"Evelyn Benjamin!"
"Yes ma'am"
"Stand up and read me this passage,"

Evelyn got up from his chair. Everyone was looking at him. His teacher crossed her arms and looked into his eyes. He looked down into the book. All the letters suddenly magnified into an astigmatic field of vision.

He rubbed his eyes and tried looking at the book again. His hands began to turn wet. He looked at them as they slowly made the paper all soggy. His eyes widened.

"What is wrong?"
He looked up at the teacher, "Can't you read?" She asked.
"No, I-" He looked back inside the book and everything was gone. The book was blank, the ink washed away with water.

"Well, maybe you're just stupid,"
"No, I am-"
"Justin, you read,"
And his classmates began reading the passage. After the class, Evelyn grabbed his books and walked out in a hurry. Two other boys followed him. His pace increased and so did theirs.

He began running but they caught him and pushed him on the wall.

"What happened smart ass? Can solve math equations but can't even read his own name?!"
"Leave me alone, I feel sick," Evelyn pushed away but they grabbed him tighter, "Where are you going, man?"

"Can you read my name?" He brought his notebook before Evelyn's eyes. He couldn't read, his eyes shifted their focus to the vapours in the air rather than the text. He grabbed the notebook and pressed it close to his eyes to be able to read.

They laughed,
"What are you doing?"
"Give it back!" He snatched his notebook from Evelyn.

"What did miss call him?"
"Stupid!"
"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" They all yelled and Evelyn panted out of anxiety, "I'M NOT STUPID!"

Evelyn pushed him on the floor and began punching him.
"Henry!" A few teachers caught them, "Evelyn stop it! He's bleeding!"

They moved Evelyn away from him.
"Evelyn!"
"I'M NOT STUPID! I CAN STILL READ AND WRITE!"

.

"Is everything okay at home?"
"Yes?" Slaine sat before the principal of Evelyn's school, "Did Evelyn do something wrong?"
"Your son is uncontrollable. He was a good student but for the past month, he's been nothing but trouble."

. 

"Evelyn! Why are all your notebooks wet?!" The teacher yelled at him.
"I do not know,"
"Redo this,"
"No,"
"Evelyn!"

.

"Maybe he's in his rebellious phase?" Slaine said.
"Maybe he needs psychological help,"
Slaine looked at him.
"Yes. Some children have a... how should I put it, they are a bit retarded, you know. They need special help,"

.

"Evelyn, look me in the eyes when I'm talking to you!"
Evelyn looked into his teacher's eyes, "Yes, why did you break the vase?"
"I didn't do anything,"
She rolled her eyes, "Then what? It broke by itself?"
"Yes,"

Everyone snickered.

"You think I'm as stupid as you?"
Evelyn swallowed a lump in his throat, "I... just don't know,"

.

"But he was fine before. He was doing great at school," Slaine said.
"Yes and now he isn't. He is just a bully who hits other kids now or talks down to his teachers,"

.

"Ew, you got sweaty hands! Evelyn, don't sit with me!"
"Evelyn is stupid and gross!"
Evelyn sat in a corner with his wet books.

"What's that? Toilet water?"
"Ew ew ew!"
Evelyn clutched his hands and all the water bottles in the classroom just exploded. Everyone else began crying. The teachers came running in to calm the kids down while Evelyn looked at his hands, dripping with water.

.

"The teachers are all fed up with him, I'm afraid you'll have to find another school for him,"
"I understand," Slaine looked down.

He sat quietly in the car with Evelyn in front of their house. Evelyn was about to get down but Slaine suddenly asked,
"What are teachers saying?"

Evelyn stopped and looked ahead,
"I don't know? All I hear is stupid,"

"YES BECAUSE YOU ARE STUPID!"
"...Okay," Evelyn looked outside the window.
"WHY ARE YOU BEATING UP OTHER KIDS?"
"Because they deserve that."

"Look me in the eyes, Evelyn. Look me in the fucking eyes when I'm talking to you,"
"I don't want to,"
"EVELYN! STOP ANNOYING ME!"
"Or what?"

