Love Sick - New Horizons

Chapter 9

Love Sick – New Horizons

Chapter 9

"P', there's something else I need to tell you. I think I know who it was who attacked you and P'Noh........"

The silence was overpowering. Ohm just stared at Zac in disbelief. Mick was also stunned, he looked at his friend with fear in his eyes.

Ohm's first words came out in a stutter. "What......what do you mean? You know who did this, who nearly killed my best friend?" He instinctively moved closer to Zac, as though he hadn't heard properly. His demeaner became menacing, and Zac cowered backwards, trying to distance himself from Ohm.

Mick felt his friend's body begin to shake again as he had his arm around Zac's shoulder. Mick immediately recovered his composure and looked pleadingly at his boyfriend.

"Ohm, you're frightening Zac!" Mick stood then and hugged Ohm. "Come and sit down P', let's listen to what Zac has to say, okay? It won't help if we scare him to death, will it. Let's sit quietly and hear what Zac knows, alright?"

Ohm knew Mick was right, and the three young men sat next to each other on the bench.

"I'm sorry N'Zac, I didn't mean to scare you, I'm just so wound up about all this, the idea that you may know who's behind the attack is amazing! Please just start from the beginning, and I promise to keep quiet."

Zac looked gratefully at his friend Mick, and after pausing for a short while, he took his phone out of his pocket and began scrolling through. Ohm was beginning to feel tense again, but managed to contain his frustration as he waited.

It didn't take Zac very long to find what he was looking for. Without speaking, he handed his phone to Ohm. On the screen was a photo of three young men, one in the centre laughing, and the other two standing either side, one grinning, the other standing looking uncomfortable.

The gasp of recognition from Ohm only confirmed what Zac had expected.

"Oh my God! That's them! All three of them! N'Zac, tell me how you've got this! Who are they? How do you know them?"

Zac leaned forward with his head in his hands. The tears began to fall, and his sobbing was heart-breaking to hear. Both Mick and Ohm put their arms around Zac, and they held him close, until the crying eased and Zac managed to control his grief. Mick quickly looked in his bag and found some tissues and offered them to his friend, who accepted them gratefully.

Ohm handed Zac his phone back. After looking at the picture again, Zac began his story.

"The boy in the middle who's laughing, is my cousin Kim. It was his birthday a couple of days ago, and I had to go to his house for a party. Kim's mother is my father's twin sister. Kim is two years older than me and has bullied me my whole life. I can remember as far back as being just a toddler, he pushed me off a chair and I hit my head on the corner of a table. My Ma quickly picked me up, but when she tried to tell my Aunt what had happened she got really angry, and insisted it was just an accident, that her wonderful boy would never do such a thing on purpose!"

The memory of that incident was still obviously playing on Zac's mind, his shaking hands covered his face again. Ohm gently took hold of Zac's hands and lowered them. "Try not to let the terrible memories hurt you any more Zac. Are you okay to continue?"

Zac nodded. "I'll be alright P'." He sat up straight and took a deep breath. "That sort of thing happened to me every time my cousin saw me. Oh, he was very clever, he made sure no-one was ever around to see him do it. Another time when I was about five, he pulled my hair so hard I was left with a bald patch on my scalp for weeks. I screamed for my Pa, he was only in the next room, but all he did was accuse me of being a wimp, and to stop being a baby, crying all the time."