Somewhere only we know

Chapter 4: A new behaviour...

      The entire week-end was a torture for Arthur. His father was still in New York, and he would stay there until Thursday. The british boy spend saturday and sunday in bed. He had some horrible bruises on his abdomen, which were causing a great pain. He couldn't remember much from that night, just that after the three boys left him knocked down on the pavement, he managed to "crawl" back home, and when he looked in the mirror he was surprised to see that the boys avoided hitting his face.  Now it was monday, and walking to school was never that hard for Arthur. The pain in his stomach was making him weak and dizzy. He went to his locker to get his books, when he saw Kiku waiting for him there, with a worried look:

"Thank God, you're ok!" he almost yelled for everyone in that hallway to hear. "Did you ran away?"

"No, I didn't...unlike someone I know." Arthur replied without looking at him, with an iritated tone. Kiku was looking at him with his eyes full of tears now:

"I'm sorry...I acted like a coward. But I didn't know what to do. I wanted to help...but it turned out to be too late!!" Arthur was listening, while searching for his book in the locker. "Did they beat you hard?". Arthur was too concentrated on finding his book, so he completely ignored Kiku's question: "Arthur! Please don't ignore me." But Arthur was. he was getting more and more iritated by the fact that he couldn't find his book.

"Where the BLOODY HELL did I put it? Fucking locker!!!"

"Arthur, stop it already and listen to me!" Again Kiku was ignored by Arthur, who was now taking out every book and notebook from his locker and slamming them on the floor. 

"Jesus fucking Christ....Where the fuck is it!!!???"

"Arthur! Stop it!" And in that moment Arthur punched his fist into the locker's door, making a loud noise:

"What do you want to know? How they beat the crap out of me? How Ivan and Ludwig were holding me so I couldn't defend myself? How Gilbert was hitting me in the stomach, like I was a puching bag? "Kiku was shocked and speechless, while Arthur was looking at him angry : "Do you want to know the fact that I can't even remember how I got home? Or what great pain I am feeling right know? I can't even concentrate!!!" His eyes were now full of tears, but he controlled himself not to cry. Kiku was now looking at his friend with a scowl, then he just left Arthur there. "Where are you going???KIKU!!!!" But Kiku didn't listen to him, he was rushing through the hallway until he disappeared. Arthur left too, but he went outside. He walked aside from the football field, until he got into the little orchard, and under the maple tree, on the wooden bench. When he got there, he couldn't abstain from crying, so he bursted out with tears falling on his cheeks. He was crying like a baby, covering his face with his palms. He was angry and frustrated, but he felt like he couldn't do anything about that. He stood like that for ten minutes, and then he just wiped his face with his uniform sleeve. He took a deep breath, while whispering "It's ok.", but he was cut short by a voice coming from behind:

"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere! What the hell are you doing here?" Arthur turned around and looked at the person that was talking with him, with shock. It was Alfred, wearing his uniform with a brown bomber jacket, and looking at the british boy with concern. "Hello!!! Dude, you're staring again." Arthur was confused:

"Are you talking to me?"

"Yes I'm talking to you!Do you see anybody else around?" Alfred replyed with confidence. Arthur was silence, he turned his back to Alfred, trying to ignore him. The american boy waited for his classmate to say something, but he was just being ignored. "Ok. That's it! Take your shirt off!" Arthur was more than surprised by Alfred's imposing request. He just kept looking at him with a horrified face: