Chapter 70

“Lean on me.”

There was an old story that I was taught back in elementary school.

Once there was a priest walking by his lonesome at night, just trying to make his way back home. Everytime this priest would go and trott the streets at night after a busy day teaching in a school, or lecturing in a chapel, an intimidating creature would always come to his side and walk with him back.

This creature was a big gray wolf.

Every night without fail this wolf would walk with him, accompany him and see him off to the gates of the oratory where he lived, and then vanish.

The priest never knew where the wolf would go.

Once he looks away to retrieve the keys to open the oratory’s gates. He’d be gone.

Nowhere to be found.

He once had walked home with a friend when the wolf appeared on cue. The friend of the priest was so scared that he pleaded with the priest to run as he threw rocks at it to distract it. But the priest didn’t oblige, convincing his dear friend that the wolf was his noble companion.

His friend trusted the priest, despite his worry, and they walked together back home as the wolf carried on its duty and kept a watchful eye on the priest.

Funnily enough when they had arrived, the wolf was nowhere to be found. Leaving his friend to question his sanity. So much that he needed to be escorted home by two men as he feared for the haunted wolf.

One rainy night, after the priest had done his daily duties within the city, he had noticed some strange cloaked men following him.

He watched them as he walked calmly, and in turn they as well walked the same. He watched them as he quickened his pace, and as he feared they also “quickened” their pace. He tried to break into a sprint but this time they had caught on that the priest was on to them and captured him. Throwing a dark cloak to his face and restraining him down.

It was at this point that the priest thought that his life had come to an end.

He tried to shout in hopes that someone might hear. But it was in vain.

The priest relaxed, as he accepted his fate that had befallen him but alas.

He hears a bellowing howl.

There was a struggle as the priest had finally freed himself from the men’s grasp and as he regained his sight after shedding the cloak that had nearly suffocated him he saw the wolf pouncing and biting off the men who had attacked him as they pleaded to the priest to restrain the creature.

The priest agreed in exchange that they would let him be in peace and as they did, the wolf released them, sending them away with their tails in between their legs.

There would be multiple times when this creature would appear in this priest's life and each and every time it would appear, it would do so to prevent or save him from certain peril.

From the time they had met when he was still a young priest, till all the way when he had aged and become more established. The wolf would always appear to his aid, whilst showing no signs of aging. Some accounts would say they might be different breeds who happen to be close by. Whilst some agree that the creature was his guardian angel.

Nonetheless, whatever this creature might be.

It was his friend.

…

This is a story that was told to me by the good priests back when I was still at Saint Augustus.

Right before I left.

Sad to say but those guys were just one of the immensely few reasons I miss that school.

And to make it even sadder.

I had always dreamt of being that priest.

That priest who was always being saved by that wolf.

But that never happened.

Kinda shitty for a bedtime story isn’t it?

…

…

Denzo?

Yeah?

What does “Didn’t wanna see another me” mean?

Oh that.

Wait… Who told you?

…

…

Pai.

Figures…

But… He really sounded troubled by it.

Well…

He… Sorta said something else too that made me worried…

What is it?

About you not wanting to be friends with anyone…

I mean… Am I--

Anyone but you…

Oh…

Well…

At the very least I’m glad then.

But- -

You wanna know a secret?

A secret that I need you to swear never to tell?

Huh?

Umm… Okay.

Yes.

I swear not to.

I promise.

…

...

That day when you first saw me.

You have Pai to thank for that.

Because I never really planned on enrolling anywhere.

But I did.

I got myself expelled hoping to never return, nor study. And yet…

Here I am.

Because I saw something that deeply frightened me.

And what is that?

The week before I arrived… I saw myself.

Myself, that wished for the wolf that never came.

I felt the heartache of hoping for hope, hope that I knew will never arrive.

So I steeled my resolve, and in the end… I guess… I became the wolf.

Saw Pai about to get ambushed by some Epsilons just outside the J&B…

Stepped in, fucked them up…

The rest is history.

Teehee, So you're the hero wolf then?

