink and black hearts going down the front. I fingered it for a moment, and said, "I like it. I should try it on though. Let's pick out some shorts, too"

I picked a pair of simple blue jeans and hustled to the changing booth. Mum's T-shirt and pants fell to the floor as I changed into the sweater and jeans. I pushed back the curtain of the booth and walked to the mirror. Before I even got to the mirror, Mum yelled "Oh you look so adorable!" I took a look in the mirror.

The sweater looked great! But I'm not wearing it to my party. I have to wear something more....elegant I guess you could say. I can still buy the sweater. I need a whole new wardrobe anyways.

*Around an Hour and a half later...*

Mum piled the clothes onto the counter and waited for the cashier to ring them all up. I stared at the mound of clothes, which held my entire wardrobe. My head raced around the party that's starting in about 2 hours. I picked out an amazing dress to wear. It's a strapless light pink dress with silver flowers around the top and subtle ruffles down the bottom. I can just imagine walking into that club and all eyes lay upon me and my kick-ass dress. Then we dance, we eat, and the party ends happily ever after!

The cab pulled in front of the salon. I jumped out of the car and patiently waited for Mum to get out.

We walked into the salon to be greeted by a cheery woman wearing way too much makeup. "Good afternoon! What can I do for you?"

"We have an appointment for 4:30." Mum replied just as cheerfully to the woman.

The woman's smile widened, as if she recognized us. "Lovely. Last name?"

"Coons" I piped in. I grinned at Mum. She grinned back.

"You're appointment isn't scheduled for another 15 minutes, but business is slow today, so Ms. Griffin will take you early."

Mum smiled and thanked the lady. Then we walked past an arch into the simple salon. The floor was tiled with a creamy square tile, and the walls were a light pink. There were mirrors and salon chairs along the walls of the salon, and a magazine rack right next to the arch. The salon DID look very empty, with a few people strewn throughout.

A dark-haired woman came up to greet us. She looked sort of Asian, with her super dark black hair and the features of her face. "Hello!" she exclaimed. "I'm Helena Griffin. And who do we have here?"

Mum grinned again and gestured towards me. "My daughter is here for a makeover."

"Excellent." Helena said cheerfully.

She lead me to a black salon chair and I plopped down into it. She placed her foot on the lever that boosted the chair up and began to pump on it. Once I was high enough to her satisfaction, she began to talk. "Is there anything specific you would like me to do?" she said gently.

"Um...don't make me look horrible?" She laughed. "Other than that, surprise me." I said.

And she set to work.

*45 minutes later....*

"Alright dear, I believed I'm finished. Go take a look in the mirror." I heard Helena say. I hesitantly got up from my seat, and went to one of the mirrors hung on the wall.

I didn't recognize the girl staring back at me. But she sure did look gorgeous! Her auburn hair was done up into an elegant sort of do, and there was a tiara perched on the top. Her eyes really stood out, with the dark eyeliner and pink eyeshadow, to match her party dress. Her lips were also pink, but a lighter pink than her eyeshadow.

"Is that....me?" I whispered.

"Of course, dear. You look wonderful." Helena stated.

My hand reached up to graze the tiara on top of my hair. "A tiara?" I questioned.

"Yes. Because tonight, you are royalty." Mum said.

I smiled. The girl in the mirror's smile made her look even more gorgeous. I still couldn't believe that was me.

I turned to face Helena and threw my arms around her. "Thank you! I love it!" Helena laughed and returned my embrace. "You're welcome, dear. From what your mother told me, you deserve it."

I broke the embrace and turned to Mum. Then I hugged her too. "I love you, Mum." She didn't say anything for a moment, but then replied, "I love you too, Jessica."

Mum and Helena walked to the front foyer as I stared at myself in the mirror for a couple more minutes. My fingers brushed my cheek. The girl in the mirror did the same. I tugged at a small piece of hair, and so did the girl. I did this for a couple more minutes, just to assure myself that the girl in the mirror was actually me. As I started for the foyer, I saw a shadow whip past the window from the corner of my eye. I turned around just in time to see the end of the shadow disappear behind the wall outside. I stared at the window to see if the shadow was a trick of the eye, and it never came back, so I assumed it was nothing.

Mum and Helena were chatting when I emerged into the foyer. "Call me anytime, Kasey. We could both use a friend." I heard Helena say.

She hugged Mum and waved to me, then walked through a door in the foyer which I guessed to be either her office or the employee lounge. Mum smiled at the woman behind the counter and said, "Have a nice day!" We walked back out to the cab.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The cab parked in front of KatSkies and the driver shut off the engine.
"Are you ready for this?" Mum said without turning to look at me. I let out a loud breath and braced myself. "Yea."

