Hey there, folks! It's been a minute. Well, I've gotten a new job which has eaten up some of my time, but I'm blessed to have some days off. So, here is a new chapter of SM. We're gonna shift the focus from the school for a minute, and center on the Cosby home. We'll see Russell work on his homework, Bill and Fat Albert interact a bit and Russell learns a few things about his brother's friend. Let's see how it all goes down. Enjoy!

Warning: This chapter contains mentions and allusions to depression, suicide, and head trauma. If any of this is triggering to you, feel free to turn back. Otherwise, you have been warned.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 4: Home & Knowledge

After his latest encounter with Rudy, Russell sat on the swings to wait for his brother. Much like before, it didn't take long as he soon saw Bill approaching... and so was that Fat Albert fellow. Russell raised an eyebrow in confusion, til his brother explained as if he noticed the look on his face.

"Hey, Rus. Albert's coming to hang out at home with us and so some homework. We'll be busy so... try not to disturb us."

Russell nodded, "Sure. I've got my own work to do so... try not to disturb me."

"Noted."

With that, the three boys made their way to the Cosby residence. As they walked, Russell couldn't help but wonder about Albert. He seemed to be one of the more brave students at Strawberry. He didn't appear to fear any of the more bad-tempered kids, and he had an appearance and demeanor that just screamed 'gentle giant'.

The small boy was now curious to know more about him, but he was afraid to ask, not wanting to pry into the older boy's business. So he felt it was best to not say anything at all. Five minutes later, the boys arrived and were greeted by Mrs. Cosby, who knew Albert was coming thanks to receiving a text from Bill prior to now. She had baked some cookies and fixed a dinner of mashed potatoes and hot dogs. One of the better nights for a meal to be honest.

Mr. Cosby was working late so it was just the boys and Mom for now. As they ate, they talked about their day. Russell of course left out the details involving Rudy. He didn't want either Bill or his mom to worry about him, especially his mom. She was already somewhat very protective of both her sons. If she knew about what was going on with Rudy, she'd probably never let Russell leave the house ever again.

He didn't want to put that kind of stress on her...

"So, boys. Your father and I've been talking, and we were thinking of going on a trip for the weekend." Mrs. Cosby spoke, "Doesn't that sound nice?"

Bill smiled, "Sounds cool, Mom. Where are we going?"

"We're still thinking of a place. Possibly a road trip to DC. Might see some sights."

"Hey, hey, hey. That's cool for a nice day." Albert nodded in agreement.

The mother turned to her youngest child, "What do you say, Russell? Would you like to go on a trip?"

Russell smiled a little. A trip away from North Philly does sound nice. A chance to get out of the crappy ghetto neighborhood for once? Not to mention a chance to get a break from Strawberry? Who wouldn't take that opportunity? "Yeah, Mom. That sounds fun."

Mrs. Cosby smiled, "Great. I'll talk to your father some more, and we'll start planning right away."

As soon as dinner was over, Bill and Albert retreated upstairs to work on homework together. As for Russell, he decided to work on his own homework of finding things around the apartment to make music with and writing it down. He scoured through the place, as he found pots, pans, paper, and other items that were perfect for music. He made a note that kitchen items were the most useful. Mom even helped a little by using some of her jewelry that made a noise like maracas.

All in all, it took maybe twenty minutes for the boy to finish his assignment. He had about two pages full of what he found, and couldn't wait until he showed it to Miss Kwan the next day.

So he finished his homework and was now even bathed and ready for bed, which wasn't for another few hours.

... What should he do now?

Russell thought about watching TV, but it was mostly reruns on lately, nothing new. He could help his mom in the kitchen, but that was typically boring. Perhaps he could draw in his journal...

... His journal!

He completely forgot about it. After Miss Johnson had retrieved it for him, he realized that he hadn't had the chance to open it, to see whether or not Rudy damaged it. Now completely concerned, he raced to the front of the apartment, where his and Bill's backpacks were hanging on the wall by the front door. Russell immediately grabbed his bag and unzipped it, taking the journal out. The small boy was almost afraid to open it, terrified of whatever unholy and uncensored mess Rudy might've written or drawn in there if he had a chance.

At the same time, he hoped that Miss Johnson had gotten it back before any real damage could be done. And if there was, she would've told him when she gave it back... wouldn't she?

Well, I'm not gonna find out until I open it...

And so, with a deep breath, Russell slowly opened the cover of the journal and glanced at the first page...

Clean...

It was... clean...

Russell flipped through another page, and another, and another. Everything looked... normal. Absolutely no dirty words, lewd pictures, or any inappropriate signs anywhere. He almost couldn't believe it. His journal was okay. That revelation caused him to sink to the floor in relief.

