Chapter Text
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"P-please... No! Stop... I-I-... You can have all my money!"
Punches.
"A-AAH! N-no! I'm sorry! I'll finish it on time...! Your homework I'll do that too! H-help you cheat on your tests to?!"
Uncontrollable sobs.
"Shut your faggot mouth!!"
Pleads.
"No please! Stop!"
Bruises.
"This is your fault!"
Rips and tears
"But what did I-I do...?!"
Blood...
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It's been like this ever since I could remember... Daily beat ups over money, lack of completed tasks or over the fact that I was smarter, was common. But the most frustrating part about this all is that more than the majority of the times... It's for no reason. None. Nada. Nothing. At fucking. All. They just pull me into a corner, shove me into a locker, lock it and then just leave... Just. Fucking. Leave. You’d think that would be hard considering my large stature, but you’d be surprised by what a lot of force can do.
Honestly... I'd love being locked away from everything and finally be able to be at peace... If it weren't for my crippling fear of tight spaces. Within minutes I'd be on the floor (If possible) gasping for air and knocking on the cold and harsh metal to be let out, only to be mocked by the others laughter as it faded away, further, and further. Glob... I just want to... Want to... Want to rip off all their heads!! Is it my well kept fluorescent hair? My clothes? My favourite colour? The fact I'm smarter than them? Or even far richer than them?! That drives them to taunt me in such a way? At least the teachers were on my side, to which I'm very grateful.
Whatever it was, I don't have to worry about it anymore. Finally, with days and days of begging and nagging my parents to change my school, I'm being transferred! Barnaby Gumball will finally be able to study and be at peace in a school where I'm not everyone's punching bag! No worries! No fears!
As the annoying alarm clock rang, I was knocked out of my thoughts about the past. I had been awake for an hour now and had prepared everything for this day the previous night. I didn't really have anyone but myself in this giant mansion, so no one came to wake me up and wish me good luck like I'd normally would've liked or gotten. Sometimes it's nice to be alone but when you never have anyone around you for months on end, it gets very lonely...
Don't get me wrong, I have a very 'loving' family, well, mom and sis sure love me and accept me... My dad though... He's definitely a dad... He's never really liked me... You see, I was born from a woman that my dad was dating after marrying my mom for four years and having my sis for two years. Her name I was told was Pepper Montoya. Mother told me that she was a beautiful woman. Natural bright pearl white hair that bobbed just below her jaw, it shone like the moonlight ribbons in the ebony sky. She often streaked her hair with red to match my dad's, though, it would never be able to be as richly natural red as his ever was. I guess that's why my hair is so pink... You can even see separate strands of white and red in my hair too! It's so unnaturally natural! Back to the main topic though. I wasn't told what happened in detail but all I knew was that she was supposedly in some sort of underground crime thing and was caught and sentenced to life long jail. The court, nor she knew that she was already two months pregnant when she was caught. when they did find out was when she tried escaping, hurting herself in the process and was forced into a hospital. As an 'apology' for messing up and sending a pregnant woman to jail, she was sentenced free of all charges. As anyone would do, she went to my dad for a home to stay in, for the love she longed for, and for the care she'd need to protect me. My dad didn't accept her, nor did he agree to pay for child support, he didn’t have much of a say in it though. My mother took her in and cared for her instead. She wasn't happy with it at first but due to circumstances, they tolerated each other -actually turning in to great friends later on! Sadly, my actual mother didn't survive the operation, thus forcing me into my dad's custody (which he didn't want what so ever, he was already dealing with my sister, he didn't want to deal with me too) ever since then, he's just hated me. Hated me for being born. Hating me for reminding him of Pepper. You should've seen the look on his face when my mom finally suggested transferring me to a different school, he was so fucking. Happy. Not even a week passed, and I was tossed into this mansion, that he owned, in the middle of a very run down and ghetto-like area. Mom wanted to come along but dad being a dad, he forbid it. Apparently, he'll be sending money monthly and not any small pocket money, a grand amount of money. Guess he wants me gone that bad, huh? Just so child care won't be a stick up his ass, he also told my uncle, Lennon Grabenstein, to do a monthly check up that would supposedly last a week. "He's not that bad, just hard to understand" as my mother usually tells me. He's a maniac! He's just like my dad, being his cousin and all, he hates me just as much as he hates my dad! Just like my dad’s hate for me, Lennon’s hate for me is over Pepper too: she was his ex that he never got over.
You might be wondering why I'm doing all this instead of just going to the cops and reporting a case, possibly making everything all normal? Are you insane?! My dad owns the richest company up to date! A candy making company that goes by the name 'the Kandy Kingdom' that has a reputation to uphold. If I were to even think of doing so and getting negative media attention towards myself, which would result questioning my dad and then his company, he'll certainly torture me! Not kill, but torture! Now, you may be wondering how a candy company makes sooo much money just by selling candy? Well, candy is what they sell but the type of candy ranges from sugary sweets to nose candy and even adult fun time candy... Not the 'cleanest' of companies you'll find...