Pai’s savior?

Should I be worried that he might take you away from me?’

Aida…

Kidding!

But…

Why enroll here then? I mean…

You didn’t really need to.

Looking back… No.

But the truth is I did it for me.

As I said. I saw something that frightened me that night.

The fear of seeing another me.

The fear of knowing that there is another me.

Who struggled like me.

Who’s br-- yeah.

Broken?

…

Don’t.

Hey.

Remember.

I’ll always be right here for you.

Okay?

…

Okay.

But yeah.

Broken.

…

…

It’s the main reason why I got myself out of that place.

It’s why I even wished to be that priest.

…

Wanna know another secret?

…

…

I got expelled because I sent a bunch of boys to the hospital.

…

Heh. I guess you’re not surprised.

But my mom sure was.

She said she never taught me to be a violent child.

Which is something I found to be rightfully laughable.

Because everything she had taught me was useless when it comes to surviving at that school.

Compared to St. Rita.

The College of St. Augustus was a damned prison.

People think since it’s an all boys school that it's a haven for camaraderie and all that shit.

But it's quite the opposite.

It’s every motherfucker for himself.

It's a playground for boys to go beat up other boys under the guise of playground rules.

Those who are strong get respected.

And in turn are viewed as “cool”

The “in” crowd.

In there no one really cares about whose parents have the most money nor who has the latest gadgets.

It’s about who’s the biggest and baddest asshole.

The more of a delinquent you are the stronger you look, and in turn the more people will follow you without question.

A barbarian’s playground.

And it didn’t suit me one bit.

And because it didn’t… I was one of its victims.

...

…

Yeah…

Were you bullied when you first got there?

No.

The grade school years were fine…

Made a lot of friends… Had a normal life.

But come middle school I suddenly found myself alone.

Most of the friends I made during grade school had transferred to other schools…

I dunno where… but.

I was kinda bracing myself to see an old friend loitering around St. Rita’s but well…

I guess they transferred someplace else.

Someplace far… I dunno… I don’t care.

The sucky thing was when I entered middle school it was like I entered another establishment.

And it was only because… everyone was different… felt different.

I found myself not being able to connect to anyone.

I blame it on the age gap but… I’m still struggling to realize that a year could make a difference in behavior.

…

…

No… I don’t think so.

I mean…

If that were true then…

Then we’d be treating you differently now right?

Heh…

Another secret.

This one you REALLY don’t tell.

Don’t be like that.

You’re scaring me.

…

…

What is it?

I came with my gramps to enroll here.

And I did so for a good reason.

My mom skipped me a grade cuz she thought I was gonna get too complacent because of my results. So she advanced me a year ahead.

To challenge me… Since I aced everyone during my kindergarten days.

So technically I was a year younger than everyone else.

Kept that in mind when I enrolled here so I specifically told my gramps to roll it back.

I’m actually repeating a year.

WHAT?!

And so far nothing of the sort has happened.

Also another thing….

I feel that Pai is in the same boat as I was…. Meaning…

W-wait?

Are you sure?

No evidence… just… gut feeling…

Anyways.

When you can’t find a decent clique to latch on to, people start to notice.

And single you out.

I ate my lunch alone. Sat alone during breaks. Always picked last during gym.

And slowly but surely the other kids picked up on how alone I was.

No one talked about it though, but… I felt it.

Their laughs, their whispers, their eyes everytime I passed by.

They were watching… waiting… Until one day someone finally made a move.

Nothing special.

But it was effective.

It was gym and we were doing basketball drills.

The drill was you run across the court whilst dribbling the basketball.

I didn’t notice it back then but looking back at it now.

They deliberately lined me up dead center of the line.

And when I say they.

I meant the whole class…

When my turn was about to arrive, the kid who was running towards me would throw the pass…

As you should.

But they didn’t throw it back to me.

They aimed for the kid behind me.

And they did that until everyone else was done… and when I thought:

“Oh well I’m the last one in the line I’m pretty sure they won’t have a choice but pass it to me”

They all coordinated and formed back the line…. And it worked.

