Read The Bully and I :: paige

A week had passed and never did Hiro call me back again.

And it’s driving me crazy.

I grabbed the board eraser and began erasing the writings on the board. It’s Thursday and it’s my turn to clean the classroom, which I always hated because --

“Hey, pork belly! Good luck cleaning the room!”

I didn’t even bother turning around as I heard footsteps leaving the classroom. Soon, the noisy chattering of my stupid classmates were gone and I was happy that it’s finally quiet.

It’s always been liking this. They’re always leaving me when it’s their turn to become cleaners, as this was one way of bullying me. Their reason was that cleaning the room was exercising and I really need it because I’m fat.

No one wanted to clean the room, even I hated it but it’s my duty as a student of this school, which I’m loathing right now. The teachers don’t bother coming in and checking who were cleaning or not. Even if I tell them, my classmates would just deny my accusations and they would only bully me even more.

Ah, life’s really great.

I finished cleaning the blackboard and it’s time to sweep the floor and arrange the chairs.

By the time I was done, it was already six in the evening. I had no job today in the restaurant because Thursday was my rest day. I went straight home since Jon’s still at work, whatever his work was, I don’t really bother knowing. I haven’t had a single conversation with him after mom died and I don’t have any plans in talking to him after what he had done to me.

I entered my room and barricaded the door, as it was my routine to protect myself from Jon in he came home drunk again.

I threw my bag on the floor, took my blazer off and dragged myself to the bed. Today was a tiring day. Endless lectures, quizzes, recitations, getting outcast-ed by my classmates whenever there’s a group work, ahhh, I’m so glad this day could finally end.

I took my phone out and stared at the screen. Seven p.m. I wonder what Hiro’s doing right now? Was he doing the same thing I was doing in North Vale? I don’t know how North Vale worked, or how students study there. Do they have a different education system?

There’s so many questions I wanted to ask him.

I browsed the two contacts in my phone and stared longingly at his name.

The Devil

I guess it’s true. Devils such as him always appears to be good-looking.

I wish I could be as handsome as him.

If I wasn’t fat and ugly, I wonder if people would start treating me better.

I wonder if I could be friends with someone like Hiro.

I really am so…pathe --

My phone suddenly vibrated. My eyes widened after seeing Hiro’s name flashing in the screen.

He’s calling me!

I immediately answered the call, putting the phone on my ear.

“Sup.”

Hearing his voice finally made me smile. Albeit all the pains and suffering I had to go through, at home and at school, it’s funny how his voice could make me happy.

It was as if the burden in my heart got lighter.

“You…why are you calling me again?”

“I told you I’ll call you again, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you did. But why are you calling me?” I repeated my answer.

“I was bored. I don’t have any jobs today.”

“Jobs? You’re working too?”

“Something like that.”

I stayed quiet for a second but Hiro immediately picked it up.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

“What are you thinking?”

“...I’m just…I’m…”

…very lonely.

“...hungry,” I finished, smiling sheepishly while clutching my chest. “I’m really hungry but I don’t have enough money to pay for a damn noodles! You know why?! Because…because…I haven’t received my payment yet! And I eat a lot too! Because food is the only thing that can make me happy, you know! But you don’t understand that, right? I bet you eat too little because you have a nice body!”

“I have a nice body?”

I furiously blushed, realizing what I just said.

“No! What I meant is that you…you’re…you’re…!”

“I’ll call for a delivery. Just wait there.”

He hung up the phone again, leaving me with jaws dropping from my mouth.

Rude!

And true to what Hiro said, a food delivery arrived after 30 minutes.

I finished the whole bucket of chicken, six servings of rice and extra large fries. I was really surprised that Hiro called for a food delivery just for me. Nevertheless, I was satisfied with my dinner. Food was definitely one of the few things I enjoy the most.

After eating, I quickly went back to my room, worried that my step-dad would come back. If he sees me eating at the dining table, he would accuse me of spending our money to things that we don’t need. That’s why I could only eat a lot outside and not a lot in my own house. He would always call me a glutton, eating a lot of food even if I don’t need it anymore.

I sighed.

It’ll only a matter of years before I finish senior high. And once I graduate, I’ll immediately leave, search for a job while attending college.

I looked at my family’s picture frame and stared at the happy kid posing in front of the camera with his parents.

My phone vibrated. I took it out and saw that Hiro sent me a text message.

From The Devil

Have you eaten?

I unconsciously smiled after I read his message. I tapped on the screen to reply back to Hiro.

To The Devil

Yes. I did. I ate all the chicken.

I’m not going to pay you for that, ok?

A minute later, Hiro sent back a reply.

From The Devil

You have to pay me back for that.

And I’m not talking about money.

My heart skipped a beat.

What does he mean by that?

To The Devil

What are you talking about?

From The Devil

You’ll know soon enough.

To the Devil

What?! I wanna know now.

I waited for Hiro’s reply but it never came.

Another two weeks passed.

I arranged the books in the shelves before sighing out loud. It’s already five in the afternoon and everyone was busy going home. There were only a few students who left and they were either practicing basketball or volleyball.

I was the only person in the library, except for the librarian who was getting ready to go home. She saw me idling around and told me to go home since she’s going to close the library.