with a deep sigh, I slide off my bed and on to the cold wood floor. My toes curl on contact and my body instantly wants me to wrap myself back into the heavenly blanket cocoon. I push those urges aside and make my way to the bathroom, doing my normal daily routine. A quick steamy shower, brushing my teeth bright white, doing my hair, and fixing my braces. After all of that, I made my way to my closet and picked out a simple outfit, a white button up shirt, baby blue sweatshirt that had three white stripes on my right upper arm on top of that, making sure to take out the collar, some beige skinny jeans and finally a pair of black high tops. I was contemplating wearing my navy-blue sweater vest instead, but I already looked nerdy as it was. Thank God, I had contacts instead of my glasses. They weren't the thick frame but still, nerdy none the less. Even though I'd rather not wear my glasses, I still kept them on me since my eyes didn't like contacts. After a few hours, they start to sting and blur my vision further than they already are. So, whenever that happens, I just whip out my glasses and replace them with my contacts. I don't really have to wear them throughout the school day (the contracts usually last the entire school day) but it's better safe than sorry. With my glasses in my bag and my bag on my shoulders, I put in my contacts before gliding down the stairs and into my kitchen, I grabbed a piece of bread, spread some strawberry jam (which I made at home and was pretty proud of) on it and quickly scarfed it down before grabbing my wallet, shoving it in my back pocket, and making my way to the front door. I grabbed the keys that lay inside an elegantly designed pot on the small table next to the entrance door. With a slight cling against the porcelain rock, the keys were in my hands and I made my way out the house. I locked the door with the keys and slid them into my pocket, making sure my wallet was in there as well. Once that was checked, I made my long journey towards the starting of my new junior school year, well, I'm joining in half way but still. New school, new year.
There were no houses around my own, you had to walk a few blocks before you could spot some sort of civilization. About ten minutes of walking, minimum, you'd be able to see your first house, along with many others. Remember how I said I lived in a run-down ghetto-like community? Yea, I wasn't kidding. The houses looked as though their frames could barely hold themselves up. They weren't large at all, two stories yes, but very skinny. They could barely hold two bedrooms, a kitchen, a combined dining room and living room and if they’re very lucky, maybe a basement. The side walk was all cracked, the grass around it a putrid brown. Nothing about this area seemed the least bit welcoming, let alone safe.
Reaching the bus stop wasn't hard, but the wait for it to arrive was. I had only waited a maximum of five minutes, but it seemed like an eternity. Everyone that walked by, which was an about three people and an annoying little kid, gave me suspicious glares as if I had robbed their houses and had been let free of any charges. I swear, the only thing missing in this scene is a tumble weed, and I wouldn't be surprised if one did end up rolling in front of me.
I hate getting out my house, it's always so nerve wrecking to be noticed by others for being strange or popping out because your hair is naturally not normal. I wish my sister were here... She always knows how to move and act, so I would stay comfortable, she even knew how to deal with people, unlike me, who always messed his words up or stumbled over absolutely nothing and further made a joke out of himself. I barely spoke anyways though, I'm either too ‘shy’ to speak or too nervous I'll mess up my words, which was all the time. On top of that, my insecurity over my braces makes me want to keep my mouth shut all the time. Even though I asked for the wiring to be clear, the little silver fillings still shine through. My sister actually could have come with me here, my dad was even willing to do so but I refused. She had a university to attend to on the total opposite side of this place that would take about a two-hour drive daily and I didn't want to be a nuisance furthermore than I already have been. If she were here, I'd always stick with her as if someone had glued me to her with no feasible way of separation. Pathetic? Very.
The puke yellow school bus turned the corner, stopping right in front of me and swinging its doors open to reveal a very groggy and pissed off looking driver. He looked as though he hadn't bathed in a long while, skin dried and cracking, white tank top turned puke-ish green from all the sweat and grease accumulated from the pale skin, green shorts with unidentifiable stains which almost made it look like he was wearing cameo-shorts. "Hurry the fuck on. I ain't waitin' all day for yer ass to enter." The obese driver spat out, making me rush inside the bus only to be engulfed in the scent of sweat and piss. Ew. I cautiously walked down the aisle, finding not a single spot to sit in. After a bit more walking, I noticed one in the far back of the vehicle, phew! I rushed to the seat, ignoring all stares and odd looks, before taking the seat, well... Almost. There was another person sitting there, looking out the window with head phones on and not a care in the world about his surrounding. His music was awfully loud, I could almost make out the word and to me, they didn't sound pleasant at all. With a tap on the other's shoulder, he turned to look at the finger that was atop his shoulder before following up the arm and connecting line of sight with mine. He had deep auburn brown eyes which were complemented and deepened by dark eye bags. He probably hadn't slept well the past few days or had been partying all night since the past two days were the weekend. His hair was shaggy and untamed, ebony strands scattered all around, screaming to be brushed. His crisp jaw could probably cut glass if it wanted to and his high cheek bones, combined with everything else, gave him the appearance of a Greek god with dark tan skin. His bony fingers smoothly slid off one side of the headphones earpiece before cocking up a brow at me in both annoyance and curiosity.
"What do you want?" Oh, glob... His voice was heavenly smooth, deep, and musical. Each word escaped his mouth like a symphony, enjoyed by everyone, even those who despised music.
"I-I... Can I sit h-here...?" I stuttered, pointing out to the empty seat beside him. Great Gumball. Just fucking great. Did you really have to stutter?! The others rigid lips twisted into a quirky smirk, letting out a deep yet quiet cackle. He slid back his headphone, returning his gaze outside right after nodding a "yeah, go ahead"
A bright smile appeared on my lips and I quickly took my seat. I wasn't pushed to the ground! If I'd asked for a spot like this in my other school, they would've forced me to sit on the ground. As soon as my hips made contact to the uncomfortable grey, fake leather seat, everyone, who had been watching and listening contently, let out a gasp. All of their faces showing extreme fear and... Concern? The boy from beside me looked up and in a blink of an eye, all of them turned their heads to the front and whispered to one another in a very hushed manner. The driver lets out an annoyed sigh, sending a glare at me through the rear-view mirror before starting the bus and heading to the next stop. Uh oh... That's never a good sign...
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