Hidden Beneath The Scars

Chapter 3

{TW: violence and self-harm-ish}

Week Two: Sophomore Year

My mom was in the kitchen with Ned talking about things. I could hear them from my room. I yawned and got out of bed. I put on a nice shirt and cool pants. I did my bathroom routine as every teenager would, slowly and with a lot of distain for even being up right now. I stumbled into the kitchen to get myself some food, because no matter how early it is, food is always necessary for a growing boy like me.

I plopped down at the table after grabbing me some lucky charms. My mom and Ned were looking at me. "What?" I said with my mouth full.

"Rich, sweetheart, I know recent events have been hard." My mom said slowly. I snorted. "But Ned and I had decided that the best course of action would be to move. Not out of the school district! Of course, I don't want to disrupt your life too much, but to Ned's house? It's about twenty minuets away..." I nodded excitedly.

"Yes mom! Finally out of this house!" She smiled a little as she watched me do a little victory dance. Then she frowned and looked away. I paused, "There's something more, isn't there?"

She nodded soberly. "Well...I finalized the divorce papers with your father yesterday at Heere & Heere's law firm. As you know it's been a long battle. A-and-" Her voice cracked and Ned hugged her. "Your father gets you one day out of the week, and we decided it would be every Thursday."

I was silent. I had nothing to say. The nothing stretched on and on. Then it stopped on one question; how could she do this to me? "R-rich?" She asked tenderly. She tried to touch me, but I glared at her and she backed off.

"I'm going to school." I said coldly. I grabbed my bag and walked out.

When I was out of earshot or sight range of my mom I screamed and punched a tree. I regretted it as soon as I did. Pain zig-zagged down my arm and into my teeth. Fuck. I held my arm and sank to my knees. My knuckles were bleeding. The Squip appeared beside me. "This wouldn't have happened if you weren't so terrible. Everything about you makes me want to D I E." It slinked around me. "Get up filth. Let's take some of that rage and put it to good use." It moved me to my feet, like I was a puppet it enjoyed seeing dance.

I walked to school in a daze. "See that kid over there." It directed me, "He's a loser, go beat him up." I followed its advice. What did I have to lose? I was so terrible.

I couldn't see the faces, they were blurry. Some had no faces at all. I didn't care.

I took the kid by the scruff of his neck. "Wha-wait!" He exclaimed. I looked him over.

Heere...he...he did this to me. HE'S THE REASON MY DAD HAS ME! I grab him by the throat with my bloody hand. "You ruined my LIFE!" I spat in his face. I was almost blind with rage. I felt hot tears run down my face in anger and frustration. I punched him in the gut and he sunk to his knees.

"I-I don't know w-hat you're talking a-about. Please-" He begged. I took him by his hair and walked into school. It was early so not many people had shown up. The hall was empty.

"Where's your locker tall ass?" I antagonized. He pointed to one of the mass. "Open it." I lead him over and he opened it with shaking hands. I let go of him. "Get inside." He looked at me, then back at his small locker. He shook his head.

I grabbed the neck of his shirt. "I said," I hissed dangerously in his face, "Get. In." He swallowed thickly and I let him go. He slowly stepped in. It was a tight fit, but he managed. I slammed the door in his face. He was trapped just like me now. "Tell anyone about this I will kill you." I backed off to go stew somewhere else. I did feel a little bit better.

The Squip praised me.

Jake talked to me today. I just didn't really talk to him. He looked at me concerned. "What's up with you today man?" He asked pulling me aside. "You've been so strange lately. You're really jumpy, you get angry a lot more than you used to, and you honestly look like you slept in a tree." He pulled a leaf out of my hair.

I looked to the side. "My dad..." Jake looked at me quietly. I didn't really talk to him about heavy stuff. He always said that he was here for me. So I guess I could now. I looked around, but we were in a pretty safe spot. I told Jake the whole story. (Without the Squip part, because if he knew I had to use a supercomputer for me to even be friends with him he'd probably think I was a lame-ass.) Jake looked at me in awe. He took my hand with the bloody knuckles and examined it. He side hugged me and walked us over to the nearest bathroom. Luckily no one saw us. It was around fourth period so everyone was probably in class. They would have thought this looked pretty gay.

He washed my knuckles in silence. I watched him scrub dirt off my hand and the blood. I didn't deserve a friend like Jake Dillinger. He pulled some emergency bandages out of his bag that all people who were in the soccer team were required to have incase they fell on the field. He rapped my hand and smiled at me when he was finished.

Jake gazed at me softly. He pulled closer to me, slowly, as if he wasn't quite sure what he was trying to do. He hesitated and bit his lip, looking down on my face. I couldn't move, I felt like I was stuck in time as I watched Jake lick his lips. When he got close enough for me to feel his breath in my face my Squip powered on, "Run" It said.

I had never ran so far in my life.