The Reason Why

Chapter 2

As John walked home from his school, he felt someone was following him, as stupid and cliché it sounded like. He ignored the feeling and ran home.

He went inside his house, which felt eerily quiet.

I'm just shaken up because of Jim, John thought as he dumped his bag on the ground.

He pulled out a few of his notebooks.

He proceeded to throw them at the wall.

He collapsed in heap of tears.

"I'll see you after school, honey," John's mom said, kissing Will-John's little brother-on the forehead. He was currently eleven years old, almost twelve.

Will smiled playfully as he skipped out of the door.

"Take care of him, will you?" John's mom asked him.

"Mom he's eleven years old. Eleven! He's old enough to take care of himself."

It was Will's first time to go to school after being homeschooled his whole life.

"But still, watch out for him. He's been acting strange lately..."

"Maybe, but it's embarrassing to have his older thirteen-year-old brother take care of him in school!"

His mom rolled his eyes. "Take care of yourself too, okay? Make sure that at Jim boy doesn't get close to Will or you."

"I will," John promised.

~~~three months later~~~

"Hey, punk!" Jim called to Will.

"What is it, Jim?" Will said, clearly annoyed.

"You borrow your sister's flower blouse or what?" Jim laughed as he pointed at Will's shirt while his gang jeered.

"I don't have a sister," Will murmured.

"What was that, punk?" Jim stared at Will, daring him to speak up.

"I said, I don't have a sister!" Will yelled.

Jim pinned Will against the wall. "Nobody talks back to me, you got that?"

"Hey, leave you little brother alone!" John yelled from across the room.

"So this is your little brother?" Jim pointed at Will while his friends jeered. "The pain-in-the-ass little brother who you wish was never born?" He mimicked in a very bad imitation of John's voice.

Will stared at John with horror, "You said that?"

"Wait, Will, I-I can explain! Will, don't-"

John and Jim watched as Will ran off.

"Aw, look at that! Little Will is upset and it's all his brother Jawn's fault!" Jim cooed.

John ignored Jim and ran after Will. "WILL!"

John found Will in the washroom.

Holding a razor blade.

"W-Will, what are you doing?" John gasped, shocked.

"There's no point in my life, John," Will said, his hand holding the blade trembling.

"No, don't say that! Mom loves you! I love you! You have friends that hang out with you!" John protested.

"That's not true. My friends hang out with Jim now. Mom's to busy with work to care about me. And you-you just proved you don't love me! I can't live with that knowledge and with Jim tormenting me every single day of my life. I just-I just can't," Will stared sadly at his blade. "I'm so sorry, John. Tell mom I love her even if she doesn't."

"No, don't, Will-"

Will cut himself.

And again.

And again.

John watched in terror as his brother bled to death.

He called 911, but there was no point.

His brother was dead.

John shook himself out of the memory. It had been two years-he had been thirteen years old that time-since that event happened, and somehow he got over his brother.

He sat on a nearby chair and took heavy breaths. His dislike for Jim had grown into pure hatred that day, and he slowly nurtured it until it became a monster inside him.

And now it was time to let the monster out.

He stepped outside his house and unsurprisingly saw Jim waiting for him.

"Remember when I would always tell you that you would get it?" Jim grinned.

"No gang to back you up this time," John noticed.

"You got that right. It's just me and you this time," Jim smirked, oblivious to the loathing glare John was giving him.

Jim took a step towards him and John took an involuntary step back.

Jim must have noticed the slight look of fear in John's eyes because he said, "You scared, John? Because I-"

John punched him full in the face, finally showing Jim the abomination in him.

Jim stumbled back in shock, him mouth obviously bleeding. "You little-"

Then John punch him again. And again. And again. Jim was on the floor, unable to say a single word because of the pain.

"This is for Will," John hissed in Jim's ear.

"I-" was all Jim was able to say before John stomped on his face.

He lifted his foot to find Jim's teeth scattered on the floor, along with a cracked and bleeding face.

"John!" His mom cried out from the street. "That's enough!"

John ignored her and continued stomping on Jim's face. "Mom, he's the reason Will committed suicide!"

He noticed his mom's eyes glisten at the mention of Will but she still said, "John, enough," she ordered.

John reluctantly stopped, but his eyes were still on Jim, who was unconscious.

His mom ran to both of them. "Do you know how his parents are going to react? They'll call the school and your dad and I will get in trouble and-"

"I don't care," John said, as his mom continued to fuss. But he didn't care.

Seeing Jim in pain was satisfying to him. He had got his revenge.