Disclaimer: School of Rock and its characters do not belong to me.
Author's Notes: I know I say this 20 billion times, but I can't thank you enough for all of the reviews. This chapter is going to contain a POV for every character currently at Dewey's apartment. Starting with the man himself. You're going to learn a bit more about everything that's happened to Zack and Summer through each person. Lawrence's POV is really short. I was having the hardest time getting in his head. I really like him, but it's hard to write like you are him. Sorry to all other Mr. Cool fans.
Ch4
Dewey POV
Man. Why them? They are the two nicest kids you'll ever meet. Unless you totally piss them off, but that takes work with them. They don't have a shred of attitude. Zack Attack's only rebellion ever was playing rock instead of classical. That's hardly a rebellion. But his dad beat him up about it.
Then there's Summer. I remember back when I pretended I was Ned, and tore up the gold star chart, she looked like she was going to cry. At the time I thought she was just the stuck up teachers pet, but now I know the truth. If the chart wasn't there, her mother wouldn't know she was perfect. Summer had grade punishments. If she got a 100, she wouldn't be punished. A 99-95 was a burn. 95-90 was a cut. Anything below that was a full on beating she told us. What kind of sick person puts that kind of pressure on a kid?
Zack's dad was different. Most of the time his abuse was verbal. He only hit Zack when he was drunk or really mad. It's no excuse though. He's still a bastard. No one should hurt their kids in any way.
All I keep thinking is, why did this happen to them? I know it's selfish to want it to happen to someone else. In truth I don't, but now the band is upset and I don't know what to do. I have no clue how to handle these situations. What if Summer never gets back to the way she was? Bossy and smart, able to control the band with a single snap of her fingers. And Zack, what if all this stuff makes him want to stop guitar? I'm selfish. To even be thinking about what's going to happen to the band right now is wrong. Two of the members are hurt, upset and scared. And all I can think of is what's gonna happen if they pull out? Will we still be able to put on a great show?
Let's face it. I'm not a great adult figure. I'm just a loser who's only life is his music. I don't know what I was thinking making a band with kids. Stuff like this was bound to happen. How am I supposed to handle life for others when I couldn't even handle life for myself? Summer and Zack never really had strong adult figures in their life. Zack's mom died when he was three, and then his dad turned into the asshole he is today. Summer's dad is always on business trips, hardly knows she's alive, and her mom cheats on her dad and beats her like there's no tomorrow.
What if they were looking to me as a role model? I'm not one to look up to. My life is rock and roll. Both of them are too smart to end like me. I thought. But now I'm realizing that they could have looked up to me, just because they thought I was cool. Well, I'm not so sure about Summer on that part, but Zack might have. Every guy needs a fatherly figure that cares. I've seen people in situations like his. They turned to the first adult male that was half cool to them. One of turned into a murderer. I know I'm not that bad, but it's scary to think that I could be these kids role models.
I keep thinking back to when I saw Zack's dad yelling at him in the Horace Green parking lot. I should've noticed something then. I mean the guy used force to make sure Zack faced him. I hate this. I'm thinking of all the things I could've seen or done. It's too late to change it now. I hate hindsight.
Katie POV
I had seen the movie that day. I should have noticed something that day. Why else would she have gotten sick over a couple scars? Summer's my best friend aside from Freddy. What kind of friend lets someone get abused? I know I didn't know, but I should've. Kids at prep school are supposed to be smart. We're supposed to figure things out. I want to shove my base down her mom's throat. That would teach her. No one would convict me of murder. All I'd have to say is I was playing bass at her house and her mom tried to off me. Then I'd have the self defense excuse. Besides, everyone hates people who beat up kids.
Zack's always quiet. I never really was able to get close to him, but I thought he was cool. The sullen loner image worked for him, until I found the reason for it. He was afraid he'd let something slip and his dad would kill him. He never could keep a secret that well, but I guess that's changed. No one even suspected a thing. Until Freddy listened closely to those song lyrics. I'm glad someone did. Everyone else was too blown away by Summer to notice.
Watching them now, you wouldn't suspect a thing if Summer didn't have the makings of a good black eye. They were sitting next to each other, and she had her head on his shoulder. I don't get it. How they just dropped this huge bomb and neither of them are exactly upset. I suppose they're more relieved, they won't have to go back to their parents anymore, but I half expected Summer to be bawling. Instead, she just looked content. And Zack had his arm around her shoulder.
