A lie to cover the Truth

Ed groaned inwardly as his other torturer came down the hall towards him. James Hewitt. The biggest asshole in the school. But he seemed to have a lot more fun torturing Ed than any of the other kids. Actually Ed has never seen him teasing any other kids. Doesn't he feel just so special.

Instead of the usual cocky grin or arrogant sneer he was glaring at Ed. The look in his eyes was angry possesive look.

"What do you think you're doing?" James asked stopping within a foot from Ed, perfect hitting distance.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Ed spat, already fed up with james. His patience was already wearing thin. Although James didn't cause Ed's physical pain, he sure did put a lot of verbal pain on a daily basis.

"What do you think you're doin' talking to my girl?"

Ed scoffed, "You're girl? Last time I checked girl's weren't material possessions that you could claim"

James grabbed the scruff of Ed's shirt and shoved him back into the lockers with a loud bang. Several people walking stopped to watch. A padlock drove into one of Ed's back bruises and he yelped, quickly clamping his mouth shut and breathing harshly through his nose. He coudn't show any weakness while being attacked, it just made things worse.a

"I'm going to tell you once, stay away" he growled, his face inches from Ed's.

"Fuck you" Ed clenched his fist ready to throw a well wanted punch when a voice yelled at them, making them both flinch.

"Alright boys, break it up" The principle said pulling James off of Ed by the hood of his jacket.

With one last glare James left.

The principle frowned at the staring students and they immediately left for lunch, talking and coming up with rumors, no doubt, to spread around. Ed kept his head bowed as he picked up his bag that James made him drop. Oh, how he wanted to beat the shit out of that bastard. It'd be soo easy, the kid really was weak. One good crack in the jaw and he'd be whining on his knees, begging. Now that would be the day.

"Edward, this is third fight this week..."

Ed looked up, surprised that the principle was still there. He ususally just left and went on with his business after breaking up Ed's fights.

"Yeah? What about it?"

"One more time and its a suspension" he threatened, pointing a finger at Ed's face. Ed couldn't hide the fear on his face as he shook his head frantically.

"P-please, just- I won't fight anymore! Don't suspend me, please. He's the one driving me into lockers, you saw it"

"Did you provoke him?" He asked giving Ed a skeptical look.

Ed didn't answer as he stared at the ground, clenching the strap over his shoulder tightly. He couldn't get suspended. A whole week at that place?He and Alphonse couldn't even call it home without clenching their fists and frowning. It was unacceptable, he couldn't let that happen. So Ed just swallowed his sense of justice and muttered, "I'm sorry"

Ed suddenly saw a quick movment and immediately went into defense. He ducked and covered his head, preparing for the blow.

"...Edward?"

Ed looked up sheepishly, feeling like an idiot. The principle had just lifted his hand to fix his glasses, since they were sliding down the bridge of his nose. Ed had taken it as an agressive movement as usual. It wasn't like the principle could hit him, but it was just etched into Ed's mind to duck and take cover when someone raised a fist to him. He's had plenty of practice.

"Sorry sir, but I've got to go"

"Edward, is everything ok?" The principle asked stopping Ed from escaping questions.

"Yeah" I just get the hell beat out of me every other day.

"Well, I'll speak with you later then" He said giving Ed one last scruntizing look. He had not missed the blond ducking out of fear as though the man was going to strike him. That wasn;t normal behavior for a child. Of course it is instincts but there has to be more signs given for a person to automatiaclly assume it is an agressive move. Like an angry voice, a mean face, but Ed just went off at one quick movement. The principle would be talking to him about this later to understand what was going on.

*****

"Brother! Look! I aced it!" Al yelled out running from the front doors of the school towards his older brother who was waiting.

Ed smiled as he took the paper from the excited little burnette. It was a math exam and he had gotten 110. The highest score you could get. And Al excelled all the time.

"This is great, Al! Awesome job! See? I told you you were smart like your big brother" Ed teased scanning through the papers.

"Like Dad and Mom too right?" Al asked timidly. He saw his brother's mouth twitch down for a brief second before turning a grin on him.

"Yeah, Al, like Mom and Dad"

The two started walking and talking about grades. It wasn't like Ed was allowed to get good grades.

