You Can't Hate Me

Chapter 9

    After school, Alia had to walk home herself because Sarilyn had dancing lesson, which Alia couldn't believe because people her age didn't dance anymore. Not in the serious, professional kind of way anyway.
    She turned the corner and gasped when she saw Ajax coming her way. She pulled back, her heart pounding. Just her luck to bump into him when no one was around to witness it.
    Why was it she saw him every single time she was alone?
    A few minutes passed, but there was nothing. No sound, no footsteps.
    Alia frowned in suspicion and peered around the corner.
    Her mouth fell open in surprise when she saw Ajax bent over and grunting quietly in pain.
    Immediately, an internal battle started out in her head. Should she help him? He'd bullied her and snatched away her lunch and locked her in the janitor's closet, and however good his reasons were, his actions were bad. Worse than bad, they were cruel and had sent her to hospital.
    But then again, he looked like he was going to puke any moment. And she couldn't even begin to describe the pain he seemed to be going through. Physical pain, Alia could tell that much, but lots and lots of physical pain.
    Finally making a decision, she stepped out of her 'hiding place' tentatively.
    "Um, Ajax?"
    Ajax's head shot up. When he saw her, his eyes narrowed.
    "Go...away," he forced out through his teeth. His fists were clenched from the whatever pain he was in.
    "Are- are you sure you don't need help?"
    "N-" Ajax hissed in pain, his knees crashing onto the ground.
    Alia stared. He was probably going to faint, but who cared? She offered to help him and he refused it himself.
    Frowning, she looked down at Ajax."Can I at least call Bryan or someone for you?"
    Silence.
    Ajax had his eyes closed and his teeth clenched. And he probably barely heard her.
    "Or can I get you to your house? Or anyone else you know's house?"
    "Too far. "
    "Or...or I could bring you to my house. It's only half a block away. And my mom doesn't ask questions."
    What? What did she just say? Did she just tell Ajax he could come to her house? Alia grimaced.
    Ajax opened his eyes and glared at her. "Why would I want to go to your house? "
    Alia shrugged. "Consider me a saint, don't blame me if you die on the street."
    "Watch your mouth," Ajax snarled.
    "I'm just trying to be a good person, but you're making it hard for me to acheive that."
    "Good. "
    Alia shrugged again and turned to go.
    Just then, Ajax let out another hiss of pain.
    Alia turned back around. "You do know you'll never be able to make it anywhere in this state, right? "she said, gesturing at him.
    Ajax glared at her for another whole minute.
    But finally, he seemed to have come to a decision.
    "Are you...sure...your mom won't...ask?" Ajax said through his clenched teeth.
    "Yes."
    "Are...you sure? "
    "Yes! "
    "Swear...it!"
    Alia rolled her eyes. "I swear my mom won't ask questions about whatever happened to you and how it happened. "
    She was sure both of them knew she left herself out of the promise on purpose.
    "If she does, you're dead."
    "She won't."
    Ajax closed his eyes again. "Help me up."
    "Wow, you sure still can be rude even when you're about to die of pain," Alia muttered under her breath.
    For once, Ajax didn't say anything.
    It took them a long, long time for them to reach the gate that led to her lawn with Ajax walking so slowly.
    But finally, they made their way to the porch. Alia slammed her hand on the door bell.
    As promised, Alia's mom didn't ask questions about Ajax, but she did look really concerned.
    "Come on in! Oh, who's this? What's wrong? "
    Alia shrugged.
    Ajax managed a sour smile. "My back."
    His back? Did he break his spine or something?
    Emily ushered both of them upstairs and practically dragged Ajax into the bathroom.
    Alia grabbed the first-aid kit in the kitchen and handed it to Emily.
    Emily shook her head and handed the kit back to her. "You'll have treat him, I have an urgent errand to run. You know what to do, right?"
    "But-"
    Emily gave her a don't-argue-with-me look.
    Alia sighed. For once, she wished her mom wasn't a nurse so she wouldn't know anything about treating patients. What if Ajax did break his spine? What could she do then?
    But Emily had already left, leaving her with the most terrifying bully ever.
    Taking a deep breath, Alia got to work.
    "Sit," Alia said, pointing at the edge of the bathtub. To her surprise, Ajax did as he was told.
    "Take off your jacket."
    Ajax hesitated, but slipped off his jacket anyway.
    As soon as the jacket came off, Alia clamped her hand over her mouth.
    The back of Ajax's shirt was soaked with blood.

