2 Chapter 2: The Train (1/2)

That articulate voice behind me was my closest, and the most precious friend in my life, Alec.

Ever since I lost my mother, it felt as if I was fated to lose everyone dear to me. I lost my father, sister, and brother, and was stuck with an abusive alcoholic of a step-father.

I always thought to myself when going to sleep. ”Why us?” and would pray every night to a god whom we didn't know truly existed.

But then, suddenly, on my ninth birthday. A new family moved next door to us. A soldier and an ordinary housewife, they had two children, one being a ten-year-old Alec.

At first, I didn't like Alec, he was pushy, loud, annoying, and spoiled. But after I got to know him that all changed.

He was smart, outgoing, courageous, self-aware, social, and popular. It was always so easy for him to make friends. He could talk to anyone and instantly gain their respect.

That's why I never understood why he was always hanging out with me, and not the other popular kids. Besides being ”smart” there was nothing special about me.

I wasn't funny, outgoing, or social. I couldn't hold a proper conversation, and I suffered from depression and PTSD during my youth.

But that's probably why I became so attached to him. With no one besides my sister in my life, I chose someone who was completely different than myself. And that was why he was so hard to read and so mysterious.

”Can I come with you? There are some shoes I want to get before heading back to the dorms.”

I nodded my head and walked towards the class exit. From the corner of my eye, I could see him glaring at the students when he walked by.

”Alec, you don't have to threaten everyone who picks on me. It's fine, I'm an adult at this point.”

He let out his usual sigh, and will later disregard everything I just said moments ago. In his mind, he thought I was being too much of a pushover, and that I should fight back. And in a sense, he was right.

”I—I just never understood, how wherever you go someone will always find a reason to hate you. This is our fourth school since junior high, and it always happens.”

”What can I do about it? Change their minds? They decided to not like me for their reasons, I don't care either way!”

”That's what I mean! I remember back in Junior High, they beat you so badly that you were admitted to the hospital. You were covered in blood, bruises, and cigarette burns, and all I or anyone else could do was see what they had done to you. And what makes it worse, they didn't even get into trouble.

If that were to happen again, I would probably lash out.”

I could say nothing. I was his best friend and yet, he always felt as if he was responsible for what happened in the past. He was right, I couldn't just let people pick on me.

As a child, I wrote off my brother and sister disappearing as nothing more than a misunderstanding. Until I reached high school, I pretended as if I only had one sibling and that I had never seen what happened to them.

The doctors passed it off as childhood trauma, and that my brain developed an ”escape” to ease my mind. My past has always been blurry, however, and I just wish that all the traumatic events would just fly away. But it didn't.

I used to praise my step-father and view him as a hero. But as time went on, I saw how much of a rotten, filthy bastard he truly was.

Just the thought of that sick, alcoholic piece of shit makes me nauseous. A sick man who got a thrill off of molesting women and little girls. He never deserved to live or have a normal life.

I wanted to kill him. There were so many times that I wanted to kill that man, but couldn't.

I mean, what could I have done?

He was a soldier. Not only was protected by the government and seventh document, but he has those damn abilities that allowed him to crush me and my sister alive at any time.

And honestly, if not for Alec and his family; there is no doubt in my mind that I would have been dead much sooner.

Alec lived right next to us. So I would usually go over to his house to sleep or eat dinner. Alec's father was a high-ranking soldier, so my step-father never tried getting me from there.

My older sister on the other hand was in a much different situation. She was older than me and had aspirations of becoming a doctor someday. Her goal was to be admitted into the medical field early, and move me and her out of that house for good.

So she was barely home.

Alec's dream was to someday become a high-ranked soldier like dad. In his mind, there was nothing his father couldn't do, so he wanted to be just like him.

And since his father had so much authority, he had me and Alec paired to share a dorm room with each other. It was no surprise to me, he did things like that all the time.

”Have you tried Burton's pasta yet? It's pretty good!” he said.

”Are you telling me that Timothy is selling food?” I asked.

”Huh, you didn't know? His family owns a restaurant, so he's planning on taking over the family business.”

”....”

Honestly, I was speechless. Timothy is another friend that I met through Alec. He was a gamer so me and him got along pretty well. He was also quite popular, being one of the funniest people I know.

”Well if you say it's good, then it must be really good. You critique everyone else's food who isn't your mom.”

”Not everyone. I don't critique your cooking.”

”That's because you don't know how to cook, so you force me to make it the way your mother does.”

”But I'm surprised… You never complimented Timothy, or admitted he was good at anything, never.” I told him.

”And also learn how to cook! I won't always be there to cool for you.”

”Gasp, and where do you think you'll go, die? I doubt that. You may not look like much, but you're the survivor type, I know and you know it.” He told me. ”Also, I'll just get a girlfriend who can cook.”

”You didn't need to stop walking to say that!” I said laughing to myself in the school hallway.

***