DDLG Academy

Chapter 19

Fourteen years ago

Fray's P.O.V.

I sat in the office waiting for Iris and her husband to show up. I had punched a kid in the face for calling me a freak. Well I more than just punched him.

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, thank you for coming" the principal commented as they entered.

I rolled my eyes and continued to stare out the window.

"He's being suspended, this is his fourth fight this month. We can't keep doing this Iris, he needs help" Mrs. Monroe stated.

"He is just having a hard time adjusting Karen" Mr. Johnson commented.

"I'm right here, I can hear you" I seethed.

"Fray talk to us what can we do to help you?" Iris asked.

"Leave me alone! God you two are always up my ass about everything! I'm not your damn son!"

I stormed out of the office after shouting at the two. I marched past Vanessa and down the hall of the school. Therapy hadn't helped my anger issues how could they? I could hear them calling out behind me but I was ignoring them. I walked out of the school and down the front steps, this was all bullshit anyway.

I suddenly felt a large firm hand grab my upper arm making me freeze. It reminded me of that man, he always gripped me roughly. I was pulled back to face Mr. Johnson as he had a hard look on his face.

"Fray I understand you have gone through a lot, I get that. That does NOT give you a right to start fights at school, swear at anyone, and run away. I get you're scared, I get you're worried, but we are only trying to help."

I could feel tears running down my cheeks as my fists balled up in anger. "Help? You want to help? If you wanted to help so much why didn't you just hurt him back!? Make it to where he could never do this to someone again!? I was used, I was beaten, and you want to sit there to try and what? Fix me? You can't fix something that is missing pieces it won't ever be the same again."

His face softened as a smile spread across it, "it might not be the same, but some times you can make it even better. Fray you aren't broken to the point of no return, you were hurt yes, that man uses you yes, but you aren't dead. He kept you alive and that's what matters. Now you just have to put forth the effort to want to be better, yeah?"

The way he said it made sense, even for my nine year old brain. I nodded and he smiled widely as he hugged me tightly. Iris informed me that I was grounded and we all went home. Vanessa seemed to be very unusually quiet though and it made me think she had a secret.

When we got home I followed her up to her room, "Hey V can you tell me what secret you're hiding?"

She stiffened at my statement, "haha w what are you talking about? What secret?"

She even sounded guilty.

"I'm not stupid Vanessa, you've been quiet all day. What's going on with you?"

She fidgeted, "I told Dylan to call you a freak."

Her statement was almost inaudible, but I caught it, and it made me angry.

"What?" I paused letting it fully sink in, "you told him to call me that!? Why!?"

She shrugged still looking down, my eyes welled up with more tears and I left her. I went to my room and shut the door laying on my bed and crying to myself. I ended up crying myself to sleep though.

~~

I was woken up by Iris shaking me for dinner. I quietly followed her back down stairs to the dinning room. Vanessa and her dad were sat down at the table already. She had the worst guilty look on her face that made me want to cry again.

Once I sat down all eyes seemed to go to Vanessa, which confused me. I looked at her too and she was on the verge of tears herself.

"I, I'm sorry I told Dylan to call you a freak. It was mean and uncalled for and I'm sorry." She said.

I looked at Mr. and Mrs. Johnson confused.

"After the small fight the two of you had she came to us crying saying she messed up. Told us the story of what happened and why you got in trouble. Therefore she had to apologize and she's grounded." Iris told me.

I nodded and looked down at my plate, "it's okay I forgive you. In a way I am kind of a freak, cause I'm freaking awesome!"

Everyone laughed at the joke and dinner went on as any normal family dinner did. Which was strange for us, it was normally silent.