I even feel bad for teasing her back in fifth grade about him. It's kinda clear why he put the charm on her bracelet now. Tomeka was right. He didn't want her to forget him. At the time he was the only one that was going to help her. Everything they did, had reasons now, albeit mostly bad ones. The whole band teased them about a lot stuff. Now I wish we hadn't.
It doesn't seem fair, no one else in the band had anything bad happen to them. Sure, Freddy has ADD but he has it under control. And Tomeka is losing the weight she needs to healthily. It's like someone decided to make two people have all the problems for the entire band. When did that ever become fair? Everyone is supposed to have their own problems that they have to deal with. But it seems like we have the perfect lives and Zack and Summer are SOL when it comes to good things happening to them. The closest way I can relate to how they could possibly feel is in the second grade Frankie called me a stupid-head. But even then I fought back. I socked him in the eye. Summer and Zack never tried to fight back once. Except for today. When their parents joined forces. But even that can't exactly be considered fighting back, they still ended up hurt.
If it had been me in their shoes, would I have told someone? I can't even figure this out. I would never be in their shoes. My parents love me. They would give their lives for me. Why couldn't Summer and Zack have parents like that? Why are people who are naturally mean by nature even allowed kids? Don't people realize what's gonna happen? I understand Zack's dad wasn't always like this, but he is now. Before Zack told anyone, didn't that mean anything?
You always see those commercials. It shouldn't hurt to be a child. I never really paid much attention to them. I was like Freddy. I thought nobody around me was getting hurt, why should I care? I wish I had paid more attention to them. I might've seen something sooner.
Tomeka POV
Man, why did this happen to them of all people? They've never done nothing to no one. They couldn't possibly have done anything to deserve this. Zack's the one that convinced me to go to Dewey about being a singer. And Summer, she's helped me every step of the way to lose weight the right way.
I've read about these kids who turned to a life of drugs and prostitution because they were abused. I don't want to think about what would happen if Summer and Zack did that. I can't imagine it. They're too smart for it. But those kids were supposedly too smart for it too. Being abused without getting help did something to their minds. Hopefully Zack and Summer, won't turn out like that. I mean they are getting help. That's a good sign isn't it?
Summer used to get teased a lot before Dewey came along. Almost everyday. I never felt that good about it, but I didn't do anything either. In the documentary, there was one part about this boy named Carl. His dad beat him up, and he got teased a lot. So much that in the end he committed suicide. When Summer mentioned she had been thinking about suicide, I thought of Carl immediately. The thought of her being like Carl nearly killed me. That part was depressing.
Zack was a loner. He didn't get teased. But he didn't really have friends before band either. I never understood him. When he did talk to people he was a really cool guy, but he didn't do it often. I don't think I'm ever gonna understand why not. But you could tell he cared about certain things. Every once in a while he would defend Summer. He got teased then too and he quickly backed off, but you could tell it made her feel better when he did.
I can only imagine what I'm gonna wanna do to these parents when the shock wears off. Am I gonna be angry like Freddy and Alicia, choosing to bludgeon them with the nearest object? Or am I gonna take it more like Lawrence and Marta, upset, but calm. I don't think I want to be either. I want to be happy. But I guess that's not an option anymore. Nothing can be the same. Summer and Zack are getting hurt.
Lawrence POV
I feel sick. No one should be hurt in the band. But they are. It is scary, that someone was hurting them, right under our noses. Out of all the kids in the band, no one even noticed. That is almost the scariest thought.
I remember, I did not want to be in the band. Now it is like my second family. When someone in my family gets hurt, or something bad happens, I always feel sick. It is what happens. I can not explain it. Neither can my parents. The only thing that helps is when things get better for everyone else. I don't know when that will happen, or if it will.
I see stories on the news about parents abusing their children. The children get thrown into a legal system. A lot of times, the law finds the parents not guilty, and the kids have to go back to their homes. A lot of those kids end up dead. What if the system does that to Zack or Summer? I do not think I would ever feel well again.
Alicia POV
Bunch of stupid ass parents. My attitude is at an all time high. Sick bastards beating on their kids. My friends. I want to kill them. It's times like these I'm glad I paid attention in history. I vote we get the band together and organize a lynching. Just go hang em in the trees in their back yards. I wouldn't ever pull that crap for real, but it's kinda nice being able to picture their faces turn purple and their bodies having death spasms.
I know Freddy's with me on this one. If he saw either one of them, and looks could kill, they'd be six feet under in a second. You can tell he's beating himself up over this. I would, but I'm too much of a hard ass to get mad at myself. I just get mad at the others. I want both of their parents in jail. Their weak asses wouldn't be able to last two days. I've seen the news. Prison holds all sorts of nut jobs. Murderers, rapists. Yeah, you would think they're the worst scum on the planet. But the second a child beater gets into the prison with them, if they find out, that guy is dead. Not even murderers like child abusers.
I was pissed off when I found out about them getting hurt. I was even madder when I heard about her mother having an affair too. Then when it was with Zack's lame ass dad. Of course that's not what set me off. The real kicker was the black eye wasn't from her own abusive parent. It was from Zack's. Just 'cuz she wouldn't let him molest her. Her own mother was gonna let him though.
Zack was mad about that too. You could just tell. He really cares for Summer. I mean, he knew exactly how to get her to calm down when she broke down when explaining things to us. That's not like a teenage boy. A teenage boy is supposed to freak out when a girl cries. Damn them parents. Makin them so upset. They didn't get a chance to be kids.
If I ever see one of those sons-of-bitches I don't know what I'll do. I do know it's not gonna be pretty though.
Freddy POV
Man, this bites. There's no other way to describe it. I don't know what to say, or how to act. When Summer was talking about how she would've killed herself if the band hadn't come along, I thought of a great joke. I mean, she basically said that because Dewey was a washed up loser desperate for money, she was still alive. I couldn't say it though. That would just make me seem like more of a jackass. And it was cruel. I don't want to be cruel. The attitude is just part of me.
I want to apologize to them, but I can't think of a way. Nothing I can think of seems good enough to apologize for all the torture they've gone through. Summer isn't really a prep. Or as much of one as she seems like. Her mom molded her into one. Now I feel bad for all those fights I picked with her. I must've made her life a lot worse. And Zack, I didn't exactly make his life any worse. We're pretty good friends. But from what I've heard, he was always there for Summer. I put more pressure on him. Unless she didn't go to him unless she was really upset.
I was in denial about the video. When I'm in denial I get angry. I really hate the aggressive part of me. It makes me seem like a bastard. But I guess I really am. I think I kinda knew something was wrong with Zack at home. We always hung out at my house, and he always had bruises attached to weird excuses. You'd always see them in PE. Maybe the video put the connection in my head and I didn't want to face it.
Drumming is my way of getting all my anger and aggression out. I don't think it'll work for the rage I'm feeling right now. What kind of sick bastard hurts their kid? Let alone someone else's. And tries to cop a feel on that other person's kid. If I was Zack I would've killed my dad by now. But that's the difference between me and Zack. I have never seen Zack resort to violence. I know he was thinking about it when he found out his father tried to get Summer, he was seething, but nothing would ever come from his anger. It would fade the second Summer touched his arm.
What was going to happen to them? Summer would probably stay here. I mean, her dad wasn't abusive, and since when he was gone it was business trips, not just to get away, he couldn't be charged with neglect. Summer's mom will just go to jail, and she'll live with her dad. But I don't know about Zack. He doesn't have any other relatives. They all died when he was a kid. Who knows? Maybe I could get my parents to adopt him. That'd be something.
I just wish there was a way I could not be an asshole and make this better for the two of them. The only time I've ever seen Summer be mean, is today when she slapped me. And Zack's absolutely never been mean. Why did everyone have to be mean to them? It's not fair. I'll admit, I wasn't fair. I was mean to Summer for ages. Now I wish I hadn't been. It's too late for that now though. All I can do now is hope that nothing bad happens to em again. I'd rather have anything bad planned to happen to them happen to me then for them to go through hell again. I haven't gone through anything. They've been through enough.
