Within The Despair

Lunch Time Secrets|Chapter 2

It was lunch time. All the kids stormed into the room. It was like hungry lions feeding on their prey. Every seat was taken, all spots filled and nowhere to sit in sight. Space in the cafeteria was nonexistent. Poor Zen couldn't make it there in time. She couldn't find Alex or Maria. Quite a surprise knowing that they would meet for lunch.

Zen got her food. Yummy PB&J with a side of carrots and apples along with a carton of strawberry milk. She sat at the corner since no seats were available. She was looking around but soon found an empty room. "Odd." she commented to herself. She walked to the door of the empty room.

When she approached the door, she could hear someone inside. The only sounds inside were one of crying. Crying? She pondered on who could be inside. Then the voice became familiar to her. "Alex?" she asked. Why would Alex be crying. She was the strong one of the tiro. Yet, she was human. Everyone cries so why shouldn't Alex. Hearing Alex cry was unusual, to say the least. The voice heard what Zen asked. The they shouted "Go away!" Zen didn't oblige with the command spoken. She slowly opened the door...

What she found inside, still shocked her to this day. Alex was inside the room. Down on her knees and crying waterfalls of tears. Zen put her food down on the ground and rushed over to her crying friend. She went down on her knees, almost scraping them, and lunged a bear hug at Alex. In the process of the hugging, almost knocking Alex down to the floor. Alex tried to let Zen go but the more she shoved her off, the more Zen's grip grew stronger.

"Zen! Get off me!" Alex commanded. Her voice boomed through the room. Zen never let go. Alex kept yelling at Zen. Zen kept hugging and never let go. After some time Alex knew Zen would never let go. Alex quietly asked Zen, "Please, just let go." Zen loosened her grip. Then was sitting next to Alex on her knees.

She asked for both of them to stand. Alex knew what she had to do.They both stood up. She took a deep breath and looked up at Zen. "Zen, everything I'll say to you." Alex took a breath and stared Zen in the eyes. "You can't tell anyone. Not a single soul on this earth will know." Zen gulped. She would be lying if she said she wasn't one bit terrified of Alex in that moment.

"Zen... I'm... I'm..." Alex couldn't get the words out right away. Zen kept on listening to what Alex wanted to say. "Zen, I'm... gay." Zen's eyes widen. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't process the new information. Alex was gay?

Zen looked back at Alex. Alex was on the verge of crying again. Zen picked herself up and went to Alex again. She then looked at Alex. Then lightly slapped her. Alex just stood there in pure shock. Zen was never the type to hurt another even a fly. Just to see her now, crying and down was saddening.

"You think being gay will change our friendship! To me, your sexuality doesn't matter. Nothing about that should matter! You are forever my friend and that will stay that way!!!" Zen's face was full of tears. She could barely even contain herself. All this emotion. How could Alex think her sexuality would change anything.

"It's not that simple!" Alex shouted back. "My family is complicated. My mother is stricter than ever and my father... he's becoming the same. You're just looking at yourself and saying nothing will change. Everything would change!" Alex lost her cool and started to shout more. "No one in my family would ever accept a gay child. Kicking me to the curb would be their approach to this." Alex looked down. She knew this was bad but her heart couldn't just hide it. She was stuck in the war of what was better for her. Join the side of rejecting the urges or acceptance of love interest.

"Alex. If you ever needed a place to stay, you could just come to my place. My parents always work and come home late. You've met them, they like both you and Maria." Zen told her with a stern voice. Alex looked back at Zen and smiled. She didn't have to be worry about Zen rejecting her, but she had to worry about her one true love's rejection. That one person was... Maria.

Back in the cafeteria, Zach and Evan got their lunches. "Finally some good food!" Zach cheered. Zach seemed to complement the food. "Strange behavior," Evan thought. He looked at Zach. Zach always wore clothing covering his face, arms and legs. It was spring and the weather was rising everyday. "How are you cold every single day?" Evan asked "Also why do you like this food so much?"

Zach just looked at his food then at Evan. "Just... follow me to the bathroom..." Zach slowly shifted away to get up. Evan got up too and followed Zach to the bathroom. "Dude, what's so bad that we have to come over here?" Zach just looked down. He rolled up his sleeves and pants, then removed his mouth mask.To Evan's worry, the situation just got even worse.

Zach was covered from mouth to toe with bruises and cuts. Zach's skin was red, blue and purple; face scarred from side to side; most frightening of all, the way his body was very malnourished. Evan stared at Zach. Before he figured Zach just like food but this was more than that. There were two things that could have been happening. One- Zach was anorexic and a masochist. Two- was abused at home.

Zach broke down. Falling to his knees and crying his eyes out. Evan figured that it was option two. "Zach, are you being abused at home." Zach nodded his head. Evan just stood there and shock. "Evan, it's my mom who's doing this." Zach said with tears falling from his face. "This is how it all started..."

"After having an argument with my mother, my dad went to relieve the stress. My father went to the bar and had a few too many glasses of wine. Lets just say he a little too tipsy. He courted a lady in his drunken state. They went to the bed room for 'Some Fun'... You know the rest." Zach looked down. Evan was about to say something but Zach continued. "The lady got pregnant with me and didn't want me. She gave me back to my father. Instantly when my 'mother' saw me, she hated me." Evan finally understood it. Zach was abused, ignored and starved just because of what happened.

"Zach." Evan said has he helped Zach up. "If you ever need food, a place to stay or anything; come to me!" Zach looked at him and smiled. "But, why haven't you told anyone else?" Zach just froze in place. "Evan, I haven't told anyone because I'm afraid... my mother... she would hurt me again." Zach just hugged his friend. "She can't hurt you if you're with me." They stood there and hugged.

"Ryelyn, have you heard, Miles, again?" Ryelyn looked down. She was at her school's therapy. "No... he hasn't been back in a while." A complete lie. Miles, a voice in Ryelyn's head. He never went way. He stayed there. Always with the endless insults, the deadly claims and those d*mn thoughts. The therapist looked up from her notes. "Things are looking up, haven't they?" Ryelyn just faked smiled and laughed. "They sure have Ms. Luna. I'm going to go now." "Of course, enjoy your lunch Ryelyn!" Ms. Luna said cheerfully.

Ryelyn walked out. She went through the halls till she was absolutely far away from the therapist office. She proceeded to slam herself against the wall. "Get out of my d*mn mind!" She yelled. Miles came back. "Just die, f****ing b****! This world would be better off without you! Your precious Evan would be better off without you!" Those words Miles would say. Ryelyn slammed her head onto the wall. No matter what she does, it never goes away. No matter the pain, the pain never stops. No matter how much she lies, the truth comes back. Her deadly truth always comes back...