MSC (Rewritten)♡•~

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: Growing Up

May was coming to an end and summer was just beginning. Dad had told me that spring was the season of rebirth and new beginnings. Trees that had been bare and naked in the freezing cold would begin to blossom, and animals would come out of their hibernation. Every source of life seemed to start over at that time of year.

But summer, Dad said, was the time where those budding new beginnings would come alive. Summer was the chance to live out to the fullest, and embrace both the beauty and the challenges that nature brought your way. And so I expected pretty cool things to come from it.

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I had the worst stomach ache.

I wasn't sure what it was, but it started the moment I woke up that day. I decided not to mention it to anyone, as it might make them worried. I hoped it would get better during the day.

School wasn't much better. I felt a heavy weight on my legs that I couldn't explain. Aki noticed immediately, and urged me to go back home.

"I'll be fine," I assured him. I knew Susanne would take care of me, but I also knew she was working today. Besides, I had some painkillers, so whatever this pain was was bound to go soon.

It was pretty hard to concentrate in any of the classes too. It stayed all the way through till break time, and as soon as Aki saw my expression when I got to the playground, he grabbed my arm, and tugged me back inside towards the nurse's office.

"I have medicine. Susanne gave it to me". I told him. He stopped walking and turned to me with an annoyed expression on his face, before pulling out his phone and texting me a message. I sighed and looked at my phone too.

AKI: Why don't you want to get help? It's so much easier

A strange sensation of anger began to stir up inside me, and I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're being kind of hypocritical, Aki," I pointed out, "You've been bullied for so long, but it's not like you'll ever do anything about it".

He looked confused for a moment, creasing his eyebrows, and then continued to type.

AKI: That has nothing to do with this

"Yes, it does. You can't tell someone else to go for help when you keep such a big thing a secret from your own father. I still don't get why you don't tell someone. If you don't like it, why not put it to an end? At least..." I clenched my fists, "At least you actually have people to go to..."

I shut my eyes as I remembered how I had to stay locked up in Uncle's house, forbidden from having any communication with anybody. Aki had people around. Why didn't he take advantage of that?

AKI: It's not as simple as that. U wont understand

"That's what you're saying after we've become close friends? It's almost like...you're making excuses for them. You have all you need to stop them, but you're choosing not to. I don't understand why..."

Aki shoved his phone back into his pocket, and gave me a hard look. He pointed again at the door of the nurse's office before walking away from me. I watched him leave, the anger now cooling down. I wanted to shout out to him not to go, but the words got stuck in my throat. What was going on with me? The last time I felt this angry was when Katie pushed me to the edge. But...Aki didn't do anything wrong.

I sighed. Maybe I'd apologise to him at lunch. What was wrong with me today?

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