AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Many thanks to: Braxton54, BonnieSveenFan and Ludub for reviewing the previous chapter and to everyone following/reading.

Chapter 21

Part 2 - Five years later (Casey 13, Brax 23, Heath 21)

Normal POV

"Get up Casey; it's time for school!" Brax yelled from the doorway of his youngest brother's bedroom.

It was only the fourth week of the new school year and the fourth week of Casey's first year in high school and the disgruntled teen already did not want to get up and go.

Casey remained curled up in his bed sheets ignoring his brother.

"Casey I know you are awake and can hear me so get up now!" Brax yelled, "I shouldn't have to do this every single morning."

"Geez, bit on the loud side," Heath commented, smartly rubbing his ears as he walked past his brother in his gym uniform.

Brax only scowled at his younger brother, clearly unimpressed and frustrated at the time it had began to take to get Casey up for school in the morning; blaming the raging teenage hormones of a freshly aged thirteen year old.

Casey groaned and rolled over onto his back to face Brax.

"I'm up."

Brax raised his eyebrow at Casey's smart attitude.

"You are up when your two feet are on the floor and you are standing and dressed in your school uniform, so for the last time: get up; now Casey!"

Casey let out an exasperated sigh and threw off his covers.

Once satisfied, Brax walked out of the room and back into the kitchen where Heath was munching on a piece of toast.

"What's your shift today?" Brax asked as he poured a glass of juice for himself.

"Nine until four today," Heath answered and swallowed the last of his toast.

"The man of slumber arises," Heath said with a smirk as Casey glumly walked into the kitchen.

"Get some breakfast into you," Brax instructed.

Casey groaned and placed some bread in the toaster. Once his toast was buttered and spread with vegemite, Casey sat down with a slouch on one of the kitchen chairs and munched on his breakfast.

"Do you want me to drop him off at school on my way to work?" Heath asked as Brax placed his glass in the sink and rested against the cupboard.

"Yeah that would help. I still have a few errands to run before I start work," Brax replied.

"Come on Sport; hurry up," Heath instructed; giving Casey a light tap on the shoulder.

Casey groaned and stood up, placing his plate in the sink.

"Keep your head down at school today Case," Brax reminded.

Casey again grumbled and quickly went to brush his teeth before grabbing his bag and following Heath outside to his car.

The high school wasn't too far from their house now since they had decided to pack up and leave Mangrove River behind with all the history and settle into life in Summer Bay.

Heath pulled up outside the high school in his maroon second-hand sedan car.

"Give Brax a break with all your grumbling Case; I think you're starting to give him grey hair," Heath said with a laugh.

Casey rolled his eyes unimpressed and stepped out of the car; swinging his bag over his shoulder and walking into the school.

As always on a Monday morning the school held an assembly and as much as Casey didn't enjoy being in his classes, assemblies were far more boring.

Casey stared down at his hands and began to pick at the fabric on his jeans.

"Now I would like to introduce two new students to our school. They have come all the way from the north coast and I expect you all to make them very welcome. Joining our senior class will be Andrew Barrett and joining our year seven class is his brother Joshua Barrett."

Casey's head shot up hearing the dreaded names from his past as the Principal introduced them, believing no way it could be true.

Casey saw the image of a fair skinned, brown haired boy around his age and a much taller tanned skin black haired boy. It had been a while since he had seen them but there was no question about it: they were the same brothers who he once spent the worst years of his life with.

After having moved from place to place and home to home after having caused havoc in every aspect of their lives growing up, and being expelled from many schools, Josh and Andy had now been moved down to a youth home in Summer Bay who had a lot of experience dealing with troubled kids.

Casey froze in his seat staring at the two teenagers, as the anxiety rose inside him, causing his stomach to flip-flop; of all the schools they had to end up at his.

Feeling too overwhelmed with the shock of seeing Josh and Andy again and being horribly reminded of his past he wiled himself to forget, Casey jumped up from his seat and bolted out of the assembly hall.

Andy cocked his eyebrow at the sudden commotion as he watched Casey rush out with teachers yelling out after him.

Andy couldn't be sure by the flash of the white school shirt and jeans and only getting a glimpse of the back of Casey's head, but something was familiar and he was determined to find out why.