We got out of the cab. The music was blasting from inside the club. I could hear the music from 3 or 4 blocks away. We booked the entire club for the night, just for my party. Everyone was already here, waiting for the birthday girl to arrive. Mum walked from the driver's side and said "I'll take the back door so you can make a big entrance." I giggled and nodded, so she headed for the back. It was still light outside, but the sky was starting to dim. It always stayed lighter for so much longer in the summer. I gazed up at the sky. It was starting to turn pink, just like my dress. Was everything pink today? I mused to myself. I took a step towards the front door of KatSkies. And then another. At last I was in front of the door, so my hand rested on the knob and turned slowly.

The door flew open to reveal KatSkies, just as I imagined it. The DJ booth, the bar, and the awesome dance floor. The music got lower, and I could feel eyes staring at me.

A light flashed in my eyes, and I noticed it was a spotlight. Then a man's voice came from the speakers. "Here comes our birthday girl Jessica!" There was applauding and whooping. I grinned and walked further into the club.

I hugged my friends as they babbled on about what a great party it was.

"Come, dance!" said my best friend Amaya. I smiled and accepted.

We were jumping up and down to a fast song, and dancing like no one was watching, even though a lot of people were. The fast song suddenly stopped, and another one started.

Amaya and I walked over to the bar and ordered two virgin Pina Coladas. "This party is awesome!" she exclaimed over the music.

"I know! KatSkies is great!" I yelled back.

"So," she said as the bartender gave us our drinks. "Seen any guys that you--"

"Jessica?" came a voice. I turned.

It was Henry.

I smiled, and I felt the heat come to my face again. "Hey, Henry." Amaya giggled and I nudged her hard with my elbow. "So, how are you liking the party?" I said.

The fast song that was playing stopped, and a slow song came on. "Alright, let's slow down." said the DJ. "Grab a partner."

Henry smiled at me and scratched his head. "The party is great." he said. He took a step closer to me. "But it'd be even better with a dance." His hand extended for mine, and I turned to look at Amaya. She ushered me with a gesture of her hand, and then pushed me off the stool. I stumbled for a moment, but regained balance and headed for the dance floor with Henry.

He placed a hand on my waist as I put one on his shoulder, and took my other hand in his.

"Um, I'm not that great of a dancer." I said sheepishly.

Henry just smiled and replied. "That's ok. I'm not either. We can be horrible dancers together."

I giggled and turned my eyes to the floor. There was a long moment of silence before Henry finally said, "You look amazing tonight. That dress really suits you."

I brought my head up and searched his face. He actually looked....nervous. Or maybe anxious. I couldn't tell. Then I remembered that he had just complimented me, and was probably waiting for a response. "Uh, thanks. You look really good too." He smiled warmly. Damn that smile! I started to melt. His smile reminded me of honey; smooth, sweet, and everything in between.

As I was admiring his face, and his amazing smile, he slipped his hand from mine and placed it on the other side of my hip, pulling me closer to him. I put my other hand on his shoulder, and there was another long silence. We scuffled along the dance floor with our feet, and just sort of stared at each other.

At one point I rested my head on his shoulder, and he just sighed happily.

The song ended, and Henry pulled away reluctantly. He held my hands for a moment longer before saying, "Can we go outside?" I smiled and replied, "Sure. But first, let me go find Amaya. I have to talk to her." He nodded and then walked away.

I searched the crowd for Amaya. She was standing by a wall talking to another girl. She had long dirty blond hair and her back was turned to me. I walked over to them and said, "Hey, Amaya."

Amaya looked at me and said, "Hey!"

Then she gestured toward the girl she was talking to. "This is Ashlyn. She goes to our school." Ashlyn turned to me and smiled. "Hey. I heard you were having a party, and that pretty much anyone was invited, if they knew where it was. I thought I would stop by and check it out. It's great!"

I looked Ashlyn over. She was pretty, with her dirty blond hair and green eyes. Her nose was slightly larger than normal, but it was hardly noticeable unless you look really hard. She wasn't wearing much makeup, except for a little bit of eyeliner. She had on a black T-shirt with a logo on it, and simple blue jeans with some rips in it.

"Thanks! I'm glad you like it." I said.

"So, who's that guy you were dancing with?" Ashlyn said.

Amaya giggled as I said, "Oh, that was Henry." I smiled at the thought of him and sighed.

"Well, he's pretty damn cute." Ashlyn said, eyeing Henry standing by the door to the outside of Katskies.

I felt a little jealous of that comment, so I said, "Glad to see you have great taste in guys. But, he's mine." Ashlyn turned her gaze from Henry back to me.

She cocked her head and smiled. A smile that looked too fake. Then she walked away.

Amaya stepped in front of me and said "Now what was THAT all about?"

I twisted my face in confusion. "What was what?"

"I dunno. Never mind. Well, she's really cool. We should get to know her more, I think we could all be really good friends." Amaya turned her head and caught sight of Henry. "Until then, go get what you came for."

