Raymond yawned. "This is starting to get boring."
"Really?" One of his friends asked. "I think it's starting to get more fun."
I spat blood on the floor. "Glad to be of service," I said sarcastically.
"Who said you can talk?" Raymond demanded.
He looked at the two guys who were holding me on each arm. "Again."
They lifted me up from the floor, and slammed me against the wall. I grunted against the shock and went limp in their arms. Now standing, it was another one of the guys turn. He walked up to me and used me as a punching bag a couple of times. I took the punches one by one. Again and again. Each punch I took, I kept telling myself, one less punch to take, one less punch to take.
I didn't bother making a sarcastic comeback. I didn't bother to scream. I didn't even bother to beg. I deserved this. I deserved all of this. The three were in the custody of Principal Barnes. I let that happen. I should have warned them about her. I shouldn't have let Declan take the fall for me. I should had made a better excuse. Me, myself, and I deserves this.
School ended a while ago. As soon as my last period, gym ended, a couple of Raymond's friends grabbed me and pulled me away. I'm still in my P.E uniform, they didn't bother to let me change. They tossed me at the back of the school where Raymond and the rest of his friends were waiting for me. Everyone in school left already. So I didn't bother screaming. If a tree falls in a forest, does it make a sound? But in this case, if Naomi screams, will anyone care if they hear? No, no they will not.
"You see, this is getting boring," Raymond complained to the others. "She's doing nothing."
"I'm sorry, Raymond," I said, wearing a pout. "I'm sorry that my pain is not giving you the amusement you deserve."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," He muttered. "Sorry's not going to cut it."
"How about I hit her, 'till she coughs up blood." Another offered.
"I already did," I told him.
"'Till she cries?" Someone asked, cracking his knuckles.
"I already did."
"Ooh, I got one," one of them said. "Until she cries blood."
They all looked at me, and I just made a small, pathetic shrug. "Never did that before."
Tired, the two guys who were holding me up dropped in on the ground. I groaned at the impact, my body cringing. I leaned against the wall, resting my head. I closed my eyes, trying to even out my breathing. My whole body felt numb, so numb. If anyone of them punched me. I'd either shatter into pieces or the blow won't effect me because my body feels so numb. I hope it was going to be the latter.
"Let me get a try," One of the guys said, walking up to me.
He lifted his arm and punched my face. I gritted my teeth at the pain. No way he was going to let off that easily. I couldn't hit him back, so I did the next best thing. I kicked him right in the groin. He went down groaning. The guy swore at me a couple of times. But my ears were still ringing from the punch, so I tuned the curses out. A few of his friends dragged him back to the ground. All of them were glaring at me, but only Raymond had a blank look on his face.
"No, no, no," Raymond said, shaking his head. "Not good enough."
"Picky, aren't you," I muttered under my breath.
"You haven't hit her once at all, Ray," one of them pointed out.
"Yeah... is... something... the... matter?" Another asked, punching me with every word.
I caught my breath when he took a break. I forced out, "Yeah, you can't stomach punching another girl?"
"Ooh," all of his friends said.
"You're not going to let her say that and get away with it," a guy beside him asked. "Are you?"
"No, I'm not," Raymond growled.
He walked up to me. The two guys at either side of me lifted me on my feet again. I didn't bother standing up, I'll let them suffer having to hold me up instead of joining in the fun.
I looked up and stared at Raymond's eyes. His dark brown eyes looked stone cold, so cold. Like dirt, the ground, sturdy and strong. They match him. They kept on staring at me as I stared right back. I saw from the corner of my eye his fist lifting up in the air. But I refused to look at nothing else than his eyes.
I let out a chuckle and smiled at him, tears welling up to my eyes. "What are you waiting for? Just do it already. Get it over with." I looked at the ground, still smiling. "It won't matter anyway. I'm black and blue inside out. I'm your punching bag. You can punch me again and again, but I'll still be here. I'll still be here..." I looked back up at him.
Something flashed in his eyes. I know it did. Was it hesitation? Pity? Disgust? I burst out laughing, I was in hysteria. Then I stopped and leaned forward to him. The two guys holding me were surprised and didn't stop me. Raymond staggered back at the sudden movement, but then stopped. I was staring at him, inches, centimeters away. I looked at him right in the eyes, smiling.
