I feel dirty.
Time has slowed down, leaving me numb. The only thing I can think about is taking a shower and taking care of Mom. It's been five years, and she hasn't gotten better. She's worse.
She was fired from her job. The whole family
turned their backs on her — and on me.
She stopped eating, stopped drinking water. I'm trying to force her to do both, because I don't want her to die. She's the only person still with me… right?
"Malachai, drive this bitch home," James said with a laugh.
"What am I, a taxi?" he snapped. "Find someone else to be your chauffeur."
"You're the only one who drove here, so as a good friend, you should take him back," James pushed.
"Maybe he should just walk," Ryan chimed in.
The four of them exchanged glances. James flicked a cigarette butt at me and they all walked out, leaving me alone in some abandoned house. They hang out here most of the time—except Jeremy.
Jeremy doesn't know the whole truth about what they do to me. He thinks they just call me names or sometimes hit me—but not hard.
But I feel like… he knows. Either he's trying to erase it from his mind, pretending it isn't happening, or maybe... maybe he knows and simply doesn't care.
"Wait, I left my jacket!" James called out.
He stepped back through the broken door and looked at me.
He wasn't laughing like before. He looked... down. But why?
He picked up his jacket and kept staring at me.
I felt anxious, afraid that he didn't come back just for the jacket—maybe he came to do it again.
But I was wrong.
After a long moment, he left me there, alone in the dark.
***
"Quiet and sit down!" the teacher shouted.
I was sitting in the front row by the window, watching what was happening outside.
We were on the top floor — the only interesting part of class.
The lesson itself didn't interest me at all.
A voice from the back pulled me out of my daze:
"Hey M, get on your knees like last time!"
I froze.
Were they talking about me?
Was that directed at me?
No — they couldn't have said that.
THEY DIDN'T!
My leg went numb. I couldn't move.
"Shut up!" Ryan yelled.
The teacher turned from the board, and the class went silent.
"You think this is funny?" he asked, clearly annoyed.
"No, sir," we all answered in unison.
"Then you'll all stay after class and clean up the mess you've made."
"Why all of us?!" the girl next to me spoke up. "It's always the ones in the back who cause trouble!"
The room fell silent again. You could hear the ticking of the clock hanging above the door.
"Fine. The entire back row stays and cleans everything."
Joshua slammed his hand on the desk. It had a heavy sound, like someone chopping wood with an axe.
"It's Malachai's fault!" he shouted angrily.
"Mine?! What are you talking about?!"
"Enough! You're staying, end of discussion!" the teacher snapped.
After class, everyone left. I was gathering my stuff when suddenly—
Someone grabbed me by the neck from behind, spun me around, and shoved me into the wall.
A hand wrapped around my throat, squeezing tightly.
It was James.
"What did you tell her?"
I had no idea what he was talking about.
He tightened his grip.
"Speak, motherfucker — what did you tell her?!"