She nudged my side and I waved to her as I started towards Henry. He had his fingers twined with the belt loops in his jeans, and he was leaning against the wall next to back door. He grinned as he noticed me walking towards him. He walked outside and opened the door for me.

I then realized that the club has a garden in the back. I looked around the small garden, trying to adjust my eyes to the new darkness that had just emerged from the sky. The edges of the garden were marked by lines of flowers. Benches also lined the edge of the garden, with a simple fountain in the middle spurting water into the air and catching it again. It's the kind of garden I would see in my dreams (the ones that weren't nightmares), sitting on one of the benches, staring up at the stars next to Henry, who was holding me close.

"Beautiful." I whispered.

Henry stood next to me and slipped his hand into mine. "Not as much as you." He whispered back. He turned to me, and I turned to him too. Our faces were so close, if he leaned in the slightest, our lips would collide. My heart was pounding so unbelievably loud and fast that I was surprised Henry couldn't hear it.

His hands slid down to my waist, and I rested my hands on his chest. I could feel the heat coming from his body as he held me close. He still looked nervous- like a scared little boy. I exhaled slowly as I whispered. "Henry..."

He didn't let me say anything after that. He wrapped his arms around me and put his lips firmly on mine. They were warm, comforting. My arms wrapped around his shoulders as we stood there and....kissed. It was a simple kiss- out lips pressed together, our mouths closed. But it was my first and best kiss possible, because it was with him.

I pulled away from him after what seemed like a lifetime. My hands were trembling, and my heart was pounding louder than ever before. Henry didn't say anything. He didn't have to.

We walked to one of the benches and sat next to each other. I placed my head on his shoulder, and his hand came around me to rest on my neck. We sat there and stared at the stars. Just like my dreams. Except better.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I was smiling inside and out the whole ride home. Mum was chattering about how the policeman that came to our house yesterday was at the party and they talked all night. I wasn't listening. I had just had the best night of my entire life, all I could think about now was Henry. Very little words were exchanged after we kissed. Nothing needed to be said for us. We stared at the stars for the rest of the party, hardly hearing the blasting music from inside the club. I was disappointed that the night was over, but so unbearably happy that it happened.

"Jessica, are you listening?" Mum asked sternly.

I snapped back to the present. "Wha? Oh, yeah. That's great Mum." I said.

Mum didn't take that answer. But then she turned to me and grinned. "I saw you and Henry head out to the garden. What happened out there?"

I knew that question was coming. Mum didn't need to know what happened out there, but it was making me so bubbly I answered anyway. "Everything."

"Oh? And what is everything?" She questioned.

I leaned my head back on the car seat. "We kissed." I said dreamily. Mum squealed.

"My baby's first kiss! And with Henry!" Mum exclaimed. "Henry's such a nice boy. I'm glad you two met each other."

"Yea." I mumbled. "Me too."

The cab pulled in front of our home, and I jumped out, giddy and bubbly.

Mum opened the front door just as our cat, Julie, came to greet us.

I picked Julie up and hugged her hard, swinging her back and forth. She meowed, and rubbed her head against my ear. Julie jumped to the floor.

Mum came behind me and said, "Better get to sleep, hun. You've had a long night. I'm going to bed too."

I sighed happily and went to my bedroom. It looked so much brighter tonight. My walls sparkled and danced along with my mind.

I leaned against the wall and rested my head on it. I stood there a few more moments before reaching into my dresser and pulling out my pajamas. I took the tiara out of my hair and let my hair out of its hold.

It fell around my shoulders, longer than it was this morning. Did Helena put extensions in? I thought. It didn't matter. I liked them. At this moment, I would have liked anything. Even the nasty Brussels Sprout casserole that Mum tried to force me to eat one time.

I slipped into my pajamas and plopped into bed. It took me a while to fall asleep, reality was finally better than my dreams.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Jessica."

I groaned. Who was calling my name in the middle of the freaking night? It could just be my ears playing tricks. I pulled the covers over my head more.

"Jessica!" came the voice again. It was definitely not my mother's voice. It was male.

I started trembling. My fingers slowly pushed back the covers, and a man was sitting on the floor in the middle of my bedroom. It was too dark to see who it was.

"Who....who are you?"

"Have you forgotten already, dear Jessica?" he said. I could hear the devious smile in his voice.

No. It couldn't be. It's impossible for it to be him. There is no way on this Earth that the man sitting in my bedroom is him.

"You didn't think I would miss my own daughter's birthday, did you?"

To be continued.....

*Author's Note*
Sorry about the one large picture in here! I re-sized it twice, but it kept going back to its large size. =)

Part 5 - Our New Life

2009-03-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Part 5 of Everybody Loves Henry! I'd love if you commented. This is a very short chapter, but I felt it was important to include by itself, rather than with the next chapter. Enjoy!

Told by Kasey Coons

He hit my daughter. The man I was so in love with for 15 years hit my poor little daughter. And now that cowardly bastard ran off, nowhere to be found. I can't believe I never noticed it before.