Ed suddenly stopped, "Oh, shit, I forgot to see Mrs. Jerico. I've got to go see her Al or I'll definately get a detention"

"Brother! You got in trouble again?!"

"Sorry Al, I'll be... home in a bit. Just go to our room and stay there, ok? Don't go downstairs, I'll be back"

Ed gave Al his papers and took off running back towards the school at an easy speed.

When he reached the math room, Mrs. Jerico didn't look too happy, "You're 10 minutes late, Mr. Elric"

"Sorry, I-uh, Had to see Al, he got 110 on his exam" Ed added with a smile.

"What I don't understand, Edward, is how your little brother is an exellent 4.0 student and you're failing" She said holding up one of his papers as evidence to prove her point. Ed sighed as he took a seat at one of the two person tables.

It's because I hide his report cards from that man. I only show him mine which seems to satisfy him enough.

"I don't feel like doing the work" Ed lied. He actually took his failed papers home and completed them, just so he wouldn't forget how to do anything. Once Ed somehow managed to graduate he was going to become Al's legal gaurdian and attempt to get into a college and get a job. There was no way he was going to let his baby brother stay at that home.

"You don't feel like doing the work?" asked, giving him a annoyed glare. He shifted away and looked at the door.

"That's what I said"

"What? Do you just not get the work? I can help you if you're stuck don't feel embarassed-"

"I understand the work perfectly well" Ed shot at her with a livid look. She thought he was just plain stupid. The only thing Ed didn't understand was how people couldn't get this work. It was easy.

"Then why don't you do it?"

"Cause I don't feel like it, I already told you" He muttered pulling at his shirt sleeve, pulling it down over his wrist. It was hotter than hell out and this shirt was killing him. Pretty soon he was going to end up having a heat stroke for having to wear such long clothes. But he had to wear something to hide the bruises.

Mrs. Jerico looked like she was going to start yelling at any moment. He smiled cockily at her and she frowned.

"You're dismissed" She said, giving up and turning back to her computer to finish putting grades in

Hefting a loud and exaggerated sigh he stood up and shouldered his bag and left. Sometimes it was fun to piss off the teachers, but he had to be careful not to get detentions.

On is way home he stopped at a convienant store and swiped some dinner for Al. He knew stealing was wrong but it wasn't like they were going to get fed anytime soon. That bastard that took care of them kept all the state's money for himself, selfish prick. He ran a type of home for boys that didn't have anywhere else to go and got paid for it. All he had to do was give them a room, food, clothes and basic essentials. But that bastard kept it all for himself and didn't even pay attention to the other boys. There wasn't a lot of boys there. About 5 other, besides him and Al. The others ran away. They were too scared to say how neglected and abusive that man was and just left. Ed didn't blame them, the man was manipulative. He played mind fucking games and and got drunk just to whack you upside the head.

Ed stopped on the crowded street and walked around the building down the ally way and stopped at the only entrance to the big building. The whole street was filled with huge brick buildings, but something about his particular one would make your arms itch and send a chill up your back. Even if you didn't know what went on inside.

Sighing he eased the door open and slipped inside, silently. He cringed when his shoe crunched on a plastic cup. Swearing he kicked it away and shut the door behind him. Al usually cleaned the house when the man wasn't home. That gave them about an hour before he returned from work. School got out at 3:00, the man got home at 4:00. And right now it was 4:30 and the man always got pissed when Ed was late. Something about Ed the man despised. He never hit the others as much or as hard as he did him. But Ed had to protect Al, no matter what.

He quickly made his way over to the stares when he heard footsteps and froze like a deer. Oh, shit, here it comes.

"Where the hell have you been?" He asked angrily. He was sober, but Ed wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

"I had to stay after school for a bit, the teacher wanted to see me" Ed said making no eye contact.

The man walked over and grabbed Ed's chin roughly and yanked it up to look at him, "Why? You got into trouble again?"

Ed flinched at the steel grip that had a hold on his chin. He swallowed and tried his best not to look at the man in his face. That was what he was trying to do, make Ed look him in the eye so he could whack him.

