Troubled Youth

10

I remember that bright light, blinding my vision. It was powerful; so powerful indeed that it would make anyone believe it was God's light.

Dad was in agony but so was I watching him die slowly. The cancer had already spread around his brain like a black widow's web. Tangling their victim, torturing them and finally finishing them off. I couldn't sit there and watch him die like that. It was misery. So I left and never returned until he finally passed.

I wasn't there in his last moments because I was too much of a coward! That pain and that guilt made me do something which I now regret. Almost burning those bullies alive was traumatising. Not only for them but for me. I never could have imagined it being that easy to hurt someone.

Thankfully my sense returned when my rage ceased and I unlocked the door. I was lucky to have gotten off the hook that easily with the judge sending me here, as more of a rehab than a punishment. At first I thought it would be filled with assholes. With people that thought they were better than everyone else but I was wrong and I'm glad. This place had people that had suffered just like me. People that just wanted to atone for their mistakes. People that did the right thing the wrong way. People that I would call family.

But after what occurred tonight, I don't know what to think anymore. 

Jeremy turned out to be the one who killed Mateo and then learning about Andrew cheating on Mateo with Manny...I seriously don't know what to think about that.

"Hey..." I heard a voice in the distance. It sounded like an echo, drifting inside my mind. "Hey..." I heard again. I opened my eyes to see the bright light hanging over me. I glanced around to try and find any sign of where I was at. 

"Hey, Mastermind." The scarlet haired girl greeted me. She was sitting in a chair next to me, smiling but I could see a glimpse of sadness behind that smile. 

"Whe-" I tried to speak but suddenly felt a sharpness across my face. I slowly touched my nose and felt the bandages that covered it. 

"You're in a hospital because your nose broke. So just try not moving your face too much. We don't want to ruin that nice mug of yours." Fey joked. She was trying to lighten the mood but we both knew that nothing could help with what occurred tonight. "Hey...what is it?" She asked when she noticed that my silence had overstayed.

"Wha-What happened? Right after I passed out I mean."

"I...I'm not too sure myself. I wasn't there so I don't know exactly what happened but..." Fey seemed a bit uncomfortable with what she was about to say.

"But what?" I insisted.

"Manny, he was there. He said that...that Jeremy was going to shoot himself but he stopped him by throwing a rock at him or something and that Andrew almost beat Jeremy to death. I guess he only stopped because he realised he hit you. If it wasn't for you stepping in my brother would have been a murderer." The girl that I never thought I'd ever see cry was now breaking down right infront of me. I reached forward and hugged her. We remained in this state for what felt like endlessness. My eyes were shut and only the darkness I could see.
It felt peaceful.
It was peaceful.

And then it ended.
Mum walked into the room and immediately began running towards me.
"You're awake!" She exclaimed, her short blonde hair bouncing with every step. Without hesitation - and any time for us to react - Mum jumped towards Fey and I.

Mum was skinny but somehow managed to have the strength of a bear. She was hugging us both so tightly that I thought I was going to pass out again.

"Mum you're killing us..." I managed to huff out. She eased her grasp and my lungs were overflowing with oxygen once again.