Bully x Bullied

Chapter 4: Weak or Strong?

A 5-year-old boy sat in the living room of his small but cozy house. He was drawing in his book, he loved to draw.

All of a sudden, he heard his parents, bickering loud in their room.

He was scared. But he tried his best to ignore it and draw.

'Draw', he told himself, tears begging to spill over.

Finally it was over, he heard no more loud screaming of his mother, begging her husband to stop hurting her, no more loud yells of "die!!" from his father. It was quiet. Too quiet.

Something's wrong..

He heard a loud bang as someone opened the door to the living room. He finally let his tears spill, quietly, as he stayed frozen in his spot, the crayon in his small hand droped on the floor, unable to take all the shivering.

He was yanked by his arm roughly towards the person responsible for this.

He squeezed his eyes shut, scared beyond belief.

The person, his father -he knew this cause this had happened many many times before- pushed him down on the floor, slapped him when he whimpered, and stripped him of his clothes, just like all the other times.

Only this time, it was worse, his mother didn't come to save him.

No one saved him. No one heard his silent cries of pain. No one heard his heart, thudding painfully in his chest. No one came to make sure he lived through this. No one.

He was alone.

All alone.

Jake woke up with a start, covered in cold sweat, breathing labored.

" you ok, bro?", he heard someone ask shakily, worry clear in their voice.

He turned towards the voice and found one of his childhood friends, ron.

He realized that he'd fallen asleep during a class. He didn't know which one though.

" hey.. Ronnie.. I'm alright", he said as he rubbed his head, hoping to rid himself of those horrid memories.

Ron hesitated a bit before he asked his friend, now in the empty class as the classes for the day were done, "... Did.. Did you.. You know.. Dream that..?", as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Jake stiffened but relaxed. His childhood friends -Ron Colin, Taylor Francisco and Matthew Roberts- knew about this. About his rapist of a father who physically abused his mother and killed her, about how he'd been stuck in that hell with that monster till the neighbors called the cops after weeks of no word from the residents of the house, about how the cops shot that devil as he put up more fight than they'd expected, about all the shit he went through before he was adopted by a kind lady -now his mother- who, though busy, always made time for him and showed the kindness that he'd always longed for. They knew it all.

He sighed, "..yeah", he said.

Ron winced as he looked away. He didn't know what to say, but he did need to know something, "For.. How long..? I mean.. I thought you didn't get those.. Nightmares.. anymore?", he asked nervously, scared he might snap something in him. He was always more delicate than most would think after all.

Jake sighed again as he rubbed his forehead with a frustrated look, "I didn't.. Not until yesterday.. That kid.. The blonde one.. He reminds me so much of..", he trailed off.

Ron hesitantly provided," him?"

Jake snorted," me", he said as he smiled, a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

" So weak, so innocent.. But he's better, He's stronger. He was scared I could tell but he fought it, he stood strong even though he knew he didn't stand a chance. I can see myself in him, but a better version of me. I hate that. I wish I could go back in time and do something to change that about me. I want to punch that rapist I called a father and tell him I am not as weak as he thought I was. I want to save mother. I want to do something other than just crying and whimpering as he did that shit to me! I could've been better. I could've fought. But I stayed down. Weak.. Beaten... Raped", just as he finished, he broke down.

Ron was at his side in a blink of an eye.

" That's not true!", he exclaimed," You were FIVE! There was nothing you could do to stop a grown man! That doesn't make you weak.. At all", he finished as he bent down and hugged his friend, his own eyes tearing up.

Jake hugged him back and cried. Silently as always. Tears pouring down without a stop. He didn't try to stop it.

Mark stood by the door to their classroom. Shocked and very much in tears as he'd ended up listening in. He had no idea how he'd ended up there - he was new here so mind you he's allowed to get lost.

He wasn't planning to eavesdrop but he couldn't help himself since Jake was involved.

He never expected to hear what he did though.. That was..

'terrible ', he thought, as he comically cried his eyes out. Yeah yeah he was a crybaby but who wouldn't cry after hearing something so heartbreaking?!?!

He felt guilty about thinking that Jake was jerky and arogent while he was only hurt, and apparently had the shity-est childhood ever. It hurt him to think that someone had to go through such a thing. And blame themself for being weak to top it off. That's the worst..

He turned to leave before they caught him - he was still very much an outsider that had just eavesdroped after all.

Just as he walked away he couldn't help but think, 'maybe we could be friends..?', and hope that he could somehow manage to get on his good side from the bad that he currently resides in. Well, it sure is a long jump, but he's ready to risk it. If it means that he could be friends with Jake -he smiled- who he was starting to really like, then he would risk it all. 'you really are changing me, Jake.. ', he thought with a smile.

Jake finally calmed down and broke the hug, "thanks Ron", he said in a raspy voice.

" Hey what are friends for!", said Ron as he tried to lighten the mood and succeeded since he got a slight laugh outta his friend.

Jake grinned at him as he said," come on we're late for practice!", as he got up and run out, "race you out!!", while he yelled the last part still running, with a huge grin and a cursing Ron on his toes.

His childhood life might have been a terror but he still has his mother and all his friends who were always there for him, so it just made his life all the more better. And something tells him that his teenage life might just get a helluva better. He could feel it in his bones. And they are never wrong.

'oh yeah', he smirked and thought as he ran through the corridors.

And that's when it happened..

Something that surely changed a lotta things in a lotta people's lives.

Guess he was right after all.