They Came In Hoodies

Chapter 18: Ever Fit In

Look out for the<>!

Gray POV

I stumbled through the front door of the house as my mind flashed back to what just happened at Churchwell Academy after the tour. I knew that there could be some hostility towards me attending, but I never thought the students would mug me. Churchwell Academy was supposed to be better than what I was experiencing here in Jackson. I was supposed to be freer over there, but over there they blamed me for all that my father did.

Every whip used, every punch thrown was done for revenge for what my father did years ago. It was as if I was him and they were doing this for their parents that suffered. I took it too because if that made them feel better, let them. My father was terrible and what he did towards the end of his supposed life was crushing to all of Churchwell. I made peace with the destruction my father did, but they needed to go through the same process. I hoped that this at least helped them in their road to recovery. But as I struggled to walk, I realized that I should have at least tried to stop them a little more than I had.

I think they would have continued if I didn't push them away as I went through the gate. I thought I was escaping them, but when I walked through to get to Jackson, I ran into a new problem. Stella. She saw me walk through it and saw Churchwell Realm as well. I was so worried about getting away from the students that I didn't check if the coast was clear on this side of the gate. Mental swearing at myself, I should have because now I messed up what I had with her. I didn't want to push her away like that, but I had no choice. She saw too much and mom was right, I shouldn't have gotten so close to her.

But pushing her away didn't solve all my problems. She still saw me walk through that gate. There was no way for her to forget that, nor the condition I was in. She wouldn't deny what she saw and she wouldn't stop asking me questions. I panicked. I shouldn't have been too harsh with her, but at least she knew the truth about my friend. At least she would stay away now that she saw me as a killer.

But that didn't put me at ease because I didn't want that at all. I wanted her friendship, and I wanted what we could have had. At least the thought of keeping her safe away from me gave me some comfort.

With each slow step, my body screamed at me in pain. Finally, I made it to the bathroom, where I saw my bloodied reflection in the mirror. Bruises were already forming across the side of my face, and my arms would take weeks to heal completely. Suddenly, I was glad that winter was coming and I wouldn't need to show my arms at school.

I leaned into the sink and spit the blood I had in my mouth in the drain. I turned the water on and wiped my face, but it did little to make me look better. As I hung until the sink, I knew I didn't have enough strength to continue washing up, so I turned back out of the room and stumbled to the first padded seat I could reach, the couch.

<>

There on the small comfortable couch, I would stay until sleep pulled me under. I took a deep breath and knew that at least one rib was broken. Anger took hold as I thought about what happened. I thought I was going to be safe there, that I could finally be myself, but clearly I didn't belong anywhere. Not here nor there. Was my life going to be forever like this? I couldn't help but think about the possibility, and it scared me.

A few minutes ticked by as my anger and worry increased until Else came barging into the house franticly. "Gray! Are you here?" Else asked with concern.

I tried to sit up a little straighter as she looked around the room trying to find me, not seeing me on the couch. "I'm here," I said, unable to stand up from the couch I sat on.

She turned her attention to me and frowned as if she never realized the state I would actually be in. In an instant, she was to my side, looking at the damage those kids caused. "Oh Gray, I heard what happened after the tour. I shouldn't have left you alone. I am so sorry. Those kids are going to pay for what they did."