Hearing the front door open, but not hear him get into bed until 30 minutes later. Jessica always staying in her room until he left for work. The way she curled and flinched at the mention of his name. I thought the scratch under her eye was just from falling while playing or something, and the bruise......I couldn't find an explanation for that. I never once thought that it would have been him. I didn't think he was that kind of person. But I was wrong. So terribly, terribly wrong.

And now, I have to listen to the gruesome details of what that fucker did to my child. Jessica sat at the dining table of our new house, telling the police man everything he did to her. The diary entries she wrote were in a box in the police car, along with pictures of her scars and bruises.

"When did he start to hit you?" said the police man.

"I...I can't remember." Jessica responded.

"Well, how long before you went through your change in wardrobe?"

"A long time. A couple months. I tried hardest to hide the bruises. He hit me on places that I could cover with my clothes." Jessica hung her head, tears stinging her eyes.

"Towards the beginning of the year," murmured the man, more to himself than to Jessica. He had a notepad that he held under the table, jotting down anything and everything Jessica said.

"Did he ever do anything more than hit you?"

"Wh...what do you mean?"

The police man looked at Jessica, his gaze softening, his voice lower. "Did he ever make you take your clothes off, or feel under your clothes?"

Jessica looked down and fidgeted with her fingers. Her voice trembled. "No, he only hit me. And choked me. And kicked me."

The police man sighed, obviously sympathizing Jessica. He turned to me and said, "We will take a look through the diary entries and use what we can from there. I'll call you if we find a lead on where he might be. Until then, please remember to lock all your doors and windows. He may not know where you two live yet, but it's very likely he could find out."

I nodded and stood up. I led the man into the living room, towards the front door, and Jessica followed. I gave the man a leisurely hug, and he said, "I'm sorry Kasey, that you have to deal with this. I'm sorry he wasn't who you thought he was. And I'm sorry your daughter has to suffer like this. But I assure you, we will do everything in our power to put him behind bars. Cold, rusty, mother-fucking bars." He smiled. "Keep the gun in a place that you can get to easily." The man turned to walk out the door, but turned around one last time and smiled at Jessica. "Oh, and Jessica, happy early birthday. Have fun with your party tomorrow." Then he walked out to his car and drove away.

I closed the front door and turned to face Jessica. "Sweetheart, I think it's time you change back to your old wardrobe. There's no reason to dress that way anymore."

"But, I threw away everything from my old wardrobe." She said quietly.

I smiled. "Tell you what, tomorrow we will go out shopping before your party so you look as pretty as can be. That way you can impress your friend, Henry."

Jessica's face turned bright red. "I'm...I'm not trying to impress him." I giggled. There was no way she could fool me.

Henry's 15th birthday was last week, and he had gotten so darn tall. It made Jessica feel smaller than she already had, so she did everything she could to try and get taller. She ate extra vegetables, and even stretched every night. Jessica was slowly inching towards his height. She said maybe she would grow overnight in time for her party. What a miracle that would be!

I rushed her along to her new bedroom, and told her to change into her pajamas. "Come on, bedtime. You've got a big day tomorrow." I hugged and kissed her, and she promptly jumped into her bed.

"No one's coming tonight?" She whispered.

"Nope. No one. Ever again." I whispered back. Then I closed the door, knowing I could sleep well tonight.

Part 4- Drowning in Our Tears

2009-03-09T18:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Part 4 of Everybody Loves Henry. I hope you enjoy this section. I believe I've gotten better at editing my pictures, so the shots should be more enjoyable.

Told by Nate Parton

I braced myself for what might be one of the most important meetings of my life. I rang the bell. There was clattering of pots from inside the house. "Coming!" said a sweet female voice. The door swung open to reveal an average dark red-haired woman in a light green dress. She smiled brightly and shook my hand. "Hello! I'm Kasey Coons. And who might you be?"

"Nate Parton. Nice to meet you." I said warmly.

"Parton?" Her eyes widened. "Oh my, are you Henry's father?"

"Uh, yea."

She chuckled. "Well, I know all about your son. Jessica talks about him nonstop! That is, before she started hiding in her room all the time."

I stiffened. "Kasey, that's kind of the reason I'm here."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I never noticed the bruise that you're talking about, Nate." Kasey had a worried look on her face, and I could tell she had no idea what was truly going on with her daughter. Well, no one really did. "You said, on her neck?" I nodded. "I'm sorry, I don't know what to tell you Nate."

"Kasey, would you mind my asking where your husband is?" Maybe he could give us some answers.

"Martin? I'm sorry. He's at work right now. He works quite long hours. By the time he comes home, I'm already in bed and asleep." She sighed. "He's not much of the family man these days.

If you want, you could try asking Jessica about her....changes. I've tried talking to her, but she just won't respond."

