The Boy in Black

Chapter 3

*1 Year Later*

      If I started right at the moment that I met him, you'd sort of be missing out on some stuff- like how I got to where I was when we had our first encounters. So I'll start at the beginning of the day.

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      "GET YOUR ASS UP, BOY!! IF YOU'RE LATE TO SCHOOL, I'LL BEAT YOU 'TIL YOU CAN'T FUCKING WALK!!" Walter screamed, accompanied with heavy pounding on my door.
      What a lovely thing to start the morning with.
      "Okay, okay. I'm up," I groaned.
      "I don't want backtalk shithead, just get up!" he yelled. I heard him walk away from the door and down the stairs.
      I rolled out of bed and onto the floor. I laid there for a minute, trying to find the courage to stand up and start the day. When I finally did get up, it wasn't because I was ready, but rather because I looked at the clock and saw I had 15 minutes before the bus came and I don't want an ass whopping for missing it.
      I got up with a grunt and got dressed in black ripped skinny jeans, a t-shirt that said "never trust an atom, they make up everything", and hightop converse. I went to the bathroom and half-assed straightened my fringe. I need to dye my hair black again soon- my roots are showing.
      I grabbed my backpack, phone and black hoodie on my way out.
      Two minutes til the bus gets here- shit. I ran downstairs. When I got to the bottom, I heard a whistle and ducked on instinct. A glass beer bottle shattered against the wall- right where my head was. Walter was at the table, angrily staring at me.
      "HURRY THE FUUCK UP, BOYYY!" he slurred a bit. It was 7:46 in the morning, for Christ's sake. He was about to grab the other empty bottle next to him and I ran out. I heard the glass break right as I closed the door.
      I ran down the street to the corner. Right as I got to the corner, the bus pulled up. I sighed in relief. The last time I missed the bus, I didn't go to school. I was passed out and at the bottom of the stairs for most of the day with a couple cracked ribs, a twisted ankle, a shit ton of bruises and a bloody cut on the back of my head.  It wasn't fun, and definitely not a beating that I would like to encounter again.
      I got on the bus and sat in the middle of the bus. I put my earbuds in, turned my volume up and hit 'shuffle'. Hold On Till May by Pierce the Veil came on. I love this song.
      I stared out the window the whole way to hell- shit, I meant school. Oh well, same thing. Don't get me wrong, I love learning. Except, I don't learn there. I just get beaten and embarrassed. In a different life, if I wasn't a freak to my peers, I would love school. Unfortunately, those weren't the cards I was dealt. Shit.
      As the bus pulled up to the school, I stayed seated, waiting for everyone else to get off first. I still had 25 minutes before first bell, so I went to the library to read. I sat on the floor at the end of an aisle. I got four or five pages in before I noticed Tony, the quarter back of the football team, sitting at one of the tables. Unfortunately, right as I noticed him, he noticed me as well. Shit. I got up and ran for the door. Right as I was about to reach it, my backpack was yanked back. He grabbed the collar of my shirt and got in my face.
      "Where ya goin', faggot?" he said.
      How original. It was hard to listen to what he was saying- his breath smells like rotten onions.
      "What the fuck did you just say to me??" he growled. Shit. I said that aloud.
      "Nothing," I muttered.
      "Bullshit," he yelled.
      He grabbed me by the hair and threw me into the hallway. I slid on the floor until I hit the wall. As I was laying on the floor, pressed up against the wall, that little logical voice told me to get up before he came, but I was too dazed. I saw him walk toward me and then he kicked me in my stomach over and over again. The first bell rang mid-kick. Thank God. If Tony wasn't at risk of being kicked off the football team for his truancy, he would've stayed there kicking me all day. Fortunately for me, he was at risk. He left with a grunt, but not before telling me that I was worthless and I should just kill myself.
      It took me a second for my vision to come back in focus. When it did, I rolled onto my stomach and slowly got up while leaning against the wall for support. While I limped my way to first period, I played Tony's words over in my head. Logically, I know that he's just a knucklehead. But as much as I hate to admit it, the dude has a point.
      There really is no reason for me to be here. Obviously, Jen and Walter wouldn't miss me. They'd miss the monthly child support check from CPS, but oh well. They could deal with it. And nobody else is in my life. There's nothing keeping me here. The house is hell on earth and school is miserable. I've tried to end it all before, a couple of times. There was once in the foster home but Iris found me before I made the final cut. There was once when they first adopted me, but the whole ceiling fan came down when I stepped off the chair. I got beaten bloody from that, and whipped on my back with the belt. I still have long red and white scars across my back from it. And there was once about six months ago. I ended up getting sick after I fell asleep, though, and I threw all the pills up.
      Maybe fourth times a charm?
      Maybe the problem with all the other times was that it was all spur-of-the-moment. It was a split second decision that I made after something horrible had happened and I'd hit the breaking point. Maybe if I planned it out a bit a more, I would've been successful.
     As I sat down at my desk in the back of class, I thought more and more about it. When would I do it? Tonight- the thought of the end, of the escape of my everyday hell, excited me. I can't wait. Today.
How would I do it? Jumping. Feeling the rush of wind right before I died sounding enticing. I could pretend for a moment that I was flying before gravity would take over, as it tends to do. Where would I do it? Hmm...
      The buzzing of my phone in my back pocket caught my attention. I pulled it out and looked at the text from Jen.
      We're having friends over tonight. We don't want you there embarrassing us. If you come into this house before they leave, you'll regret it.
      In a way, it was perfect. I wouldn't have them blowing up my phone, asking me where the fuck I was. I could get it done with no distractions.
      Now, where to do it...? Here. Why not? I go up to the roof all the time anyway. It's easy access. Besides, the school is four stories. It should do the job nicely.
      The late bell snapped me out of my thoughts. My history teacher walked up to the board and started her lecture on The Great Depression. I tuned her out, daydreaming of my escape.

