Chapter 7 (68)

I saw them. I fucking saw two faces. It was the kid from our school, I think he's called Diego. Always having crude remarks and a cocky voice, he's one of those guys whose features speak 'don't mess with me or I'll slam your head against the concrete'. He was attacking Calum on the front while much older guy who seemed kinda familiar, went behind his back.

I bail my fists at my sides and hurry down the path and behind his back. Pushing the big guy away from my friend, I stand there, breathing heavy as ever. The guy-no, man, turns to face me and my expression drops. Everything fucking stops as I come face to face with the person from my nightmares, fears. How could have I forgotten?

"Uncle Sean, let's go. I think that's enough. Someone might catch us and call the police. ", Diego says and my heart begins to race with such speed, repeating sound of it becoming the only thing I hear right now.

Calum turns to me with a bloody lip but none other serious facial bruise present.

"Ross. ", he speaks my name and I shake my head.

"No. ", is all I am able to say at first. I'm sure I know him, I'm almost sure that's him. It's gotta be him. Sean.

Uncle Sean, though? Diego is his nephew.. Nephew of a man who physically attacked me and was about to rape me long time ago. That's why the story starts there. That's why these circumstances make me hate Diego's guts right away.

"You wouldn't understand a thing if I started from my sixteenth year because the most important event, those guys attacking me when I was only seven, is the essence of this whole thing. It brought me closer to you since your dad knows me, but also, it made Diego and I bloody enemies. ", I tell Allison quietly, tightening my arm around her wet body and bringing her head to my chest.

She nods and the fog of memories continues to taunt me and make me sink right back into its devilish smile.

"You.. ", I begin but stop, pointing a finger at my nightmare. Nobody knows, Ross. Remember the fact that nobody knows about the way they gripped your wrists and squeezed them in their dirty hands. The way they stared at you amusingly from above and you could do nothing. You were just a helpless little boy who smoked the shit out of that marijuana against his will and got his hands burned while he was asleep. Why did I have to fall unconscious? I could have at least screamed. With the disgust and pity collecting, I stare down at the little pink marks on the back of my palms.

"Diego, wait a second. ", uncle reassures his nephew and I narrow my eyes at them both.

"You've got out of jail four months ago. Do you really want to get back to that cell? ", Diego asks him and my nostrils flare. Jail?

"Who are you? ", Sean ignores the boy and turns to me.

"Ross Anderson. ", I proudly announce.

He stares at me and seems to be wandering through his thoughts before walking closer, being inches away the way he was nine years ago. I watch with amusement as he tries to scare me by his presence but through all these years, pride has replaced fear and now here I am, standing face to face with this almost bold fuck who seems to be about twenty-seven years old. Being a son of a bitch I am, I don't let myself become the least bit intimidated. My lips even curl into a small derisive smile.

His eyes are dark and dimmed by the realization that crashes down on him. "The boy.. The blonde boy. You look just like him. "

"That's because I'm him. ", I step closer and stare at him as if I was a mountain and he was just a small rock.

"Diego. ", he says casually, our eyes still connected. "We shall leave now. "

Leave?

I prove him wrong when my fist cuts through the air thick with tension and comes crashing against his face. Damn Sean gasps and the force pushes him a few feet away, his nose bleeding a little.

"I don't think so. I just got here. ", I cockily remark and offer him a teasing smile.

I have this ability to annoy the shit out of the most serene people on this fucking planet within seconds. It's my flaw and virtue all at once.

"Who the fuck do you think you.. ", he begins but I step closer and grip him by his collar.

"Ross Anderson. ", I grit my teeth and say it once more for him to hear, to fear.

"You sure have grown up. ", he smirks, finally looking as if he has some confidence.

How am I supposed to fight him if he's ten years older than me? I'm still a little piece of shit that turns only seventeen in December.

"Let him go. ", Calum suddenly presses his palms against each of our chests and pushes us apart. "Ross. "

"You are a piece of shit. ", Sean confirms my thoughts.

"Calum! Let's go already! Please! ", Raini's voice raises.

"If it wasn't for that fucker you'd be dead as soon as we finished with you. ", he challenges me further and I gently push my red head friend with bruised lip out of my way.

