I was at the police station for a while, sitting in the interview room as they ask me questions on what had happened. I hated recalling the whole situation and all I wanted was to just get out of here to see Trey.
After what was for a long time, I was allowed to go while Liam was still being hold in custody. I leave the station with Mrs Kingston.
"I just got off the phone with Mr Morgan," Mrs Kingston says as we walk to the car. "Trey's parents are at the hospital, and he is heading back to the school. Trey is still in surgery. Would you like to come back to the school to speak with the counsellor there? I won't make you do any school work today."
I shake my head, dreading to see the counsellor. I didn't want to talk to anyone about what was running through my mind right now. The only thing that was on my mind was my best friend who I cannot get out of my head when I saw the way he had looked at me when he was stabbed and when he collapsed to the ground, watching as he prepared for the last moments of his life. All I wanted was to go see Trey.
"Actually, I would like to go see Trey, please," I tell her. "I don't mind spending the day at the hospital. My mom works there."
I thought she would argue with me, and tell me I wasn't allowed to go there, but she doesn't. She nods, and tells me she will take me there. Maybe she would end up speaking to Trey's parents, who I knew were going to strangle Mrs Kingston's neck for allowing this to happen to their son. It isn't Mrs Kingston's fault for any of this. It's my fault. I'm the one who didn't come forward soon enough to report Liam. Although, I was not aware he was going to kill me in front of everyone in our school. I still don't know why he even did that. Was it the anger building up inside of him that eventually took over?
*****
We found Trey's parents in the ER waiting room. Mrs Cole had tissues in her hands as she cried with her husband's arms around her, waiting for the doctor to deliver the news of what's happening to their son.
Mrs Kingston approaches them and asks what the latest news was with Trey.
"He is still in surgery," Mr Cole answers.
"What happen?" Mrs Cole dabs the tissue around her puffy red eyes. "How did this incident happen to Trey?"
"He saved my life," I tell them. "I was the one who was supposed to have been stabbed, but Trey pushed me out of the way."
Trey's parents stands there for a moment staring at me, but had no words to say. They turn to Mrs Kingston.
"Who did this to our son?" Mr Cole asks. "Was it a kid name Liam Foley? Trey has been telling us a lot about that kid and what he has been doing to Zach. He keeps asking us for advice on how he should protect him from this bully, afraid of what he may do."
Mrs Kingston nods, slowly. "Yes, it was Liam Foley who did this to your son. He is now in police custody."
"Good. It's about bloody time something about that kid has been done. Do you have any idea how many times Trey has come home, worried about what he was going to do to Zach or even to him?"
"Trey has come to me about it with concerns of what was going on."
"And why the hell didn't you do anything about it?" Mr Cole raises his voice. Everybody in the waiting room was starting to turn their heads towards us. "You're the principal of the school. Why didn't you stop this before it got out of hand?"
Mrs Kingston takes a small deep breathe to stay calm without raising her own voice. "Mr Cole, I appreciate that you don't raise your voice at me."
Mr Cole points his index finger at the principal. "Don't you tell me not to raise my voice, Mrs Kingston. You are the one who should be protecting my son, as well as the others from bullies or from any kind of violence in the school."
Don't blame Mrs Kingston for this, I silently say to myself. This was my fault. I should have come forward earlier before it all got out of hand. I should have listened to my mom and Trey, and come forward. But I was too terrified to. And now because of me, Trey is injured.
"I'm sorry for what has happened to your son," my principal carries on. "I admit I should have investigated a little more into the reports Trey had given me about Liam Foley. In fact, I should have looked into the bullying more when he mentioned the bullying lead to Zach attempting suicide two times. Instead I looked the other way and believed Liam when he said he has not done anything wrong. And as for that, I'm very sorry."