"Yeah, I'm failing math so she wanted to talk to me about it"

The man laughed and shoved Ed away, "You're a failure, as if you will ever be good in school. You're an idiot, just like your father was-"

Ed glared up at the man and snapped, "You don't know anything about my father!"

He suddenly felt a pain split right below his right eye as the man's fist collided with his face. Ed stumbled back but stood his ground and glared back up at the man, shaking with fury. His eye started swelling up but he didn't care. He had to show this son-of-a-bitch he wasn't going down so easily.

"Don't you ever fucking talk back to me like that again, now, go to your room!"

Ed fliched breaking his stance and headed up the stairs, fearing how bad his eye looked. He was shocked, stunned. The man never hit him in the face before, he always feared of being found out, so he inflicted pain in the legs, stomach, chest, back, and arms. Places where they could be covered. He was also sober, which was even more shocking.

He opened the door to their room hesitantly and kept his head bowed as he entered, hiding his rapidly swelling eye.

"Brother, what happened? I heard yelling" Al asked from the desk, sitting on the small wooden chair, he was doing his homework. He and Al had to share a small bedroom with only one twin sized bed. Ed slept one way and Al slept the other way, but they were both so small to begin with it wasn't really that uncomfortable.

"Nothing, Al. Here, I got you something-" Ed reached into his bag and pulled out a plastic wrapped sandwich, "It's all I could get"

He tossed Al the package and walked over to the bed and turned facing away from Al as he took out a book from his bag. He heard Al make a noise of dissapointment

"You stole? Again, brother?"

"Al, what do you want to do? Starve? I'm doing the best I can!" Ed snapped angrily.

"What about you? Did you get something?"

"I already ate mine" Ed lied. He almost got caught this time, stealing and had to only take one. The clerk had began to notice hwow Ed came in and never bought anything, only snuck ack out. Ed was good at decieving the cameras, you just had to know where they hide them all. He was going to have to start swiping from a different store soon.

"Brother, look at me" Al said. There was something in Al's voice that sounded both angry and concerned. Ed hated that voice, it sounded just like their mother when he and Al got hurt doing something stupid. But the voice was always filled with love. If Ed could hate one thing about Al, was how much he was like their mother. Grow out his hair and put him in a dress and he could look like her. Not really, but Al had their mother's eyes and hair. Ed looked like their father.

"No, Al, I'm reading" he said flipping a page.

"Look at me, now"

Ed sighed and turned to look at his brother's angry face turn horrified.

"He hit you?! You said he stopped!" Al cried out jumping out of his seat and sitting next to Ed. He gently cupped under Ed's chin to turn his face up so the light could shine onto the swelling.

"Yeah, Al. It's nothing, it was just this once-"

"Brother, I want to leave, let's go, we can't stay here any more" Al said running a index finger around the swelling to see how much it had risen.

"We can't Al. We have no where else to go. We'll wait it out until I graduate and then we can leave...Hell, we can burn the fucking building down"

"What do you mean, graduate? Brother, I found your report card, you're failing every class. Why?"

"Cause that motherfucker makes me. It makes him feel better about himself! I've been hiding your grades so you don't get the fuck beat out of you all the time for being a success unlike that scumbag!" Ed let the last line slip and flinched when Al poked his eyelash, accidently.

"W-what? Brother, you said he stopped hurting you-... lift your shirt-"

"No Al, I'm not taking off my god damned shirt" Ed snapped pulling away from Al, "I'm fine- OW!"

Al poked a finger in Ed's ribs lightly but it was enough to hit a bruise and cause eye watering pain. He edged away as Al pulled at the hem of his shirt. Ed avoided his little brother's tantalizing gaze as best as he could. Even though Ed was the one in pain, Al looked hysteric.

"Brother, I'll go downstairs and confront him myself if you don't show m-"

"Don't you dare" Ed hissed. Al wouldn't ever go dowstairs to the man, but Ed wasn't so sure about that. Al could be brash when it came to his older brother.

