Titanium

by SullyClarke

Jerome was always presented as being strong, and a tough cookie. Jerome was always the one who no one liked. People bullied him, including his one father. What if at one point, it all got too much for Jerome. And he did something that no one thought he would ever do. Song fic to Titaium by David Guetta ft. Sia

I am Titanium

Hey guys! I'm back at long last! It's been awhile! So I'm back with a new 1 shot songfic. The song as you may have guessed is 'Titanium' by David Guetta ft. Sia. I love this song and it works perfectly with the story. Or at least I think it does! So I based this story on Jerome and his past. I haven't had the best of times recently so this was hard at times to write as it relates to my own experiences. Just a note the last 2 paragraphs (excluding the lyrics) are kinda sad. Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Unfortunately. If I did, Eugene Simon would not be in HoA.

You shout it out, but I can't hear a word you say

I'm talking loud, not saying much

I'm criticized, but all your bullets ricochet

You shoot me down, but I get up.

People just didn't get Jerome Clarke. But Jerome Clarke didn't always get people. People shot him down, calling him names that really needn't be repeated. People hit him and punched him. But he never said anything. He never told anyone. He carried those scars around with him, everywhere he went, whether it is verbal or physical scars. But yet he didn't care. He never fought back. Not once. Why? He said it made things a little easier and bearable. Not a lot but a bit more bearable.

I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose, fire away, fire away

Ricochet you take you're aim, fire away, fire away

You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium

You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium.

On a few occasions it got quite rough. A gang of 5 boys, who just despised Jerome, abused him. They took his money, beat him black and blue. On one occasion, they nearly stabbed Jerome. And then of course was Rufus. Rufus Zeno blackmailed Jerome and even threatened to kill him on a few occasions. Rufus even stooped as low as to kidnap Jerome. And then there was his father. John beat Jerome black and blue a few times when John was quite drunk. He even hit Jerome across the back with a belt. John realised what he had done, but only when he was sober. When Jerome was 9, John was arrested for drink driving and murder. During all 3 of these terrible incidents, Jerome spiralled out of control. He started cutting himself, his grades suffered and he even attempted suicide on a few occasions. No one noticed anything. No one noticed the scars. No one noticed the phases he went through. But everyone noticed when he had an overdose.

Cut me down, but it's you, who'll have further to fall,

Ghost town and haunted love,

Raise your voice, sticks and stones may break my bones,

I'm talking loud not saying much.

We've all heard the term "actions speak louder than words." And after watching Jerome for several weeks, it finally clicked with Alfie that there was something clearly wrong with Jerome. But Alfie said nothing to Jerome or anyone else. If Amber hadn't found Jerome, God knows what may have happened to him. Amber had gone into the girl's bathroom to get her make-up bag. Upon entering the bathroom, Amber found Jerome slumped in the corner by the shower. And a box of prescription pills belonging to Patricia in his hand. They all took it in turns to stay with Jerome for one night in the hospital starting with Alfie and finishing with Eddie. Amber, Alfie, Mara, Patricia and Nina all asked him questions. He only answered Patricia. Why? Who knows? They seem to be quite friendly. Maybe she's one of the few people he trusts. According to rumours, he told her the full story of why he did, what he did.

I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose, fire away, fire away,

Ricochet, you take your aim, fire away, fire away,

You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium,

You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium,

I am titanium,

I am titanium.

But after Jerome's several brushes with death, it still didn't bother him. But one day it all got to Jerome he was crumbling slowly because of everything that was going on. He used go for a shower and cry forever in there. It was the only place in the whole house, he could go to without someone hearing or seeing him crying. He believed everything that the bullies said to him. They called him ugly, a coward, manipulative and a liar. He believed it. His own father called him a coward, worthless and stupid. And he really believed that. If you saw his body, it was covered from head to toe in scars, cuts and bruises. Some of them were from his father, some where from the bullies, but most were self-harm. Jerome turned to self-harm because it made him feel better and he thought he deserved it. Jerome was always branded as manipulative, a prankster and a cheat. But there was a method to his madness. He conned and pranked people as a way of making himself feel better. He wanted people to feel his anger, his hurt. But not as much anger and hurt as he was feeling.

Stone hard, machine gun,

Fired at the ones who run

Stone hard as bulletproof glass.