"Don't tell me you're sorry, Mrs Kingston," Mr Cole says. "If you are going to believe the bullies and allowed them to get away with what they do to other kids, then why are you the school principal? If your staff was bullying each other you would act on it straight away. Why then can't you do it with the students? But then again, it's like that in all schools. You say bullying won't be tolerated, but you don't exactly act on your words. You let those who bullied get away with it, and the victims suffer. And as soon as the victims take action themselves because no one will help them, you punish them and not the bully."
"Mr Cole, I can assure you that's not what we do in my school."
"Oh bull crap, Mrs Kingston. If you really don't tolerate bullying in your school, you wouldn't have done something when Trey reported to you what's going on."
Mrs Kingston nods, but doesn't say anything to Trey's parents. She turns to me. "Zach, I think it's time we head back to school."
I shake my head. "No. I want to stay here."
"I think it's best we leave Mr and Mrs Cole alone. Come on."
Before she could lead me out of the ER, I heard my mother's voice calling out to me. I turn to her and she embraces me.
"Oh thank goodness you're right," she says, tears forming in her eyes. "When I heard about Trey being rushed into the ER, I was worried something terrible had happened to you, too."
"It almost did," I tell her. "It should have been me who was supposed to be stabbed, but Trey saved me."
Mom gives me a smile and then hugs me tightly. "Thanks Mrs Kingston for bringing Zach here. I will take care of him now that he is here."
Mrs Kingston nods and then walks away.
Once the principal was gone, Mom turns to Trey's parents, asking them if they needed anything. They answer no. The only thing they wanted right now was to know that their son was going to make it.
*****
It's another half hour until the doctor came out to inform us that Trey is alright. The breath I had been holding the whole time the doctor was talking was finally let out when I heard the good news.
Trey's parents went to go see him first while I hung back in the waiting room until it was my time to see him. Mom comes to check on me, and I tell her the good news. She hugs me, asking me if I wanted her to come with me to see her or if I wanted to see him alone. I answered alone. She didn't seem disappointed. She accepted my decision, and said she will see him later when her shift ends.
Mom gives me some money for lunch, and then wanders back to work. I wasn't hungry. I didn't even have the appetite after everything that has happened. But I was thirsty, so I ordered a bottle of water from a vending machine.
An hour past when Mr and Mrs Cole come out and said I can go in to see their son. Mr Cole leads me to Trey's room. I thank them and enter the room.
Trey looks over at me when he sees me walk in. "Hey," he says in a weak voice.
I give him a small smile and drag a chair beside his bed and sit down. "How are you feeling?"
"Well, I apart from given morphine to help me with the pain, I'm very drowsy. The doctor doesn't want me having too many visitors, and wants me to get as much rest I can."
"I won't stay too long then."
"It's alright, mate, I don't mind you being here."
"I'm so glad you're alright. Thank you, Trey, for what you did back there."
Trey smiles. "You're welcome, Zach. I saw Liam pull out the knife and knew you haven't seen it when he had you pinned up against the lockers."
"Thanks again. I'm really glad I have you as a friend. If we haven't been friends, I may not have been here or I would be in your position right now."
"Trust me, but you do not want to be in my position right now. So what's happening with Liam?"
I fill him in with what happened with Liam once he had been taken away by the ambulance.
"It's good he has been arrested," Trey said. "And glad you made the decision to come forward. If you hadn't, Liam could have done something even worse to you. I was lucky to have survived. I blank out on the way to the hospital so I really do not know if I had died at all, but I'm very thankful I'm here."
I think of the times I tried to attempt suicide, and at times I wonder why did I want to do it. It's the most simplest way to end the pain you go through every day that way you don't have to deal with it. But you never once stop to think what happens to everyone around you and how they would feel about you ending your life. Although Trey hadn't attempted suicide, I just wondered for a moment what I would do if I had lost Trey. He had helped me so much on how I could stand up to Liam, rather than let him push me around. I couldn't imagine my life at all and how much it has changed when Trey entered it. I don't want to imagine my life without him.
I stay with Trey a little while longer before I left him to get some rest.
a
A/N: Trey has made it though, and Liam is now in police custody. Just a couple of more chapters to go before it ends.
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