"Then take your shirt off so I can see how badly your hurt"

Ed sighed and hesitantly pulled up his shirt up over his head. Al gasped and tears spilt over and ran down his face. Ed slouched over as Al looked at the extent of Ed's remarkable markings. Ed's back was covered in fist sized bruises. More bruises blossomed over his rib cage and there was no way there was no broken ribs. Up around Ed's collar bone there was long, thin lined marks that were black and green where the man had grabbed him, hard, and shoved him into the wall. Large blotches of green bruises were on his stomach where he was kicked with a steel toed boot when he had unfortunately fell to the ground. This is why Ed never fell, cause that just made the man kick him a few times.

Ed could remember throwing up for hours after that. He got kicked so hard his stomach wouldn't stop heaving and he threw up bile.

"Brother? W-why? Why don't you tell on him?!" Al sobbed as he touched his brother's arm. Both arms were covered in even more black spots and cuts from breaking all his falls from being shoved around into furniture and on the floor. Ed could remember one time being pushed into the table's corner, breaking a rib.

"Cause, that man pulls a lot of strings, Al. He would get away with it and he would probably hurt you. I'm just taking this so we can finish highschool without getting sent to the state. Don't you understand, Al? They'll separate us and we'll never see each other again"

Al bit his tongue as Ed put his shirt back on, wincing at the extra stretching of his sore muscles.

"This is-isn't fair, brother! I want to go home!" Al sobbed into his hands as Ed wrapped his arms around Al's trembling shoulders. Ed noticed how his arms were starting to lose feeling, becoming numb. That bastard probably damage a few major nerves from the extensive injuries.

"We'll make it through this, Al" Ed said comfortingly, rubbing Al's back, "It's just a bump in the road"

"Do you understand how ridiculous you sound?! Being abused isn't just 'a bump in the road' This is serious"

"Just give it some time, Al"

*****

The next morning Ed woke up with Al curled up like a cat next to him. His warmth was snuggled right next to his stomach and his head rested on his shoulder. Al could be quite the snuggler, even when Ed told him hell no , Al still snuck it in. The kid needed it anyway, just because he wasn't hit didn't mean he got shouted at or had watched his big brother get the shit beat out of him. Maybe the contact helped him sleep, but it still made Ed uncomfortable at first, he learned to just accept it and don't care what people think. It was his little brother for christ's sake. Ed glanced up at the clock on the wall and it read 5:00am

He sighed and got up carefully so he wouldn't wake up Al. Starting the day early didn't sound like a bad idea and since the man was gone for work already he could take a shower. One thing that was also taken away from the boys. Ed and Al got one toothbrush, one comb, one small travel sized bottle of shampoo and a bar of soap once a month if not later. Ed let Al have the toothbrush and he settled with using either his finger or a wash cloth. He spent nearly 10 minutes scrubbing his mouth with a tooth pasty cloth. It was disgusting, but Ed had to do what he had to do. Next time he passed a drug store he was difianitely going to swipe a toothbrush and he would hide it in their room.

Getting in the shower he hissed as the cold water seemed to make every bruise ache worse. He took the quickest shower ever and quickly got dressed in his usual attire. Jeans, sneakers that were ripping at the soles and, a long sleeved shirt with a red hooded zip up sweatshirt.

In the mirror he cringed at his new shiner. It had turned pure black over night and his eye was nearly sewn shut from the swelling. He should have snuck downstairs last night and stole an ice bag, he robably could have prevented it swelling shut like this.

He ran the comb through his hair, working out the knots. Maybe he should get it cut, since he could barely take care of it as it was. But something made him keep it. It dried fairly quickly and for today he just threw it in a hair tie not bothering with a braid.

At school he got stares. There was a rumor going around James beat him up in a fight.

Yeah, right. If that kid ever started wailing on me I'd knock his teeth out

First period- Science class. Oh joy, Mr. Glendis absolutely hated Ed. Was it because Ed corrected him on a daily basis? Yes.

"For today I want you to partner up with someone- Rachel, pay attention- Quickly, we don't have all day"

Ed sat in his seat and waited until everyone got their pick and he would have to go with the last person left by default. It wasn't like anyone really liked him. The reasons were because he has an attitiude from hell, James didn't like him and James was a part of the "cool" crowd, So what he said goed.

"Hey, need a partner?" a voice asked tapping on his shoulder, he cringed at one of his bruises but it just looked like he was jumped. He flashed a look up and almost dropped out of his seat. It was Winry.