                                 ~~~

    Ajax scowled at Alia's expression. But then, his face turned more serious and threatening. "Before I take off my shirt, let me make one thing clear. Do not tell anyone. You utter one single word that relates to this and you'll be dead before you know it."
    Uneffected, Alia raised an eyebrow, but nodded anyway.
    Ajax narrowed his eyes at her. "Swear it."
    "I swear I won't tell anyone about your darkest secret."
    Ajax looked frustrated. "Darkest secret? I probably should go."
    Alia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, considering you can go."
    Ajax couldn't believe how mean this girl could be when he was obviously bleeding to death. "Be serious."
    "Fine. I swear I won't tell anyone about what I'm going to find out. Cross my heart and hope to die."
    "I really need you to be serious."
    "I'm serious!"
    "Are you sure? "
    "Yes! Now take off your shirt or die of blood loss!"
    Ajax reluctantly pulled the shirt up and over his head.
    Alia's mouth dropped open.
    "Oh. My. Goodness."
    Ajax's back was covered in wounds that seemed to have come from a knife. A knife.
    Not only that, but it was also crisscrossed with scars by similar wounds. And some of them had opened up again after whatever Ajax had gone through.
    There were also places where his back looked like it had been hit by something similar to a...a stick? A hard one too.
    His neck, which had been hidden by his shirt, had slap prints all over.
    Alia forced herself to calm down and not ask questions. She suddenly understood why he was so touchy about taking off his shirt. It was the most horrible sight she had ever seen.
    "Pick up your jaw and get on with it," Ajax muttered.
    Alia ignored him and cleaned his wounds before opening the first-aid kit for an antidote.
   Ajax tensed as Alia kept the water running down his back. His wounds were burning so much it felt as if his skin was peeling off.
    "Okay, this is really gonna hurt," Alia warned, turning off the water and drying his back with a towel.
    She didn't like the idea of touching his back full of wounds, but it was compulsory if she had to apply the antidote on his back.
    Yes, she was sure the knife wounds weren't so deep they pierced his lungs or anything, but they were deep enough to make her feel nauseous.
    She swiped her hand into the creamy substance and spread it over Ajax's back, knowing that Ajax was bracing himself.
    Immediately, it took effect.
    Ajax felt his back cramp up as the agonizing pain shot up his wounds. A strangled sound came from his throat and he tried not to arch his back as the burning overwhelmed his senses, searing through his back and increasing every millisecond.
    Alia watched Ajax's reaction to the antidote, wincing. It was pretty unnerving to see the world's most ruthless bully known shaking with pain. Like, you wouldn't see a school bully stumbling along the street with about ten thousand wounds on his back every day, right?
    It took all of Ajax's strength just to keep himself from yelling out and fall on the floor writhing. This was by far nothing he had ever experienced. His dad might have gone a bit too far. No, his dad had gone way too far.
    The pain and dizziness clouded his mind, taking up any of his space to think.
    Just when Ajax thought he would pass out, the pain started fading. Little by little.
    Alia peered uncertainly at Ajax as he slowly relaxed.
    There was an uncomfortable silence.
    "Um, does it still hurt?"
    Ajax shook his head, glaring at the inside of the bathtub.
    "Okay, you'll have to wait until it dries off and I can help you bandage it or not if you don't want me to."
    "Not."
    "Fine, choose whatever you like."
    There was another awkward silence.
    "Go downstairs? "Alia suggested.
    "I'm staying where I am, "Ajax said firmly.
    Alia rolled her eyes. He was impossible.
    Why wasn't she surprised?

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Okay I know I took a long time but it's the longest chapter yet😆
And I still have phone and laptop use time limits, especially in the holidays. So, please forgive me for the time it took to write this thing :)