Zack POV
I don't know what to think of these reactions. Everyone's silent. Marta and Tomeka are crying, but other than that, nothing. I'm starting to wonder what's gonna happen. You would think if they were going to do something, they would've done it by now. Then again I think they're in an upset sort of shock. To paraphrase some stupid movie preview I saw the other day, "They are in a glass case of emotion!" I don't think Dewey even knows what to do in this sort of situation.
I think it was Freddy who figured out the song. They haven't talked about it, but when we were showing it to them, he was the only one who was really paying attention to the words. That's how Freddy decides if he likes a song. The words, not the music. I'll have to thank him. But you can tell right now, all he can think of is apologizing, or killing my dad. Summer's mom. But that's Freddy and his one track mind for you.
I'm the only one not that surprised that Summer only cried once. She doesn't like being upset in front of anyone. Her mom taught her that the only emotion she should show in front of people is happiness. I wish she didn't need to cry at all, but there's nothing I can do now. You can't exactly change the past. If you could, my mom wouldn't be dead right now.
Now, Summer has her head on my shoulder. She fell asleep a few minutes ago. I guess that's a good thing. She's gone through a lot today. My mind keeps going back to when I was restraining her in her room. You could tell she just wanted to collapse from exhaustion then and there. I don't think she's ever really been well rested for a while. When her emotion does explode she gets exhausted. She sleeps for at least three hours. She runs on pure adrenaline during those times. Today she had two.
I hate to admit it, but I'm scared that I'm not going to stay in town. Summer will end up living with her dad, but, I'll probably end up in the foster care system or something. That's one of the reasons I agreed to our pact. I figured as long as we had the support system within us, we wouldn't think about telling someone. I wanted to leave my dad, but I didn't want to leave the band or my friends. Now the worry is back because we've told, and I could end up leaving.
Marta POV
Just when I think I can't cry anymore, more tears show up. I've never experienced anything bad. No one close to me's ever been hurt or killed. I didn't know it was possible to be this upset. Me and Tomeka are the only one's that are crying. Are we the only ones that care enough? Even Summer isn't crying. It doesn't make sense. Doesn't anyone feel bad enough for the two of them to not care about what the band thinks?
The second day we had Dewey as Mr. S, he gave us all nicknames because he didn't know our names. Zack, was Zack Attack. Well, Zack got attacked. That has to be the crudest thing I've ever thought. But it's true. Zack was getting attacked nearly everyday. It was almost like a premonition on Dewey's part. At the time, I could only think of that one episode of Saved by the Bell. The band they had was called that. That band broke up. Part of me wants to wonder if that'll happen to us, but the other part says it doesn't matter. Your friends are going through bad times.
Why can't life be simple, like a TV sitcom? Everything's always solved in half an hour. Everything would be so much easier if life was like that. But I guess that's the point. Not everything's supposed to be easy. That's what my mom told me when I started gymnastics and couldn't even do a cartwheel. It's funny. You make connections at the weirdest times. Gymnastics and abuse. Those things go together well. Not.
Summer's nickname was Tinkerbell. At first I didn't get it. I didn't know her at all. To me she was just the priss who got good grades, never did anything wrong, and then bossed everyone around, tattling to the teacher. She wasn't anything like the little pixie from Peter Pan. But then the band came. Everything started to make sense. Whenever a fight came up, she was able to solve it and get everyone to calm down. She worked her magic to get us in and to our first Battle of the Bands. Just like a good fairy would. She was a real person, but until the band came, no one besides Katie noticed. She was small like a fairy. Only about a quarter of an inch taller than me, but I never noticed. She hasn't even grown that much since fifth grade. Maybe an inch. Now I'm wondering if it's because her mom didn't take care of her like a mother should. Peter Pan took care of Tinkerbell. I get the feeling Zack is Summer's Peter Pan. He takes care of her. Tinkerbell was willing to take poison meant for Peter Pan by the end of it all. She nearly died. But everyone saved her because they clapped. Clap if you believe in fairies! It worked every time. Tinkerbell was alive and well again. In a way, Summer took the poison for Zack today, taking abuse while he got safely upstairs. But no one's clapping for her.
Wow. That one took a while to write. I hope I represented all the characters well.
Random Quote of the Day: "My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where the hell she is."—Ellen DeGeneres
This is a really quick update, but here are the people who did get a chance to review.