"What? Finally feeling something, Raymond? After all these years? You feel guilty?" I spat. "Well you're years too late. Now hit me! But don't you dare look away when you do. I know you do that, ever since you first hit me. It won't make much of a difference, just another bruise mixed in with the others. Now look at me right in the eye and hit me!"
Tears were spilling out my eyes. His arm went dropped to his side. I stared at his eyes for a few seconds longer and went limp. The guys dropped me, having me fall onto the ground. I tried to choked back a sob, but the tears just fell out.
"Let's go," Raymond told them. "She's gone. She's done. Let's just leave her."
Some mumbled in agreement. I heard the sound of backpacks being picked up, footsteps walking away. But suddenly someone said something.
"You didn't hit her," One of them said. "What, you chicken, Ray?"
I paused from crying and looked up. Raymond slammed some kid against the wall. I could hear the thud of his body against the wall. Everyone stopped what they were doing. They stared at the two of them, frozen. The kid groaned from the shock. When he came too, he started cursing at him.
"What's wrong with you, man?"
"When I say we're done," he growled. "Then we're done! You hear me?"
The kid nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, I get it."
Raymond let go of him, having him fall onto the ground. The guy stood up and walked towards them. He shoved the others out of the way, others parted like the Red Sea for him. Raymond glared as the kid walked away, then his eyes turned to me. He didn't say anything, instead he just walked away. The others followed right behind him, one by one. Until finally I was the only one who remained.
I awkwardly put my head back on the ground. I didn't bother getting up. I guess I just lost my will to live. I forced out a laugh. Funny. I didn't know I still had it. I stared at my hand that was in the puddle of my blood. It wasn't my time of the month, and yet I'm still seeing my blood. My eyelids were starting to get heavy. I tried to shake the sleepiness away. I can't fall asleep. I think I have a concussion, I shouldn't try to sleep or I won't wake up.
Stay awake, Naomi, I told myself. Just a little while longer.
But as each second pass, the heavier my eyelids got. The yearn for sleep grew. Maybe I should sleep, if I do have a concussion I could just end it now. It's not like anyone would care. Actually, everyone would be thankful for the burden would be gone. Raymond. The kids from school. My parents having a child like me. The Three Musketeers having to deal with someone like me.
I smiled at the thought. Yeah, I should do that. Or maybe I'm just in hysteria and not thinking straight. Well, I might as well close my eyes. Let them find my body. Let them. I was about to finally close my tired eyes when a pair of shoes appeared in front of me.
Then everything went dark.
-
My eyes shot open. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust the bright light. When they did, the first thing I was staring at was a ceiling. With a chandelier. Why is there a chandelier? My room doesn't have a chandelier. My house doesn't even have a chandelier. I don't know anyone who has a chandelier.
I tried to sit up, but my body hold me against to. My muscles aches, my body hurts all over. I grunted and tried to lift my head. But I gave up and plopped my head back on the pillow. Pillow. Bed. This isn't my bed. For one thing, my bed isn't a king size bed. I looked under the covers. Not my clothes. So not my clothes.
I looked around the room from my pillow point of view. The room had a modern look. Gray wallpaper, floor to ceiling windows. Not my chandelier. Not my bed. Not my window. Not my painting. Not my wallpaper. Not my curtains. I looked down at myself once more, and not my clothes.
"Where in the world am I?" I croaked.
Suddenly the door burst open. It all happened in a second. Someone jumped onto the bed. At impact I bounced on the bed and landed on my back. I cringed at the shock my back took. But before I could recover, a huge forced jumped on top of me. I was willing to fight the attacker despite the fact I was injured until I realized he was hugging me, and the attacker was Jordan.
"Oh, Naomi!" Jordan cooed. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
"C-can't breathe," I choked out.
"Oi, get off of her!" Declan's voice called out.
"You're going to flatten her like a pancake," Bennett told him
"No I'm not!" Jordan denied, letting me go. I let out a gasp of air, relieved that he let me go. Jordan looked back at. "I'm not flattening you, are I?"
"Yes, yes you are. Now get off of me. Please."
"Okay, okay. Naomi Station, this is my stop. Getting off now."
Jordan hopped off the bed and reunited with his two other friends. I blinked a few times when I saw them. They were wearing different clothes from yesterday. Yesterday.
"What day is it today?" I asked, but my voice sounded hoarse.
"Thursday," Bennett answered. "You were asleep for two days."
