School was worse than the Vinci house. I have Scott and Oliver talking to me in every class. Oliver was the other annoying boy.
I had every class with one of the people from their mob. They were still using the fort as a hangout place. They were terrified and amazed by my painting.
I guess when you paint an entire building multiple times with stuff that will probably make your guardian put you in therapy you scare people.
It wasn't that scary. Then they started to name them off. I painted a lot of people being tortured, beaten, or commiting suicide. I did not realize that, and now they thought I was suicidal.
I mean, I was, but that didn't mean they should know. How should I know that normal people draw flowers and stuff like that?
Since it was only the second day they tried to get me to do the assignments. They would soon learn that I didn't do them. In my old school I used the paper as a sketchbook. Especially the packets. Those were the best.
The bell rings for the second time today, so I make my way to the roof. Or I try to but then Scott's hoard of people makes me go to the lunch room.
I follow them but can't see right because of all the lights in the room. I rub my eyes and manage to follow them. I sit down next to them and cover my eyes.
What was with the lights today? First Ezra, then the school.
"Hey, are you alright?" One of the members of the hoard asked. This one's name was Juliana. I nod. They didn't know my name yet. They had asked, but I didn't tell them.
Nile comes over. That was another weird name. I think it was a nickname though. "I see you found friends" he chuckles putting his hands on my shoulders.
I elbow him in the gut. He bends over gasping in pain. I stand up and kick him to the ground and walk out. I didn't care if he was my legal guardians' son or my friend. I didn't like people touching me.
Eyes and Ears were family. The only family I had. That was why they were allowed to touch me, and even they knew not to do it too much. I make my way to the roof and try to stop the panic attack.
Scott follows me of course. "You know that no one has like, ever stood up to the Vicini brothers before. Right? Why does he even know you?"
I shrug because he doesn't know sign language and I was not going to communicate with him anymore than I have to. He sighs and sits next to me.
"What happened to you? I know for a fact that you are not normal. Your painting and drawings are plenty proof of that. But you're also cold and... I don't know but you don't act normal. Nothing about you seems normal."
I shrug. His problem. He sighs again and shakes his head. "Why do you do that?" He says at last. I turn to him now.
"Why do you tug on your hair. You've done it 5 times since I came up here and you did it dozens of times in class."
Well there goes trying to be unnoticed. I shrug again. But my hand goes to tug on my hair again and I have to physically think about stopping it.
Scott opens his mouth but closes it when the bell rings. I walk past him into the halls and go to class. I had to deal with Jasper. Juliana and Jasper. Scott and Oliver. They were the group using my fort as a hideout.
I wanted to hate them, but the more I was with them, the more I liked them. I liked Scott the most. He was the most logical.
Oliver just did whatever he felt like doing and had absolutely no plan. He has been expelled twice and he had detention almost every day.
Juliana was not the normal, stereotypical girl. She liked sports and would probably hit the person who put her in the common stereotypical girl group.
Jasper liked to go places and do dangerous stuff. He had been the one to find the fort, but actually waited for everyone else. To explore it.
()
It had been a few weeks since since school started and I was finally getting used to not being beaten everyday at the Vinci house.
I stopped outright avoiding them but everytime they made a fast movement, I knew. It was like I couldn't turn off my brain.
Well, I couldn't stop it from seeing everything. How Alsan could clench his fists everytime I signed to Eyes or Ears instead of communicating to them, or how Ezra would pace for hours after we went to bed.
Nur would always scratch his neck when he was about to say something. Eden would play with her hair when she was lying, and Koji would go punch the sand out of punching bags routinely, every morning.
When someone moved their hands and I was in the room, I knew. It was exhausting. That was the main reason I avoided them now.
My only fun came from torturing the man. I liked to keep my hair white so even though he could barely see, he knew who was hurting him. But that also meant I had to wear hats everywhere.
I wore them in class and at home. Eyes and Ears didn't outright say it, but the fact that I had yet to kill the man scared them. I didn't plan on killing him for a while. A few more months of torture at least. He killed my mother, he deserved an eternity.
Scott's hoard was annoying as ever and I only got to paint sometimes. They still didn't approve of what I painted and kept an eye on me. I didn't like to paint when they were around.
I had to do a project in Language Arts I think. We were about to start a book so we were doing a project on all the words of English Literature.
Like Juxtaposition. I only remembered the word because it was fun to say. Juxtaposition. The opposite of something. It was so much fun to say and I didn't even talk.
They had all decided to come to my house. I didn't like the idea. I had yet to tell them I was a foster kid, and the Vinci family were my legal guardians.
I sit with them on the roof. I had gotten them to eat lunch on the roof. I pull out my notebook. Might as well tell them before they freak out.
