Love In Hate

7 A step ahead

Sun's POV

The gang leader from other school came to settle the score with us. He was targeting Zac and Pong. Zac, Pong and Jack ditched class this morning to go play games. We were in our class when Jack came to us, panting.

"He's coming back. Zac and Pong in troubles,"

With that, we made our way out from the class and jumped over the fence. To my surprise, Nash came with us.

Once we arrived, Zac and Pong were bleeding badly. There were so many of them and they went against Zac and Pong all at once.

The gang leader knew he had no chance in a fair fight. Last time they fought, Zac managed to beat all of those guys by himself. We weren't picking fights all over the places but challengers seemed to come after us one after another. So, this time, he played dirty so Zac and Pong couldn't fight back. Normally, they would have just beaten those guys without breaking a sweat.

We came a bit late to their rescue but we managed to anyway.

Nash helped us in cleaning our wounds once we got back into the school. He was always the one doing the task. Except for the last time. Inn did it. For me.

It's great that I wasn't badly injured. But you could still see the bruise and wounds on my face. Shit those guys! Why are they targeting my face? Never mind. I got to throw punches on their faces as well.

***

"Your sister got first place in this exam," my mom cheerfully announced. We were having our dinner.

"If only your brother could get half of the grade. But he barely passed and had a lot of fails," my dad added. I just sat there, giving my ears.

I know! Why you need to say it out loud? Why you have to compare us again and again? I knew long ago how stupid I was. But just once, can't you at least soothe me with good words?

I'm alive. I have heart. I have feeling. Even if I didn't say anything, it didn't mean I was okay with it. Is grade so important that it can give hierarchy in the family? Those who are smart got the most love. Those who are stupid can't get enough love. Is that how a family works?

Many of you probably had the thought. Am I really my parent's child? I was thinking about it as well. I was here, with all the bruises clearly visible to their eyes. Had they ask me about it? Had they ask me if I still felt hurt?

No. No one asked. They were so busy concentrating on my sister. Even the conversation hadn't over yet. They were so proud that my sister could get on the stage again to get certificate.

She was just a year older than me. We didn't attend the same school. My sister attended a prestigious school in town. I expected it anyway. With the grades she scored at every exam, it's not impossible.

Then, who am I again? We just a year different but we got a different kind of treatment. Where is justice? People said that, no matter how much you hate your own family, you can't cut the bond you had with them. And I wasn't saying that they were cutting bond with me. But with the way the treated me, I couldn't help but to think that.

I hate it when I had this kind of thought. I felt stressed. I felt hurt. I couldn't say a word about this pain in my heart. I didn't want to defy them. For God's sake, they are my family. They are my parents. Without them, I wouldn't be here. But sometimes, maybe it was good enough if I wasn't here.

I stood up from my chair when I knew that nobody would ask on how I was doing. I didn't even finish my meal but who cares? I already lost the appetite anyway. I washed my own plate in the sink before I went to the door.