Scarred Hearts

28 | Space is overrated

"Morning," Roger greeted his mother one day at the beginning of his senior year. He kissed her cheek before taking his seat and digging into his Eggs Benedict with hollandaise sauce.

"Morning," she replied, chuckling at her son's wolf-like appetite.

The morning news played in the background, reporting on a recent incident of bullying at a prestigious school across the country. The victim had ended up in the hospital by their own hand.

His mom paused, a worried furrow creasing her brow as she glanced at the TV. "That's just awful," she murmured, her voice laced with concern. "What were those kids thinking?"

Roger shot a quick obligatory glance at the TV and refocused on his breakfast like the subject matter said nothing to him at all.

As he watched, his mother halted mid-bite, her fingers extending thoughtfully, a habitual gesture whenever she paused to assess a situation.

"You would tell me if someone did that to you, right?"

Roger's heart clenched with guilt. He swallowed hard, unable to meet his mom's gaze. "Yeah, of course," he mumbled, the weight of his own actions heavy on his conscience.

And then, because the silence between them said his mom wasn't entirely convinced, he offered her a hint of a smile of someone who had nothing to do with bullying. "I promise."

Later, at school, Roger's eyes caught sight of Nicholas hitting Valeria's shoulder in the hallway. He felt a surge of discomfort and a strong urge to intervene, but he didn't. His mind shouted for his body to move, but his body pretended not to listen.

"Roger?" Nicholas called, his stance impatient. "What are you doing?"

Roger's gaze shifted from Nicholas to the spot where he had seen Valeria, but she had already moved on, blending in with the rest of the students.

"Nothing," he said, forcing a casual tone before joining his friends.

As days drifted by, Roger felt the weight of guilt growing heavier. Each night when he lay in bed, sleep abandoned him, his mind consumed by a relentless replay of the day's events. Every missed opportunity to make things right, or at least better, played out before him like a haunting film.

Until one day, it finally happened. They were playing basketball in class, and Nicholas was being a jerk as always, ignoring Valeria even though she was on his team and in a perfectly isolated position to receive the ball. And then something snapped in her.

Roger witnessed the scene unfold. Valeria chased after Nicholas and snatched the basketball from his grasp with flair before attempting a shot. She missed, but that was beside the point. Not only was it a commendable attempt, but more importantly, she had done something he hadn't dared to do – stand up to Nicholas.

Doing the right thing seemed much easier after that.

With a swift pass, he sent the basketball her way, but she seemed too disheartened to react. The ball collided with her arm, and she regarded it with a puzzled expression.

"Come on, Rodriguez," he shouted, hyping her up before she let it slide out of the sidelines.

Confusion gave place to comprehension. For the rest of the class, Valeria and Roger formed an unexpected duo, playing together with a newfound camaraderie. Roger felt a weight lifting from his shoulders, a sense of redemption washing over him.

It was a small step, but it marked the beginning of breaking free from the grip of his past mistakes.

That was, of course, until Nicholas and Lana decided to ruin everything with their stupid pranks. Roger had allowed it to happen. And that's why, on an early November evening, he found himself standing on Valeria's doorstep, bearing a red velvet cake as a peace offering.