When The Gang Leader's Son Hates You

Chapter 4

Tears began forming in my eyes as my chest constricted painfully. How could someone do this? Who would do this? The eyes of everyone around me were boring into my face, scrutinising my every move. I could hear Kiara laughing and a few traitorous tears began rolling down my cheeks.

My entire body was frozen as I tried to move my wide eyes away from the horrible writing that looking like something out of a horror movie. My eyes instantly locked with someone staring right at me, standing off on his own, away from the crowd. His expression was filled with amusement as he watched me intently.

Asher.

He did this. I knew it was him. He had said those exact words to be earlier today. My eyes began watering in anger and humiliation and I couldn't stand a second longer being laughed at by the entire school. I couldn't do this anymore. Without another thought, I turned around and ran as far away from everyone as possible. I went back into the school building and ran towards my car parked around the corner. From afar I heard the principal talking in a speaker.

"That's it everyone clear out, schools over," he ordered sternly but I could near the undertone of anger and disgust in his voice at what had occurred.

Tears were streaming down my face when I finally reached my car. I threw my stuff into the passenger seat and sped away from that hell as fast as was legal. When I made it home, I dropped my head against the steering wheel as humiliation overcame me. Those words flashed in my mind, those red words of hate. It felt like someone had stabbed me and used my blood to write those words. I think that was what they were aiming for as well as a promise for pain in my future.

When I made it up the five flights of stairs to our apartment and walked through the front door, I had to face my mother and tell her about the accident. She nearly had a panic attack about not having insurance before I lied and told her that I hit a tree and only our car was dented. I escaped her interrogation and worry any injuries I might have sustained as soon as I could and ran from the house. The horror of my day was following me everywhere I went. I needed to get out of the house.

I ventured into the reserve that resided near our apartment. My eyes lingered on the tall trees that towered over me, their leaves rusting as they swayed in the light breeze. I breathed out deeply, admiring the beauty here. I sat down on the bank of a stream that was running through some rocks.

I noticed a bee was stuck in the water and was flailing around trying to fly away but it was stuck. I grabbed a leaf and scooped it up, it grasped onto the leaf like its lifeline and after a moment of being on the leaf, it flew away to live its life. I smiled at myself that I could at least change one life today.

I always wondered how the world became such hierarchies of what lives are important and which are not. How humans decided which lives can be ignored and allowed to be killed without a second thought. To human's insect's lives are nothing as if they deserve to be killed for being annoying but maybe we just tell ourselves that so we don't feel the guilt of all being murderers. Killing creatures that aren't even threatening us.

I relaxed back by the side of the stream, feeling more at peace from being around nature. There were beautiful flowers growing on the bank of the water and I closed my eyes, letting the soft sound of running water calm me. But relaxing was impossible as my mind was bombarded with the sight of Asher's amused glare and the humiliation rocked into me again. I tried to remind myself that there were a lot worse things that could happen and there were a lot of worse things that have happened to me.

I dug into my bag and pulled out the book I was looking for and turned to the page with the picture of the author. Henry. My brother. He was only ten at the time. I was a bit older than him and in high school so I had neglected him for my friends and going out drinking. It felt like I had failed him. I felt like it was my fault and that was when my panic attacks started. When news broke that the mayor's son had died our house was bombarded with the media.