"Hey Winry! Do you want to be my partner?" A friend of Winry called out from the other side of the room, making Ed turn away. He knew she was going to say yes.

"No, I'm going to work with Ed"

Ed looked up at her as she took a seat next to him. He turned bright red. She had even remembered his name, which was a shocker. Most people forgot unimportant people's names.

As Mr. Glendis was handing out a paper packet Winry started talking to him. Talking to him.

"Ed, where did you get that bruise" she asked pointing to her own eye, "I heard you got into a fight with James"

"No, I... fell" Oh yeah, I fell into the table and it poked me in the eye. He wanted to kill himself for being such an idiot.

"You...fell?" She asked skeptical. He nodded turning away from her and continued being red throughout the whole assignment. This time he decided to take a chance and actually dohis best on this assignment, just to show off to Winry how smart he actually could be and to see the face of Mr. Glendis when he saw the perfect 100.

About 10 minutes into the assignment Ed felt a nudge in his side, he cringed, loooking over at her, "What?"

"I don't get number 21, what was that guy's name again?"

"Newton, his theory of inertia. What is in motion stays in motion until something stops it. To basically put it"

"Oh,... Don't think I'm copying off you, 'cause I don't do that" She shot at him with a new found irritation he had never seen before. She actually kind of looked really cute with that little scowl. He mentally slapped himself and wrote down the last answer and for the next 15 minutes he helped he through it. Blushing hard at simple touches of the hand when she brushed it, accidently.

When the bell rang for period two Mr. Glendis stopped Ed, "Mr. Elric, I'd like to see you about your paper"

Ed sighed and put on a smirk as he walked over to the balding man's desk, "Yes?"

"I checked with Ms. Rockbell's paper and noticed she had different answers, so you couldn't have copied from her. And I noticed that you helped her. Care to explain?"

"That was the assignment, wasn't it? Help each other out?"

"Don't give me that sarcastic tone of yours. You're failing this class with a 27, Mr. Elric, you have to try to fail that badly unless your just plain stupid. Now explain how you got the last question"

"I already knew these theroies, Mr. Glendis. It's easy"

"Why don't you do this well any other time?" he asked eyeing Ed's shiner.

Ed shrugged, "Don't feel like it"

"You do understand that you're the only one in this highschool to have passed this with a 100, right? Everyone else was below an 80"

Cause you give out the most ridiculous tests that are impossible to do, "Yeah? So?"

"I would like to see you after school" He said shifting through more packets.

Ed groaned as he left the class room. Not again!

Period three was the only class Ed had Al with. Art class. And Ed sucked without even trying.

"Come on, brother. It's just surrealism art. It's easy" Al said drawing a large circle on his paper.

Ed crossed his arms and shook his head like a 3 year old, "Nuh-uh. This is completely ludicris. Come on Al! Rene Magritte was an complete moron! Look at his work. That apple is way too big compared to the person...and it's floating!"

Al rolled his eyes as he took the digital printout of one of Rene Magritte's famous art works, "Stop being so scientific brother. It's just a painting, you can do what you want"

"I like being rational. The guy was a quack. He also painted stuff covering people's faces, he must've really sucked to not be able to draw faces"

"Brother, he did that as a message. His mother drowned her self and he was there when they found her, her nightgown covered her face. It must have traumatiazed him, so he put it in his paintings"

Ed snorted, "How the hell do you know all this?"

"Because I read the packet the teacher gave us!"

A voice from the door made both boys look, "Edward Elric?"

Ed saw it was the school nurse and his face drained of all color, "Uh, yeah?"

"It's your turn" She said motioning him to the door. HE kept plastered to the chair as he stared at her.

"For what?" he looked at Al who's face reflected his own.

"For the scoliosis exams. It was passed out monday"

Ed had no choice. He got up and left Al who was wide eyed and staring at Ed as though he were going to the gullotine.

In the nurse's room Ed was having an anxiety attack. How could he have forgotten about the scoliosis check up? It happened almost every year where the nurse checked your spine. This meant you had to take off your shirt.