Russell-1... Rudy-0

Happy, Russell tucked the journal under his arm before heading to his and his brother's room. He figured that if he wanted his journal to remain safe, it was better kept in a safe place. Upon reaching the door to his and his brothers' room, he saw that it was open. Peering inside, the child saw Bill and Albert sitting at Bill's desk, scribbling down on notebooks. They must still be working on homework.

He supposed they wouldn't mind if he came in. After all, it was his room too.

Russell strolled into the room without care, approaching the bunk beds, and climbing the ladder to his bed on top. He decided that he would draw a little to pass the time until it was time to go to sleep. By now, Bill had noticed his little brother in his bed, doodling away. He smiled a little before returning to his work.

About an hour later, Russell was still drawing, and the teens had finished with their work. Right now, they were just chatting. Whatever about, Russell didn't know as he just tuned it out, although catching words such as 'school', 'girls', 'football game'.

A few more minutes go by before there was a knock on the door. The boys looked up as Mrs. Cosby peeked her head in, "Bill. Can you come out here for a moment?" She asked, "Your father needs help at the car." She asked.

The oldest brother stood, "Sure, Mom." He turned to Albert, "You mind staying here for a bit?"

"You don't need help?" The fat boy asked.

"Na. I got it."

With that, Bill followed his mother out of the room. Now Russell was left alone with this other kid. He didn't know what else to do or say, for he didn't really interact with older kids much aside from his brother. The silence that followed was awkward... and oddly painful. The small boy decided to try and focus on his drawings some more. He thought if he just ignored Albert's presence, it would be less stressful until Bill got back.

"Y'know, you're pretty lucky to have Bill for a brother..."

Russell looked up from his journal yet again and peeked from his bed to see Albert looking up at him with a smile. Did he just say he was lucky?

"Lucky...?" The smaller child raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Bill is smart and knows how to get things done. You're lucky to have him around to help you out and guide you when you need it."

As if Russell didn't already know that stuff. Of course, Bill was smart and knew how to handle things. He was like a team leader. "Well, I already knew that. I live with him."

Albert chucked, "Hey, hey, hey. That's quite okay. Actually, you're lucky to have a brother at all. I don't got any brothers or sisters. It's just me and my mom."

"Oh?" Russell all but abandoned his drawing as he leaned over the foot of his bed (not by much as to not fall over the railing, now fully paying attention to the older boy below, "Just you and your mom? What happened to your dad?" He dared to ask, hoping that the question wasn't too sensitive.

Thankfully, Albert seemed to be fine with answering it, "He passed away a few years back. He was... very depressed. Our current situation was taking a toll on the bills... and his sanity. His job wasn't paying much. My mom and I tried to help as best as we could. I even took up a job mowing people's lawn. It didn't last long, but I made more than enough for the bills at the time. But... it wasn't much. Dad was getting more and more frustrated. He eventually got laid off due to the company he was working for shutting down... and he just couldn't take it anymore..."

Russell frowned deeply. He had a bad feeling he knew where exactly this was going.

"One day, when I came home from school. I found the cops and ambulance at my apartment. Saw my Mom crying. And then... saw my dad... lying on the floor of the living room. Bleeding from the forehead... shotgun near him on the floor... and a note addressed to my mom and I taped to it..." Albert looked down for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut, before looking back up at his new friend, "It... was pretty horrifying. I'll never forget that day. Ever since I've been doing everything I can to help my Mom. She started to lose her sanity herself, and I couldn't afford to lose her too."

"Aww... I'm sorry to hear that." Russell said with sympathy in his voice, "I shouldn't have asked."

"It's cool, little dude. I don't mind talking about it. Most of everyone in my complex knows what happened. And... I find that talking about it helps relieve some of my grief."

Albert telling his story brought an uncomfortable heaviness to Russell's heart. Suicide was another one of those topics he knew little about. The idea of a person taking their own life due to being sad was... well, sad and frankly terrifying. He couldn't imagine having any reason to do that to himself. There was the reality of losing a parent to add to it. Russell couldn't imagine his mom or dad. Especially his mom, whom he was closer to. If she ever died, he didn't know what he'd do.

That's when something came back to him. A few years ago, he heard Bill talking to their mother. He couldn't quite recall all the details, but he specifically remembered certain phrases such as, 'Your friend is hurting now, Bill. Try to be of support. He's going to need it.'

Recalling that memory made Russell realize that they were talking about Albert. That just made him feel even more sorry for the large teen. But... he wanted to know something else, "How do you handle that kind of loss?" He asked. "I don't think I could move on if my dad died."