I checked my watch. Wait, it's school hours right now. What is she talking about? "Shouldn't Jessica be in school?" I asked.

She frowned and shook her head. "Jessica won't come out of her room. She's also been very sick these past couple days. I hear her retching every couple hours. She locks her bedroom door, so I can't try to help her."

I grinned. That's a subject that definitely could use my help. "If you don't consider it an invasion of privacy, Kasey, I'm pretty good at picking locks."

Her smile brightened. Could you really? her eyes said. I told her to show me Jessica's bedroom. She got off the couch and smoothed her dress. Then she walked over to a blue door and gestured toward the knob. I reached into my pocket and searched for a pin. Kasey instead pulled a pin from her hair and handed it to me. I took the pin and inserted it into the small hole in the door knob. I fumbled for a couple minutes, and then I heard the chronic click that signaled the unlocking of the door. I chuckled and turned to Kasey. She looked ecstatic. Then her face darkened, afraid of what she might discover in her daughter's room.

I turned the knob and opened the door for Kasey. She reluctantly walked into the room, and I followed. Her room looked like any ordinary room, with the exception of a bunch of papers scattered across a section of her room. I looked around for Jessica, but she was nowhere to be found. There was another door in Jessica's room, which I might have guessed was the bathroom. Kasey and I walked the perimeter of her room, and then started to look for things - anything - to give us a clue about Jessica's changes. I glanced over the piles of papers in the corner of her room. I picked up one on the top and read it. What I saw was...unbelievable.

June 8, 2156
He came again. Mum is in bed when he comes. I tried to hide under the covers, to pretend I was asleep. He threw back my covers and gripped my arm to throw me out of bed. He knelt down to stare at me trembling in fear. His hand came down to cup my neck. He squeezed, harder and harder. My breathing stopped. I saw my life flash in my eyes. I never got to say goodbye to Mum. I scrambled. He told me I was an ungrateful bitch, and that I had no reasons to live. Tears formed in my eyes. I tried to scream, and saw to it that there was no use. I went limp, and knew it was the end. Then, I could breathe. His hand left my neck, and I opened my eyes to see him glaring darkly at me. I whimpered and asked, "Why? You've never done this to me before. Why now?" I asked him that same question every night. He never answered me. Instead, he nudged me hard with his foot and said, "Bedtime, Jessica."

I held the letter for a couple more seconds, aghast. June 8 was last week, the day before Henry, Jasmine and I first saw Jessica as her new self.

Then I heard a high-pitched yelp. I jerked my head up to see Kasey in the doorway of the other door in Jessica's room, staring. I walked over to see what she was looking at. I was right, it was the bathroom.

I peered in farther to see Jessica next to the toilet, arms encasing herself. The toilet was disgusting, with grime and vomit bits lining the edges. The original bruise on her neck was gone, but there was another towards the back of her neck. There was another one on her face, and a scratch below her right eye.

Kasey was trembling, head to toe. She wobbled over to Jessica, tears welling in her eyes. Jessica shrank away from her and leaned against the toilet. "Jessica, sweetheart, it's ok." Kasey said shakily.

Jessica scrambled to stand up and shrank away more towards the toilet. "That....that's what he said too. Before he...he..." Jessica broke out into tears, and Kasey started crying too.

"Jessica, who is it that made those bruises?" I whispered. She shivered, then opened her mouth to say something, but promptly closed it and ran to the toilet.

She doubled over and vomited into the grimey loo. I watched in horror as her stomach heaved in and out, desperate for air. My gaze flickered in Kasey's direction. She had the same expression on her face that I'm sure I had. Pure horror and shock. Kasey placed a trembling hand on Jessica's shoulder to turn her around and gently hug her small, innocent daughter.

As Jessica hugged her mother, she closed her eyes and let out a loud sigh. Her eyes then fluttered open and caught my gaze. Her eyes pierced my soul, full of lonliness, betrayal, confusion, and a mixture of others. I felt a lump form in my throat and tried to choke back my tears. How could someone hurt such an innocent and beautiful little girl? How could they stand the sight of her tears, without crying themselves? Seeing her drown in her own suffering, she makes you want to comfort her to no end. To wipe away her tears, and erase the bruises from her body.

I snapped out of my thoughts and knelt down in front of Jessica. Kasey stepped back and stood by the sink wiping her tears, and preparing for more. "Jessica, I need you to tell me who made those bruises." I choked out.

Her lip quivered and she quickly averted her eyes. "He will be mad. He will come again."

I brought my hand up to my face. This was just too much. I was on the brink of losing my composure. I didn't want to do that in front of Jessica. "It's ok Jessica, he won't hurt you again. When you tell us, we will find him and make sure he never hurts you again."

"He can come whenever he wants! No one sees!"

"We will see."

"You won't let him hurt me again? You promise?"

"Of course Jessica, and your mother promises too." I glanced at Kasey, and she nodded her head.

