Part Three

Last part. Have fun reading.

Warning: Hard mentioning of cruel thoughts about homosexuality. Violence and harsh treatments mentioned at the end of the part. As said on the second part, none of it is supported by anyone. Seek help if needed. No one's alone in this world.

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"What's that on your face?"

I ignored the question and made my way inside school.

"Riley."

I pushed through the doors, ignoring everyone around me as they did the same. Except for one.

"Riley, stop."

I made it to my locker and stuffed the last class books in.

"Stop. Riley, stop for a second and just listen to me. Where were you for two days? And my phone? You left it right outside your house. What the hell is that about?"

I didn't answer. I just continued my way. I didn't want to face him right now. I didn't know what to say; about anything. I didn't have the energy to do it either. I barely got out of bed in the morning and I'd rather go through the day without causing attention.

But, for some reason, that's all that's happening.

Theo calling out to me, down the hallways, was only making this worse.

"Riley, if you don't stop right now, I'm going to head straight to your house and ask your parents about what's wrong with you—"

"Fine. Do it. I don't care." I flipped around dramatically, hoping that would scare him off. It didn't. He just stood there waiting for me to explain. It broke my heart. "They'll tell you exactly what's wrong with me. They'll tell you heaps of stuff, and that hopefully keeps you away from me."

He didn't say anything for a while. We just stood there, ignoring the passing by students who had their own life to tackle. That's the thing, everyone was too busy to care.

For once, I didn't mind it if they don't do anything, just for them to stop and stare would do wonders to me. No one ever does that.

"Riley," Theo called out, taking my hand in his. I tried to pull away but he was stronger than me. "Stop fighting me. I'm on your side."

His voice was so tender, caring and as fragile as my heart. Tears I'd been trying to hide slipped out.

"Hey, it's okay. Just tell me what's wrong and I'll be able to help you. With anything..."

I shook my head, keeping it low so he didn't see the ugly side.

Suddenly, I felt as if I was in a crowded place. We were surrounded.

"Riley? Theo? What did you do?" That was one of Theo's girl-friends. Great, now they were going to see how much of the pathetic excuse I was to the world and hate me forever.

"Why are you crying Riley?" Asked another friend of his. This one, was on his team.

These people, they were actually better than what's I'd stereotyped at the start.

"We'll catch you guys later," jumped in Theo. "I'll tell you later but for now, if you could give us some space..."

"Of course, sure." The guy, Pete, patted my back, along with the others while the girls rubbed it instead before leaving us.

Then Theo led me out of the place and to an empty classroom. He sat me on one of the chairs while he stood in front of it, blocking both sides with his arms.

"Now, tell me what's wrong so I can help you go through it. Is it about us? Did your parents find out? Did they know that you're gay?"

I didn't speak.

"Who did that to you?"

I tried to pull away again.

"God damnit Riley, if you don't start talking then I'm going to assume things and trust me, I won't stay silent about it. Even a blind man could figure out what's happening but right now, I can't do anything about it until you give me a sign. I need permission—"

"I don't need, your help."

"Yes you do! That's there's nothing wrong with—"

"NO! Stop! Stop touching me! Just, stop." I pushed him away with all my might and ran out the place, not looking back once.

By the time school was done, I was also done with life. I was so tired, I thought I might drop dead on the spot.

But, life's not that easy.

I was out of the place as fast as I could, to avoid the crowd and the single person I tired so hard to be away from. But, god wasn't on my side.

I should've laughed at my false hope. When was god on my side?

"Go home Theo."

"No, I won't."

"Leave me alone and go home." I pushed his hands away as I started on the direction to my house, where my mum would be waiting for me.

"No, you need to know that this isn't right. What they're doing to you, it's literally emotional murder. Physically, I think it's close to attempting it too."

I snapped, dropping my bag on the ground. "That's my parents you're talking about. Mind it Theo."

He raised his hands in surrender, stepping back. "I never mentioned anything about your parents Riley."

My tears fell before I could stop them and I was a crying mess again, in front of him. "Go away... why won't you go away?"

We both didn't move, but Theo's voice felt like he was standing right next to me. "Because I care. And it's okay to get help when you can't do it yourself—"

"Shut up."

I fisted my hands, picking up my bag again.

"Shut the hell up and just leave. Or I swear Theodore, I will hurt you."

It was a weak threat and unfortunately, he saw right through it. "It won't be as much as what you're going through."

I didn't speak back. Instead, I ignored him like before and stomped my way back home. There, surprisingly, both my parent's car was parked outside.

Pretending that my heart wasn't increasing its beat with every step I took, I made my way inside the house where my mum waited for me as always, with the sprays in hand.

"Where were you?"

It sounded as if she knew something happened.

"Riley, where, were you?" Then she started her routine of sprays without warning. I flinched to cover my face but she snapped at me. "Don't you dare cover your face! Put your hands down!"

I tried to reason, "but mum, you're spray—"

"I know what I'm doing! Put your hands down. You deserve this." And she sprayed around me. She didn't say anything as I closed my eyes, ignoring the liquid that fell on my face, dripping. "Open your damn eyes Riley."

When I did as I was told, in front of me, both my parents stood stiff, like bodyguards.

My mum held the sprays while my dad, he had a belt.

"W-what's going o-on?"

"What's going on?" My dad asked, stepping forward. "What's going on, you ask?" He readied himself his weapon and I readied myself to take the hits. "What's going on, is that you're failing classes! What's going on is that you're not listening to any of our orders! What's fucking going on, is that you're spreading your fucking disease everywhere you walk and you're only just pathetic enough to be that puppy everyone feels sympathy for when they walk past it on a cold, rainy, lonely night."

I'd only got a B on a few subjects. The rest of them were still on A.

But I couldn't really think about that after he said words that cut deeper than his usual hits.

He snapped his wrist, hitting the belt hard on my stomach. I toppled over with pain. He did it again and I was on the floor, crying for him to stop. I curled into a ball.

"I'm going to make you so pathetic that no one would be able to even give a glance your way. You want to tell me the truth? About the boy that came here a few days ago?"

He hit me again and I screamed out. "NO! Stop, dad, it's not like that! I don't talk to him! I didn't today! I," I gulped, finding it hard to swallow, "I ignored him and I plan to—"

"Don't lie to me boy, I saw you!" He hit again and I started to feel the actual burn over all the pain. My clothes were ripped. "I was there when he stopped you and felt for you. He was caring for you that itself tells me how much you've affected him."

"No," I whispered back, screaming when he hit me again. "No, it's not like that! I never- I never did anything—"

"Shut up! You've done enough damage! Spray the damn thing, woman!"

"Don't turn your anger on me," I heard my mum warn. But before I could figure what he'd meant, I heard the bottles noise of spraying and then the burning started again, this time: staying.

I screamed as hard as I can, howling in pain when I felt the alcohol kiss the bruises. I begged them to stop. I cupped my hands together, praying them, bending my body to stop the pain.

Then my dad stuffed a piece of clothing into my mouth, muffling the noise.

What were they planning to do to me?

I could barely keep up with my heartbeat. It's like, as if, it's not even there.

"Shut up, or I'll make the pain worse."

I did as he said immediately. Me bing the pathetic self, I just wanted the pain gone.

Then the doorbell rang and I could hear the foot steps. I glanced up to see my parents eye each other.

"It's the boy. I saw him getting in with that look on his face."

"Riley! Are you home?! Hey, I just want to say sorry!" I closed my eyes to stop the tears. Theo really didn't make things easier.

I could hear my mum scoff in disbelief. "You were right. He probably knows the punishments then, just open up and tell him to leave."

So that's what they were doing. They were punishing me.

For what? For being gay?

I heard my dad talking before he even finished opening the door. "Get the hell out of hear kid. We don't want..."

My father's voice trailed off into silence. I took the energy to move up a little so I could see what was happening, and what I saw, was definitely something I didn't know whether to be happy about or cry out in agony.

"Good... afternoon Sir. We're the police and we were going to just talk and see if what this boy was telling is true, but now, we're here to arrest you and your wife for performing domestic violence against your own son; caught on act. Please step out without initiating anything."

It was actually happening. My parents were getting arrested.

Never in my life did I ever think it would happen. I've never even imagined it and yet, it was happening.

Once they were escorted out of the house, a police lady came up to me to help me up but she didn't really, actually help. Theo was there before her, hugging me close, inspecting my cuts, muttering that he wanted to murder the reasons for it.

He was crying by the time I was sitting up on the floor and he rocked us together as if it was supposed to calm me.

Then, a few more police came, with the sirens on. They got my wounds checked, which earned louder cries from Theo than myself, who was the one who was receiving the treatment.

Another police officer came, asking me questions that I didn't fully answer to. When he noticed that I wasn't going to say anything, he pulled Theo to a side before telling him to contact adults he knew of.

"My parents, they'd come. They haven't met Riley yet but I've told them about him. I was, kind of, seeing him these past couple of months."

"And you didn't know about this happening at all, until now?"

Theo shook his head. "At first: no. then I started to think but I really suspected it today."

They left us alone after a while, checking the house, which I didn't understand why and Theo pulled me into the backseat of his car when the neighbors started to do more than just peek over the fence.

It all happened so fast.

"Hey, hey, look at me." Theo pulled my face to him, letting me drown into his eyes. He could see how broken I was on the inside and it really made my want to burst into pieces. "It's okay." He patted my face, pulling me close. "It's okay. It's going to be fine." He hushed me when I started to cry again, the hits and burns starting to rise in my head.

It was clear as a blue sky and it hurt, so bad.

"It's going to be okay. You're going to be fine. We're going to be fine. Everything's going to work out. Don't worry. Don't you worry about anything."

I sobbed into his shirt and he pulled me onto his lap.

"Shh... it's okay. I'm right here. I'm always here. Always. Always. Riley, it's okay." He kissed my cheek and I tried to stop the tears, but they just won't. "It's okay Riley. I'm right here. You're safe. I love you Riley. I love you, and I'm not leaving."

I didn't now if I choked out a cry or burped and sucked in a breath at the same time. His words, they healed so many wounds.

"You're okay now."


The End.

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It's finished guys! The spin-off to 'In The End' !

P.S. I personally like the sweet and simple ending. What do you think?


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