Fragile | ✓

1.5 | Bullies

15 | Bullies

→ If someone hurts my sister, I'll fight 

→ She broke my walls

 

━━━

Aiden's P.O.V

"LOOK AT THE little cry baby. You crying because your mommy left you? Or because your daddy didn't want you alive? Or cause no one can even stand to look at your ugly face?" My bully, Jason, teased.

I sat alone, slumped near the wall of my locker with my head buried in my hands. Jason's voice echoed across the empty hallway with no teacher at sight. I had just failed my history test and I knew that Caden was not going to be happy. He had taken the liberty of watching over our grades and my grades were nothing to be proud of. Of course, Jason had found that exact moment to appear with his little minions by his side.

He bent down and snatched the wrinkled paper out of my grip. Straightening it out, he read the grade at the top: B-. His eyebrows furrowed slightly but he recovered.

"Only a B- nerd? I thought you could do better." I knew I wasn't a nerd but that was one of the many words Jason had put into my head. He crumpled the paper up with his fist and tossed it on the ground. I had to get that signed and there was no way I could bring the teared up paper home now. But I knew I couldn't talk back to Jason or else he would turn the school against me. Even more than it was now.

"Heard your dad was put in jail again. And what about your brother Mason? Flunking out of school too?" Talking about me was one thing but when he dared talk about Mason, I looked him straight in the eye.

"You aren't worthy of saying his name," I growled, attempting to sound fierce but the wobble in my voice gave me away. Jason walked menacingly closer and dragged me up only to push me to the ground again.

"Oh and you're the one telling me I'm not worthy?" He scoffed. All his words felt like bullets to my head, hitting me with full force. "Like father, like son. Worthless."

I wake up each day to these thoughts taking over my brain. The countless thoughts, the memories, and my bullies words. That's why I changed those three years ago. I didn't want to be in my brother's shadows anymore. I didn't want to be considered the boy without parents. I was my own person and I wanted to show that to the world. It was a miracle how much a new haircut, a leather jacket, and an attitude could do. I stopped being that boy who went crying to his brothers and kept my storm inside. Everyone started treating me differently and soon, the bullying was like a long ago dream. To everyone besides me. I remembered it clearly, each word that was thrown at me. No one saw the hidden storm though. I loved my brothers and knew they could see past the attitude but they never commented. I never bothered showing my brothers my emotions or even considered breaking down my walls down for anyone.

Until Jess came along.

Jess waltzed into our life and turned everything upside down for me. I would give my world to protect her and without her even realizing it, she had us all wrapped around her finger and my walls crumbling slowly. Every little joke she said and laughter that she brought to the family made my smile widen each tiny bit.

━━━

Walking to grab tissues by the counter, I spotted Jessica by the corner surrounded by a group of girls, fiddling with something in her hand. Their positions brought back unwanted flashbacks and I could see a few tears building up in Jess's eyes. Whoever made those tears appear I had something to say to. And trust me when I say it was not small talk.