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      Three classes later, it was lunch time. I went into the cafeteria to get lunch from the line. As I was walking out, I tripped over a foot that was shot out last minute. Luckily, nothing spilled because my lunch was in a paper bag instead of a tray.
      Good choice, Barry.
      I looked up and it was Sam, Tony's best friend. He was laughing his ass off, as was the whole table of jocks. I just rolled my eyes and got up. I picked up my lunch on the way out and I made my way to the roof. I put my lunch on the ground and took out my phone. I put on some music, then I climbed onto the foot wide ledge. I wasn't gonna jump- not yet. Not while there's so many people around. I was just gonna look. And walk. And dance. As I walked the ledge with my arms halfway up for balance, I thought I heard something but I ignored it. A part of the song came on that I really like, and I spun around in a fast circle. I was about to keep walking but I heard a loud gasp as soon as I stopped spinning. I jumped and almost fell but arms wrapped around me and lifted me up and off the ledge and onto the safety of the roof.
     "God, you scared me half to death! What were you doing up there??," a male voice asked. I turned and looked up to see the most magnificent pair of piercing blue eyes.
     "Sorry," I said, mostly distracted by the boys' handsome features. "I was just dancing. What are you even doing up here- if you don't mind me asking."
      "I saw that douchebag trip you in the cafeteria. I wanted to make sure you were okay," he said.
     "New?" I asked rhetorically.
     "I'm sorry?" He asked.
     "You're new, yeah?"
     "Yeah, first day. How'd you know?"
     'Cause everyone in this school hates my guts and there's no way that anyone here would check on me because they think I'm disgusting.
      "Lucky guess," I said instead.
      "Hmm," he murmured.
      The lunch bell rang from inside.
      "Well, I've got to get to class. What'd you say your name was?"
      "Oh, I didn't say my name. It's Barry," I said.
      "Barry..." he said, as if he was trying out the way it rolled on his tongue. "Nice to meet you. I'm Oliver."
      "Nice to meet you, too," I said.
      "It was nice talking to you, and- stay off that ledge, please." he said. "I'll talk to you later, Barry. Bye!"
      "Bye," I said as he walked away and into the door leading into the school.
      He won't talk to me later, though. By the time he sees me again, he'll know that I'm gay. When he figures that out, he'll want nothing to do with me.
      Oh, well. It's not like it matters, anyway. Soon I'll be gone. I'll get it right this time.