"Now take off your shirt. This will only take a second"

Slowly he grabbed the hem of his shirt, then shook his head, chickening out.

"Please take off your shirt, there's nothing to be embarassed about" she said crossing her arms.

Ed resorted with his best lie and pulled the shirt up over his head. He heard the sharp intake of breath and flinched.

"What is all this?" She asked.

"I got into a fight" he lied.

"I'll be right back" she said. His heart quickened, she had to buy that, didn't she? Where was she going.

He quickly put his shirt back on and took a seat, his heart thrashing like crazy. He should have just refused!

About two minutes later the nurse came back with Principle. He wanted to shove his fist down his throat and kill himself that second. The principle?!

"Edward, Mrs. Kaylin told me about the bruises. It was about a fight, right?"

Slowly, Ed nodded, avoiding all contact. Why were they staring at him like that.

THe nurse spoke up, "That isn't true, is it Edward? There are numerous bruises that are weeks old and a number of them are days old. If you got all those bruises during one fight you'd be hosptalized. What's going on? Is everything alright at home?"

She sat in the chair next to him and touched his arm and he flinched away, tears brimming his eyes as he turned awau from their torturous stares.

"Yeah, I get into a lot of fights" the lie this time sounded so weak and fake no one would buy it.

The principle walked over in front of Ed and he immediatley felt boxed. Ed hated being boxed in and not able to escape.

"Edward, could you please take off your shirt so I may see?"

Ed shook his head and stared at the trash bin next to him. It was filled with band aid wrappers and a few popcicle sticks. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he jerked way, "I've got to go to class, I can't miss, I'm falling behind"

He attempted to escape but the Principle kept him sitting, "You are excused from your classes for the day, right now I would like you to take off your shirt or should I call home?"

Ed visibly flinched and pulled the warm shirt back up over his head, leaving the cold air to attack his skin. He shivered as he was told to stand up and turn around.

"Looks like there's a few broken ribs" Mrs. Kalin told the Principle, touching his back where he got shoved into the table corner.

He heard the Principle breathe out a shakey sigh, "Edward, I'm going to call the police if you don't tell me what happened. And I mean what really happened"

"I hurt myself" Ed blurted out still facing the wall, he couldn't see them, only the nurse in his peripheral vision. This was a pitiful lie but he had to protect Al. He saw the nurse shake her head and motion the Principle to follow her out into the hallway. They left and Ed pressed his ear to the door and listened.

"There's no way he does that to himself. He's being abused, I've seen in before" The nurse whispered.

"We can't just jump to conclusions, his caretaker, Mr. Welson, is a very nice man"

"He's lying through his teeth, abuse victims lie pitifully. He knows he's caught so now he's coming up with the most ridiculous excuses. Besides the age differences of his bruises are too different. It's been going on for years from what I see" she argued back, "You cannot believe that . There are wolves in sheep's clothing everywhere"

"Let me set up some appointments with the school counseler and see if we can crack the truth out of him. You never know, he does get bullied often"

Ed scoffed, 'As if, if someone other than that man beat me up like this, I'd drop their asses on the street in a second'

"Well, I don't believe a word of it. That boy may be a victim of domestic abuse and I'm not sitting by and letting it happen"

The principle sighed, "What about his little brother? Does he have marks?"

"No, but most of the time the abuse focuses on one person. Not the whole family"

"But Edward is sixteen. He's old enough to make decisions for himself, y'know. And I just don't see him letting himself get beat"

" Mr. Welson , you have to understand, abusive people play mind games. He's probably scared to say anything"

Ed jumped back into his seat as the door opened back up. He avoided their looks by resuming staring at the waste basket.

"Edward, you may go back to class, but I want to see you first thing tomorrow morning"

"Yeah, whatever" Ed snapped pulling his shirt back on. He slammed the office door and returned to class, fretting.

How the hell am I going to get out of this one?


ok this chapter is a LOT longer and I'm going to make them all long. My computer is frigging up so the spelling keeps on changing and words are being taken out. It pisses me off a LOT. So if something is missing I'm sorry. And please trust me, this is NOT just about Ed getting saved from the evil man and getting adopted into a new home. It gets worse and trust me... it's possible