"Well, it definitely isn't easy. It never is." Albert replied, "But whenever I think about my Dad, and feel sad, I remind myself that he's in a better place and that he's looking down at me from Heaven."

"I heard that people who... well, do that, go to the bad place."

"I don't believe that theory. I know my Dad's in Heaven. He was a good man. Funny, understanding, and he and my mom were so in love. Speaking of my mom, it's her love and encouragement that keep me going too. At home and at school."

School...

"I see..." Russell sighed, "Y'know... I was really excited about going to Strawberry Maywood. I was ready to meet new people and be with my brother. But... after what I've seen just from two days alone... I guess I'm..."

"Disappointed? Disillusioned? Let down?" Albert finished for him, "I know how you feel. I felt the same way when I started six grade there. Like you, I was met with the violence and craziness firsthand. It disturbed me greatly, but I tried not to let the situation get to me. Because of our poor neighborhood, the school's budget isn't exactly up to par. A lot of the kids have rough situations."

The smaller boy frowned even deeper, "I can see that. Bill and I are two of those types of kids."

Albert nodded, "I guess everyone's living conditions play a part in their anger and frustration, and why they do the things they do. They have... to find some comfort, I suppose."

"You mean like how I draw and write in my journal?"

"Yep."

Mentioning his journal reminded Russell of what happened at school today, "That Rudy guy actually stole my journal today. But I got it back when I told my teacher, Miss Johnson."

Albert smiled, "That's good. Miss Johnson is a great lady. She's one of the few teachers who can handle some of the rowdiest kids. Especially Rudy..."

"I noticed..." Russell looked down, "But... I heard that nobody ever snitches on Rudy because they're afraid of him. And that the last time someone did, they got put in the hospital. Is... is that true?"

It wasn't that he didn't believe what Bob and Shanna said earlier, but he felt better if he asked more witnesses. Looking back up, Russell saw the older boy look away for a moment. As if he were in deep thought about what he just asked. A few seconds later, Albert looked back with a sad look.

"Yep, it's true."

Somehow, that wasn't surprising...

"I remember it all too vividly. My head still hurts from the blow..."

... That was...

Russell's eyes widened in shock, "Wait. Are you saying that... you're the kid who Rudy put in the hospital?"

With a sigh, the fat boy nodded, "Yeah. It happened in ninth grade. About two years ago. I have this friend named Laverne. I really liked her, but we decided to just be friends. One day, I found her in the courtyard crying. I asked what was wrong, and she said that Rudy took... uh, some very inappropriate photos of her, and posted them online, calling her all sorts of terrible names. I was angry. Rudy has done a lot of awful things, but I felt that was one of the worse things. So I decided to report it to the principal, and as a result, the pics got taken down, and Rudy got suspended for a week."

Suspended for a week? That seemed rather tame for something such as posting lewd photos of a girl. Then again, with how the school operated, it probably was a normal punishment for something like that. Russell decided to not question it as Albert continued, "Laverne was grateful for what I did, and we started to put the incident behind us. That is... until the next week when Rudy came back to school..."

Uh oh... is this where the 'hospital' part comes in?"

Although the day was relatively normal, by the afternoon when things got bad. Some of our friends and I went down to the local park to hang out when I was approached by Rudy. He was furious and started to cuss me out. Loudly and harshly. I can still remember everything he said word for word. Two of the guys tried to hold him back from attacking me."

"How did you handle it?" Russell asked.

"I didn't flinch at his words. I just told him that I did what I felt was right and that he deserved what he got for hurting Laverne. After that, I turned away from him... until I heard yelling. I turned back around, and before I knew it... WHAM!"

The small boy winced.

"I was on the ground and could feel the blood dripping from my forehead. I started to black out, but before I did, I could see that Rudy hit me with a metal pipe hard enough to break it in half, and he was shouting at the others. Afterward, I found myself in the hospital, surrounded by doctors and my mom. They told me I was out of it for almost a day."

Russell blew out a breath, "Did you tell them what happened?"

"Not this time. Because the doctor said that a metal pipe fell on me. I later found out that the kids who witnessed the incident said that, because Rudy had threatened to not only cut them all... but he would kill me himself if they told."

No class...

No class at all...

No class ever...

Those were the thoughts going through Russell's head. He already didn't like Rudy thanks to yesterday and today's events, but after hearing this story, he now flat out hated him. That lowdown, vicious, psychotic, manipulative... he couldn't even think of a word bad enough to describe the rich boy. There were so many. That boy violated a girl, got consequences for it, but then severely injured the one who told on him, threatened his friends and Albert with death, and got away with it! How could someone be so... so... evil?

If Rudy was capable of all that... what else could he do?

