Eternal Spirit (Arc 4 - 2024)

Arc 3 - Chapter 34: Scars of Regret

Rebecca just hung her head "Me and Mark...went to the same school together, he was in my class. I didn't know him personally...but he was always picked on by everyone else"

"You knew this...but you didn't do anything?" said Lucile getting already irritated

"None of us knew...how to approach Mark. He was always quiet, and secluded and no matter what he went through...he wouldn't say a word"

"And to quote what Lucile said" Sakura spoke up looking from her book "You decided not to do anything?"

"It was...my own ignorance. We did know he didn't have any parents, but we all assumed instead he was brought up by his aunt's or uncles, to become this spoilt kid"

"How...did you arrive to the conclusion he was spoilt?" Lucile said feeling her irritation rise "Just because he took everything...meant he was this sheltered kid!?"

Rebecca didn't seem to dare to look up "A loud of rumours fly round at school, and all it takes are three/four kids...and they spread out of control. In the end...we was almost trying to get a reaction out of him, Francis in particular, but Mark would hardly utter a word. It was then one day...he just vanished, without a word"

Rebecca sighed heavily "At first...we all thought it was a joke, that Mark was just crying out for attention...but as the days passed, those thoughts began to change"

"Why is it the more I listen...the more bitter I'm getting" said Lucile going from annoyed to angry

"It was after a week...that the class began to think something was wrong. No-one had seen Mark at all, no sign, over the last week. The only explanation we had, was he was staying at a relative's house...so me and Francis, who insisted on going, went over to his Uncle's house"

"You...had an Uncle?" asked Sakura

"No...not really" Tenma said sighing feeling some prickly irritableness "So I'm guessing when you got there...you found out I wasn't home right? Rebecca ?"

There was a notable pause, a long one from Rebecca , before she spoke out in great pain "Mark...I'm so sorry, for what I did...or what I didn't do. I'm just...so sorry"

"Rebecca ..." Tenma said feeling uncomfortable

"We met...your 'Uncle' and though Francis joked at first, we learnt...the truth. You were...all on your own" Rebecca just spoke with immense guilt in her voice as tears once more emerged "You didn't have a family, or even a Uncle...you were all on your own...without anyone at all"

Tears leaked off Rebecca 's face, which she wiped away with her sleeve "You were...all alone, with no family...and shunned by all of us. The person you called Uncle, wasn't even your uncle" Tenma felt quite mixed in emotion

"I...know that" he said

"And he simply told us this 'Why do you care now about him? You never did before! To all of you...he was just the butt of all your jokes! Now get lost"

"Francis though responded "Why don't you care where he is? You're meant to be his Uncle?"

"He then...just added coldly "Then...why do you care where he even is? Just because he's not what you thought, you all pity him now is that it? Do me, and him, a favour...and leave us alone"

Rebecca peeked up, but her gaze fell back down "After that...me and Francis, as did several of us in class, felt guilty inside...for what we've done. There was still those of us that thought it was a good prank, but that was just a last ditch effort to make themselves feel better"