But then one day it all got too much for Jerome. All the Anubis students were in the living room, each doing their own thing. Jerome walked down the hall and into the living room. "Oh, hey Jerome" Alfie said. Everyone turned and looked at Jerome. None of them were prepared for what was going to happen next. From behind his back Jerome pulled out a gun. He put the gun to his chest and pulled the trigger. Amber screamed. Alfie started to cry, as did Mara. Nina, Fabian and Eddie were all shocked. Joy was paralysed with fear. Patricia sat there, silent, emotionless and frozen. In the whole room she was the one who knew why he did it. Why Jerome Clarke killed himself. He was bullied. He was tortured. Trudy was away and Victor was at a staff meeting. Everyone was so shocked nobody knew what to do. Fabian yelled at Amber to call and ambulance while he tried to save Jerome's life. Amber was so shaky she could hardly hold the phone. Nina grabbed the phone as Amber was so upset she couldn't talk properly.

You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium,

You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium,

You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium,

You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium,

I am titanium.

It is a cold December afternoon, the day of Jerome Clarke's funeral. As you walk into the church the atmosphere is tense. There are over 150 people at the funeral and most of them were Jerome's schoolmates from his year and a few of the teachers. John, Joan and Poppy Clarke all sat in the front row. The Anubis House residents all sat behind the Clarkes with Trudy and Victor also present. John, Joan and Poppy went up to Jerome's coffin to look at the boy who was once part of the Clarke family. Poppy and Joan were both heart-broken at the loss of the boy they both so dearly loved. John stayed at Jerome's coffin as Joan and Poppy returned to their seats. John broke down and cried, he cried for the boy he had caused so much pain to, his son, Jerome. He was devastated. He was sorry for everything he did to the boy, he regretted it all and he said he would do anything to go back in time and change everything. He was sorry for everything. He was sorry for hurting Jerome. But most of all he was sorry for not being a proper father to Jerome and abandoning him. "It should be me in that coffin" John said over and over again.

Each of the Anubis House residents went up individually to Jerome's coffin. Some stayed longer than others. Nina, Fabian, Eddie and Joy didn't stay for very long as they never really knew Jerome and they weren't friends. Fabian, though, blamed himself for Jerome's death. He figured that he was to blame for Jerome's death because he was not able to save him. He was racked with guilt. He could not bare to look at Jerome. It caused him so much pain. Patricia broke down in tears. She felt she was responsible because she never said anything to him or to someone else. She could have changed things. He could still be alive today and not in the coffin. Only if she had said something. She placed a red rose in his coffin. Mara placed a poem that Jerome wrote especially for her into his pocket. She wanted him to always remember her. A few tears rolled down her eyes as she walked down from the coffin. Alfie cried for ages and whispered a few things to Jerome about getting back at whoever made him kill himself. And he also said that he would prank Mr. Sweet, especially for him. Amber was last to go up. She stayed up there for quite some time. She wrote him a letter telling him that he's safe now and that the angels would take care of him. And that she always loved him. But she didn't have the courage to tell him. She said that she would never love someone like she loved him. Some people were glad he was dead. He was always trouble. Others, they couldn't care less. And then you had the Anubis gang. Trudy never stopped crying, neither did Amber and Mara. Alfie cried for awhile but when it came to the time when Alfie was to carry Jerome's coffin, Alfie completely lost it. He broke down. He was here at the funeral of his best friend, carrying his dead body. He died because someone made Jerome so angry and sad that he killed himself. And Alfie just couldn't forgive that. The rest shed a few tears now and then, yes even Eddie. Even Victor was spotted to be crying. To Victor Jerome was like a son. The son that Victor never had. Everyone thought that Jerome was made of titanium. That he was strong, nothing got him down, and that he never ever cried. But in the inside Jerome was ever so slowly crumbling. No one took much notice of him. Everyone opened their eyes when he had an overdose. But then they forgot about it. They all forgot about him. But everyone noticed when he committed suicide. They found out that the boy who they thought was made of titanium, turned out to be screaming in the inside in pain. Every single person in Anubis House still misses him everyday.

Wow that was so hard to write. I am nearly crying now. I really hope that you enjoyed that. And that I haven't made you cry. If I did I am so so sorry! Please feel free to give me feedback; I am always open to constructive criticism either through a review or a pm.

Aoife xx