This Day Will Break Us.

One

Warning: Contains violence and sensitive material.

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The sun was shining brightly over the little town of Sta. Monica. People were walking down the streets, making their way to either school or work. The smell of freshly made coffee and bread can be smelled from the town's one and only café, San Monique's. Cars filled the road as the morning rush hour started. It was just an ordinary day. There was no sign that a tragedy might happen ...  until it did.

**

MAINE

7:15 am – 7:22 am

"Ugh, I hate him," Nadine whispered as soon as we entered the school.

"Just talk to him, okay? Don't get mad and shut him out without an explanation." I answered before pulling my baseball hat down to cover my eyes from the intense morning sun. I only readjusted my cap the second we reached the hallway.

"Poor Tim, he's being bullied again," Nadine said. My ears rang; I looked on and saw my brother's best friend being bullied by some of the seniors. Tim was a bit awkward for his age. He wore this pair of thick glasses that covered most of his small face. His hazel-colored hair was almost always messy. He was shy, anxious and tall but thin. He was harmless, and that made him a prey. I clenched my fists and approached the group before Nadine could stop me.

"Hey!" I yelled and they all stopped taunting Tim. One by one, their faces turned to me.

"Hey there, Babe." Chris, one of the bullies, greeted. He and I dated for about a year until I broke it off when I found out he was cheating on me.

"Fuck off, Chris. Leave him alone." I replied. Chris removed his grip on Tim's shirt.

"You're lucky she's here." Chris told Tim before he and his group walked away. I breathed a sigh of relief and turned my eyes on him.

Tim and my brother Dean have been best friends for as long as I could remember. They met almost ten years ago when we moved here. And since then, they've been inseparable.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, next time don't help me ... I can handle it." He replied, eyes glued to the floor.

"You can handle it? Oh please, Tim." I uttered. I placed a hand on his shaking shoulder but he jerked away before I could even do so.

"Yes, they will pay for their daily torment. Is Dean with you?" he asked me.

"No, he wasn't feeling well." I answered.

"Good. Tell him to rest and don't leave his house. You and your friend should go home too while there's still time." Tim told me, referring to Nadine.

"Wait, what are you saying? What do you mean?" I asked, baffled by his statement.

"Just go." Tim replied. And before I could even stop him, he already walked away.

"What's going on?" Nadine asked as soon as she stood next to me.

"I don't know. But I think Tim is up to something."

--

RICHARD

7:22 am – 7:30 am

"Are we skipping classes ... again?" Avery asked the second he, James, Kim and I walked out of the school's one entrance.

"Yes, Dude. Come on ... don't tell me you'd like to stay for that snoozefest? We just finished our tests yesterday, we deserve a break." Kim answered. James and I smiled before we all ran towards the woods. A few moments later, we settled on the riverside and rested our backs on the century-old trees that surrounded us. Kim produced a pack of cigarette and we all took a stick each. We then spent the next couple of minutes just talking about the nonsense school-related things we could think of.