With a heavy heart, I came out of the room. I didn’t want to go home today. It’s Jon’s day-off and that meant he’s going to drink with our neighbors until he’s too drunk to even walk back home. If he sees me, I would definitely be the center of his rage.

While walking out of the building, a fast ball suddenly hit me on the head. I got thrown down on the ground, clutching my aching head.

A group of students came running towards me to get the ball, not even bothering to apologize. I ignored them, picked myself up and resumed walking out of school.

As much as I wanted to go at 7-Eleven to stay there, I had no money left to buy anything from the store. The lady behind the counter would often glare at me for treating the convenience store as a park.

I had no choice but to go home.

Arriving back at the house, I saw Jon and his bastard friends drinking in front of the gate. I was quick to turn my back and run away but one of them saw me, shouting my name to make me come back.

“Hoy [hey]! Come here, Paige!”

“Is he ignoring us?”

“Ah, really Jon, that’s how you raise your kid? Tsk, tsk.”

I continued walking away but Jon’s angry roar stopped me from my tracks.

“Come back here, little shit! Don’t embarrass me.”

I turned back around and glared at him.

Coming back here was a huge mistake.

I stopped in front of Jon and with a loud smack on the face, I felt the pain spreading. I bit back the tears, not minding that I was getting humiliated in front of everyone in our neighborhood.

“Good-for-nothing little shit. Can’t do anything right,” Jon angrily mumbled. “No wonder your mom left you.”

“Oooooh,” his friends cooed while smirking at me.

That strike a nerve in me. I lifted my head to glare at Jon.

“You fucker,” I hissed under my breath.

Jon narrowed his eyes and I could see the anger rising within him.

“What did you just say?!”

I clenched my fists and pushed him away from me.

“I fucking hate you! Mom shouldn’t have married someone like you!”

I saw the hurt in his eyes but I ignored it. What he did to me, all through these years, was far more painful.

“You…!”

Before he could hit me back again, I ran back to the house. He chased after me and because I was naturally slow in everything I do, he managed to pounce on me. Jon punched me on the face, on the stomach, everywhere.

I was crying, throwing curses at him while fighting back. The pain was unbearable. I was waiting to pass out but it didn’t came.

Some of our neighbors tried stopping the fight that broke out between the two of us. The police was involved and we got called to the baranggay (1) office to settle the feud between Jon and I. In the end, nothing was solved. They were nonchalant about the whole abusive issue that my step-father was doing to me. To them, it wasn’t serious enough to file a case. They suggested in talking about it but I wasn’t having any of that.

I went back home first because Jon was still being questioned by the officers.

I stomped to my room, closing the door and locking it securely. The moment I did that, I dropped down on the floor, sobbing. I was still aching all over, my clothes stained with blood. I wanted to get out of this house, to go somewhere far away from him but I had nowhere else to go.

I’m alone.

Mom and dad left me alone.

They left me…all alone.

They’re so unfair.

They’re --

The heavy knocks on the door woke me up from my thoughts. I instantly knew who it was.

“Open up the fucking door, Paige!”

I backed away, trembling in fear.

“No! Go away!”

“OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR! NOW!”

“No!”

Jon began forcing the door down. I was getting more scared. He was still drunk and who knows what he might do now that we’re inside the house.

“Please…please…just leave me alone…!”

“PAIGE! OPEN THIS DOOR! I’M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!”

I got scared from his threats. I stumbled to get my phone out to call the police but everything stopped when it lit up. Hiro’s name was flashing in the screen.

He’s calling me.

“Paige!”

I quickly answered the call and screamed for help but Jon suddenly broke through the door. His eyes were bloodshot and at that moment, I knew I was fucked.

I never saw him this angry. Was it because it’s the first time I answered back to him?

“You fucking embarrassed me! You pig!” he roared before pushing me on the ground.

“No! S-stop!”

The first punch that got connected on my head made me dizzy.

“YOU THINK I WANT YOU AS MY CHILD?! YOU RUINED MY LIFE! YOU AND YOU WORTHLESS MOTHER!”

“Stop, please! Please, Jon…aaagh!”

Another punch on the face and blood spurted out of my nose.

“LEAVING ME ALL ALONE, HUH?! DO YOU THINK I WANT THAT?! I GAVE MY LIFE TO HER! LOVED HER, TOOK CARE OF HER FOR WHAT?!” Jon asked, lips trembling while giving me continuous punches on the face, “JUST TO LEAVE ME ALONE WITH YOU?!”

As I struggled to get off of his clutches, I realized that he had a point. In his crazy mind, he was probably heartbroken that mom left him.

It’s not like it was her choice.

She left me too, you asshole.

You’re not the only one affected.

It hurts so bad…

Please someone…make it stop.

Make him stop.

“Hiro…” I called out that one particular name, in the middle of it all, he’s the only one I could think of.

He’s the only who could save me.

“Hiro…please…”

My phone was slipping out of my hand. Jon’s face warped with rage was getting blurry. I couldn’t feel his punches anymore, I couldn’t feel the tears streaming down my face.

I’m getting numb.

Mom…dad…is it possible to see you now?

I have a lot of things to tell you and it’s all about Hiro.

In a short span of time, I became fond of that rude person.

Ahhh, thinking about him while dying, I really am fucked up.

But mom and dad, I still want to know more about him.

Can I?

“...help me…”