Pov: Nick
I groggily wake up from my one-hour nap and realize that it's already time for dinner with my "brothers". I still can't believe what I witnessed earlier. Did they kill someone? The thought of spending time with them makes my stomach churn.
I decided not to think about it and get ready for dinner instead. I stood up, my whole body hurting. I groan from the discomfort from the growing pain in my lower spine.
Glancing down at my shorts, I panic as I realize what I was wearing.
-I can't have these shorts on. They will reveal my scars.
I quickly run to the door and lock it, before changing into a pair of black jeans I found in the closet.
-I should probably change the hoodie as well.
I pick out a gray hoodie, hoping it will cover up any other marks. I take another look at myself in the mirror and notice that my hair looks kind of messy as well. I reach for a brush from the drawer and quickly brush through it until it appears presentable.
The room is also quite messy, and I feel a compulsion to clean it up before leaving. I start gathering the clothes that are strewn on the floor and head to the bathroom where I discard them in one of those fabric bins. I quickly return to the room and tidy up the remaining items to make it look much more organized.
With the room now pristine, I hear Michael shout that it's time for dinner. I take a deep breath and hang my headphones around my neck and put my phone in my back pocket, just in case I need it to call Hannah. After that, I start drawing my feet to the door and unlock it before opening the door and walking out.
-Here we go.
I rush down the stairs but stumble on the final step. Just as I prepare myself for the inevitable impact on the floor, I suddenly feel a pair of strong arms catch me. I opened my eyes, expecting to see Lucas, but instead, I was met with Austin's cold glare. Why did he catch me? Does he actually care?
"Can you stand up?" Austin says coldly. "You're getting kind of heavy."
Well, never mind then.
Feeling embarrassed, I take a step back, away from Austin, who seems more irritated than normal. Together, we walk into the kitchen where everyone else is already seated. I scan the room for an empty chair for me to be seated on. After a while, I spotted one next to Lucas who was smiling at me. I guess he knew I didn't feel comfortable sitting next to the older once because Alex was on my other side.
As soon as the maids bring in the food, everyone begins eating and having conversations with each other across the table. However, Jasper interrupts them by telling us he had an announcement to make.
"As you all already know, school starts in two days."
That earned a lot of grunting and protests from around the table but Jasper shut everyone up with a quick glare.
"As I was saying, Nickólas, you will be going to the same school as Lucas, Alex, and Austin so if you need anything just ask them, ok?"
I nod blankly, not wanting to talk to any of them at the moment. The thought of being at the same school as my brothers makes me feel even more uncomfortable.
"Good." I was eating while he was talking so by the time he was done talking I had already eaten all my food. I didn't take a lot of food either, so that kind of helped.
"Now, may I be excused?" I ask no one in particular.
"Of course, querido" Michael replies.
I thank him and quickly excuse myself from the table, eager to leave their presence. but Jasper stops me in my tracks, making me curse to myself.
"Wait, Nickólas," Jasper says. I turn around and look at him expectantly.
"Yes?" I said trying to hide the annoyance in my voice.
"I left something for you on your bed."
I feel a creeping sense of apprehension. When did Jasper have time to enter my bedroom?
"Alright, thanks?" I didn't even try to hide the confusion in my voice as I spoke.
I slowly walk up the stairs and then into my room, once again locking my door. I walk to my bed and see a white box with golden-colored thread on it lying in the middle. Trembling slightly, I carefully open the box to reveal a brand-new phone. I stare at it blankly, trying to comprehend why I was given such an expensive gift.
-Why would they spend so much money on me?
But then the doubts begin to creep in.
"Does it have a tracker on it?" I ask myself, my mind racing with questions.
I unlock the phone and begin to scroll through it, searching for any signs of surveillance or monitoring. Yet, everything seems normal. But why give me such an expensive gift if there isn't a catch?
As I pull out my old phone, the cracks across the screen and chipped edges staring back at me, I realize that's probably the reason. My "brothers" must have bought me the new phone as a replacement for my old one. But still, I can't help feeling unworthy of such generosity.
-You don't deserve it,' the voice in my head whispers.
-You're spending their money. Joseph was right about you.
I try to push aside those thoughts and distract myself by setting up the new phone. I download my favorite apps and add Hannah's number, but the guilt lingers. By the time I'm finished, an hour has passed, but the weight of my self-doubt doesn't seem to be lifting anytime soon.
It was soon to get dark so I decided to take a shower before going to sleep.
I hesitantly walked into the bathroom, not quite sure what to do with the luxury.
-I don't deserve this either.
I quickly threw off the clothes I was currently wearing and put them on the toilet lid. But before I jumped into the shower I caught a quick glimpse of myself in the mirror and felt a pang of disgust. My body was covered in bumps and bruises, each one telling a story of the abuse and neglect I had suffered.
I shook my head sadly and jumped into the shower, trying to drown out the memories of the past wounds and scars. But the hot water couldn't wash away the pain that lived deep within me.
I couldn't believe my luck when I got assigned to the McAllister family. They had a beautiful home, and they seemed like genuinely nice people. For the first time in years, I felt like I could finally settle in and find some peace.
But that all changed after a week when Mr. McAllister started getting angry at everything I did. He yelled at me if I spilled a drink or didn't put the dishes away quite right. Then, he started hitting me, leaving black and blue marks all over my body.
I didn't know what to do. I was too scared to tell anyone about the abuse, scared of what Mr. McAllister might do to me.
Then they sent me to the Wilsons. They seemed kind, but soon I realized that they were no different than the McAllisters. Mrs. Wilson would scream at me for hours, and Mr. Wilson would hit me. The bruises from my previous family overlapped with the new ones.
I have bounced around from family to family, some treating me like their own child only to throw me away a couple of months later. While others abused me more than any child deserved. Each move hurt a little more, but I had become so used to the pain that it was my normal.
The circle never stopped. It just kept going and I'm sure that this time won't be any different. Especially now that I know their "little" secret.
Despite my best efforts, I began to cry like the big child I am. My tears mixed with the water cascading down my face. I wished I could forget the horrors of my past, but they seemed to haunt me at every turn I took and every corridor I passed.
They are always there.
When the water turned cold, I jumped out of the shower and dried myself off with a towel hanging on a hook next to the door. I then tied the towel around my waist before walking out of the bathroom and into the closet and picking out a pair of fresh clothes that I could sleep in.
*sigh
I tried to push the memories away, but they still haunted me every single day. As I crawled into bed, tired from the emotional turmoil, I wished that I could forget it all. That I could start over and have a family who would care for me, who would never hurt me. But for now, I was just Nick, a kid who bounced around from place to place, feeling utterly worthless.
I hated how I had to feel like this. So lonely and so-
Empty.
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Hello friends!
I am finally done with this chapter. I really wanted to get it done today for you guys.
Hope you like it.