Jessica fidgeted with her fingers. I saw tears form in her eyes again and drop to the floor. Her head came up to stare at me, and she spoke in a voice so low that I had to strain my ears to hear her whisper that one, dreadful word.

"Daddy"

Part 3- Did You See That?

2009-02-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

Hello again! Welcome to part 3 of Everybody Loves Henry. I apologize for the bad quality of these screen shots, I'm still not that excellent at editing and cropping. Please read and comment. I appreciate it!

The last time you were here you had just seen Jessica's dad, Mr. Coons. Isn't he pleasant? Yea, not a good time for humor I suppose. Well, Jessica and I talked everyday at school after the day that we first met. She came to my house whenever she was allowed, which wasn't often.

On the days that she wasn't over, I sold lemonade at a stand I set up, hoping she would come by and get some. Jessica loves lemonade. And every afternoon that she's not at my house, she goes for a walk with her dog around the neighborhood. Everytime she would come by my stand, giggle, and say, "Selling lemonade again, Henry?" I would grin and hand her a cup of the lemonade. She would smile and thank me, then continue on her walk. By then her dog was way ahead of her, impatient little beagle that he is.

I came home from school and hurried through my homework. It was a day that Jessica couldn't come over, so I set up my lemonade stand and waited for her. I turned my head from left to right, looking for her beagle, the sign that she was coming. I glanced to the left again, and saw her small floppy-eared beagle come into view. I

But the girl that I saw wasn't Jessica. She had bright pink hair, and clothing that kind of scared me. Did she have a sister that I didn't know about? I stared at her with questioning eyes as she walked to my lemonade stand. I knew those eyes. It WAS Jessica. I gaped at her. Why was she like this? She didn't look like the Jessica I came to know. She stared at me, eyes full of anger, and pain. She dropped down a couple of coins and took a cup of lemonade. Then she started to walk away. I got up and ran after her.

"Jessica!" I yelled. She turned. I walked the rest of the way to stand directly in front of her. She avoided my gaze. "Jessica...."

Her head snapped up to meet my eyes for the first time. Her cup fell to the ground. "WHAT?" she yelled. I staggered backward. In all the time I'd known her, I have never heard her yell. I never even heard her talk at that volume. And now, she was someone totally different. "Jessica, what happened to you? You look so.....not yourself. Why are you like this?"

She crossed her arms and stared at the ground again. "It doesn't matter. And it's none of your business. Maybe I just wanted a change."

"This isn't the kind of change I would have thought that you wanted. And of course it matters. Everything --" My gaze drifted to her neckline. There were dark black and purple spots running from the bottom of her throat to underneath her shirt. Bruises. I gasped sharply. "Jessica, your neck....." My hand drifted up towards her neck, but I pulled back as she jumped from my reach.

"I fell. That's all." She said hastily. She put her arms around herself and gazed diagonally to the ground. She closed her eyes, and inhaled slowly. "My dad is probably wondering where I am. I should be going home now." She shivered. "Bye Henry." Jessica turned on her heel and walked away, head hanging. I just stood there watching her until she faded out of view. I knew I should have chased after her, but the sight of her neck is what glued my feet to the ground. Could someone really fall that hard? That much? Did anyone know? I kept asking myself a million questions as I cleaned up my lemonade stand and walked inside the house.

I had hardly opened the front door when I heard yelling and arguing from the kitchen.

"Jasmine, why are you putting your nose where it doesn't belong?" Dad yelled to Mum.

"Because Nate, I want to know why she looks like that! What happened to the sweet little girl that we had dinner with a couple weeks ago? And those bruises!" Mum yelled back. I heard someone pick the phone off the hook and start dialing numbers.

"Jasmine, DON'T! Nothing of what happens to her is any of mine or your business." The phone clattered to the floor.

"It IS my business if she's going to be around Henry! I don't want her new god knows what habits or looks to rub off on our son. His birthday isn't far away, and I don't want him to grow up badly."

My jaw tightened. How could they say that about her? How can they try to judge her when they have no idea why she's like that? My eyes welled with tears.

I ran into the kitchen and jumped on the table to stare face to face with Mum. "I can't believe you would say that about Jessica! You know her and you've met her! Just because she has new hair and clothes doesn't mean she's a bad influence now! Maybe it's not even her fault!" My lip quivered and I started to burst into tears. I didn't know why, but they just started coming out.

Mum stared gently at me. Then she put me down off the table and hugged me warmly. "You're right, Henry. I'm sorry. Her changes may not be her fault. But it was her choice to wear those clothes and dye her hair to look like that."

"But, why would she do that?"

"I wish I knew, hun."

Dad cut in with, "Jasmine, if you honestly want to know, try going to their house and talking with her mother or father."

Mum looked uncertain. She gazed at Dad and said, "Maybe you should go. Mr. Coons and I got off on the wrong foot the first time we met. I don't want to make it worse by asking what's wrong with their daughter."

