"After a little over two years, Melissa Wu has gone missing again, but, this time, with a boy named Nathan McHugh."
I turned the channel.
"Police are searching for Meli-"
I pressed the button on the remote again.
"-search party organized by the families. They-"
"The teens' families just want their kids home safe and sound."
I turned the TV off and got up.
I wanted Melissa back. But I didn't know how to find her.
It's been two days since I'd last seen Melissa.
I slumped, my hands in my pockets, slowly walking to Eric's house-my new home. I was irritated by the reporters surrounding me.
"How do you feel about to two teens' disappearance?" A brunette woman shoved a microphone at my face, a camera following her.
I ignored it.
"Is it true you were kicked out of the Wu's home?" A man held a tape recorder in front of me.
Everyone was talking at once, questioning me.
I was getting angry. I clenched my fists inside my pockets, coming to a sudden stop. "Shut up!"
There was silence.
"D***! You people are so f***ing annoying!"
The reporters glanced at one another as if no one had ever told them that. After a minute, the questions continued.
I started walking again.
"Is it true Nathan McHugh saved your life?"
"How do you think Melissa feels right now?"
"How long do you think she'll last before the kidnappers kill her?"
My fist swiftly made contact with the man's face.
He fell onto the ground, staring up at me, horrified.
My teeth were clenched. I was breathing hard. I tried to control my anger. "Don't you ever say anything like that again." I stopped myself from saying more. I didn't want to see myself cussing a guy out on the six o'clock news tomorrow.
I heard a car horn next to me and turned to see Mr. Wu.
"Need a ride?"
I opened the door and got inside. "Thanks, sir."
He drove off. "Quite a thing you did back there."
My body immediately went into defense mode. "Sir, I'm sorry. They were…I didn't…I wasn't…I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I've thought about doing that a couple times, too."
"They never go away. I can't take this, sir."
"They'll be gone soon. Melissa and Nathan will come back home. Everything will go back to normal."
"I know, sir. But they just won't leave me alone. They're always talking about Melissa like she won't…" Tears fell from my eyes. "I don't know what to do. And I'm scared. I want her back." I tried to wipe the tears away, but more came. "This is all my fault."
He put a hand on my shoulder, causing me to flinch. "You're a good kid, Cody."
Eddie had always told me that I was bad. That's why he'd punished me.
I'd always tried my hardest to obey all of his commands, but I was never good enough.
What Mr. Wu said made me feel a little better.
"Thank you, sir."
"No problem." After a moment, he said, "Can I ask you a question?"
"Yes, sir."
"Most kids your age are disrespectful to their elders. But you're different." He looked thoughtful. "You always cleaned up after yourself and even around the house when you lived with us. You never argued when we asked you to do something. You say 'sir' and 'ma'am.' Why is that?"
"My master told me that that's what good boys say."
"Your master?"
"The man who'd kidnapped me."
"Why do you call him your master?"
"Because he told me to. I wanted to be a good boy. I wanted him to be proud of me." I paused. "He never was. He'd always said I was a bad dog. I was his b****."
Mr. Wu was curious. "What would he do when you were a…when you were bad?"
"He'd beat me or throw me onto the mattress and…" More tears fell. I was quiet for a moment, before saying, "I'm not a virgin anymore, am I?" I put my hands over my eyes, hunched over in my seat, sobbing now.
Mr. Wu rubbed my back, comforting me. He spoke in a soft voice. "It's okay. You're okay now. Stop crying."
I sniffled, wiping my eyes. "Yes, sir."
"Cody…" He sighed, frustrated. "Cody, Cody, Cody…I didn't really mean for you to stop crying."
"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't know."
He was confused. "You didn't know what?"
"The rules, sir. My master-"
"Shut up!" He was furious. "He's not your master anymore! He's dead! He can't hurt you now! So stop calling him that! Forget those rules that he put into your head! None of it's true! Got that?!"
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." My voice quivered at his sudden outburst. I was shaking, in tears. "Please don't punish me, sir. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
We were silent for a long while.
I was too scared to speak. My breathing was shaky. I was frightened that, at any moment, Mr. Wu would punch me.
I wished he would already so I could have served my punishment.
After a minute, I cleared my throat. "Uh, sir? Aren't you going to, um…punish me?"
He pulled the car over and turned in his seat to look at me.
I flinched at his sudden movement.
"Listen, Cody. I-"
"Yes, sir."
He looked at me, confused.
"I'm sorry for interrupting, sir. I didn't mean to. It won't happen again."
"What that man did to you-it wasn't right. He was a bad man."
"No, he wasn't. He told me that he was teaching me to be good, like he was."
"He lied to you. He was not a nice man. It's inhumane to injure people like he did to you."
"He told me that everyone punishes their kids like how he'd done to me. It means they care. My father never punished me before. My master told me it was because my dad didn't love me."
Mr. Wu slapped my face.
I held my cheek.
Melissa's father was frustrated. "Cody, I didn't mean to do that."
"It's okay, sir."
"No." He sighed. "No, it's not."
"Really. It is, sir. I'm fine."
"Stop this, Cody!"
I was confused. "Would you please tell me what to stop, sir, so I'll know next time?"
"You've changed…a lot. I wish you were the way you used to be."
I was quiet for a moment, trying hard to remember. My voice was soft. "How did I used to be, sir?"
He sighed. "Cody, the man that kidnapped you didn't care about you. Punishment doesn't mean he loved you. Love is when someone talks to you about your problems. It's when they ask you how school went. It's when they spend time with you, even when you both just sit around and do nothing. It's when they'd do anything for you. It's when they hold you during a thunderstorm because you're scared. Or when they comfort you if you're hurt." He paused. "You understand?"
"Yes, sir." A tear fell from my eye. "I understand, sir."
Eddie didn't love me. He never did any of those things with me. He'd lied to me…about everything.
Mr. Wu wiped the tear from my eye.
I looked at him, then pulled him into a hug. "I love you, Mr. Wu."
He was surprised, then hugged me back. "I love you, too, Cody."
