Closer {H.S}

24. 𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚍

"Maybe we should go for a walk?"

"No, harry, I already told you, I can't even carry myself and these twelve pounds downstairs to eat how am I supposed to go for a walk?"

"Wait, I have an idea. Wait right here." He dashed away, leaving me with an amused expression.

He was so determined to get them out it was hilarious.

"Hey mum." Gabriel sat down on the bed next to me, "Norah started having some seizures yesterday at her baseball game, her mum and dad are were traveling so she was with Anna for the week, they're flying in at five. But I'll be back if they come out okay?"

"Sure, it's okay baby, go make sure she's okay, bring her something cute. To eat or drink. Anything."

He nodded and kissed my cheek, "Love ya."

"Love you too Gabey."

August was a little sad today.

August was a quiet kid. He was smart and he had anxiety.

So he was sad today because something must've happened at school that I wasn't notified about. I was going to talk to him earlier but I started having some contractions so I gave it time.

He was on his tablet next to me when a question was asked and I almost started bawling.

"Mum, do you think I should kill myself?"

What? How? Why? How does an eight year old emit a question like that? Why are kids so mean to  him? What did he do to make them ask him that?

"August Theodore Styles who the hell told you you should kill yourself?"

"No one." He turned the tablet off, "But would my Daddy be better without me? Because I stopped him from making his music?"

"August, no. August you're lying to Mummy, darling, you need to tell me who said that to you."

"Mum–"

"August, now!"

"April Carson's sister, Melina, she's in Indie's Grade at school, then there's these people, I dont know what grade they're in, their names are, Michael Maclean, Luiz Castro, Rider Callahan and a girl called Fifer Allen."

I reached for my phone, dialing the school immediately, "Yeah, hi Mr. Ripley, I'm taking August out of school."

Mr. Ripley begged and begged me not to take him out, but mental health comes before education.

Besides, what's stopped me from putting him in a classroom with two other kids who want private teachers and school? Nothing.

August was crying by the end of this ordeal, so I shut off my phone and held him close.

"You, your sister and your brothers are the best things that ever happened to me, you're my safe haven and my baby boy, you're my smart little genius, you're caring and sweet and whoever told you to kill yourself is a complete asshole. Okay? Mummy loves you so, so, so, so, so, much darling. I think I'm going to enroll you in a private tutoring program with some other kids and you'll have a fresh new start, okay? Maybe we can even get you a grade ahead like you wanted."

He nodded, "They made me feel so bad, Mummy."

"I know, they won't any longer okay? I love you."

"Okay! I'm back and ready to roll, get it?" Harry held up a pilates ball but his face dropped when he saw August crying, "Okay, what happened?"

I shook my head a little, telling him to stop.

"Some people told me to kill myself."

I swear in that moment, Harry's eyes went so dark even I was scared.

He dropped the ball and rubbed his eyes, "Vicky? Vicky I swear to god, please tell me this isn't true."

"Baby–" I started but i was cut off by a loud sob.

I shot a look at August and kissed his forehead, "It's, okay, Auggie, can you go downstairs and find Indie? Tell her you're hungry and she'll make you something."

He nodded and obeyed a startled look in his eyes.

This was the first time in years that Harry cried this hard.

I shut the door as Harry stood there sobbing.

He thought it was his fault.

I tugged him to the bed and let him cry it out a bit.

"Its my fault isnt it? Its because I'm "famous" I'm ruining my children's lives, how is this fair? August isnt bad and doesn't get into trouble, could we have asked for a better little boy? Vicky did you see his face?"

"I know, I know, but we're his parents, our job is to cry in the shower or at sunrise, we don't cry in front of them okay? I already fixed part of it, I'm putting August in one of those private tutoring classes with these people. I read about it a couple of years ago and It caught my attention."

"I don't want him to feel left out or different."

"August is different from the rest. He's the smartest little guy out there. I know."

He just shook his head and cried a little more.

"No babies yet?" He asked after a while.

"Soon baby."

We heard a clatter from downstairs and a a yell.

Harry and I shot up.

I mean I was being lazy when I said I couldn't get down the stairs.

We found Indie there with her baseball bat on the floor and August there with wide eyes and unbelieving expression.

"You think you could just tell my little brother to die? Yeah I'm going to spank you with my baseball bat how do you like that!?"

Oh shit.

"Indie, stop!" Harry grabbed the phone and hung up.

"She told August to die, Dad!"

"That doesn't mean you can tell her you're going to spank her!" Harry shook his head.

"But dad, August didn't do anything."

"Indie, we appreciate the defensiveness over your brother, but we are the parents, we can solve it."

She nodded, "Sorry it's just that August didn't do anything. He never does."

"We know that, believe me we do."

She nodded and pulled August to the living room with her.

I sighed in relief and brushed a hand through my hair.

I was so confused about that last hour.

I sat down on the stool for the island on the kitchen.

It was wet.

"Indie did you spill anything in the stool?"

"No why?"

"Its sopping wet."

"I dont think that's water. Or anything Drinkable."

Well that just made the whole wide world better for me.

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I had a personal experience with this and I can tell you it was horrid. Absolutely horrid.