The gym teacher never noticed and ended the session.

And this shit went on for the rest of the drills during the semester that…

Denzo…

…

When it came to individual trials…

I flunked.

And from then on everything started to suck…

When we were changing in the lockers from the gym sweats to the uniforms I’ll sometimes find glue in my shoes.

Sometimes I’d get ketchup stains on my uniform so I’d be forced to wear my sweaty gym shirt for the rest of the day.

There was the other time that someone stole my lunchbox, which made my mom fucking furious, and it resurfaced two months later with cat shit inside my tupperwares…

And I knew this cuz it “respawned” back underneath my seat after being gone and forgotten.

I already had a new lunch box by then and it reappeared… with shit.

And that was just the beginning.

It kept getting worse from there.

One of the lackeys of this hotshot guy was tasked to bring cigarettes one day so he had a lighter on the ready.

See this scar on my neck?

…

…

…

He sucker punched me when I was eating alone with the lighter in between his knuckles.

He made sure he used it first to get the metal tip nice and warm.

Bastard.

The same hotshot guy also ordered one of his other lackeys in the student council to alter the class sheets for him…

Guess what he did.

Denzo no…

He had my name erased for that particular teacher’s class.

Looking back it was so goddamn funny why they chose that particular teacher.

Cuz she was hot.

And it was that hotshot guys type.

The guy kinda looked and acted like Pete did so you can guess why I looked annoyed whenever he was around when we all first met.

Oh…

That explains a lot.

Oh! Oh!

Back to topic, just before I enrolled here I got some juicy news about that asshole hotshot.

Turns out he actually banged that teacher.

He was raving on it in his socials during the summer.

Wonder what came of it knowing the school has its own social media presence.

Anyways…

…

…

What?

Nothing… just…

You sound too enthused telling something…

something…

Horrible?

…

…

I’ve already made my peace with it.

…

Wanna know how I got myself expelled?

You already told me.

I told you why.

Not how.

…

…

Ok.

Well to continue where we left. I was really tossed around like trash during middle school.

And to make it worse I thought it would all go away when I started highschool but…

And this is where I think or at least speculate that the teachers were in on it.

Cuz I was put in the worst class that I can be placed in.

Right in the middle of all the assholes in my grade.

Usually I’d just have two or three of the known war freak lackeys in my class but.

Shit when I saw the class sheets my legs trembled.

I got the whole hornet’s nest with me.

…

Denzo…

…

Nahh those are anger trembles…

Not anything else…

…

I’m here…

Okay?

…

Okay.

…

…

So umm… I don’t wanna… put you through it so to cut it short.

It was a bad year.

I almost contemplated--

Well it’s a bad year.

…

…

…

I know.

…

I’m here.

And that’s what matters okay?

…

…

Well it’s… It’s not all dull and rainy you know?

There were times where I found some inspiration.

Really?

Like what?

Well during that time Harvest Valley announced a sequel.

No way?!

You play that?!

Yeah.

I love farm games.

I find them relaxing.

Relaxing?

Jinx!

Jinx!

Damn I guess we have the same brain?

Maybe?

Or maybe we’re just that compatible? Fufu.

Heh I’d love that.

And I love -You-

-kiss-

…

…

…

…

So playing farming games led you to me huh?

You led you to me.

Fufu

But it did give me something to look forward to.

Told myself to keep it together if I was to see what more that future could bring.

But…

I was still scared shitless since I knew enough I needed some sort of ace up my sleeve.

Just to keep my head barely above the water.

So I watched a couple of videos on youtube.

How to punch.

How to kick.

How to dodge.

And I just practiced it.

Kinda stupid since I wasn’t really fighting anyone besides my own imagination.

And everytime somebody felt like bullying me I never did use what I practiced.

But…

It kept me sane somehow. And I dunno why.

It just did.

That mentality of “I’ll get you next time don’t you worry” after getting beaten up.

I think that’s what saved me.

And I kept doing that shadow “Training” all until my final year.

