Rip - Becoming Whole

Back to Square One

He had waited all weekend to hear from his friends to see how they had fared with their parents. He texted them but his messages remained unopened and his calls unanswered. He was surprised not to hear from them but not worried. He assumed their parents had just taken their phones of them, a common sanction for all his classmates but something his uncle would have never even contemplated as a punishment. Not least because he had no comprehension about the role social media played in their lives.

Neither did Rip yet really, or he would not have been so shocked when the notifications on his social media apps, the modern gossip machine, were starting to come in on Sunday evening, "Did you hear, Wheeler stole a car... was drunk... was high... totalled a car... it's a write off... talked them into it... what a douche... ring leader... bullied them into it... I heard... supplied alcohol to them... drugs as well... crystal meth probably... maybe acid... what do you expect... he is trouble... his uncle just paid for it... no repercussion... no wonder... his father was a drug dealer... in prison... murderer... I always said that..." And then there was the bleeding-heart brigade "poor Rip... did you hear his uncle beats him... he never takes off his shirt... he beats him black and blue... I've seen the bruises... he has scars all over his back from the whippings he gets... no wonder... someone should report him!"

He wished a hole would appear in front of him that swallowed him up. He felt nauseous, his bowls were on fire, even though he had hardly eaten anything all day. No matter how much water he drank, he felt thirsty and his mouth was dry.

People he hardly knew commented on posts as if they had known him all his life, but it hurt most when people who he thought were friendly enough with him made devastating comments. He couldn't even answer to any of it for fear of getting his friends into trouble as of this moment of time he had no idea, which of his friends Donie had recognised.

There were no statements from any of them, so he started to suspect that somehow all their parents had found out about it. By the time Coach Matthews, asked him to step into his office first thing Monday morning, and told him he was off the team it became clear however, what was happening. When the question if he was the only one off the team, was answered in the affirmative there was no more doubt. His so-called friends had thrown him under the bus.

His unacceptable behaviour Friday night was brought to his attention by another parent, so he was off the football team and all other extracurricular activities were also taken away from him. The coach was to pass on the message from the music teacher not to go to band practise or instrument lessons until further notice. Rip was too stunned and hurt to even argue with his coach who he had started to look up to. Without a word he just picked up his bag and left the office.

He tried to have words with his friends, but only Richie agreed to briefly talk to him behind the gym where no one could see them. His parents had told him he was not to be seen with Rip. It was him that Donie had seen run away. He told him his father had made him tell everything, and he then went to the other two sets of parents.

According to Richie, it was their parents who decided to blame it all on Rip and the three boys, who had been friends since Kindergarten, just went along with it. They didn't have the guts to correct them. They feared their parents' punishments more than their loss of his friendship. Richie told him, he was so sorry, he was scared of his daddy, he couldn't risk being thrown of the team. He needed the football for getting into college, and it was well for Rip since his uncle was rich and would pay for any college he wanted to go to. Richie didn't even bother asking him how he had got on with his uncle who they all saw as strict and unreasonable. Rip kneed Richie into his privates and landed a satisfyingly hard punch in his face before walking away, which helped him keep his own tears out of his eyes.