So, I need to tell you guys something about my house
I pass the notebook around to everyone. After they all look at me expectantly.
The Vinci family are my legal guardians
I pass the notebook around again and everyone is shocked.
"Legal guardians?" Jasper mutters.
"Why are they you're legal guardians?" Juliana asks.
I motion for the notebook again. It's a long story, they are so ya
Oliver shakes his head. "So, how long have you lived with them?"
A few months
"A few months" Scott mutters. "So what happened to your parents?"
Dunno about my Dad. Mom died.
They all nod not expecting more from me. I barely ever did this and never this long so they were luckily to get anything from me.
The bell rings and I go to class. I sketch through the rest of the day and so when the end of the day comes, I wait for everyone at the front doors.
They all come to me. I write down something on a piece of paper because I kind of forgot to tell them earlier.
Also they don't know your coming.
Everyone freaks.
"How could you not ask?"
"Why didn't you tell them?"
I shrug and take the notebook back. They don't care what I do
I show them them lead them to the car. I get in the driver's. They get in but ask if I have my license. I shake my head. I can tell they're uneasy, but I don't care enough to let someone else drive.
I drive us there and everyone gasps at the house. I grab my backpack and start walking out of the garage. They look at all the cars. I wait for them to stop geeking out.
When they finally follow me I lead them through the house. I take them to my room. I walk in and they are shocked. They look around. I close the door after Scott comes in and turn one lock.
"Why is it so dark?" Oliver asks.
I don't bother to answer him. I turn on one of the lights and sit on my bed. Everyone continues to look around.
"Cade! Cade! Cade! Cade!" I groan and lay on my bed. Everyone looks at me and then the door.
Aslan starts banging on the door and calling my name. I get up and walk to the door but instead of opening it I lock the rest of the locks.They look between each other as Aslan continues to knock on my door.
"Cade, I'm not joking this time. It's Dario!"
I immediately turn around and unlock it. I open it and he instantly looks relieved. He mutters a come on and sprints down the hall. I follow him and my mind races.
What was wrong with Ears? We get into the garage and he gives me some keys and pushes me in a car. He tells me to go to the work building and it takes a second to remember we called it X.
I completely forget about the hoard at my house and drive over to X. I park and run in. Eyes is pacing. When he sees me he sighs in relief and races me to the elevator and onto the roof.
"What's going on. Where's Ears?" I whisper to him not having the will power to speak louder.
Ears shakes his head and says that he was trying to commit suicide. I lean against the wall waiting for it to get to the roof.
This was all backwards. Why was Ears trying? I was the one who would die before I was 18. I was the one who had a reason to kill myself. Why was Ears doing it?
We get up and I see him on the edge staring down.
"We've tried talking to him but he just gets closer every time. Maybe you can talk some sense into him."
I nod and walk to him. He sees me but doesn't move. I climb up and stand on the ledge next to him. I don't talk. I just stand there hoping he'll talk to me. He was always the emotional one. The one who would rant.
"I don't want to do it Silence. I don't, but they'll kill you if I don't."
I look at him "Ears, why would you even consider it. You know I'm going to be dead before the next 3 years end. It would just be doing me a favor"
He looks at me and his expression morfs into a shocked one as my words dawn on in. "Why won't you live past 18?"
"Ears, I don't expect to live past 16"
"Why?" He says staring at the ground below us again.
"I tried to hide it from you guys, but I think I told you instead. The foster houses were bad. I just thought they would beat me to death. They just got progressively worse as I got older."
He stares at the ground. "But they'll kill you if I don't die."
"Have you ever thought that they'll do this over and over. They'll do it to someone else Ears. There will always be a death threat. You work with the Mafia. You practically run the Mafia. You best friend will run a Mafia. There will always be a death threat"
He looks at me and chuckles. "Since when did you talk so much?"
I smaile weakly. My throat was so dry and my mouth felt like sand. "I don't. So get off the ledge so I can stop"
He chuckles again but gets off. I climb down after him. Maybe I shouldn't try to kill myself. I had planned to on my birthday this year. But how could I do that to Eyes and Ears. Especially since I just convinced Ears not to?
We walk back to Eyes who hugs him, then me. I walk with Ears back to the main area and decide that he's going to sleep at my place.
I was inviting people over and I didn't even deserve to live there. I was such a hypocrite. I still do it though and drive Ears back to the Vinci house.
I walk in and everyone hugs Ears. We walk up to my room. To my surprise, the hoard is still here.
Ears starts to laugh. I slap him and he covers his mouth trying to be more decreit. I shake my head and sit on the bed. I hope they got something done.