To make it more juicer

It was -also- that year when I found out why I became such a target.

So umm… I became a target by a group of lackeys who waited for me by the gates of the school for the dumbest of reasons.

…

What reason?

I got brave and called one of the kids “Mango Face”

Mango Face??

Yeah.

Cuz his head looked like one with that pointy fuckin chin he has.

It was such a fucking lame joke that I thought the lackeys would laugh it off.

Ya know…

Cuz I’m just one of the losers?

But for some reason he got touchy with it.

I wasn’t that perceptive then but now…

I think that Asswipe was sensitive about his looks.

Fufu…

From how you said it I take it that the guy had a really pointy chin?

Fuckin long, like…

Holy shit is that your chin or a spear?

Hahaha! Fucking hell.

So he got pissed. Got his friends to wait for me by the gate and when I arrived…

Boom!

I immediately got clotheslined by some dude I’ve never met before.

It hurt but I was still conscious enough to hear them like…

This one dude I never saw was saying:

“Hey is this the scrawny dweeb you were talking about?”

And he was like:

“Yeah that’s the motherfucker saying shit about me!”

And then the guy was like:

“Oh I see. Yeah you’re the one those other guys were talking about.”

So I was thinking when I heard that, that they had some sort of an agenda or something… Right?

But no. He just went ahead and told me:

“You fugly motherfucker… You know we at the FRAT are very particular with aesthetics.

Goddamn you just have the most punchable face I’ve ever seen.”

And… well… he proceeded to wreck me…

But in my head it kinda clicked that these guys are organized.

I was so used to the pain that my brain shut it off so I could escape and think about things.

And when I heard the word “FRAT” from his greasy pie hole… I knew something’s up.

That they’re not just some kids fucking around like thugs.

Back then, fraternity violence was already a thing.

The only thing I didn’t know was why?

Not “why me?” but “why at all?”

And for some reason everybody’s been turning a blind eye to it.

Even the teachers.

For years I struggled to find any reason for it. I had no idea.

I just kinda… Burned it in the corners of my mind that FRAT is -equals- bad but…

When I heard what Pete had to say.

Then It made sense.

But going back.

It was a total shitshow.

The usual…

I was getting beaten up like a punching bag.

And it was even more worse since the new guy I didn’t know was fucking huge.

But… He did make a mistake.

Oh?

He flinched for a sec?

Hesitated?

No.

His mistake was he was an even bigger asshole.

It wasn’t enough that they were making me their punching bag.

He just had to rip my backpack off of me and scatter my things on the ground.

Oh God. Denzo…

He thought he could find something interesting to bully me and…

Oh boy he did.

I was secretly saving half my lunch money for the past five months.

It was all for me to purchase a Gamedeck.

You know… the handheld PC thing?

Oh yea yea…

Pete was raving about it at the time.

Ok cool.

So you know it then.

And you also know how it costs?

Kinda?

Well…

I was saving so I could clear the downpayment for it.

No…

I don’t like this…

Denzo…

I got the cash.

And paid them down.

And I was playing Harvest Valley with it.

And I happened to bring it with me that day.

Fuck…

Did you ever get it back?

Huh?

Who said they stole it?

No…

They saw the game I had installed inside.

Laughed at me for playing a “sissy” game.

And smashed it under their feet.

Dumbasses thought I wouldn’t do anything about it so they had me unrestrained while they made fun of me on the ground, and in tears because they smashed my Gamedeck.

What they didn’t account for was them dumping my stuff right in front of me.

All those sharp ballpoint pens and drawing pens for art class…

All there within reach.

Oh god…

Two were sent straight to the ER with pens sticking out their necks.

The big guy got three pens to the back and a pencil in his taint.

Cuz the fucker wouldn’t stay still…

And the school authorities found me like a lunatic, crying on the ground uncontrollably over my destroyed Gamedeck.

And to make it worse.

Mom took the school’s side.

Telling me that I’m a bloodthirsty thug like my grandpa.

Almost killing “innocent” boys because of a stupid game thing.

