Charred Promises

8 : Better To Start Early..

"You would save us everyday?" Violet asked.

"You shouldn't need me to save you. Don't ever think you are not capable of fighting for what you believe in, for what is right, for what is yours! Don't let anyone make you think that just because you guys are small you cant fight your own battle. Fear should be just a word in the dictionary. Don't let it get you, don't let fear control you. You are in control, you have the absolute power of what happens in your life. And never ever think that your happiness depends on someone else! Find your own happiness. You might find happiness in being with some people, be with them and the moment they take you for granted. Leave. 'cause they are not worth your time and not worth being in your life."

"Take it easy June, they are not even ten." Oliver Flynn said with a grin.

"Its Juno! And its always better to start early." Juno said and walked away from Oliver, Violet and Matt. Oliver looked at Matt and ruffled his hair. "Don't worry if that went over your head, its pretty normal, she has a habit of getting intense every once in a while."

"You know her?" Violet asked Oliver.

"We take a few classes together, but she thinks I'm her arch enemy, we never agree on anything." Oliver said looking at the way Juno went.

"She seems so cool though!" Violet said obviously impressed and already planning to hanging out with her during lunch hours.

"That she is. All right guys got to go, I'll see you guys around and stay out of trouble." Oliver said and went to the same direction as Juno had gone.

"The only thing left for you to tell them was that Santa doesn't exist!" Oliver said standing behind her, that caught her attention.

"HE DOESN'T?!!" Juno asked faking her surprise. "Look I don't know them but they were being bullied and I wont sit and watch someone get bullied. Period!" Juno said turning her attention back to her back pack.

Oliver came closer to her, touched her elbow and said "You know I was never part of it." she jerked his touch away.

"You always were Oliver, you claimed to be my friend and correct me if I'm wrong, but don't friends look out for each other, so where were you when 'the boss' bullied me, oh yeah that right, you were a part of that stupid gang. And now just because you don't hand out with them anymore doesn't make you any less bully. Being silent and enjoying the weaklings get bullied is also a form of saying 'I have no problem with this. Its just for fun.' well let me tell you Oliver Dwaine Flynn, its never fun and I will tell those kids what I feel like to make them believe that they are not weak. They too can stand up against this shit." Juno said anger blazing from her inside.

"June.." Oliver held her arms from running away.

"its Juno!" Juno snapped back.

"June, look I'm sorry for all those times I never stood up for you. But right now, I'm here for you. I came to see you when your mother.." Juno looked away, she didn't want him to see that it still bothered her. "You were with a man, having a conversation so I thought not to interrupt." He said.

"I saw you too. Thanks for paying your respect to my mother." Juno said with a straight face.

"May be we could hang out some time, you know, during lunch, after school, whatever." Oliver suggested smiling sheepishly.

"Cute, but no thanks I learn from my mistakes." Juno said and removing his hands away from her arm.

"June, we are all the same, we might act and behave differently but you and I have both been burnt and healed, the only difference is that I'm not angry at everyone for the wrong happening in my life. The difference is how we approach things" Oliver said but before Juno could say anything, she saw the whole class seemed to be watching them talk. She held her head high and walked to the back of the class where she always sat. Oliver was right behind her and sat on the seat adjacent to hers. She slipped into her seat further as the English teacher came in and said the class to settle down. Juno beamed with anger and Oliver sat a satisfied grin. As the bell rang she got up and rushed out of the room.

************

Caitlynn pushed the stroller in which Ian was sleeping, she had come to pick up the kids and even though the school wasn't close to her house, she had to walk for half an hour to reach the school, she still wasn't comfortable in driving a car, she saw a man leaning on his jeep and watching the kids come out of the school. There was something off about him she noticed, she felt suspicious about the man, he looked as though he wasn't sure this was the school his child went to, her eyes widened as she thought 'may be he wasn't sure because he didn't have a child that went to this school! And he was here to watch the kids!' Paedophile! It was common everywhere, there are a lot of disturbed people and Caitlynn feared he might be just one of them. She ducked from his view but kept a watchful eye on him. Something looked very familiar about the man. He kept watching the kids with scrunched brows and then he made a move towards someone.

Fear was turning into panic, when a girl approached him and started talking to him with gritted teeth, clearly she didn't look like she wasn't very happy to see him. That raised red flags in Caitlynn's mind. He pulled the girl by her arm and opened the door of the jeep and she gave one last glare at the man before she threw her backpack in and sat in the jeep, the man banged the door and the child was startled.

Caitlynn looked around for help, there was no one. She pulled out her phone to call 911, but she didn't. she had no proof, what if this was just a pissed off father and daughter.

Caitlynn's heart was in her mouth when the car passed her, she saw the girl inside the jeep was the same girl she saw at McDonald's weeks ago, the same man who was watching her kids at McDonald's! 'was he there today to watch Vi and Matt again!' Caitlynn was finding it hard to breath, she started doubting if it was really a smart move to place where she knew no one. She wanted to talk to someone but she didn't have anyone, she knew no one. She couldn't even call Eric to talk to him and worry him. all her worries subsided as Violet and Matt came towards her, she pulled both of them and squeezed them into a protective hug. She held their hands and pushed the stroller, they started to walk back home and Violet started her rant of the things that happened at school.

Even though Caitlynn and the kids were in the safety of their home, she felt restless thinking about the girl that was with the man. She felt like the girl didn't want to be with him but for some reason she didn't argue and got in the jeep with the man like it was normal. Caitlynn's train of thoughts came to a halt when Violet and Matthew walked in clutching a few books, they placed them on the kitchen table and started doing their homework like they always used to. They behaved like nothing had changed, it was as though they were resuming from where they had left off, Caitlynn felt a little envious of how easily they transformed themselves.

"Do you want any help with your work Mattie?" Caitlynn asked him as Violet had finished her work and was with Ian were watching Toy Story. Matt looked up and shook his head and went back to his math work book.

"So how was your first day?" she tried again, he just shrugged without looking at her.

"Any new friends?" he shook his head, but his mind wandered to the awful kids at school. His teacher was kind to him as Caitlynn had given a heads-up to her regarding his situation, but that didn't stop his class mates from taunting him.

"You like it there?" she asked and this time she came to sit next to him, he was startled when she held his shoulders.

"Mattie, I know you saw what really happened that day." Matt looked at his mother and was stunned at her revelation.

"I remember everything, but I said to everyone that I don't. You and I are keeping something from everyone. I know, you too know what really happened that day." he remained silent and she came closer and continued.

"If you tell me what you saw, I will tell you why did, he what he did." he shrugged and when Caitlynn saw his eyes, she knew he was about to say something but then he closed his book and ran to his room. She sighed, this had been happening for quiet a while but never had Caitlynn opened the fresh can of worms in front of him. This was a chance she took, she debated with herself whether she should take Matt to a therapist, but it hurt her ego, she felt inadequate as a mother, she felt as though Matt didn't trust her enough to talk about the incident and that hurt her.

She had hoped for a miracle but again nothing happened. Everyday Caitlynn tried to have a conversation with him and encourages Violet to interact with him, but all he did was nod, shake his head, shrug or would simply walk away.

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