Birds || Fuenciado

Chapter 26: Moments That I Missed

He cuts himself off again, swallowing thickly, raising his eyes to the ceiling, and he seems to mentally slap himself in an attempt to remain composed. He sits up straight, shakes his head as if he's shaking off a feeling, and then opens his eyes again and stares straight ahead. "I said I'd have him reported for it and tried to get out again, but he said 'oh no you won't. No you won't, piñata.'"

"Piñata?" Willow frowns, and he gulps.

"He said that because I'm Mexican and he once made a joke about lynched Mexican kids being called piñatas."

Behind him, I see Mom close her eyes and shudder, rubbing her face with her hand, and I reach my own hand out and take hers in comfort. This is almost as hard for us to hear as it is for him to tell.

"Before I could move again, he'd wrapped his hand around my throat and shoved me backwards. I tried to cry out but he was crushing my voice box so I just gasped. He took my arm as well and twisted it...I think that was all he intended to do as well. I think he was just there to beat me up, teach me a lesson or whatever. Only then I kicked back to try and get away from him, I kicked him in the shin, thinking he might lose his balance and let go. But he didn't. He just got angrier then, that's what sealed it. He got angry I'd hurt him...or angry I'd fought back, I suppose. So he squeezed his hand that was round my neck when I tried to call out for help and forced me back into one of the stalls and kicked the door shut behind him."

He stops then and breathes slowly out, gathering himself as he starts getting teary, as if internally telling himself over and over again that he has to say this; he can't miss anything out; there's no getting round it or ignoring it, not now the police are literally sitting in our house.

"His friends were still outside," he carries on, voice shaking a little. Stone tilts his head.

"Outside the bathroom?"

"Yeah. They didn't come in. I suppose that was the idea, keep watch whilst he kicked me about so nobody walked in on us...but it gave him a license to do what he wanted because he thought he'd get away with it. He bolted the door and stood in front of it so I wouldn't be able to leave and I was pretty terrified by this point so didn't fight much...I was just trying to put space between us, just...praying someone would come in. I almost managed to call out but he slapped me so it came out like a yelp and then put a hand over my mouth and twisted me round and forced me back against the wall...I still tried to get away, I tried to wriggle out but he was really strong. He said 'you aren't going to report anything after I'm done with you, Glitch. I'll show you just what I can do to you.'...and h-he..."

He starts crying now. Battling it valiantly, but tears slipping down none the less, streaming, in fact, as he blinks hard and doesn't let himself crumple. Inside, my stomach twists itself again. My limbs are tingling with anger, and my own eyes are burning with my own tears. Because how dare this person so much as lay a finger on him?

Briefly, he glances over at Officer Willow, as if just to tell her that he's still engaged. "He's strong," he nods. "And I'm not. He pinned me against the wall no trouble. Kept his hand over my mouth. I tried to bite down but it was too tight to move. When he felt me trying to do it he pulled me back and then slammed me against the wall again. He kept saying, 'you know you deserve it. It's what you deserve, you can't say it isn't, you deserve it...' And then h-he..."

He trails off again, shaking, and squeezes his eyes shut. I actually have to look away and at the coffee table instead - it hurts to see him like this.

"Did he have sex with you?" Officer Willow asks, and even the mention of it makes me clench a fist. Mike, momentarily unable to speak, nods.

"And I told him no," he says. "The best that I could, whilst he had his hand over my mouth. I said it over and over, I told him to get off me. But of course he didn't. I don't know if he knew it hurt me...I don't think he cared. After a while I just stopped fighting. I just gave up and cried until he finished...pulled me back and shoved me against the wall one more time and then told me that would teach me. Then he left and I just...didn't move. I didn't even shut the door behind him, I was too shocked. I just stayed there and sat down against the wall and...cried. I could hear them outside. It sounded like the other three were asking what he'd done, like...like they didn't approve of it. Like they thought it was a step too far. I'm sure they heard everything...I don't know. One of them might even have come in and heard. I think all they'd wanted was to kick me around a bit. Land a few punches. But Phil went a step beyond when I kicked him. I just stayed there...for an hour maybe, I don't really know. I got up and locked the door at one point. Then I just had to get out of there. I called Vic and he came to collect me."