The driver left Valentine a few blocks away from his house near an old decrepit park as per John's orders. Valentine got out of the car hastily, the drive was eerily silent which made him glad it was already over. He took a few deep breaths, taking in his new reality for a while before starting his walk home. The streets were uncharacteristically silent that night and a persistent chill dug deep into Valentine's skin.
He did not look excited to be going back home, on the contrary he had a look of deep thought as he walked slower than he usually would, for the chance to settle his thoughts after such a stressful day but he didn't get such a chance as he found himself staring down his simple wooden front door much faster than he expected. At least he knew what to expect behind that door and that was his uncle and mother.
Valentine looked into his bag to find his keys but they were nowhere to be found. He turned his back upside down and looked into every pocket multiple times until it hit him. His keys were taken away by Dennis before his beating. Usually, he gave whatever he took back after he was done but this time, he wasn't given a chance to return them. Valentine started to hyperventilate, his fingers trembling as he reached out to ring the bell.
DRRRRNG
"WHO THE FUCK IS RINGING THE BELL AT SUCH A TIME?" a male voice roared from the inside.
"It's me uncle Carl, I forgot my keys at school," Valentine said with a shaking voice.
Footsteps were heard from behind the door followed by a loud click and the sound of the door opening. A short man with a beer belly, severe balding and a stained white shirt opened the door holding a beer bottle tightly in his right hand.
"YOU LITTLE BASTARD, HOW FUCKING DARE YOU LOSE YOUR KEYS. I LET YOU STAY IN MY HOUSE AND YOU LOSE YOUR KEYS? IS THIS WHAT YOU CALL GRATITUDE YOU LITTLE BASTARD? NEXT TIME I'LL LEAVE YOU OUT THERE WITH THE DOGS," Carl replied, his face turning red from screaming and his breath spreading the unmistakable stench of alcohol.
"Carl stop shouting at the kid," a female voice demanded from behind.
"Mom, it's fi-" Valentine tried to say.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU BITCH? I AM GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO LET YOU STAY IN MY HOUSE AND PAY NOTHING YET YOU DARE TALK TO ME LIKE THAT. KNOW YOUR FUCKING PLACE. THIS IS MY DAMN HOME SALLY," Carl screeched, rushing into the home in a blind fury.
Valentine followed soon after and what he encountered made his blood boil. His uncle had grabbed his mother by the hair and was yanking her around, yet she looked calm as always. Her amber eyes shone from accumulated tears and her long black hair that were once befitting of a model were clasped in the hand of his own uncle.
Valentine was overcome by a feeling of sheer rage. For his mother to have acted so calmly it had to have happened again. But when? He never even suspected a single thing. And as his rage intensified, so did his pain. And that's when Valentine assumed position. His right leg was in front of the left by one step, the left foot was turned to the side for stability, his fingers made the shape of a gun and his left hand was grabbing onto his right forearm tightly.
Valentine took a deep breath and aimed the finger gun towards his uncle's head. But John's voice just echoed in his head again and again. He'd get killed, but it would be worth it to end that vermin.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU LITTLE BASTARD? DID YOUR BRAIN STOP WORKING PROPERLY?" Carl shouted, letting Sally go but rushing towards Valentine.
Lost in his drunken rage, Carl delivered a slap as strong as he could muster which hit an unflinching Valentine right on the jaw.
"This didn't hurt," Valentine said. Compared to Dennis's beatings and the pain he was feeling even right that moment it didn't hurt the slightest.
"What did you just say?" Carl barked.
"I said that it didn't hurt," Valentine growled, his lips trembling.
"I'll tell you you little bastard," Carl said, raising his beer bottle up and behind his head, slamming it on Valentine's head.
Valentine didn't even flinch as blood started trickling down his face. He grabbed his uncle by the throat and pinned him against the wall. He then grabbed a pen from his backpack and pushed it up against his uncle's face. Carl was mortified and even in his drunken state his face made clear that he was well aware of the situation he was in.
"Valentine stop. Let him be. He's doing this only because he's drunk. Where will we go if he kicks us out?" Sally said.
Valentine snapped back to his senses upon hearing his mother's voice but his seething rage did not subside. He let his uncle go who tried to run off but tripped and fell to the ground. Valentine hugged his mother and stared at his uncle with a cold gaze.
"We don't need him. I'll just get a part time job and we can just rent a small apartment. We don't need much more. Don't forget that not only do you pay him rent, you also cook and clean for him. If we decide to leave he will end up living in a pigsty."
"I won't let you get a part time job. A student's job is to study. No more, no less. Now go to sleep and get ready for school tomorrow."
Valentine nodded along and made a strategic retreat to his bedroom, his full attention still glued to them, his body ready to lunge at any opportunity. He did not try to sleep. He stayed awake to make sure his uncle wouldn't do anything and the moment he was certain his uncle was asleep he moved a large drawer in front of his door to block him in for the night, allowing himself to sleep in peace.
-
Valentine's morning routine went as usual, excluding his uncle joining him and his mother for breakfast. On his way to school he didn't see Dennis or any of his people, but had a gut feeling that things weren't exactly as they seemed yet he ignored it and went to every one of his classes, Dennis not appearing in a single one of them.
When the bell signaling the end of the school day rang, Valentine felt sick to his stomach. He wasn't sure as to why but he decided to ignore that feeling too and made his way to the school gate as scheduled. He had taken but a few steps into the yard before feeling an oh so familiar forceful grip on his shoulder.
"Where are you going you little bastard?" Dennis said.
Valentine turned his head back and was frozen in place. Despite all the bravery he had showcased the day before, the mere sight of Dennis petrified him. His body was conditioned to tremble at the sight of him and his mind just went blank.
"H-Hi Dennis. I am very sorry for-" Valentine tried to say, his sentence getting cut short by a punch straight on the nose.
"Sean didn't come to school today so there is no one to stop me now, Valentine," Dennis said.
Dennis picked up Valentine, slammed him into the ground with ease, got on top of him and started a vicious ground and pound.
"Oh. How. Much. I. Wanted. To. Do. This." Dennis said, punching Valentine in-between words.
"Oh, so that's why you're late," A weirdly familiar voice said from across the schoolyard.
Dennis took a break from beating up Valentine in order to see who dared disrupt him, which allowed Valentine to catch a glimpse of the people too.
They looked to be student-aged too yet did not seem to be from this school. One of the two was the same one that had kidnapped Valentine the day before, though Valentine was oblivious to that fact. The other had long white hair, red eyes, a very pale complexion and a tall but average build.
"Who the fuck are you?" Dennis spouted.
"Does it really matter who I am? You're messing with one of my own." The white haired one said.
"Don't be such a buzzkill, man. He's Jack, I'm Danny and I'll be knocking out your front teeth for messing with one of our own," the kidnapper said.
"Do you even know who you're talking to? I'll shove you up that Albino's ass," Dennis shouted, standing up
Jack took a few steps forward, holding his fist clenched but Danny stepped up in front of him.
"I said I'll be the one beating him up, jackass. Wait your damn turn," Danny barked and rushed to square up with Dennis.
"Ho, I'll have so much fun making you my new sandbag," Dennis said, Danny not saying a single word in reply.
Dennis punched Danny in the head with all the power he could muster but Danny did not flinch one bit. Instead, Danny retaliated with a punch to the gut which caused Dennis to fold in half and start barfing out his breakfast.
"Don't tell me you are giving up after just that. We were supposed to have fun," Danny said, shooting a smile and waving at Valentine who just looked in disbelief.