Chapter 3

Sammy Walcott

I shut the door behind me applying a little pressure seeing as the wind had increased and drops of rain already falling steadily.

Unfortunate new neighbors.

I pulled my cap off, running my hand through my hair before turning around only for my blood to run cold in my veins. I fisted my palms and stared, gritting my teeth so hard that it hurt.

Sitting there on the long sofa were my mum and stepdad. He had his arm draped around her shoulder, her head relaxing on his as they watched the television. They looked like such a happy couple, just enjoying a movie during bad weather but I knew better. I knew better.

"Sammy, is that you?" Mum asked about to crane her neck to look up at me but the not so subtle push around her shoulder kept her in place.

I instinctly moved closer prepared to punch a hole into someone's head, not exactly thinking about the impending consequences.

"Sammy boy," My step father called with his sickining tone turning to me with an equally sick smirk. "How're you doing?"

That sick smirk made me waver in my steps. I know that smirk, that look and even if I didn't, the scar running down his left eye was enough to make anybody halt in their steps. It was terrifying. He was terrifying.

"Cat's got your tongue?" He asked raising a warning brow.

"I'm fine," I gritted out. My palm hurting from the way my fingers digged into them. I didn't even have fingernails.

"Good, fine is very good." He said dragging out the very and turning back to this television. "Your mum and I are watching some telenovela, its surprisingly good. Care to join in?"

He smiled at my mum, pressing a kiss to her head. Mum tried to hide the shudder but I saw it, just like I saw through the smile she flashed at me. Our eyes met and she forced the smile. The fake smile saying it all— it's okay honey. Its okay.

Its not okay her eyes countered, but this is better for now. Better than a fight and fresh bruises.

"No, I've got assignments." I begrudgingly answered moving towards the stairs.

"Dinner's in the oven," Mum announced, eyes still glued to the television. It's only under this roof that watching the TV became a chore.

"Already ate," I lied freely when infact I've not taken anything except a bite of a spoilt apple.

"Sammy boy, how's your eye bruise?" My step father asked, making me stop on the second step staircase. I could feel the scorn in voice so real like the hate I harboured towards him, living and breathing at the very core of my heart.

"Dennis—" my mum started, her tone wary and pleading.

"I'm just asking Melissa," He says kissing her some more. "A harmless question."

"Healing," I clip back at him before running back up as fast as my legs could carry me into my room.

I threw my bag and cap to the floor, adding to the mess there and slammed my hand on the wall, biting my lip to stop myself from shouting, drawing blood and hurting myself more. I hate him. I hate him so much. Its because of him I am like this. Broken.

And it's because of him I won't stop fighting. It's because of him I go out there looking for trouble, trying to be terrifying. It's the only way I know to fill the void, to balance myself and not lose my fucking mind. In here I'm so useless and powerless but out there I could be something else but scared Sammy. Maybe if I get better at scaring people and at fighting then someday, sooner than anyone expects, I'm going to fight back harder. I'm going to scare him right back to jail. I'm going to beat him so bloody, it would be a miracle if he survives.

That day is coming, I could feel it like the painful hiss of the hot coffee going down my throat. It's coming and it's coming fast.

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The next morning was the same. The teakettle woke me up, I got off my bed and now the aches on my body were a hundred times more. My tummy ache being the most obvious one. I pulled myself up, stumbled and fell back to the bed.

My heavy eyes dragged themselves towards the dull ache on my fingers and I spotted my fist that still had dried blood on them. Then I burst out laughing. There was nothing humorous about my bloody fist or my grumbling stomach but still I laughed like I had a joker complex.

Yep, I finally going mad.

"This is not the plan Sammy. You're to kill him, not yourself." I mumbled into my palm, trying to hold in the dry laughter causing my stomach to ache more and a stray tear to roll down my cheek.

After succeeding in getting off the bed and gathering enough strength to get ready for the day, I dragged myself down the stairs, not enough strength to hurry down. Mum was by the stove again and after giving me my mug of coffee, she slide a plate of waffles too.

"Please, eat." She might have added please but I knew it was an order.

I nodded, not in the mood to argue and knowing I shouldn't reject. My body needed food to survive the day, I wasn't sucidal yet. I didn't waste much time at home, as soon as I was done with breakfast, I left.

"Hi son," an elderly man by the neighbors lawn greeted, waving with what I thought was exaggerated happiness. I had seen him and proceeded to pull my hoodie up and over my cap, choosing to ignore him but he just had to ruin that.

I looked up with a frown but that didn't seem to faze him. He still had this annoying good morning smile on. "Hey," I greeted back trying to be politely rude.

He smiled brighter, and I wished I could just run back in and rewind back to when I was having breakfast, that way I could come up with a better ignoring plan.

"How are you? I'm Mr Gracia, the new neighbor. We barely moved in yesterday," He announced with a light chuckle. "That was some pretty cool storm yesterday."

I faked a smile, it was so forced that my eye hurt. It's not that I hated him, he seemed okay — his only crime being the wide smile on his face— but I'm having a horrible day, as usual and I hate everyone in the mornings. "Welcome to the neighborhood Mr Gracia and yeah, what a welcoming storm yesterday."

He laughed heartily, almost managing to break a smile out of me, almost. With any other person, his laugh would be infectious. "Well then hurry on son, I don't want to make you late."

I nodded thanks and walked away. I had to be a little bit slower and more conscious with my walk because of the wet slippery floor. The last thing I want is to face plant the ground or get splashed with water from a careless car.

The parking lot was buzzing with people, many more students than usual, and they all seemed to be gathered around something, or someone. I narrowed my eyes at the gathering wondering if an animal died. I remember when they found a dead deer one day, apparently it had escaped from a predator that injured it, only to come die at our honourable school's parking lot. I remember the completely horrifying sight and how I puked for days.

Just thinking about seeing another injured dead animal brought the taste of bile to my tongue.

I walked right pass all of them. I wasn't curious and I definitely didn't need to puke out my breakfast. It could have been a celebrity and not a deer, or any other crowd worthy thing but crowds are not really my thing, especially when the chances of puking was involved.

I stopped at my locker as usual and just a second later Crystal and her friend came running to her locker.

"Oh God, he's so beautiful," Her friend gushed waving a hand around her face, attacking me with the same pleasant unpleasant perfume scent.

"Beautiful? That's an understatement May, an understatement." Crystal gushed too, opening up her locker.

"I took a picture. Where has someone like this been hiding?" May sighed out staring at her phone and I imagined her wide puppy love eyes. Disgusting.

"Some Appalachian Mountains. Doesn't matter, I call dibs."

"Not fair, you can't just call dibs on the new guy, he's—"

The loud slamming of my locker cut her off as they both gasped in fright, turning to me. I glared at them both, my eyes lingering more at May.

"Uhm, hi Sammy?" Her big eyes bounced cautiously around my face.

I didn't bother saying a thing and just brushed past them, walking away.

"What's his problem?" May asked and I could feel her eyes on me.

"Probably having a bad day." Crystal supplied.

I didn't hear the rest of what they were saying as I made a corner heading for my physics class. Gossip, that's most definitely all May knows how to do. I can't listen to them anymore, else I'll literally lose my mind.

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