Ethan's pov
I smiled wryly as I dragged my aching body home, each step sending sharp pain through my bruised skin. Why is life so unfair? Why did my parents have to die so early?
I entered the house and saw my aunt and her group of pretentious friends sitting around the dining table.
I greeted them and headed to my room. I stood in front of the cracked mirror staring at the stranger reflected in it. Split glass, just like my life... broken into pieces I couldn't fix.
I can't even remember how long I stood there, lost in thought when the door to my room was pushed open.
"Ethan Madleev, didn't you hear me calling you? Why haven't you changed out of your uniform. Did you forget what you are supposed to do?" Aunt Gabriella barked as she entered my room, startling me.
I turned to look at my aunt with unshed tears in my eyes.
"I'm.... I'm hurt aunt, I... I was beaten up in school" I stammered as I looked at her with pain. The physical pain I felt could not be compared to the pain in my heart. I wished she would just hug me tight and tell me it's okay.
"And what exactly do you expect me to do about it?" She scoffed. "Clap for you? Fighting is probably the only thing you're good at. Don't waste time here and go do your chores. I don't want to repeat myself again" she said coldly. Her words felt like a bucket of cold water on my emotions that had gone haywire.
She looked at me with disdain before leaving the room, slamming the door behind her.
I stared at the closed door for a long time before changing and leaving the room.
"Make some tea for us and be quick about it" my aunt instructed immediately after I entered the living room.
"Yes aunt" I replied coldly and entered the kitchen to do as I was told.
While serving the tea, my fingers slipped. The cup crashed against the floor shattering into sharp pieces as hot tea splashed across the tiles.
"I'm sorry" I apologized and bent down to clean up when,
"Ahhh, oh my leg. It hurts so much" one of her friends, Aunt Bridget screamed making my ears ring.
She clutched her right leg wailing and glaring at me at the same time.
"You foolish boy, so incompetent" my aunt scolded and pushed me aside to take a look at aunt Bridget's leg. A shard of glass from the broken cup pricked my hand as I fell, making me wince in pain.
I glanced at Aunt Bridget's leg,
Not even a scratch,
So this is what it has come to.
Hmph, she's doing it on purpose.
I looked at the blood oozing from the injury on my palm and stood up, cleaned up the floor and turned to go continue my chores.
"Ethan, is this how you were brought up? Don't you know how to apologize when you hurt someone" a robust, ugly-looking woman called Aunt Pojita shouted.
I turned to look at them all coldly, I could feel the anger rising within me but I clenched my fist to keep it down.
"She's not hurt she's pretending" I said as a matter-of-fact. I'm not apologizing for something I didn't do.
"Really? So you're saying we should believe you, an orphan over our beloved friend. Will you apologize to her now or I should make you?" My aunt said.
I didn't say anything which is my way of standing by my words.
"Alright then, you're not eating anything in this house for the next two days starting this evening, now get out of my sight"
"Ungrateful brat"
"I feel so sorry for you Gabriella. Look what you have to go through"
"You have such a kind heart to raise someone like him. Who knew how his parents were to give birth to him"
"I would rather die than have someone like him live with me"
They all mocked me without even bothering to lower their voices. Their words pricked my heart like a thousand tiny needles but there was nothing I could do. Nothing I could do except to take it all in.
Next day at school,
Everything was going on as usual. Morning classes, my time in the library, the usual mockery and Daniel provocations. I went through them all like they didn't bother me anymore.
Like my aunt said, I didn't eat anything at home since last night and throughout today. I was so famished by the time I finished my chores in the evening. I felt so dizzy, my body so weak that I could not feel it anymore.
I was sent to get some groceries from the market. On my way back, I saw a ten dollar note by the sidewalk.
I pretended as if I didn't see it and continued walking ahead. After a few steps, my stomach twisted painfully, the emptiness inside me screaming louder than my pride.
I tilted my head a bit to see if the money is still there. As if my feet had a mind if their own, they dragged me to where the money was.
With a smile on my face, I picked it up and rushed to the nearby supermart to get some snacks to eat. I didn't forget to keep some change for tomorrow.
A happy smile was on my face as I made my way back home.
At school,
My entire mind was focused on the book in my hands as I walked back to the classroom.
I didn't have any friends in school, as a result the books were my only friends. I was about to enter the classroom when I felt something hit my head.
I sighed and turned to see who it was this time.
It was Sam with his two lackeys. What do they want now?
"Hey idiot, what do you say about getting us some snacks from the cafeteria huh? It's such a hassle going there ourselves" Sam sneered.
"I'm sure you have legs. Don't ever stop me for something as silly as this again" I warned and turned to enter the class
"Stop right there, how dare you walk away when I'm talking to you" he said and pulled me back, landing a blow on my face. I tasted blood on impact.
I licked my lips and returned the favor. And again I was getting beaten up.
The first punch landed.
Then another.
My vision blurred but I didn't bother to fight back anymore.
I smiled through the pain. Somehow it felt good, at least the pain helped me from drowning too deep. I watched as the other students were either laughing or taking videos with their phones. This is funny huh?
"Stop it. What do you all think you're doing?" The sweet voice cut through the chaos like a blade.
Everything went still.
The beating stopped.
I slowly stretched my hurting neck as my curiosity won over my pain.
And then I saw her, standing there like she didn't belong in my dark world at all.
A slim curvy pretty girl, with straight black hair and blue eyes running towards us, towards me.
Why.... is she running towards me?