The Fall of the Aftons

051: Michael Afton

"Terrance, I didn't say you could tell him that!" Michael shouted as he shook Terrance's leg with as much strength as he could muster. "That's not fair! I was going to tell him all of that when he got back. I didn't want to worry him. And it wasn't a panic attack--I just got scared!"

Terrance chuckled. "One minute, Uncle," he said before he gently set the phone on the counter. "Were you really going to tell him about the bullies and the panic attack?"

"It wasn't a panic attack."

"Yes, Michael, it was. And were you really going to tell him?"

"Yes!"

Terrance bent down on one knee and pulled up Micheal's shirt above his belly button. "Were you going to tell him about that?" he asked as he pointed to a wide gash close to Michael's hip. "Michael, this isn't good, how you keep hiding things from us. Especially when kids are taking classroom supplies and cutting you up with them!"

"Let me go!" Michael exclaimed as he tried to pull away.

"Give me a minute. I'm trying to look at your other injuries," he muttered, scrutinizing Michael. 

"No! Stop it! Let me go!" Michael shouted, pulling himself backward. "Terrance, stop it!"

"What on earth is going on here?! Terrance, why are you holding Michael like that? Let go of him! You'll hurt him," Henry exclaimed as he rushed into the kitchen.

Terrance flinched, surprised, and accidentally let go of Michael. Michael crashed to the floor, landing hard on his back.

"Oh my gosh, Michael! What happened to you? You've got cuts and bruises all over yourself!"

Michael fumbled onto his feet and pulled his shirt down. Uncomfortable being the center of the anxious attention, he ran off to the staircase. He darted up the stairs as he sprinted toward his bedroom.

Why did Terrance have to pull up his sleeve that morning? He didn't want anyone to know what happened to him every day! That was private. He didn't want anybody to know about his bullies.

He ran into his bedroom, slammed the door shut, and slumped against the door. He pulled up his hood as a few tears slipped down his cheeks.

Was he overreacting? Someone would've found out about the bullying eventually.

He wanted the bullying to stay a secret. It was something for him to deal with on his own. He didn't need anybody's help. He knew how to handle them on his own.

Right then and there, he decided that he would be open and honest about it if someone asked. But he wouldn't ask anyone for help. He didn't need it. If he tried to fight back, they'd only get worse. He did not want them to get worse. They were bad enough.

Someone knocked on his bedroom door, making him jump out of surprise.

"Michael? Are you okay?" Henry asked from behind the door. His quiet words were filled with worry and concern.

He wiped his eyes and cleared the thickness from his throat. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine. I just... need a minute," he answered. "I'll be out to finish my homework soon."

Henry hesitated before he responded. "All right. If you say so. If you need anything, just shout for Terrance or me. We'll help you as soon as we can, okay?"

He nodded his head before he remembered that Henry couldn't see him. "Yes, thank you," he mumbled.

He could hear Henry's footsteps recede.

~ ~ ~

Somebody shoved Michael and he fell to the ground. He landed on the hand of his uninjured arm. His hand burned from scraping it on the rough asphalt of the playground blacktop, but it didn't hurt nearly as much when somebody kicked his stomach. He fell onto his side. He shut his eyes as he gritted his teeth through the pain. He clutched his stomach, trying to protect himself.

The boys and girl, the same kids who'd been bullying him since kindergarten, laughed. Their cackles were evil. 

Why was Noah always in the library during lunch? He was Michael's only friend! If he knew what happened at the playground every day, he'd surely help. They were close friends. They cared about one another. When some kids teased Noah about his mom shortly after he returned, Michael shouted at them to leave him alone and that they shouldn't do that. Teasing someone about a deceased family member was uncalled for and cruel.

"Michael? Michael! Michael, wake up!"

Michael groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. His vision shortly focused on Terrance in front of him. A crowd of people gathered around the two of them as Terrance scooped him up from the ground, his broad shoulder shielding Mike's view of the crowd. Terrance looked over his shoulder and started to talk to someone. His talking quickly turned into aggravated shouts.

Michael couldn't pay any attention to what he was saying. His mind was foggy, his body was exhausted. Even the thought of trying to focus sounded like it'd take too much effort.

Terrance started to scream at whoever he was previously shouting at. Michael covered one of his ears, for he couldn't reach high enough with his injured arm to cover the other one. At least he could focus again--now he could hear what everyone was saying.

"What he needs is to get treated! The school nurse does not know how to suture something," Terrance screamed. Just the volume of his voice alone told Michael that he was livid.

"We cannot let you take him out of school without nurse approval," a teacher replied calmly.

"Then get the bloody nurse and grant me permission to take him out of this hellhole!" He turned to Michael, trying to give him a reassuring smile. But it was obvious that he was too mad to smile properly. "How're you feeling, kiddo? Are you in any pain?"

"N-No, not really," he mumbled. "My stomach and leg hurt, but not that bad." He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

Why did Terrance mention sutures?

"That's good. I think." He sighed, then brushed a strand of his chestnut brown hair out of his pale, heterochromatic eyes. "Don't worry. 'll get you outta here and find someone who can help fix you up--even if it means leaving without permission."