Xo Miss Riley Xo
Veggie-Babu-Chan
Swimmerkitti
Author's Notes: I know I say this 20 billion times, but I can't thank you enough for all of the reviews. This chapter is going to contain a POV for every character currently at Dewey's apartment. Starting with the man himself. You're going to learn a bit more about everything that's happened to Zack and Summer through each person. Lawrence's POV is really short. I was having the hardest time getting in his head. I really like him, but it's hard to write like you are him. Sorry to all other Mr. Cool fans.
Ch4
Dewey POV
Man. Why them? They are the two nicest kids you'll ever meet. Unless you totally piss them off, but that takes work with them. They don't have a shred of attitude. Zack Attack's only rebellion ever was playing rock instead of classical. That's hardly a rebellion. But his dad beat him up about it.
Then there's Summer. I remember back when I pretended I was Ned, and tore up the gold star chart, she looked like she was going to cry. At the time I thought she was just the stuck up teachers pet, but now I know the truth. If the chart wasn't there, her mother wouldn't know she was perfect. Summer had grade punishments. If she got a 100, she wouldn't be punished. A 99-95 was a burn. 95-90 was a cut. Anything below that was a full on beating she told us. What kind of sick person puts that kind of pressure on a kid?
Zack's dad was different. Most of the time his abuse was verbal. He only hit Zack when he was drunk or really mad. It's no excuse though. He's still a bastard. No one should hurt their kids in any way.
All I keep thinking is, why did this happen to them? I know it's selfish to want it to happen to someone else. In truth I don't, but now the band is upset and I don't know what to do. I have no clue how to handle these situations. What if Summer never gets back to the way she was? Bossy and smart, able to control the band with a single snap of her fingers. And Zack, what if all this stuff makes him want to stop guitar? I'm selfish. To even be thinking about what's going to happen to the band right now is wrong. Two of the members are hurt, upset and scared. And all I can think of is what's gonna happen if they pull out? Will we still be able to put on a great show?
Let's face it. I'm not a great adult figure. I'm just a loser who's only life is his music. I don't know what I was thinking making a band with kids. Stuff like this was bound to happen. How am I supposed to handle life for others when I couldn't even handle life for myself? Summer and Zack never really had strong adult figures in their life. Zack's mom died when he was three, and then his dad turned into the asshole he is today. Summer's dad is always on business trips, hardly knows she's alive, and her mom cheats on her dad and beats her like there's no tomorrow.
What if they were looking to me as a role model? I'm not one to look up to. My life is rock and roll. Both of them are too smart to end like me. I thought. But now I'm realizing that they could have looked up to me, just because they thought I was cool. Well, I'm not so sure about Summer on that part, but Zack might have. Every guy needs a fatherly figure that cares. I've seen people in situations like his. They turned to the first adult male that was half cool to them. One of turned into a murderer. I know I'm not that bad, but it's scary to think that I could be these kids role models.
I keep thinking back to when I saw Zack's dad yelling at him in the Horace Green parking lot. I should've noticed something then. I mean the guy used force to make sure Zack faced him. I hate this. I'm thinking of all the things I could've seen or done. It's too late to change it now. I hate hindsight.
Katie POV
I had seen the movie that day. I should have noticed something that day. Why else would she have gotten sick over a couple scars? Summer's my best friend aside from Freddy. What kind of friend lets someone get abused? I know I didn't know, but I should've. Kids at prep school are supposed to be smart. We're supposed to figure things out. I want to shove my base down her mom's throat. That would teach her. No one would convict me of murder. All I'd have to say is I was playing bass at her house and her mom tried to off me. Then I'd have the self defense excuse. Besides, everyone hates people who beat up kids.
Zack's always quiet. I never really was able to get close to him, but I thought he was cool. The sullen loner image worked for him, until I found the reason for it. He was afraid he'd let something slip and his dad would kill him. He never could keep a secret that well, but I guess that's changed. No one even suspected a thing. Until Freddy listened closely to those song lyrics. I'm glad someone did. Everyone else was too blown away by Summer to notice.
Watching them now, you wouldn't suspect a thing if Summer didn't have the makings of a good black eye. They were sitting next to each other, and she had her head on his shoulder. I don't get it. How they just dropped this huge bomb and neither of them are exactly upset. I suppose they're more relieved, they won't have to go back to their parents anymore, but I half expected Summer to be bawling. Instead, she just looked content. And Zack had his arm around her shoulder.
