'But you don't think David is going to hurt him anymore, do you?' I heard mum ask.
I went to the kitchen and saw them eating bread and peanut butter.
They hadn't even noticed I walked in or maybe they intentionally ignored me. David was on Nate's neck again. It somehow made me very happy that he was paying for his crime in every way possible.
'I think David should hurt him again. Since no one can get him to feel emotional pain, he deserves all the physical pain he is getting.' Alicia said.
She was right. Nate had created this impenetrable wall and no one could get to him, not even mum.
He did not feel remorse whatsoever whenever he was reminded of what he had done.
The only time I saw my brother scared was when he talked about David. If that was going to be his punishment, I was totally in support of it.
'Did you see your brother's lip? It was swollen and his eyes had blood in it. He was dealt with. The jail sentence is enough for him, he does not need to go through so much.' Mum was speaking like any mother seeing their child in pain would.
Nate was not suffering at all in prison. The only thing that he did not have was his freedom which was very basic punishment.
I could not blame mum for what she said, she never really spoke with any of his victims to understand how much her Nate put them through.
'No mum, his jail sentence is not enough. He deserves whatever he's getting from David.' I said and leaned on the kitchen door.
'What do you know about everything going on? Don't say things just because they sound like the smart thing to say, Kassandra.' Mum snapped at me.
I knew if I said more things, I was going to give away the fact that Alicia and I were talking to the girls Nate raped so I folded my arms and watched my mother eat in ignorance.
'No but she's right, he does deserve everything David is making him go through. Earlier today, George had a huge fight with Kassy because Nate raped his cousin and she's still traumatized till this moment. I am sure she would give anything to have seen him in pain today.' Alicia laughed.
I knew she did not want to give up our little secret so she had to use Goerge's cousin to pass the message.
'George had a fight with you, Kassy?' Mum looked at me. She definitely did not believe it, just like me.
'It's not a big deal and I think we're fine now.' I lied. I did not want mum worrying about me. Nate was enough for her already.
'Don't you want to eat?' Alicia asked.
'I'm not hungry. I have things to do anyway. Goodnight.' I said and walked away.
I was happy Alicia backed me up but it was hurtful to know mum totally ignored the fact that George's cousin was the important information Alicia was trying to pass across.
It was almost like she purposely turned a blind eye to what Nate did.
Maybe it was too much for her. Maybe she could not take it anymore. Maybe she wanted everyone to stop talking about it. Maybe she just needed a break.
The next couple of days were full of awkward silence. Mum and Alicia barely spoke to each other and I did not even leave my room to bother about the tension in the house.
Emily called me a couple of times and we spoke at length.
Albert wanted to get back with her and because of the vulnerable state she was in, she accepted. I could not tell her to decline his offer, I knew Lily would have wanted her parents back together.
Spending time alone in my room let me explore something I had put off for so long. I started drawing again. I was not very good at it but it kept me in this state of numbness.
Whenever I thought of anyone, I put all my feelings in the nib of my pen and I began to draw. It made me accept so many things I always wished I could change. It blessed me with a fresh perspective.
I realized Mauve was not trying to annoy me whenever she came around, she barely just needed company. She was just like Victoria, she was trying to distract herself from the memory Nate had forced on her.
She had found a family in mine, the same one that produced her worst enemy. Instead of shunning us like Hannah did, she accepted us and made us her safe haven. To me, she was the bravest of all.
She did not talk too much about her experience with Nate, in fact, she never brought it up. It was not in my place to get angry whenever I saw her, she was supposed to get angry when she saw me but she did not, instead, she accepted me and I decided I was going to do the same to her.
When I thought about George, I realized he was not a bad person, he simply wanted to relate with his cousin how he had done in the past.
He was disappointed that someone who he called family and could do anything for did not want to have anything to do with him. It broke my heart to see that Nate's actions not only affected his victims, but their family and friends also had a share.
I wanted to call George and tell him I was ready to accept anything he had to say to me but I knew it was not wise to try to make contact with him at such a sensitive and circumstantial moment.
My thought process whenever I am drawing made me realize that if I must relate with people, I have to accept them altogether with their shortcomings.