Ethan hung his bags on his shoulders and walked out of the bus. his eyes gazed around the school. Which was bustling as always. everyone else was in pair, but here he was, a loner except for Ray actually, who had still decided to even wait for him to come out of the bus.
*****
"Did they take it?" Ray asked as soon as he stepped down from the bus.
"Yeah, they did'
Ray let out a deep breath of relieve. He had actually gone to steal that necklace because of Ethan, because he noticed that he was actually going through a lot in the hands of the boys, both outside the school premises and in the school. Although he knew he was wrong to steal, but that was the only way he could think of. And besides it was fun, he thought as a smile crept on the corner of his lips.
"Hey Ray!" Jamie said, popping out of nowhere and startling Ray, disrupting his thoughts.
"Jamie, oh goodness" Ray shuddered, his heart even skipped a bit there and he held his chest with his palm… "common, you almost gave me a heart attack"
"Hey Ethan, what's popping" Jamie playfully punched Ethan shoulder.
"I'm cool' Ethan replied without even looking at him.
Ray walked away without saying any other word, knowing who Jamie was, he knew that they would surely be late for class because that guy was a talkative. He never stops blabbing.
"Don't you walk out on us. Why did you miss school yesterday?" Jenny said from behind them.
"Arh, jeez, are you twins out to startle us this morning" Ray said to Jenny, Jamie twins.
"I had to get something for Ethan, you know what I mean" Ray added.
Jenny sighed and turned to face Ethan who just walked slowly beside them "Common Ethan, you don't have to let those boys get to you. Learn to stand up for yourself, or better still avoid them"
"Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, my sister is right. You have to stand up for yourself" Ethan chirped in.
Ethan sighed and grazed his face with his palm, they were right. He should learn to stand up for himself. He stood there lost in thoughts that he even forgot that the twins were still standing in front of him.
"Back to earth Ethan" Emily snapped her fingers in front of him drawing him out of his thoughts...
"Well, you guys don't have anything to worry about because we won't be hearing from them again" Ethan replied with a smug on his face as he walks over to them and stood in their midst placing his hands on both shoulders.
"What did you do Ethan?"
"I didn't do anything" Ethan replied Emily and they walked forward.
Ray walked closer to Jenny and whispered something to her;
"What did you tell her?" Jamie asked curiously
"Nothing" Jenny replied with a smile and walked away with the others.
"Jay, are you hitting on my sister?" Jamie fired back but no one replied him. He ran up and caught up with them.
"So erm, Ray. Have you seen a girl you'd love to take to prom?" Ethan asked breaking the incoming air of silence.
Ray being Ray, wasn't even interested in the prom. ButEthan and the twins took it seriously as they always reminded him that he needed a date.
"Well guys, I'm off. I have Biology class in 5 minutes" Ray muttered in order to avoid the conversation. He waved and walked away, when he had gone few meters away from them, he heaved a sigh of relief, that was a close one, he mumbled.
*****
For every other teenager living in the hood, being Rich and having all the money you could ever dream of and being able to get anything you want was the dream. In the hood, no matter your financial status, everyone was equal. The old granny who lives just around the corner, and the crack dealer who sold crack in the street and the kids who would played around acting all gangster, we all equal. And that's why the hood is a home for all.
Well, that was where Elaine wanted to be. But the only close she could get there was watching the actors act it on TV. Moving from one place to another for a reason she did not know had become a part of her life. The longest time they've lived in a place was 9 months and 4 days.
"Elaine!" Her mother's voice echoed in her ears but she kept silent, she knew she was coming to her room.
The door opened slowly and the mother walked in to see Elaine by the window staring outside.
"Elaine" She called softly this time. Elaine turned and faced are mother, her heart was troubled.
Marie noticed the troubled look on her daughter's face. They looked eyes, a moment of silence, she knew the reason behind those troubled eyes. It was because of the move.
"Baby, you don't have to be like this" Marie said and walked up to her, with opened arms and embraced her. Elaine held her tight, tears streamed down her eyes.
"Mum, I don't think I can keep doing this. I just can't"
"It will soon end; we just have to let your father figure something out. But for now, we just need to keep ourself safe" Elaine's mother, Marie said.
Elaine sneezed and pulled herself out from her mother's embrace; "I have to go to school" she said. Picked up her bag and walked out of the room.
Marie watched her daughter walk out of the room. There was little they could do to take control of the situation. All she knows is that, her husband has something that they want.
But she couldn't help but wonder, what actually do they want from her husband, who is nothing but a well-paid archeologist.