Bitch.

…

…

I needed this hug…

thanks…

Well anyways the bitch did pay for the remaining balance for the Gamedeck…

And even when the store offered a replacement she denied it.

Calling it evil and a bad influence on her child.

Idiot.

You know that one of the kids almost really died?

If I just stabbed the fucker a coupe of centimeters off to the right or the left…

I’d have ruptured an artery…

And he’d be D.O.A

Don’t Denzo…

Don’t please…

It’s almost as if you’re saying that you’d rather have that…

Than to have met me.

…

Oh…

…

I don’t mean that…

But then again…

If I never met you I wouldn’t have known that my life had better stuff in store for me.

Since… Well… Everything’s been shitty till recently…

…

…

…

…

Denzo?

Hmm?

You’re not alone now okay?

I want you to know this.

Okay?

You don’t have to be your own gray wolf.

…

…

…

…

…

…

If need be.

Let me save you.

…

Heh.

Really?

But you don’t look like the gray wolf type…

Fuck off…

Maybe a Guardian Angel?

Fufu.

Okay.

So I’m kinda like an angel in wolf’s clothing then?

Fufu…

Yeah…

Let’s settle at that…

…

…

…

So?

Let’s get some sleep?

Okay.

But I think I’ll be having nightmares with your story, Denzo.

Nahh… I got you.

Fufu.

I know.

I still have to be early tomorrow.

Wish me luck with the old hag.

You’ll be fine Denzo.

You’ll be fine.

-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-

‘Wait wait wait!’ Aida sprints to the door, immediately knowing who the person on the other side was as she swings it open the moment she touched the knob.

‘Denzo?! What happened?’ She asks, deeply concerned as her first action after seeing his forlorn face was to give him the tightest embrace he could receive. Hugging her back in response, as she felt his warm tears rushing down her collar.

‘I left Aida… I left…’

He spoke as if he had just murdered someone.

Sweat running down his brow, his breathing heavy.

Denzo looked like a plethora of all the emotions that a human being could muster.

A sight that frightened Aida as she observed him where she stood. Immediately remembering he was still outside her door. Quickly moving herself aside to usher him in.

‘You need water? Food?’ She frantically offered as Denzo walked straight towards the sofa, crashing his body into its cushions, looking blankly towards the wall. Eyes wide in disbelief.

‘No thanks…’ He said, catching his breath as Aida looked anxious, not really knowing what she can do in this situation. But nonetheless, something she could only feel as “instinctual” came over her, as she went to the kitchen to fetch him a glass of cold water.

‘No wait!’ Denzo calls out to her as she stops in her tracks and runs back to his side. ‘You…I… I need you.’ He softly spoke as Aida’s expression quickly turned from panicked to gentle. Dusting herself off before taking a seat by his side.

‘What happened?’ She asked, trying her best to mask the worry from her tone.

‘Aida… I know you hate it when sudden changes of plans but…’

‘But?’

‘I’m permanently leaving that house.’

Aida’s face was filled once more with worry as she hears Denzo’s reply.

‘Why? What happened?’

‘I… I just can’t. I don’t think I can live there any second longer…’ Denzo said as Aida can hear the frustration in his voice, wrapping her arm around his shoulder, caressing him to ease his mood.

‘It’s okay… You don’t have to tell me the details yet but…’ She hesitates for a moment. She knew it would be an insensitive question to ask, given the current circumstance but she felt a greater sense of duty to help the person she cares about, trashing away her negative thoughts and risking the moment by pushing through her worry.

‘Do you have a plan on where you’re gonna stay?’ She asked, bracing for impact.

‘That’s the thing I’m worried about…’ Denzo said as Aida feared the worst. That Denzo had once again made a rash decision based on his anger, leaving him on the knife’s edge. She quickly collected herself to think of alternatives, but she wasn’t ready for what he really had in mind.

‘What’s the worry about? You know you can ask me anything, okay?’

‘Right. Umm…’

‘Yes?’

‘I was thinking of staying here…

With you.’