Somewhere In Neverland ~Flykarth~

Chapter 5

  "Oh god homework sucks!" Kellin sighed, slamming down his Math book.
"Yeah, it does." I chuckled, "Thank's for helping me out with this."
"It's not a problem, it'll be easier to stick together if you're not held back a year." He smiled.
"Yeah, that's true." I nodded. "Say, uh, I got a question..."
"Sure, what's up?"
"What you think of that Matt guy, the one that sometimes hangs around Alan?"
Kellin scrunched his nose at his name, can't say I blame him, just saying his name made me feel a little woozy. "Umm I don't know to be honest, like, when him and his mates are around...him...he seems like one of them. I mean, I've never seen him push, kick or hit anyone, or his mates for that fact, uh, Jack, Zack and Rian? I think they're names are. But, I don't know man, he's made comments at me and others, as have his mates, but it's only whenever he and his lackies are about. When they're not around them, they just, keep to themselves and don't bother me, or anyone else. And, Jack and Matt in particular, when they have made the good old derogatory comments, they've almost seemed...uncomfortable saying them. A lot of the kids who hang around him and his gang of jerks tend to do it just for the popularity and social aspect. No one want's to get on his bad side, because they're all scared of what he'll do. Hell he got expelled for putting a kid in hospital, so they could just be hanging around and doing it so they don't end up like us. But in my eyes, it doesn't excuse it and it makes them no better then he is. The physical stuff heals, but the words...they don't."
"Yeah." I sighed, Matt had been spinning in my head all day, I know last night I'd agreed to give him a shot, but I was still so unsure on what to make of it all.
"Why you ask?"
"Oh, just trying to get a feel of who's going to beat the living shit out of me and who isn't. I'd like to be prepared and I've just seen him and his friends hang around him a lot."
"Nah, they won't beat you. They may, like, shove you, you know, how when you walk past someone and they knock you with their shoulder? But it's never hard, never hurts, just enough to knock you back a bit, but that's the worst they'll do, and like I said, it's only whenever he's around. So I'm pretty sure it's only to make it seem like their 'with' him so they can survive high school." Kellin shrugged and sighed. "As I said, still doesn't excuse it. I could of been like that, acted like I was...normal...but why should I? Why should I stoop myself? I'd rather take the beatings and the comments, as much as they hurt and rip me apart inside, then be something I'm not."
"Yeah, I get that." I nodded. "W-when I started, I told myself I was going to act 'normal' but...it was pointless, I didn't even know what normal was. And if it meant I'd have to, you know, get with a girl...I'd rather not." I shuddered. Of course I liked girls...just not in that sense if you get what I mean. "And, it became clear quickly I'd have to, you know, suffer Alan, no way was I doing that, and there's no way he'd let me either. I-I just don't know what happened to him."
"So, you really used to be best friends huh?"
"Yup." I nodded my head, popping the P at the end and sighed sadly. I missed my best friend, as screwed up as that may sounds right now, but I did, I have since the day he turned on me. "So, anyone else I can expect a beating from?"
"Not really, it's mainly Alan and his three lap dogs. There's a couple of guys, err Tay and Jardine, Tay's a girl by the way, who can get a little nasty and physical. But their senior's so we rarely cross path's with them and they're obviously leaving after this year. Errr, there is a couple in the year above, Matt's year, I'll point them out at school, but again, nothing heavy, as long as we stay out of their way we're good. The rest it's just name calling and comments."
"How do you deal with it man, I don't know if I can cope." I looked down at my hands, tugging at my hoodie sleeves.
"Honestly...I don't know. You just...I guess you just find away eventually. God know's how many times I've thought of ending it all, but, then I think of my sister, and I can't do it. So I just opt for the...umm..."
I knew exactly what he meant, the release that left us with scars where ever we choose. "Yeah I know what you mean."
"Mr. Carlile's cool, he's new, sort of, started the last semester last year. If he gets you bad, he'll bandage you up and talk to you about it."
"Doesn't he ever report it?"
"He should, but he won't if you beg him not too, like I do."
"Why do you..."
"Because, well, I made that mistake before, before Ashby, there was this other kid, he never really beat me in school, but outside...broken nose, ribs, wrist, black eyes the lot. He'd follow me home and jump me down a small road or somewhere quite. Our old counsellor reported it...and well, he obviously found out and I spent a week in ICU."
"What happened to the other kid?"
"His parent's sent him to boarding school somewhere in Ohio or something stupid like that. But yeah, that's why I beg Mr. Carlile not to tell anyone, because, I don't want to be there again and he's more then capable of doing it like he did in his last school."
"Hey Kel?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"What for?" He looked at me confused.
"It's been so long since I've been able to, you know, just talk to someone, hang out ya know? It's been a long time since I've had a... a-a friend...and it makes me feel a little more...I dunno, secure? I guess."
"I know what you mean." He nodded in understanding. "It's been a long time for me too, been a long time since I've opened up to anyone, so don't mention it. You're helping me as much as I'm helping you."
I gave him a small smile, "So, shall we bump off the Math and carry on with our song?"
"I thought you'd never ask." He beamed and we quickly packed up our other books and I grabbed my acoustic that I'd brought with me and started working on our song.