"Do not speak of Mr. Noren like that or I will slam your head against that tree over there. "

"Ross. ", Allison speaks softly and approaches us. "Please let it go. "

"He fucking harassed a little boy and made him smoke pot at age seven and now he fought one of the boy's best friends and you're telling him to leave the prick and not get the needed revenge? ", I growl and she frowns.

"I'm just trying to save you from getting into trouble. ", she tells me and I tug at my hair, brunette girl before my eyes being the only thing I see, her voice being the only one in my head.

"Maybe I need the trouble. ", I grip Sean by the collar of his oversized shirt. "You will fucking pay for what you did. "

"Really? You're still a little boy, how come you're so brave? Huh? ", he grabs my wrists and forcefully lowers them next to my body. I inhale and exhale once and try to pull away. "Come on, Ross. Save yourself. Do what you wanted. Come on. "

He's smirking at me and I feel a cool drop of sweat rolling down my forehead as he squeezes.

"Stop it! You're hurting him! ", Allison screams and tries to jump onto him but Calum grabs her by the waist and pulls her back.

"Stay out of it, pretty lady. I will help him if needed. ", he reassures her but she hides her worried expression behind those small hands of hers.

"Ugh. ", solid shell I've built cracks as I whimper under his assault. Sean knees me in the crotch and pushes me to the ground. Honestly, I'd feel better if he hit my stomach instead.

When the guy lays on top of me, Calum runs to the rescue but Diego pushes him away with a strong punch to his face.

"Cal! ", I shout as he spits the blood but gives me a drowsy smile, proving he's alright.

In that moment, Sean's fist flies towards my face and I succeed in catching it with my palm. I still have scrambled eggs in my pants so I should be careful because this hurts so bad.

Ispit in his face, just to humiliate him at least a half as much as he did me before. He seems angry though and I begin to kick at his sides.

"You want some more weed? ", he laughs in my face and my eyes go wide, heart begins to race faster and teeth clench even more.

"Why did you do that to me? ", I yell and punch him with a fist while hurting his legs by kicking. Sean groans and I try to push him off so I would have the advantage.

When I do that, I am the one on top now and Diego seems to be losing his little battle with Calum who shoves him away. My forehead slams against Sean's and we both groan in unison.

"I like this. ", I breathe out and smirk at his tormented expression.

Someone would say it isn't good to get back at someone even if they make your life a living hell but I say revenge is as healthy as sex, laughter, tears, or any other every day action. At least I thought so at this age. When I grew older, I realized I have no time to waste on getting back at someone as pathetic as Diego and his uncle, for example. You believe in what you think is right but opinion changes many times as we grow older and more mature.

"Shit. I never thought I'd meet you again. ", he groans and I kneel him in his crotch, barely feeling it.

"You call that a dick? ", I laugh at his sour expression yet again. "I believe I was bigger at age seven than you now. This shit couldn't be seen even with a microscope. ", I push farther.

"Fuck off! ", he yells and pushes me off with all the strength he has. Man, he's tough. Especially when he's angry. I begin to think how maybe I shouldn't have called him out on the small stick he's carrying in his pants.

Myeyes widen as he kicks me in the face, with his dirty shoe that stepped who knows where because it stinks horribly. I cough and try to stand up but that's when I feel huge pain in my arm. Sean lies on top of me, my arm still stinging and buzzing. I cry out as the tears unfortunately slip from my eyes.

"What.. What is happening? ", I breathe and look down. Allison and Raini's screams melting inside of my mind and disappearing into the distance. I look down to find the needle pushed into my upper arm. My eyes go wide and I try to move but my hand just wouldn't work. He sprits the substance from the syringe into me and I yelp.

"Calum! ", I scream and he finally shoves Diego away and hurries up to us, kicking Sean's body off of mines. My friend gasps and slowly takes the dangerous thing out of me, throwing it away.

Pairs of flashing lights in the distance are getting closer and closer. Allison and Raini separate as the dark haired girl runs away towards those cars and brunette rushes up to me. I can't seem t think straight, I feel the serenity and sapience slowly slipping through my fingers and falling down next to that syringe.

"What.. What did he.. What.. ", I mumble and Calum's hand is suddenly on my forehead. "Cal.. It is.. I'm not.. "

"He's hot. ", Calum tells Allison.

She kneels beside me and a laugh rips from my chest. It literally hurts me to be laughing.