I even feel bad for teasing her back in fifth grade about him. It's kinda clear why he put the charm on her bracelet now. Tomeka was right. He didn't want her to forget him. At the time he was the only one that was going to help her. Everything they did, had reasons now, albeit mostly bad ones. The whole band teased them about a lot stuff. Now I wish we hadn't.
It doesn't seem fair, no one else in the band had anything bad happen to them. Sure, Freddy has ADD but he has it under control. And Tomeka is losing the weight she needs to healthily. It's like someone decided to make two people have all the problems for the entire band. When did that ever become fair? Everyone is supposed to have their own problems that they have to deal with. But it seems like we have the perfect lives and Zack and Summer are SOL when it comes to good things happening to them. The closest way I can relate to how they could possibly feel is in the second grade Frankie called me a stupid-head. But even then I fought back. I socked him in the eye. Summer and Zack never tried to fight back once. Except for today. When their parents joined forces. But even that can't exactly be considered fighting back, they still ended up hurt.
If it had been me in their shoes, would I have told someone? I can't even figure this out. I would never be in their shoes. My parents love me. They would give their lives for me. Why couldn't Summer and Zack have parents like that? Why are people who are naturally mean by nature even allowed kids? Don't people realize what's gonna happen? I understand Zack's dad wasn't always like this, but he is now. Before Zack told anyone, didn't that mean anything?
You always see those commercials. It shouldn't hurt to be a child. I never really paid much attention to them. I was like Freddy. I thought nobody around me was getting hurt, why should I care? I wish I had paid more attention to them. I might've seen something sooner.
Tomeka POV
Man, why did this happen to them of all people? They've never done nothing to no one. They couldn't possibly have done anything to deserve this. Zack's the one that convinced me to go to Dewey about being a singer. And Summer, she's helped me every step of the way to lose weight the right way.
I've read about these kids who turned to a life of drugs and prostitution because they were abused. I don't want to think about what would happen if Summer and Zack did that. I can't imagine it. They're too smart for it. But those kids were supposedly too smart for it too. Being abused without getting help did something to their minds. Hopefully Zack and Summer, won't turn out like that. I mean they are getting help. That's a good sign isn't it?
Summer used to get teased a lot before Dewey came along. Almost everyday. I never felt that good about it, but I didn't do anything either. In the documentary, there was one part about this boy named Carl. His dad beat him up, and he got teased a lot. So much that in the end he committed suicide. When Summer mentioned she had been thinking about suicide, I thought of Carl immediately. The thought of her being like Carl nearly killed me. That part was depressing.
Zack was a loner. He didn't get teased. But he didn't really have friends before band either. I never understood him. When he did talk to people he was a really cool guy, but he didn't do it often. I don't think I'm ever gonna understand why not. But you could tell he cared about certain things. Every once in a while he would defend Summer. He got teased then too and he quickly backed off, but you could tell it made her feel better when he did.
I can only imagine what I'm gonna wanna do to these parents when the shock wears off. Am I gonna be angry like Freddy and Alicia, choosing to bludgeon them with the nearest object? Or am I gonna take it more like Lawrence and Marta, upset, but calm. I don't think I want to be either. I want to be happy. But I guess that's not an option anymore. Nothing can be the same. Summer and Zack are getting hurt.
Lawrence POV
I feel sick. No one should be hurt in the band. But they are. It is scary, that someone was hurting them, right under our noses. Out of all the kids in the band, no one even noticed. That is almost the scariest thought.
I remember, I did not want to be in the band. Now it is like my second family. When someone in my family gets hurt, or something bad happens, I always feel sick. It is what happens. I can not explain it. Neither can my parents. The only thing that helps is when things get better for everyone else. I don't know when that will happen, or if it will.
I see stories on the news about parents abusing their children. The children get thrown into a legal system. A lot of times, the law finds the parents not guilty, and the kids have to go back to their homes. A lot of those kids end up dead. What if the system does that to Zack or Summer? I do not think I would ever feel well again.