I coughed. "Two days?" I exclaimed. My eyes widened in realization. "School! I was absent to school for two days!" I tried to get up from the bed again. "What time is it? I can't be absent another day. I have to go to-"
"Are you serious?" Declan demanded. "You've been unconscious for two days straight!"
I flinched at his exclamation. Bennett and Jordan didn't say anything. The two of them looked at the ground, not making eye contact with me. Declan took two steps forward, clenching and unclenching his fists.
"We were all worried sick after Raymond took you! When that witch finally let us go, we looked everywhere for you. I mean everywhere. When we finally did find you, you were on the ground all beat up! Now you're telling me that you're actually willing to go back to the place where those bastards almost killed you?" When he finished his screaming lecture, he looked away, taking deep breaths.
Tears welled into my eyes. My vision was getting blurry. Oh, here we go again. I choked back a sob. Don't do it, Naomi. C'mon, don't- ah, too late. I started crying. I grabbed a pillow and stuff my face into it. I felt the bed dip on one side, and then the other, and then the other. All three of them were beside me, hugging me.
"I'm sorry," I cried into the pillow. "I'm so sorry."
"No, I'm sorry," Declan said, petting my hair, well I think it was Declan. "I shouldn't have done anything to risk me getting caught."
The apology just made me cry harder.
"Great job you idiot," I heard Bennett said. "Now she's crying harder."
"Yeah," Jordan agreed, then he started to mimic Declan's voice. "Sorry for getting caught, I don't have the skills of Jordan. I'm freakin' Hulk compared to him."
"I'm going to Hulk you!" Declan exclaimed.
I stopped crying and looked up from the pillow. Declan was chasing Jordan again. Jordan kept on throwing chairs, hopping over a desk, jumping over the bed. While Declan was doing his best to keep up with him. The whole time, Jordan was teasing Declan.
"Declan mad. Declan chase Jordan. Declan slow. Declan not chase Jordan."
I let out a giggle. I blinked at the sound, then started blushing. I don't know the last time I giggled at something. I don't even know the first time I did. The foreign sound was strange to me. Bennett was still beside me, he smiled at me.
"You okay?" He asked me.
I hugged the pillow closer to me. "Yeah. I guess I am."
A few seconds passed between us. Jordan and Declan were still at it. Making a huge mess of the room. But a thought came to me and I looked at Bennett.
"Where are my clothes?"
Bennett cleared his throat uncomfortably. "That was the troubling part."
Jordan grinned nervously. "Don't worry, we closed are eyes."
"You can't seriously think I actually believe that."
"We swear," Declan said. "Cross our hearts."
I shook my head. "I just feel so violated, and seen," I said, hugging myself. "And wait a second-" I said, realizing something. "If I was here for two days, where do my parents think I am?"
Jordan and Declan froze from chasing. I stared at the three of them.
"Please tell me you thought of something."
Jordan laughed. "Don't worry, I thought of something."
"Oh, I'm so dead," I muttered.
Jordan ignored my lack of faith with a smile. He hopped on the bed and sat down across from me.
"Right now, at this very moment, you are in literature taking a test," Jordan informed me.
"I am?" I looked around. "It doesn't look like literature."
"Well, your parents got a call from one of your best friends asking if you could have a sleepover with her the whole week. You weren't able to talk to them at the moment since you were nervous and asked her to do it for you. Obviously, they were thrilled you have a friend and let you sleepover, but as long as you went to school."
"But I don't have a girl friend," I said, referring a friend that's a girl. I have a three boy friends, referring to three friends that are boys.
"Yeah, neither does Jordan, but he still gets up from his bed everyday," Declan muttered, then laughed at his own joke.
Jordan glared at him then continued. "I happened to design a software that can change my voice to anyone else's. I just made a few adjustments from my mom to a teenage girl. Made the voice higher more irritating, and poof you got a girl voice."
"And why exactly did you make a software like that?" I asked, eyeing him.
He chuckled nervously. "I-it's not like I use it to tell the school as my parents that I'm sick or anything."
"But what about the school? I'm obviously not there. They must have marked me absent and would automatically send my parents a phone call."
"That's the best part!" He exclaimed. "I hacked into the school's network using the password barnes_rocks314, and changed all of your attendances as here and canceled the automatic phone call home. Girl, you're invisible! Ah, that came out wrong, but you know what I-"
I hugged him as hard as my bruised arms could.