Not wanting to rile himself up more, Russell asked another question, "So... how did you survive? You say the pipe broke when he hit you?"

Albert scratched his head, "To this day, I'm not so sure. Any other person might have died from such a blow to the head. I guess... God was watching over me that day. He knew it wasn't my time yet. At least that's what I think. After that, nobody really talked about the incident much anymore. Most kids forgot it ever happened."

"But you gotta tell someone what Rudy did. He almost killed you. That's gotta be a crime of some sort. Tell the police or something."

"Even if we did report it, it's highly unlikely that Rudy would get serious consequences. The teenagers can be very tricky, and weasel their way out of trouble. Sometimes it doesn't work, most of the time it does."

Now that also wasn't very surprising. Any legal trouble kids got into in this town was very minor due to the fact that... well, they were minors. At most, they would serve some time in a detention center. Russell vaguely remembered a time where he and Bill witnessed a teen getting arrested for shooting and killing a man. Due to his age, he got only ten months, though Russell never saw him again.

"Albert... why do you think Rudy is the way he is? He's supposed to be rich, so his home life can't be that bad." He asked.

The large teen looked at the smaller kid in thought, "That one is a toughie. I don't really know what goes on in his life. Rudy might be a selfish jerk, but deep down there is some good in him. My guess would be that he just wants to... have control. The way he's able to have everyone at his feet is crazy. It's not easy to get through to a guy like him... but they all aren't so bad."

Russell felt bad for most of the kids at Strawberry. It sounded like everyone, just like his family, suffered from poverty or other issues. At the same time, he wasn't sure if he would ever feel sorry for Rudy. No amount of whatever bad experiences that turkey may have gone through in his life should warrant some of the things he has done. Who would have remorse for such a monster?

Now I really have to avoid Rudy in school. If he's so bad, then I gotta be careful. I can't let him torture me like he plans.

Deciding to try and change the subject, Russell smiled, "It's... nice to talk to you, Albert. I learned a lot about you. You're always helpful, look on the bright side of things, and people love you. I can see why your friends didn't tell on Rudy. They didn't want you to die."

Albert chuckled a little.

"And... before I came to school, I didn't have a lot of friends. But it's only been two days, and I've met a lot of nice people. Melba, Bucky, Tommy, Miss Johnson, Leola, Harold and Violet, Bob and Shanna, you. I kinda feel like... I have a place in that school, even if it's not the nicest place."

"You'll learn to get used to it. We all hope that things will get better for everyone. But for now... we just work to survive and strive to do our best." Albert replied.

By that time, Bill had come back into the room, "Alright, I got everything done." He said, "Hope you weren't too bored."

"Na, man. Your brother and I were just having a conversation to pass the time." Albert smiled, before he looked down at his phone, "Hey, hey, hey. I better not delay. It's time for me to split." He stood up before putting his things back in his backpack, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure, man."

The teen turned back to Russell, "It was great talking with you. We should do it again sometime."

Bill followed Albert out of the room to see him off. While they were gone, Russell picked up his journal to draw again. This time he was drawing Albert with a smile. He never imagined he would learn so much about him and what he's been through. A range of emotions.

Happy to have a new friend.

Sad to know that the friend lost his dad.

Angry that a vile person hurt the friend and got off scot free.

And concerned... about what the future would hold for his time at Strawberry Maywood. For that friend, the other kids... and himself.

Those emotions came from what Rudy had done so far. He realized that the rich boy really could put him in the hospital if he crossed him that wrong way. Heck, he was threatened with that. Russell shuddered at the memory. To be honest, Rudy getting away with his actions wasn't all that surprising. Considering that Russell was still keeping his encounters with him a secret. And here he was telling Albert that he should tell an adult about the incident.

Now came a new feeling... hypocrisy.

Look, Russell. Things aren't always going to be looking up. But that doesn't mean you're gonna die or anything. Just keep focusing on the positives, and you'll be okay. You've got friends and family by your side. Nothing is going to happen to you.

But... how much longer could he keep up the momentum of optimism...?

And was something actually going to happen in the near future?

Russell's got a lot on his mind right now. He definitely wonders how things are gonna be while attending Strawberry Maywood. His perspective is changing slightly. We learn about Fat Albert, as he has a widowed Mom in this AU, his dad taking his own life, and we also learn that he was the one that Rudy seriously injured for ratting him out. You're starting to see more of just how vicious Rudy is in this story, but like with the other characters, we'll learn more about him and his personal life too. For now, next chapter will be a time skip to the end of the week. We'll see how Friday treats Russell and the gang.

Until then, I'll see you guys later. And as always, don't forget to review, please. Thank you.