The boy next door

My side

*From Derek's point of view*

It was lunch time and I had to go meet Malia at detention. I can't believe I already got a detention the second day of school. Especially, I can't believe I got Malia in trouble too. I had no idea Mr. Vander-Hoven gave us a detention, we were just messing around and having fun.

As I was walking down the hallway, two corners away from the detention room, I saw Malia. I was about to call out her name but I was stopped. I turned around, I saw Josh and his friend, Jake. Josh looked angry and Jake looked amused. Josh began to speak, "I really like what you did in math class. Telling Kassandra that I was cheating on her with her best friend," he paused. "You totally embarrassed me I front of everyone! Now Kassandra and the rest of them haven't even talked to me since first period. And now you're gonna pay," he told me mischievously. Then Jake said, "But since you don't have a girlfriend there's not much we can really do. Technically, you don't have anyone."

Josh and Jake looked at each other and threw me on the ground an started punching me. I wanted to fight back but I knew I would severely endure them. I could have put them in a hospital if I wanted to, or even a grave. I got up a couple of times but they would just throw me back down. "You deserve it you asshole!" I said loudly. I punched Josh in the stomach an threw Jake off of me. I started to slowly run but I started to limp. My leg was killing me. My leg caused me to slow down and the boys caught up to me throwing me back down. And their punches came out stronger. 'Why do kids have to be so cruel?' I thought to myself. Who could do such things? I couldn't take it anymore I couldn't fight back. So I just gave up. I couldn't move I felt paralyzed. I saw Malia walking out furiously of the detention room. Probably furious at me because I didn't show up. But she didn't see me. I just laid there on the ground, helplessly while the two boys beat me.

Josh saw me looking at Malia and he said with an eyebrow raised, "Oh I see you have a little something for the new girl. Maybe we'll just go after her instead." Jake replied, "I definitely think we should go after her to teach this dumb shank a lesson." They both walked away and yelled out, "This isn't over you freakshow!" I sat up against the wall slightly lifting my shirt to see all the bruises. I closed my eyes and whispered, "Malia..."

•••
The bell rang an it was time to go home. Josh and Jake wouldn't leave me alone. They kept mocking me and insulting me. I even heard Josh say, "I still think he was the one who killed his mom. Or maybe she did kill herself just to get away from her own retarded son!" That's it. I lost control. My eyes flared with anger, my hands were suddenly fists and I started to tremble. That's when I turned around and punched Josh in the nose. My punch was so strong that only after one hit it started to bleed. I slammed Jake into the lockers causing the top of his forehead to bleed. Out of nowhere Malia came and stood right between the three of us. The two boys left and yelled that this wasn't over. Malia got really upset with me because I "ditched" her and we got into an argument. I wanted to tell her what really happened but I was so fed up of everything and I just snapped.

•••
When I got home no one was there. Not even my butler, Scott. I walked into the kitchen and I found a not on the counter. "Hey kiddo, my mom's in the hospital because she's gotten much worse. There's some pasta left over from yesterday that you can have for dinner. I'll only be back tomorrow, so until then. -Scott" Good, I wanted some time alone. I didn't want to be with anybody, really.

Scott's kind of like a big brother to me. He became mine and my mom's butler a year before she died. He's always been there to give me advice and to help me when my mother wasn't at home or if she was working. And he's the one who always patches me up whenever I get into fights. He's the only thing I have closest to family.

I went straight upstairs to the bathroom to find the first aid kit. I went in front of my mirror and took my shirt off revealing my abs with bruises and a bit of blood. When I put the rubbing alcohol on my scratches it stung like a bitch. I winced every time the cotton ball made contact with my skin. "Why would they do this?" I said out loud. I mean either than the fact that I snitched on him. But this isn't the first time something like this happened. Before my mom died I played sports with them, we hung out we were actually friends once upon a time. But that felt like years ago I guess everything changed. I looked at myself in the mirror. People look at me as if I'm a boy toy, a freak, a dead soul or they look at me with fear. I know 90% of the people in this town fear me. I'm labeled as 'the town's bad boy' but still. I don't deserve this. No one does really. In my head I kept replaying the scene when Josh and Jake said that they'd go after Malia. What if they hurt her?! Maybe they already got to her!

After I had my late dinner I went straight to bed. I think I deserve a little break from this messed up world we live in. Or at least I live in. Sleeping is my favourite thing because it's when your mind can actually relax for a while. You feel at peace, you dream. But the worst is when I wake up. Even it it's from a nightmare. I'd rather have horrifying nightmare then live in this shitty world. Waking up just brings me down. I wish I could never wake up. I wish I could sleep forever.

For about an hour I was just laying in bed staring at the ceiling. For some odd reason I couldn't fall asleep, something was bothering me. But then I realized what it was. I need to know if Malia is okay. What if the guys weren't joking? What if she's already been hurt? "I can't take this anymore!" I said loudly while pulling my hair. I changed into jogging pants and a tight t-shirt. I went downstairs and put my converse on.

I walked over to Malia's house. Good thing she lives right next door. I wanted to knock on her door but I didn't want to wake anybody up. So I decided to climb the weeds along her house walls and onto her little balcony right outside her window. I saw that she woke up. I saw how scared shitless she was. But she only saw my shadow thanks to the bright moon. I saw that she wasn't hurt and that she was okay. Relief came over me, now I can go home and sleep in peace. I feel terribly bad for frightening her. But what hurt the most is that I made her cry. That actually broke what's left of my heart.