Chapter Thirty-Six: Richard

Okay, so here I am, age eleven-years, and sitting in a holding cell in a police station. This is all Father's fault! He approached the man, and started harassing him as he tried to walk away. Before we knew it, we were under arrest.

"Father, this is all your fault! I shouldn't be in here! I'm not old enough!" I cried, my voice already cracking.

"Richard, I'm sorry, but you know how excited I can get when it comes to these situations. I had a restraining order from Leonard Nimoy."

I put my head down. "Well, you embarrassed me today. I've only just started middle school."

"You'll be the talk of the school." Father tried to make me feel better, but no matter what he would say, nothing would make me feel better. What if I didn't want to be the talk of the school? And anyway, I'd be the talk of the school in a bad way. Everyone would be laughing at me because I was the student with a criminal record.

"Well, I don't want that to happen! I don't want other students to talk about me behind my back more than they already do." I lifted my head up.

I saw Father raise an eyebrow. "People talk about you behind your back?" He must've misheard me.

"Yes, that's what I said." I informed

"What do they say?"

I thought for a moment. Where do I start? "They call me names, they talk about the possibility of me being adopted because of what Grace is like, they make fun of my smartness… and now this. That's just the verbal bullies."

"Well, I won't have that tolerated. I don't want you wanting to leave school." Father cut in.

I was extremely glad he cut in, as knowing me, I wouldn't have stopped. Also, I got lucky on the fact he didn't pick up in the 'verbal bullies', as I didn't really want him to know about the physical ones. I didn't want anyone to know about them. They push me to the ground, shove me into lockers, and one has even pinned my shirt to the wall using a thumbtack, then proceeding to punch me a few times in the stomach. I've had lunchtimes where I haven't been hungry because of being said punched, and on the way out of school, before meeting up with Grace, I'll chuck away my food so Mother wouldn't get suspicious. I've done that multiple times in the past few weeks. Sometimes the pain would go all the way through to dinner time and I won't eat everything then, too. Not to mention all the bruises and scars on my back, legs, arms and stomach. This is the one thing I can keep secret.

"I don't want to leave school. I just don't like it." I sighed.

He placed his hand on my arm, which was covered by a long sleeve. I winced slightly, and due to his Vulcan hearing, he picked up on it. "Are you okay, Richard? Why did you wince? Is something else happening that I don't know about?"

I shook my head, not saying anything, as if I did, it would blow my cover. Luckily, just as he was about to question it again, Mother and Grace came around the corner.

"Ha! You're locked up!" Grace mocked, pointing in the bar door at me.

Mother hit Grace's arm carefully. "Don't antagonize your brother!" She raised her voice slightly.

"I'm sorry, but I've been waiting for this since I could remember!" She laughed.

Mother dragged her off to the counter and she began talking with the guard. Father and I sat in silence, waiting to to see what was going to happen next. It took a total of six minutes, forty three seconds for convincing to be over, and we were being let out for good. As the bar door slid open with a large, deafening creak, Father and I both stood up from the concrete seat. Father walked out in front of me in silence, and as I passed the guard, I decided to address him on the door issue. "You should have that checked out." I suggested.

Instead of caring, he appears to make a stupid face, and Mother almost dragged me out with her.

At dinner, silence had fallen, and the only audible noise was the sound of silverware against the plates, eating, and the subtle sound of raindrops hitting against the window. It was an awkward silence.

Father tried twice to pick up polite dinner conversation, but it didn't seem as if Mother was interested.

After, Mother gave both Father and I a strict warning look to enter the living area, and for Grace to go upstairs. Father and I stood awkwardly in the living room, and as soon as Mother walked in, I gulped.

"Okay, I've got one question for you," She checked behind the living room door before shutting it completely. "What the hell went through your mind to harass a guy?" She angrily growled.

"We got excited! It was someone from Star Wars!" Father tried to reason.

"I don't care if it was someone from a cartoon! You don't harass anybody, in no circumstances!" Mother sounded angry. She looked over at me. "Do you have anything to say?"

I gulped. I thought about what to say, but when I actually wanted to say it, I messed up, badly. "No… I just wanted to say hi because I'm being physically bullied at school and I'm insecure and I was so excited to see someone from the movie franchise." I blurted.

Mother raised her eyebrows. "What?!"

I turned my eyes to Grace as she nodded from the doorway for the living room. "Interesting…" She mentioned, cutting in with the conversation.

Mother turned to her, and by the look on Grace's face, Mother was not giving her the happy face that we liked. Nope - I was in trouble, and Grace, Father too.

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