Casey finally stopped running once he reached outside the back of the school and far away from the hall, and bent over gasping and breathing heavily as the rise of a panic attack overcame him.

It had taken him months to be able to sleep again without nightmares and to trust his brothers enough to live any kind of a normal family dynamic.

Flashes of the beatings, the torments and the moment, ran through Casey's mind and he found himself getting dizzier as he gasped further for breath.

He glanced back behind him and no teacher had since caught up with him, but he knew he couldn't go back; couldn't face anyone, not when he was feeling like his world was collapsing again.

Casey POV

Feeling defeated as my head spun around in circles, I collapsed onto the grass outside the classrooms. I knew the bell was about to start for first period but no way could I think in my class, and what if Josh was in my class too. No I couldn't face this.

I gasped for breath again and it almost felt like my lungs were collapsing and I was running out of air. I was scared and didn't know what was happening to me.

I tried catching my breath but it only seemed to make things worse. My whole body was sweating and I felt like I was being closed into a chamber and left to die.

I unfastened the buttons on my shirt thinking that would help me suck in more air but no such luck. Visions kept pouring into my head and I faintly heard the loud ringing of the school bell.

Suddenly a handful of students passed me and stared in my direction. I heard them laugh and whisper taunts of: 'what's wrong with him?' and 'what a freak'. They were talking and laughing about me. I was some big joke and everything that happened to me was some big joke.

I couldn't take it anymore and jumped up, letting out a yell. Everyone near turned around to stare at me and the sweating over my body increased.

I picked up my school bag and walked directly towards the front of the school; not looking back once.

My breath started easing the further I got from the school and I started to feel like I was getting some vision back and not feeling as dizzy.

I knew with Heath and Brax at work all day I could get away with skipping. I'd never done it before but how hard could it be?

I walked straight back home and pulling out the key hidden near the pot plant at the door I opened the door and threw my bag on the floor, giving a loud sigh. Was this morning all real?

Closing the door behind me in the silent house, I went into the kitchen to grab myself a drink of water to help calm my nerves some more. I was safe right? I wanted to believe so much that my life wasn't coming back to haunt me but they both stood there on that stage.

I might have avoided them today, but what about tomorrow and the next day and the next? I couldn't skip forever, as great an idea that was. For the first time in a long while I felt confused and alone.

Heath was the first to come home just after four. I'd spent most of the day watching television and was still on the couch when he arrived home.

"Hey Case; aren't you home a bit early?" I swallowed at his question.

I'd already taken my shoes and socks off and technically school didn't get out until three-thirty and it was at least a twenty-five minute walk from school.

"Um, I kind of left early; I wasn't feeling okay," I lied.

Truth be told, I hadn't felt alright.

Heath raised his eyebrow at me.

"You seem pretty alright to me. Hope that one sits with the big fella."

I scowled. After the day I had I didn't need Heath butting in.

I turned my attention back to the television.

"Brax doesn't need to know," I grumbled.

Heath chuckled behind me.

"Brax always knows, Case; trust me I was your age once."

I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest. Surely dealing with Brax would be better than having spent the day at school with Josh and Andy.

As predicted when Brax had gotten home he asked me straight away how school was and I just I shrugged.

"It was fine."

"If it was so 'fine' you wouldn't mind explaining to me why you caused a disturbance in the assembly today and then you get marked absent from all of your classes?"

I swallowed hard under Brax's watchful eye.

"What's going on Casey?" Brax demanded.

"It was nothing. I just didn't want to go and the assembly was boring," I snapped back.

Brax shook his head at me.

"I know this is just the teenage troubles talking but I don't want you messing around with school. You deserve to have a good life and education, and because this is your first attempt of skipping I'm going to go easy on you, next time you are going to be grounded; is that understood?"

I gasped in shock. Why was Brax making such a big deal out of this?

"That's not fair!" I argued, allowing my emotions from the day take hold.

"Casey I want what's best for you, and lately your attitude hasn't been acceptable either. Now do not skip school again."

Brax ended his point with a sharp finger, pointed directly at me.

"Fine," I grumbled in defeat and walked off to my room.

The school's a big place, maybe just maybe I could avoid running into Josh and Andy?