Chapter 7

Reece felt his blood freeze within seconds, his throat felt dry, and his words caught up within his throat as much as he wanted to scream and cry out loud. Reece was frighteningly pale, and seconds ticked to minutes, his silence was a call for alarm

He rushed out of the cafeteria stumbling on his way out. Frida and Clarkson were quick to their heels chasing after him with a matter of urgency. 

Reece crashed his back against the locker, sliding down slowly while the words from earlier played in his head like a broken record.

 "On his 18th birthday," he kept repeating. He did not know if he should laugh or cry. "It was my 18th birthday too, he raped me… he is a serial rapist" was what he wanted to scream out loud but the words sucked up in his throat so painful to be voiced out. Frida and Clarkson soon caught up with him but he just stared at them blankly. 

"Take him to the nurse's office," Frida said out loud, but Reece only managed to shake his head in denial. "Are you okay?" Frida asked yet again. 

"Okay?" he laughed like it was some joke from the country.

 "Why won't I be okay?... I'm perfectly fine" he lied through his teeth standing up and dusting his clothes when the bell went off and his body significantly stiffened.

 "Are you coming?" Frida asked and he just smiled.

 Seating in the very front for all seats that were already occupied felt like the worst punishment ever. The door pushes open and a neatly dressed Aryan Turkey walks in with a handful of books in both hands. 

"We will be targeting the history of the world today as we had limited time in our last class" Aryan Turker announced while the class chorused a uniform 

"yes sir" Forty-five minutes had never been so long, Reece turned and struggled but time seemed to be against him.

 He could not keep his mind aloof nor could he concentrate on whatever the man before him was busy explaining. 

"Reece, are you okay?" the sudden question stiffed Reece. Frida and Clarkson dare not say a word as their eyes stare daggers into the skin of their professor.

 "I… never been better" Reece managed to say, gritting his teeth hard as his gums bled into his mouth. 

"Then why aren't you writing?" he asked yet again and only then did Reece notice the gibberish of nonsense he had been scraping on his notebook. 

"I hate… I hate….I hate him" the words spelled out in caps. Aryan glanced over the notebook but chose to stay back. Finally, the bell went off and Reece stood up packing his item with so much urgency. 

"Mr. Mcrocal, I hold on. The rest of you can go" Ayan's words sounded like the devil himself. Watching his friends walk away, he prayed inwardly. 

"Reece" Aryan called out calmly, Reece did not realize when he had moved backward, trying hard to run away from the man before him. 

"Reece, what's wrong?" Aryan asked innocently. Reece felt the air seize from his lungs, he laughed, staring at the man before him. 

"Did you just ask me what's wrong?" he demanded, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Ayan stood rooted on the same spot too scared to approach the pitied boy before him.

 "Mr. Turker, I am not someone you should be worried about. If you're scared of me exposing you then do not worry for I will do no such thing." Reece picks up his back, hanging it over his shoulders.

 "But Reece...I" Aryan watches as the boy storms his way out, not giving him a chance to say another word. 

"If only you knew Reece, if only you did" he murmurs to himself getting back to clearing his desk for the next teacher.

 The end of the day was a blur after history class. Reece quickly packed his things, he quickly bid goodbye to his friends not giving them a chance for any questions. 

Taking the boss, he reluctantly returned home. The white walls he was familiar with came into view and just like the environment, Shelly runs out falling into his embrace.

 "You're back" she breathes in his embrace trying hard to catch her breath.

 "Slow down Shelly... What's the problem?" Reece asked, staring at the worried face of his younger sister. Reece stared down at his little sister who was in a full-blown panic.

 "He is here" was all she managed to say before being interrupted by their parents. "Finally the prodigal son has come home" Mr Mcrocal walks out staring at his estranged son.

 "Hello Dad," Reece says, walking past him without another word. Slamming the door of his room behind him, he slumps to the cold floor wishing for nothing but death. 

18 had been the year he looked forward to the most, he had plans of leaving home, getting a job, and finally having some peace. He wanted to be gone and hopefully take Shelly with him but that was just a dream, not when she was one of their favorites. 

"Reece…Reece" a voice called from outside. Reece needed not to be told who it belonged to. All his life he has lived in the shadows of one person. 

He has wished and done all but like always he has been seen as nothing but a "half man" as his parents would put it.

 "What?" he asked, not opening the door. He was not ready to have Ray flash yet one of his many accomplishments in his face. 

"I thought you would never come back. How sad, I had plans of turning your room into my practice studio" Reece just snobs. It wasn't the first time hearing his elder brother's taunting voice. 

"Never mind Ray…I will be out of your side before you know it" Reece comforted himself. The words sounded more real saying it out loud. He wanted to be gone, they all wanted him gone and he wanted to be gone. There was nothing for him.

 "You should come down for dinner, you know mom hates when you skip meals" Reece listened as Ray's footsteps gradually walked away. 

Dinner was compulsory. Not that they cared for him, but they needed the extra mouth to consume whatever was prepared as no one ate leftovers. 

Reece quickly dashed into his bathroom and cleaned himself. He walked down the stairs and suddenly froze, the figure below the staircase stared deep into his eyes, a wide grin spreading across his lips. 

"Oh hello baby…. I've been expecting you"