Chapter 11 

A few days later...

Alex POV

Nick was visiting home this weekend because it was his mom's birthday or something like that...

So after school today, he got picked up.

I was alone with Jeff for the weekend, and I had to make sure he was ok. I feel like since I'm older than him, I'm kind of playing the big sister role, and looking out for him. Nick and Jeff are basically my only friends. They accept me for who I am. And if someone does something to them, I'm not going to stand there and watch it happen.

Jeff and I were walking down to the cafeteria for dinner.

Once we sat down, Jeff couldn't seem to sit still. He kept fidgeting and looking around the cafeteria.

"Jeff, what are you looking at?"

"Nothing..."

He turned back to me, and took a bite of his cereal.

"Why do you always get cereal to eat?" I asked.

"Because I like it."

"Don't you ever get tired of it?"

"No... I like it because it's the same every day. I know it'll be there for me."

I looked at him, confused.

"I just don't like change," Jeff said, fidgeting even more.

"Jeff, what's wrong? Do you have to go to the bathroom or something?"

"No, I just really hate it here. Can we please finish dinner upstairs?"

"If I agree, you have to explain why you don't like being down here."

"Whatever, fine. Can we please just go?"

"Yes."

We both went upstairs to our room, and we sat on my bed.

"Ok, explain," I said, finishing my dinner.

"I just hate crowds of people. And there are so many doors in there."

"What's wrong with doors?"

"More places for people to come in."

"So?"

"So, I just get nervous. I don't know how to explain. I just feel scared in crowds, and I don't like it. And I don't like being in class either."

"Why?"

"Before I transferred here, I used to get bullied a lot at school. And it was scary. People would physically hurt me. And most of the time they'd do it in the bathrooms so they wouldn't get caught. That's why I never go to the bathroom at school. I go in our dorm room bathroom before class, and then just hold it until class is over. I'm too afraid of getting hurt again."

I could hear the fear and the pain in his voice. But I was glad that he was opening up to me. Maybe I can get more answers out of him.

"What would they do to you?"

"Anything they could get away with..."

"Did you ever tell anyone?"

"No... They threatened me not to. But you won't tell, will you?"

"No. You can trust me."

"Ok... Good..."

Jeff finished his cereal, and leaned back against my pillows. I put my arm around him gently, and he moved a little closer to me.

"So tell me about your family, Jeff."

"What about them?" He asked, quietly.

"Who did you used to live with?"

"Um... My dad... That's it... My mom got a divorce from him, and left me when I was 7."

"Oh..."

"My dad was really angry, and he says it's my fault for making her leave. I was bad..."

"How?"

"I don't remember... But I'm still not a good son."

"Why not?"

"I don't get good grades... And I get in trouble for that. And I don't make my dad proud. He's always saying I'm a disappointment and I'm becoming more and more worthless."

"Why does he call you a disappointment?"

"I don't know... There's a lot of reasons..."

"What's one of the reasons?"

"I don't have a girlfriend... But how does he expect me to get a girlfriend here? It's an all boys school except for you..."

"What are the other reasons?"

"He says I'm too fat and ugly. And I don't dress good."

"Ok, now that is a lie. We all wear the same thing here. And you're the opposite of fat. You're really skinny. And I don't think you're ugly."

"Really?"

"Really, Jeff. None of that is true."

"But I feel like it is."

"Well it's not."

The room was quiet for about a minute. I still had my arm around Jeff, and he seemed like he was tensing up a little bit.

"Jeff, you ok?"

"Are you positive you're not going to hurt me?"

"I'm positive, Jeff. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise. Just relax, ok? You can trust me."

Jeff sighed, and I could tell he relaxed a little. I pulled him a little closer to me.

"How's your back feeling?"

"Better... It doesn't hurt so much anymore."

"Can I look at it?"

"Fine..."

Every day this week, Nick and I had been asking to see his back. And every day, it got a little easier for Jeff to say yes.

Jeff took off the clothes on his upper half, letting me see his back. The bruises were fading now.

"Yup. It looks like they're getting better."

Jeff put on a sweatshirt instead of his uniform. And he changed into sweatpants too. He sat down next to me again, and I put my arm around him.

"So what do you want to do this weekend?" I asked.

"I don't know..."

"Well Nick left his laptop here. So maybe we could watch a movie or something, ok?"

"Ok."

"I'm going to take a shower first, so after that, we'll watch it."

"Alright."

I grabbed my clothes, and shut the bathroom door.

Jeff POV

I was becoming more and more nervous as the night went on. Our mid marking period report cards were sent out on Wednesday. They don't count for anything, but it shows the parents how you're doing. And I'm almost positive I'm failing like half my classes. But I just don't understand the material! It's so hard for me.

I was scared my dad had seen it. And I was scared he was going to drive here, and come hurt me.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. 

"AH! A-Alex!" 

I started knocking on the bathroom door. Alex opened it, wearing a towel.

"What? What's wrong?"

"T-the d-door!"

Alex walked over to the door, and opened it. But it wasn't my dad. It was just Nick's friends, Trent and David.

"Hi. Uh... We were just returning Nick's textbook," David said, clearly staring at Alex.

Alex took the textbook from him. And then slammed the door. She obviously didn't like getting stared at.

She threw the book up on Nick's bed, and then went in the bathroom again.

I started panicking inside. I was really scared my dad was going to kill me for my grades. I don't know what to do! School is just so hard!

Alex POV

Idiot boys, staring at me in a towel... Why is Nick even friends with them?

I got dressed, and brushed out my hair.

Why couldn't Jeff just answer the door? I have no idea.

I opened the door, to find Jeff curled up on his bed, hyperventilating.

"Jeff, what's wrong!?"

I went over to him. He looked scared to death.

"Jeff, talk to me."

I sat down on his bed, and took both of his hands in mine. He was shaking.

"I-I'm g-going t-to g-get h-hit!"

"You're going to get hit? By who? Why?"

"M-my d-dad!"

"Why?"

"G-grades!"

"Grades? What's wrong with your grades?"

"F-failing!"

"You're failing?"

He nodded.

"Aw, Jeff..."

"I-it's t-too h-hard!"

"What's too hard? School?"

He nodded again.

"Did your dad call you or something?"

"N-no..."

"What happened?"

"I-I'm j-just s-scared!"

He was crying now. I pulled him into a hug, and he clung to me tightly.

"Jeff, I'm not going to let him hurt you, ok? When Nick gets back, we'll figure something out."

I felt him slowly calming down in my arms.

"How about we watch that movie now, ok?"

"Ok..." Jeff whispered.

I got Nick's laptop. We both got under the covers on my bed. Jeff was right next to me, leaving absolutely no space between us. But I kind of liked it. He trusts me.

I picked a movie on Netflix while Jeff cuddled next to me. I shut off the lamp next to our bed, and started the movie.