Alicia POV
Bunch of stupid ass parents. My attitude is at an all time high. Sick bastards beating on their kids. My friends. I want to kill them. It's times like these I'm glad I paid attention in history. I vote we get the band together and organize a lynching. Just go hang em in the trees in their back yards. I wouldn't ever pull that crap for real, but it's kinda nice being able to picture their faces turn purple and their bodies having death spasms.
I know Freddy's with me on this one. If he saw either one of them, and looks could kill, they'd be six feet under in a second. You can tell he's beating himself up over this. I would, but I'm too much of a hard ass to get mad at myself. I just get mad at the others. I want both of their parents in jail. Their weak asses wouldn't be able to last two days. I've seen the news. Prison holds all sorts of nut jobs. Murderers, rapists. Yeah, you would think they're the worst scum on the planet. But the second a child beater gets into the prison with them, if they find out, that guy is dead. Not even murderers like child abusers.
I was pissed off when I found out about them getting hurt. I was even madder when I heard about her mother having an affair too. Then when it was with Zack's lame ass dad. Of course that's not what set me off. The real kicker was the black eye wasn't from her own abusive parent. It was from Zack's. Just 'cuz she wouldn't let him molest her. Her own mother was gonna let him though.
Zack was mad about that too. You could just tell. He really cares for Summer. I mean, he knew exactly how to get her to calm down when she broke down when explaining things to us. That's not like a teenage boy. A teenage boy is supposed to freak out when a girl cries. Damn them parents. Makin them so upset. They didn't get a chance to be kids.
If I ever see one of those sons-of-bitches I don't know what I'll do. I do know it's not gonna be pretty though.
Freddy POV
Man, this bites. There's no other way to describe it. I don't know what to say, or how to act. When Summer was talking about how she would've killed herself if the band hadn't come along, I thought of a great joke. I mean, she basically said that because Dewey was a washed up loser desperate for money, she was still alive. I couldn't say it though. That would just make me seem like more of a jackass. And it was cruel. I don't want to be cruel. The attitude is just part of me.
I want to apologize to them, but I can't think of a way. Nothing I can think of seems good enough to apologize for all the torture they've gone through. Summer isn't really a prep. Or as much of one as she seems like. Her mom molded her into one. Now I feel bad for all those fights I picked with her. I must've made her life a lot worse. And Zack, I didn't exactly make his life any worse. We're pretty good friends. But from what I've heard, he was always there for Summer. I put more pressure on him. Unless she didn't go to him unless she was really upset.
I was in denial about the video. When I'm in denial I get angry. I really hate the aggressive part of me. It makes me seem like a bastard. But I guess I really am. I think I kinda knew something was wrong with Zack at home. We always hung out at my house, and he always had bruises attached to weird excuses. You'd always see them in PE. Maybe the video put the connection in my head and I didn't want to face it.
Drumming is my way of getting all my anger and aggression out. I don't think it'll work for the rage I'm feeling right now. What kind of sick bastard hurts their kid? Let alone someone else's. And tries to cop a feel on that other person's kid. If I was Zack I would've killed my dad by now. But that's the difference between me and Zack. I have never seen Zack resort to violence. I know he was thinking about it when he found out his father tried to get Summer, he was seething, but nothing would ever come from his anger. It would fade the second Summer touched his arm.
What was going to happen to them? Summer would probably stay here. I mean, her dad wasn't abusive, and since when he was gone it was business trips, not just to get away, he couldn't be charged with neglect. Summer's mom will just go to jail, and she'll live with her dad. But I don't know about Zack. He doesn't have any other relatives. They all died when he was a kid. Who knows? Maybe I could get my parents to adopt him. That'd be something.
I just wish there was a way I could not be an asshole and make this better for the two of them. The only time I've ever seen Summer be mean, is today when she slapped me. And Zack's absolutely never been mean. Why did everyone have to be mean to them? It's not fair. I'll admit, I wasn't fair. I was mean to Summer for ages. Now I wish I hadn't been. It's too late for that now though. All I can do now is hope that nothing bad happens to em again. I'd rather have anything bad planned to happen to them happen to me then for them to go through hell again. I haven't gone through anything. They've been through enough.