Dad sighed and walked over to Mum. He slid his hands into hers and whispered, "I suppose I could. For you."

Mum smiled and kissed him gently. I cringed and walked into my room. At least I would be able to find out why Jessica had changed so dramatically. I hoped that Dad would be able to get an answer from Mr. and Mrs. Coons.

Part 2 - An Unexpected Visit

2009-02-10T17:52:00.000-08:00

Hi again! This is part 2 of Everybody Loves Henry. I hope you enjoy it. Please comment!

Jessica came home with me after school that day. She was really shy when my parents came to greet her. Her eyes were down for most of the time that we were around them. She was a little more social when we went out to the backyard to play, but not by much. I kept wondering why she wouldn't open up.

"Do you have brothers or sisters?" I said.

"Well....no" she replied.

"Does your mum work?"

"Sort of. She well.....has her own home business"

"That's really cool. What kind of business?"

"Like selling toys and flowers and stuff."

"That sounds fun. What about your Dad?"

She froze. Her gaze locked onto mine for an instant, then she quickly averted her eyes back to the ground. "My Dad has a regular job. He um....works long hours."

I knew I shouldn't ask anymore questions. I stared at her for a couple moments longer, and then suggested we play a game.

Jessica ate dinner with us that evening. She said that her mum's buisness was open until late, so she didn't normally get a home cooked meal to eat with her family. That was definitely enough for me to invite her to stay for my dad's amazing cooking. She was actually social while we were at the table talking with my Mum and Dad.

"So Jessica, how do you like school?" My Mum asked her in a sweet, honey voice.

"I love school. My teachers are so nice."

"Do you get decent grades?" Dad countered.

"Dad. Stop" I complained.

"It's fine, Henry." Jessica replied cooly. "I'm ok with that question." She turned back to Dad, "I have straight As in school."

"Excellent. Just what my ears like to hear. You're just like Henry."

"Ugh, Daaad!" I complained again, this time in a baby-ish wail.

"Henry, stop it. Don't be embarrassed that you're smart." Mum lectured to me.

"Ok, ok. Can we go play now?"

"Yes, go ahead you two."

It was about 7 o'clock, when Jessica and I walked into my room to go play with my toys. After about 10 minutes, there was a knock at the front door. A minute or two later, I heard a male voice that was definitely not my Dad's. I turned to Jessica, who was intently staring out into the living room. Mum was talking to a tall brown-haired man who resembled Jessica more than I could explain. He looked really angry, like someone had just insulted everything about him. Although I clearly didn't need to ask, I whispered to her, "Is that your Dad?"

She nodded, very slowly. Then she hesitantly walked out into the living room and looked up at her father, waiting for...something. He stared down at her, and narrowed his eyes. "Jessica, it's late. You have school tomorrow. Let's go." He pointed to the front door and walked over to open it.

She glanced over at me standing in the threshold of my bedroom door, and slowly backed away from her Dad towards my door. "But, Daddy. I want to stay. I like it here. Can't I go home later?"

"NO!" he bellowed. "You will come home NOW!" He clenched and unclenched his fists at a steady rate, and his jaw tightened. His face started to turn the slightest shade of pink.

Jessica flinched when her Dad exploded. Then Mum cut in with, "It's really no bother Mr. Coons, I can drive Jessica home in a little while."

Her Dad whipped his head in her direction and walked over to face her directly. "She will go home now, because I said so."

Jessica turned to face me again, waved a limp hand in my direction, and hung her head as she reluctantly walked out of the house. Her Dad stomped out of the house behind her, quickly turned his head towards my Dad and said, "Have a good evening," without the slightest smile.

Mum closed the door behind them and said to my Dad, "Well, someone has a bit of an anger problem. Do you think he's bipolar?"

"Maybe. But it's none of our buisness to find out." He replied. He swiveled in my direction, noticing for the first time that i was standing there during the whole episode. Dad shook his head and walked into his and Mum's bedroom to browse some cookbooks.

"Mum...." I whispered. "Mum, is Jessica still allowed to come over?"

"I don't know, hun," she said with a heavy sigh. She walked into her and Dad's bedroom too, and I was left standing there in the doorway of my bedroom. I looked around at the living room, where Jessica had been standing only moments before. My shoulders slumped as I faded back into my room, where I quickly went through my homework and climbed into bed.

I replayed the scene in my dreams, trying to figure out what had set off Mr. Coons. No matter how many times I hit pause, or played it in slow motion, I found nothing.

Part 1- School Surprises

2009-01-30T15:55:00.000-08:00

Hi again. If you're reading this right now, that means you read the Prologue to Everybody Loves Henry and you want to read the next part, or you've been clicking a bunch of stuff to see what happens. But either way, here you are. Haha. So read and please comment. I would enjoy constructive criticism.