"You finally admit that you're a gay! ", I squeal, not recognizing my own voice anymore.

"There they are! ", Raini points as some weird people in weirder uniforms approach. It hurts me to think. It hurts me to listen.

"He drugged him. ", I think is what Calum says to Allison next and I close my eyes and slowly open them again, finding it weird how the shiny dots from the sky are mocking me.

"Dad! Thank god you're here! ", Allison's voice sound utterly upset and she sobs.

Why is she sobbing? I'm totally fine.. Aside from the fact that I see two Calums in front of me.

"I didn't know you had a twin brother. ", I raise my not harassed arm to try to touch the image of the other red head but it seems untouchable. "Why can't I touch him? Is he a ghost? "

"Oh my god. Help him! "

"He's losing his mind! "

The voices mix together as I just stare above myself and wonder what in the world is happening when fucking Voldemort flies right past me.

Don't tell anyone but I think I might be insane.

When he comes closer, I freeze. I swear I can feel his rough fingers wrapping around my throat. Nothing in that moment stops me from screaming and I just keep on doing that until my own voice fades away. One whole eternity I just scream as the demon chokes me. Where is Harry Potter when I fuckng need him?

"Harry.. Bring me.. Harry.. ", I plea, not so sure if the words have escaped through my lips or stayed inside of me.

"Nooo... He's going to kill me! ", I yell yet again as the pain in my arm multiplies.

"What is happening to him? "

"He's hallucinating! Wake him up. ", someone answers the first person as I struggle to breathe. Voldemort's face fades into my fathers.

I'm utterly fucked at this point and there's no serenity around to save me. Craziness is truly inevitable no matter how hard I try t avoid it.

With someone's voice saying my name over and over again like the gentle little song, I push the devil away as everything turns white. Blinking for a few times, white changes into a blur of colors that sharpens within seconds. Allison's wet face appears in front of me.

"Ross. ", she gasps and covers her mouth with her hand.

I can barely remember what happened. Curiosity makes the question pour our of me as I observe my surroundings. I may not be the smartest person at the moment but I do know that I couldn't have been on a warm bed, covered in white sheets while I fought the fuckers.

"Where am I? ", my head hurts undeniably bad so I squeeze my eyes shut.

"The hospital. ", my best friend's girlfriend tells me.

For a moment, I think I feel her hand slip in mines but I think it may be an illusion again.

"He poured the water with LSD in it into your organism. We were so worried. ", Calum exclaims.

I still don't understand a thing..

"What's that? ", my shaky voice questions as I glance down at my, now wrapped up in bandage, arm.

"It's the dangerous white substance that starts the hallucinations if it gets into your body. I'm so sorry man. This shouldn't have happened. ", Calum sites on a chair in the corner and buries his face into his hands. I just stare.

"Is he awake?! ", Lucas stumbles through the door and rushes over to my side.

"Yes. ", Allison tells him and hugs him tight. "This is just awful. Look at him! "

What's wrong with me?

Mr. Noren walks in right away with an unreadable expression on his face. I groan as the slight rush of pain rushes through my head and arm. Shiver runs down my spine and I try my best not to cry like a stupid little baby that I am.

"May I talk to him in private? ", the man asks when he notices I'm awake.

"Dad.. ", Allison pleas.

"It is fine, Allison. Take your friends and Lucas outside. ", Nicolas demands and his daughter gulps.

They all rush out of the room, her in his arms. Great, now my chest hurts too.

"I'm sorry. ", I sob as he takes a seat on the chair beside my bed. "I'm so sorry.. "

His eyes seem to have softened and he watches me the same way he did nine years ago when I was crying on his bed. Only this time, he doesn't bother to pick me up into his arms but I think my new weight justifies that pretty well.

"He's back in jail. For the rest of his life. ", the father of the girl I like speaks up.

I'm not that dumb. I know I've fucking liked her ever since Britney introduced me to her pretty face back at the club. The fact that I've known her only for about two weeks doesn't change a thing. I've spent half of that time with her and I'm scared because this shouldn't have happened. Not under these circumstances. Not this way..

I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself.

"Your family is here too, you know? ", Nicolas asks me.

My eyes widen. No. They shouldn't have known, they shouldn't be here. They can't see me like this.