Zack POV
I don't know what to think of these reactions. Everyone's silent. Marta and Tomeka are crying, but other than that, nothing. I'm starting to wonder what's gonna happen. You would think if they were going to do something, they would've done it by now. Then again I think they're in an upset sort of shock. To paraphrase some stupid movie preview I saw the other day, "They are in a glass case of emotion!" I don't think Dewey even knows what to do in this sort of situation.
I think it was Freddy who figured out the song. They haven't talked about it, but when we were showing it to them, he was the only one who was really paying attention to the words. That's how Freddy decides if he likes a song. The words, not the music. I'll have to thank him. But you can tell right now, all he can think of is apologizing, or killing my dad. Summer's mom. But that's Freddy and his one track mind for you.
I'm the only one not that surprised that Summer only cried once. She doesn't like being upset in front of anyone. Her mom taught her that the only emotion she should show in front of people is happiness. I wish she didn't need to cry at all, but there's nothing I can do now. You can't exactly change the past. If you could, my mom wouldn't be dead right now.
Now, Summer has her head on my shoulder. She fell asleep a few minutes ago. I guess that's a good thing. She's gone through a lot today. My mind keeps going back to when I was restraining her in her room. You could tell she just wanted to collapse from exhaustion then and there. I don't think she's ever really been well rested for a while. When her emotion does explode she gets exhausted. She sleeps for at least three hours. She runs on pure adrenaline during those times. Today she had two.
I hate to admit it, but I'm scared that I'm not going to stay in town. Summer will end up living with her dad, but, I'll probably end up in the foster care system or something. That's one of the reasons I agreed to our pact. I figured as long as we had the support system within us, we wouldn't think about telling someone. I wanted to leave my dad, but I didn't want to leave the band or my friends. Now the worry is back because we've told, and I could end up leaving.
Marta POV
Just when I think I can't cry anymore, more tears show up. I've never experienced anything bad. No one close to me's ever been hurt or killed. I didn't know it was possible to be this upset. Me and Tomeka are the only one's that are crying. Are we the only ones that care enough? Even Summer isn't crying. It doesn't make sense. Doesn't anyone feel bad enough for the two of them to not care about what the band thinks?
The second day we had Dewey as Mr. S, he gave us all nicknames because he didn't know our names. Zack, was Zack Attack. Well, Zack got attacked. That has to be the crudest thing I've ever thought. But it's true. Zack was getting attacked nearly everyday. It was almost like a premonition on Dewey's part. At the time, I could only think of that one episode of Saved by the Bell. The band they had was called that. That band broke up. Part of me wants to wonder if that'll happen to us, but the other part says it doesn't matter. Your friends are going through bad times.
Why can't life be simple, like a TV sitcom? Everything's always solved in half an hour. Everything would be so much easier if life was like that. But I guess that's the point. Not everything's supposed to be easy. That's what my mom told me when I started gymnastics and couldn't even do a cartwheel. It's funny. You make connections at the weirdest times. Gymnastics and abuse. Those things go together well. Not.
Summer's nickname was Tinkerbell. At first I didn't get it. I didn't know her at all. To me she was just the priss who got good grades, never did anything wrong, and then bossed everyone around, tattling to the teacher. She wasn't anything like the little pixie from Peter Pan. But then the band came. Everything started to make sense. Whenever a fight came up, she was able to solve it and get everyone to calm down. She worked her magic to get us in and to our first Battle of the Bands. Just like a good fairy would. She was a real person, but until the band came, no one besides Katie noticed. She was small like a fairy. Only about a quarter of an inch taller than me, but I never noticed. She hasn't even grown that much since fifth grade. Maybe an inch. Now I'm wondering if it's because her mom didn't take care of her like a mother should. Peter Pan took care of Tinkerbell. I get the feeling Zack is Summer's Peter Pan. He takes care of her. Tinkerbell was willing to take poison meant for Peter Pan by the end of it all. She nearly died. But everyone saved her because they clapped. Clap if you believe in fairies! It worked every time. Tinkerbell was alive and well again. In a way, Summer took the poison for Zack today, taking abuse while he got safely upstairs. But no one's clapping for her.
Wow. That one took a while to write. I hope I represented all the characters well.
Random Quote of the Day: "My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where the hell she is."—Ellen DeGeneres
This is a really quick update, but here are the people who did get a chance to review.
Xo Miss Riley Xo
Veggie-Babu-Chan
Swimmerkitti