******
The driver pulled over in front of her, she got in and the car zoomed off. Elaine stared aimlessly, outside the window. This was her final year in college and she had pretty much done nothing fun with her life. she was lost in thoughts that she didn't even realize that she had gotten to the school.
"Ma'am, we have gotten to your school" The driver announced, bring Elaine back to reality.
She rubbed her forehead and nodded. She took deep breaths picked up her stuff and alighted from the car. The cold air, and stares from other students greeted her as she stepped down from the car.
Why won't they stare, her ride which was a ROLLS-ROYCE SWEPTAIL was truly eye catching. She ignored all their gazes and walked away with her book in her hand.
Amongst the students who were staring at the flashy car that just exited the school was, the twins and Raymond.
He had taken few steps away from the twins who were about to bite his ears off all because of not having a prom date, but he stopped in his tracks when the Rolls Royce drove in.
"Who is she?" Jamie bobbed his head he approached Ray, who was also staring.
"I don't know, I haven't seen her before. But with such a ride, I guess she'll be a rich kid"
After gawking for a while, they decided to return to their various class. School went on as usual. Ethan felt at ease and this time concentrated on what was being taught rather that bother about the torment that might probably be waiting for him after school. He heaved a sigh of relief, finally he was free from those bullies, he thought.
Ethan attended his class normally like every other day. Minutes slowly turned to hours and soon, classes were over. Ethan picked up his bag and walked out of the class. He increased his pace so as not to be seen by the twins, who were already packing up their bags.
He walked past the locker room, and soon he was outside... he let out a deep breath and slowed his steps.
"Hey toilet freak!" a loud familiar voice called from behind him. His heart skipped a beat as he stopped in his tracks.
The stumping sound of the footsteps behind him drew closer. Ethan bit his lower lips, what do they want now, he wondered.
He turned and faced them, with an awkward smile on his lips.
"Hey Liam. I thought, we had an agreement that after giving you something of worth. You would, not bug me again" Ethan stuttered as he retracted his steps
One of the guys pushed him back, causing him to stagger and trip over.
"Do you really think, I would let you be" Liam added, pulling out the gold neckless out from his pocket. "This precious ornament here would be worth almost 200 dollars. I'm guessing there would be more where that came from"
"NO! I can't give you anything else" Ethan yelled from the ground
Liam chuckled loudly and return the necklace back to his pocket. "Wrap him up boys"
The boys surrounded Ethan and tried to tie him up, but he kept struggling with them. Just them Ethan felt a hard hit on his head causing him to black out.
******
Elaine waited for her driver in the parking lot, other students were leaving but her driver was yet to arrive. She took out her phone and was about to call the driver when the car pulled over in her front of her.
"Elaine" Her father bobbed his head as she walked up to the car and got in.
"Hello dad" she muttered as she settled in the back of the car.
He ignited the car and veered off.
"So how was school today? Hope you enjoyed your new school?" her dad tried to start a conversation as the car taxied down the road.
Elaine was too busy thinking about the random thoughts that crossed her mind, he eyes fixed outside the window, watching the houses and the trees go by.
"School was cool" she finally mumbled a reply and then there was silence was again, the cloud of silence hovered around them until they got home.
The warm temperature greeted her as soon as she stepped down from the car and made her way into the house. When would they realize that all these needs to stop, she muttered to herself as soon as she walked into the house? She greeted her mum and continued in her tracks upstairs.
******
Ethan groaned slightly as he started regaining consciousness. His head ached as a result of the hit he took. His pupils adjusted and soon he could clearly see where he was. Both his hands were tied up behind him and his feet strapped to the chair where he sat.
"HELLO! Liam!" he screamed out, trying to wriggle himself out of the ropes. He screamed out again but his echo was the only sound that returned back to him. The ropes clung tightly around him that he could barely move on the chair. But he kept struggling with the rope, grunting out his frustration when he couldn't free himself.
"Liam!' he finally screamed out; "Common guys, there is absolutely no need for this"
"Hello, is anyone there?" he kept on muttering but got no response, he sighed as his head fell, with his eyes staring at his tied-up feet.
How did he get to this stage, a stage where he was feeling helpless in front of his own peers, he sneezed in a bid to stop his eyes from welling up with tears?
"Ethan, you don't have to let those boys get to you. Learn to stand up for yourself, or better still avoid them" Jenny's words earlier today kept replaying in his head. He had to man up to these kids. He heard t6he loud noise of the metal door in front of him creak open.He took a deep breath and looked up, fully convinced that he wasn't going to let them make a fool out of him again, he was finally coming out of his shell.
The light bulb was turned on, and the while fluorescent light flooded the room.