"You're awesome Jordan! Thank you so much!"
"Aw, you're welcome Nomi."
I tensed at the name. "What did you just say?"
Declan snorted. "Nomi?" That's the best you come up with?"
Bennett raised an eyebrow. "How long did it take for you come up with that one?"
Jordan shrugged. "It just came to me. Well how about it? You like Nomi, Nomi?"
I blinked, I haven't been called that since-
"Nomi!" A voice sang. "Oh, Nomi! Come out, come out wherever you are!"
I held back a giggle, but I didn't call out to him. In hide and seek, you have to be really quiet or else the seeker will find you.
"Nomi, I'm going to find you!"
I smiled and squatted behind the bush. He'll never find me-
"Found you."
I jumped back from his voice. I can't believe he found me! I squealed, and was about to run away. But he grabbed my arm and hugged me from behind. I tried to squirm away, but he didn't dare let me go.
"Okay, okay, you got me!"
"Yes, because I'm the hide and seek champion!" He exclaimed, and started laughing evilly like one of those villains in those cartoons.
I pouted. "How do you always keep on finding me?"
"Because I'm the hide and seek champion!" He exclaimed again, and started laughing all over again.
"No really? What's you secret?"
He smirked. "I'm not going to tell you."
"What? Why?"
"You're not good at keeping secrets."
"No, I'm not! I'm good at keeping secrets. Like Dean and Molly like each other." I gasped and clamped my hand over my mouth. "I shouldn't have told you that."
He burst out laughing. "See? I told you! You can't keep a secret!"
"Well I can keep a secret. That was just an accident. Now can you tell me?"
He crossed his arms. "Nope."
"Please?"
He looked away, still crossing his arms. "Nope."
"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"
He hesitated, then sighed. "Fine, I'll tell you. But you have to promise that you will never ever tell anyone this."
"Okay."
"Cross your heart and hope to die?"
My jaw dropped. "I don't want to die."
He laughed and shook his head. "No, it's not real. Now just say it."
"Okay. I cross my heart and hope to die, even though I don't want to die."
He smiled and motioned me to come closer.
"You ready?"
I nodded. "Ready."
He leaned next to me. His fingers tucked my hair behind my ear. I could smell the chocolate chip cookie he split with me during snack from his breath. Then he whispered to me the secret.
"I can always find you in hide and seek because I..."
"Yeah?"
"I have superpowers."
"Hey!" I exclaimed. "That's not true!"
"Then how come I can find you?"
"I want superpowers then," I said, jealous of him.
"Find your own them. I'm keeping mine."
"Why can't you share! Sharing is caring!"
"I really can't. You have to find your own."
I was quiet for a moment before asking him. "You're not lying? Do you swear?"
He said proudly, "Cross my heart and hope to die."
"Even though you don't want to die."
His eyes brightened. "Yup! Now let's play again. It's your turn!"
"Okay." I went to the tree and closed my eyes. "One-two-three-"
And this time, I know I'm going to find him. I know I'm going to find him because I know his secret now.
"Ready or not, Domi, here I come!" I called out.
"I don't think Nomi is my type of name," I said, shrugging. "Nomi is not me."
"No?" Jordan asked, his face fell in disappointment. "Well how about Mia? Or Noa? Ooh, wait, I know! Nay-Nay!"
I snorted. "That's the best you can do?"
"Okay, give me a second. I got better ones, I swear."
I rolled my eyes. "Uh-huh."
But really, he was wrong. He did find the best one. Nomi. I haven't heard that name in years. I haven't been called that name in years. It brought back so many memories. Some good, but some bad. So as the guys kept on coming up with name after name, I knew none of them will compare to my nickname. The nickname that no one can call but him.
All because I promised him.
If any of you read my other book, It All Started with a Jacket, you might remember that Autumn also had a flashback attack with some kid named Giovanni. Well if you remember from my author's note. This book was inspired by the relationship with Autumn and the Big Four. So I obviously couldn't pass the opportunity to make this version of a Gio.
By the way, Nomi and Domi rhyme. Cute huh? I wanted to call them Nome and Dome or No and Do, but I was like, nahh. But what is Domi's real name? That didn't call each other by their real names when they were little, since they could say it right. And what kind of parent would actually call their kid Domi. Uh, if your name is Domi, no offense.
And that is what 'you're out' means.
RubixCube89201
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