"Oh great. It's Monday" I said to myself as I got out of bed. I fluffed my pillow and smoothed out the sheets. Mum would get really mad if I forgot to make my bed every morning.

"We aren't rich, young man. We can't afford to hire a maid to clean up after you." She would say to me everytime my sheets weren't perfect and my pillow wasn't fluffed. I used to not care at all and leave it messed up for my Mum, but after a while her voice droning on and on gets really annoying. Plus, her being in my room is creepy.

Well anyway, after I made my bed, I went to go take a shower. Shoot, I didn't finish my homework last night, I thought to myself, that darn Marissa followed me home and wouldn't leave until I practically passed out.

Marissa is a girl that lives down the block from me. She follows me around everywhere and no matter how many times I tell her I'm really not interested in hanging out with her, she doesn't leave me alone. One time she even followed me into the boys' bathroom at school!

I grumbled and complained quietly some more and got out of the shower. Dad was waiting for me outside the door so he could tell me good morning and politely tell me to get my butt out of the bathroom. He always says I take too long in the shower.

I love to make my own breakfast. I guess I get the love of cooking from my dad. I make muffins everytime. It's all I know how to make with this tiny stove. I can't wait until I'm taller and older so I can use the big stove. Then I get to redo my room too.

I walked into the kitchen/dining room to eat my muffin and saw Mum eating her usual cereal before work. She loves to eat Dad's cooking, but doesn't have time in the morning for him to make his amazing omelets.

Mum works at my school. She wants to be the head of the Board of Education, or in her words, an Education Minister. Hehe. Right now she works as a substitute teacher, and I pray my regular teacher is never absent from school. I love my Mum and all, but having her teach my class would be too humiliating.

I waved goodbye to Mum as she went in for work to start her lesson plans. Then I laid down on the couch and watched some morning cartoons while I waited for the school bus. I guess I should have tried to finish up my homework from last night, but mornings are definitely not the best time of the day for me. Dad would eventually find out I didn't do my homework, when he finds it stuffed under my bed. A lecture on how important school is would be all the punishment I got from him. Didn't I tell you I was spoiled?

"Bye Dad!" I yelled from the yard while he stood by the front door.
"Bye Son!" He said in return. I boarded the bus and prepared for a super boring Monday. Like they all were.

*****

Ok, so school was definitely NOT what I expected.
I met Jessica today.

We met during recess by the swings. I had just eaten the worst school lunch ever. I could have sworn by the Sim Goddess that it was alive. I thought it looked like chicken, but it was green. Ick. So to get my mind off the burbling in my stomach, I decided to go for a swing.

She came over by the swings about 10 minutes after recess started. I've never seen a bigger smile on a girl like her in my life. She was skipping around the playground with no care in the world. Then she stopped in front of the swings for no apparent reason, close enough that if I didn't stop I would end up kicking her.

"Watch out!" I screamed as I dug my foot into the sand to stop the swing. I stopped so abruptly that I flew off the swing and knocked into her. We both went toppling into the sand. She shrieked as sand flew everywhere, and when we both opened our eyes we were face first into the ground.

I got up and brushed myself off. Then I offered her a hand and helped her off the ground.
"Are you okay?" I asked. She stared at me. Then she giggled. And then it turned into a laugh. Then I started to laugh too. A little nervously at first. We just stood there and laughed for a while until she finally said, "If you haven't already guessed, yes I'm okay. My name is Jessica by the way. Jessica Coons."
I stopped laughing and stared at her. She was filled with genuine curiosity and grace. I couldn't manage a response to the blue polka-dotted girl standing in front of me. She giggled again and said, "I guess it's my turn to ask if you're okay."

I finally broke my stare and stammered, "Yes I'm...erm....fine. And my name is...Henry. Parton. Nice to meet you."

Prologue

2009-01-29T10:50:00.000-08:00

This is the beginning part to Everybody Loves Henry. I'm a rookie writer, so please no nasty comments. I would enjoy constructive criticism though.
And I apologize for the bad quality of the screen shots. =(

Hey there. The name is Henry. Henry Parton. Most stories you read about young sims like me end in tragedy, or start in tragedy. But not mine. I was spoiled from the day that I was born.

My dad is a famous chef. He opened his own restaurant when I was a baby. And now, everyone knows who he is, and wishes
they were friends with him. But he keeps to himself way too often.

Except for me. I've always been able to get through to my dad. We play games together and tell stupid jokes. My dad doesn't have a good sense of humor though. Haha.

And then there's my Mum. She tells me that if I wanted to grow up well and get a good job, that I was going to have to be able to read and write excellently. Every night before bed, she reads to me. The books she reads to me differ every night, because she thinks I need to have a variety of literature in my life. And so far, she's been right.

So if I'm so spoiled, you're wondering why I'm here right? Why am I telling you this story if it's about boring, spoiled 'ol me? Because it's not about me. It's about someone more important than me. Way more important.

Jessica.