"YOU LITTLE PIECE OF-"
"Why do you never try to understand me?" Evelyn looked into his eyes, "Every time I do something wrong, you yell at me instead of helping as parents would. Everyone just yells at me all the time. If you would do that too, then what's the difference between you and those outsiders, dad?... Or maybe that's because I am just another outsider to you. Tell me,

Would you be the same to your biological son...Slaine?"

Slaine looked at Evelyn. Evelyn opened the door and walked out of the car,

"Actually, don't answer that. Because whatever you speak now will haunt me," He walked inside the house while Slaine pressed his head on the steering wheel, "What am I doing? I am so immature..."

He walked inside the living room and found Jimmy and Lupin enjoying some potato chips. Jimmy looked at him,

"Yo man! Potato chips?"
"No thanks,"
"What happened to you?" Lupin noticed the tension on his face.
"Just...Evelyn got expelled from his school. I don't know what's going on with him. He failed all his tests. Even Math... He was the best at Math,"

"That seems serious," Lupin said. Evelyn came to the living room to grab some snacks but stopped near the door and heard their conversation.

"Maybe he's just a slow learner," Jimmy said.
"Maybe you should take him to a psychologist. Some children have a problem with the wiring in their brain you know,"

Evelyn closed his eyes,

"Yeah," Slaine said and that one word, completely broke Evelyn, "I guess he got some mental-"
"I'M NOT A RETARD!" Evelyn shouted and went inside the room.
"Evelyn-"
"I AM NOT A RETARD, DAD! PLEASE DON'T SAY THAT! IM NOT!" Evelyn shouted.

"Evelyn, calm down," Jimmy said.
"Fuck you!"
"Mind your manners, Evelyn," Lupin said.
"Mind your business, Lupin!" Evelyn said.
"EVELYN!" Slaine shouted.

Evelyn bit his lips and went running upstairs into his room.
"...This turned awkward," Jimmy said.
Slaine took a sigh, "You guys should go home now,"
"Oh yes yes,"
"Definitely,"
"See you tomorrow!"

When they were gone, Slaine decided to brew some coffee to give himself peace of mind.

Evelyn sat on his bed with a book in his hands. The book turned wet and soggy and began dripping. His bed was wet, the walls were covered with a layer of water. All the letters on the book were blurred. He narrowed his eyes and tried to read.

"Well, maybe you're just stupid,"

"Maybe he's just a slow learner"

"What happened smart ass? Can solve math equations but can't even read his own name?!"

"YES BECAUSE YOU ARE STUPID!"

"Yeah,"
"STUPID!"
"I guess"
"STUPID!"
"He got some mental-"

"ARGH!" Evelyn tore the book and threw it away. He fell on the floor and began shrieking and crying in desperation. Slaine heard his shrieks and came up running.

"Evelyn? EVELYN!" He hugged him tightly, "What happened?"
Evelyn stopped crying, "What is wrong with me? Why am I different from others?"

"There is nothing wrong with you,"
"But you keep calling me stupid too, dad," He started crying again and Slaine squeezed him tightly and kissed his head, "I'm sorry, Evelyn. I am the stupid one here,"

Slaine put Evelyn to bed and walked out of his room. Valorie stood outside his room. Slaine walked down and Valorie followed him, "This is serious. Evelyn needs me," Slaine said.
"Ben needs you too! He is dying-"

"GODDAMMIT, THEN LET HIM! IT WOULD BE BETTER THAT WAY, TRUST ME! THAT MAN CAUSES NOTHING BUT TROUBLE"
Valorie took a step back.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT! WHY IS LIVING SO HARD, I AM NOT EVEN HAVING A GOOD TIME!" Slaine continued yelling.

Valorie looked at him quietly.

"I'm sorry, ask someone else for help. I have got other priorities,"
"This just shows your failure as a parent," Valorie said.

Slaine grabbed his collar and pressed his forehead on Valorie's forehead,
"I cannot save the future by abandoning my present. Be logical, you're a robot, for fuck's sake!"

"Ayo, I'm back from Philadelphia-"Axel opened the door and stopped abruptly, "Erm... Shit?"

-To be continued

Axel
5500 Rebellion