Trained One ✓

Chapter 31

Travis.
8 years ago.
3 months after Ben's parents' funeral.
3 and a half months after meeting Cameron Casey.
12 years old.

Someone ruffled my hair as Ben and I walked into the Casey house. I swatted the hand away, pushing myself out of their reach and bumping into Ben's side in the process.

He looked over at me for a second and then fixed his eyes forward on Cameron's back as we went further in.

"Wait here," Cameron said. He glanced at Ben before looking at me.

I rolled my eyes.

"Got it?" he asked me.

I crossed my arms.

"Don't talk to anyone."

"Is that against your rules, too?" I asked. I hated this place.

Cameron opened his mouth to speak but then looked around at a few of the other guys around. I hated them. He grabbed my tricep and Ben's forearm and hauled us into the hallway.

"Hey. Hey! Hey, let go of me," I argued, pulling at him. I could protest as much as I wanted, no one here would care. He wasn't hurting me. I wasn't bleeding. So they expected me to be quiet.

Ben wanted to be here. And so many bad people - Casey and Dacostas - knew our faces already so where would we go?

I never let Ben out of my sight now if I could help it.

Cameron didn't let go of my arm until we were alone in the long, boring hallway I'd been banned from skateboarding down. Vik broke my skateboard when I ran into him before and threatened to set the next one I brought into the house on fire. I kept the new one I bought outside. But I cut up half his clothes out once I figured out which room was his in this dumb house. Eye for an eye.

My back thumped against the wall when Cameron let go of us, my arm brushing against Ben's but I didn't move away. I liked knowing exactly where he was and I think he did, too.

"Listen to me," Cameron hissed under his breath.

I clenched my jaw.

"Half the shitheads here are on their way out. They won't listen to me and they won't play by my rules so just buy your time and wait. Don't talk to anyone unless I give you the okay. Got it?"

I didn't say anything.

"Yes," Ben answered.

"I'm helping you," Cameron said looking at me.

When I didn't say anything, Ben leaned closer to me like he was trying to urge me to answer and obey and not care who these people were and I wanted to tell him I knew he was angry but I was angry, too. I was so angry about his parents but these weren't good people. I leaned my shoulder against his but I don't think he understood what I was trying to say.

"Unless you want to end up in a grave by the end of the month, you need to listen to me," Cameron said.

"No."

"Travis," Ben whispered, looking at me. His eyes were red but they always were now. He was either upset over his parents or it was from getting no sleep. Most likely, his eyes were red for both reasons.

Cameron grabbed the side of my neck and forced my head to look up at him.

"No." I repeated.

His grip tightened on my neck but I didn't flinch.

"What will it take to get you to listen to me?"