WEIGHTED 4

Elize picked the kids up from school, and together they decided to go to a picnic on the beach. ‘Mom, what about dad, shouldn’t we call him to join with Arcadia?’ Ethan asked. ‘No, son, he’s too busy, but I told Luca to bring Arcadia here.’ She answered playing with his hair lovingly. He nodded his head agreeing. ‘Now, who wants to help me bring uncle Claus in the water?’ She asked her sons in a playful whisper. Claus knew he was in trouble the moment all three pairs of eyes shot to him with a mischievous glint in them. He bolted running the other side when they ran towards him. After few minutes of evading them. Ethan decided to set some rules to the game. ‘Okay, okay since it is obviously hard to catch uncle Claus what about we change the game rules?’ Ethan proposed. ‘Yeah, we should do that, what do you say Claus?’ Elize asked mischievously. ‘I’m in, what are the new rules, kiddo?’ He answered panting from all the running he did. ‘If one of us caught you within five minutes, you give in and come to play in the water with us, but if we fail we give up, okay?’ Ethan asked. ‘Okay.’ Claus agreed, and so the chase began. Moments later the air was filled with laughter, squealing, giggles and happiness. They did end up catching him after all, and forcing him into the freezing cold water. Elize’s phone rung, she checked it up to see her husband’s caller ID flashing on the screen, she simply put it on vibrate not bothering to answer. After thousands of calls, she picked it up, and shouted a ‘What!’ not bothering to check the ID. ‘I’m sorry for disturbing you, Mrs Roberts, but Mr Roberts wanted to know where you are.’ Luca answered. ‘Why would he ask you to deliver that message to me? And why haven’t you brought Arcadia here like I’ve instructed?’ She shot questions at him instead of answering, putting the poor soul in a more difficult position that he already was. Since Tyrone was standing beside him listening to their conversation, and he wasn’t happy that she was evading the answer. ‘I’m sorry madam. But Mr Roberts said she was sleeping, and that I couldn’t take her.’ Elize took a deep breath to calm herself, she didn’t want to lash out on Tyrone in front of his employees. She knew he was there, and probably forced the poor lad to put the speaker on. It was enough that everybody knew about the problem they have, she didn’t want them to know anymore details about her personal life. ‘Okay, tell him that the kids will be home in another hour or two.’ She said instead of answering his previous question before hanging up without giving him a chance to speak. She marched towards the kids and Claus and told them that she’ll be walking on the other side of the beach, and instructed Claus to go back home with the kids before sunset. ‘You’re not coming.’ Claus arched an eyebrow at her. ‘No.’ Was her only answer before she went to her children and kissed their heads. ‘Be good, OK?’ She told them. They both nodded their heads in agreement. ‘Always.’ She ruffled his hair and kissed them again, and went away. It was 3 hours after sunset, and she was still laying on the sand of the abandoned beach. She was so deep in her memories with her most Beloved person, one she lost because of some selfish, and greedy bunch of assholes. FLASHBACKS I was coming back from school at a late hour because I was doing some essay that I was supposed to submit this week. I was one block away from my apartment that I was sharing with Jason, when all of a sudden a group of boys approached me. I knew instantly that they were from my school, they were Jackson’s minions. They were always abusing me, either emotionally or physically. Sometimes both. Sometimes they would call me all those nasty names, then when I try to ignore them they would punch me in the stomach, slap me, or beat me to a pulp. I would always find excuses whenever Jason asked what happened to me, afraid that they might forward their anger for me towards him. This time I was sure it would be the same since they seemed to be drunk. ‘Look who’s here, isn’t that Jason’s whore?’ Jackson, their leader said. ‘Indeed she is, I wonder if she would be our whore tonight?’ Josh said. Soon, I was trembling in fear. They wouldn’t possibly do that, they’re just trying to scare me. Who was I kidding, they’re drunk, not in their right minds. Of course they meant every single word. I tried to run when they started to come closer, but I found no escape. I was surrounded from all corners, so I opted to pleading. ‘PPP - Please,jjjj-just let me go.’ I didn’t know I was crying until I felt something moist on my cheeks. I felt a sharp pain on my cheek followed by the sound of my sleeve being torn. ‘Stop fucking acting pathetic, whore!’ Jackson yelled while continuing what he was doing. ‘Jackson is right, you should be thankful that we want you as our whore for tonight. I bet no one else would want that fat ass.’ Josh said. I started yelling for help, and they continued beating me for each word I uttered. I was about to surrender to unconsciousness when I heard a cop car stop by, and someone yelling at the boys before I surrendered to my haven, darkeness. When I woke up I was in my apartment with Jason sleeping on the chair next to my bed. I tried to move my hand out of his grip without waking him up, but failed. ‘Where do you think you’re going?’ I halted my movements at Jason’s scolding tone. ‘Bathroom?’ I answered, more like asked permission. He nodded his head. When I came back from the bathroom, he was sitting on the edge of the bed. ‘Now that you’re awake, I want to know each and every detail of what happened last night.’ He demanded. ‘Nothing I just fell over the stairs at the library.’ I lied, but from the disapproving look he gave me, I knew I failed miserably. ‘Don’t give me that fell - Over - the - stairs crap, Elize!’ He warned. ‘I want to know what really happened that I was called in the middle of the night to the hospital to find you bleeding.’ He stated. So I told him everything that caused me to be in this state, by the end of my story he was fuming and pacing the room back and forth. ‘Names!’ He demanded. ‘What?’ I asked confused. ‘I want their names, and don’t you try lying to me again because I know you know them, or you wouldn’t be so afraid to tell me. I also know that they are the reason of your ‘falling’ over the years.’ He said. I looked down in shame, he lifted my face to face him. ‘I’m not mad at you, but from now on when I ask you what happened to you, you have to answer me, better yet you have to tell me whenever anything happened to you, okay?’ He asked caressing my left cheek tenderly. ‘Okay.’ I answered. ‘Good, now, who are they?’ He repeated. ‘Jackson and his minions.’ I mumbled. Jason grabbed my hand, and dragged me out to his car before he sped down the road. Few minutes later we arrived at school just in time of the break. ‘JACKSON!’ Jason roared as soon as we entered the school causing a crowd to assemble around us. ‘JACKSON, GET YOUR ASS HERE!’ Jason repeated. Soon after Jackson and his minions were in front of him. ‘What’s up, ma-’ Jason’s fist collided with his jaw cutting him off mid sentence. He then punched him in the stomach, took his head and collided it with his knew. Jackson fell on the floor bleeding. Gasps were heard from all around us, but that didn’t stop Jason, he kept beating him until he almost fell unconscious. He then turned to his minions. ‘How come you haven’t helped your friend? Or you’re ready to help him only when it comes to bully those weaker than you?’ He asked. ‘HUH?’ He yelled when no one answered. ‘Www-we’re sorry, we only ddd-did it because Jackson ordered us to.’ Josh said trembling, and the other two nodded their heads furiously. Jason walked towards them, and started punching the living daylights out of them until they were all laying on the floor half conscious. He wouldn’t have stopped if the principal and some of the teachers didn’t intervene to stop him. ‘Mr Carter, if you don’t stop you’ll be suspended.’ When he didn’t acknowledge him. Two of the teachers tried pulling him away from the boys. ‘Please, Jason, it’s enough I’m sure they understood.’ I came in front of him stopping him from struggling against the teachers. He stopped, and pried himself from their grip before turning to the crowd. ‘Elize is my sister, next time I find even a scratch on her body or hear a complaint from her, this school shall go down with every single person in it. Be it a student, teacher or the principal himself.’ He declared turning towards the principal daring him to object before continuing. ‘I will make sure you and your families find nowhere to stay in, not even on streets, am I understood?’ He asked. Everyone nodded their heads, but Jason was having none of it. ‘Am I fucking understood?’ He roared. Everybody responded with either ‘yes’ or ‘understood.’ Jason was the only son of the wealthiest family in town and second wealthiest one in the country, not to mention how strong and good in fights was, so he was feared everywhere. He took my hand in his, and exited the school. ‘I’ll always be there behind your back, protecting you. Always remember that you’re not alone, and that I’ll give it my all to keep you safe.’ He promised. And he did keep his promise, with his life. END OF FLASHBACKS… ‘Rest in peace Big B this time I’ll be the one to bring you justice. There’s a little time left before I show them how the wrath of a scorned woman looks like. How my wrath looks like.’ She mumbled while wiping the lone tear that slipped her eye before standing up, dusting her clothes, and heading to her car. She felt a familiar sting and hollowness in her heart, one that no one could erase. The only thing that managed to subdue it was when she’s in the company of her kids. However, a part of her didn’t want for it to ever go because it was a part of her memories with Jason, her last memories of him, her true first love. Even if it hurts every passing second, she had to remember it, to keep the pain and anger to be able to give him the justice he deserves. To avenge both of their scars. She was about to slide in her car when someone grabbed her arm, and turned her around. ‘Come on, baby! Come play with daddy.’ A very drunk looking middle aged man came face to face with her. ‘Let go, before I break that fucking hand, daddy.’ She said sarcastically. He seemed angered by her response, and a lot more sober now. He lifted his hand to slap her, but she was faster than him when she disarmed his shoulder. He cried in pain, and soon enough his friends approached the scene. They all came at her after they saw what she did to their friend. ‘Ah, I really wasn’t in the mood for entertaining a bunch of perverted old geezers.’ She mumbled before she lunged at them. Few minutes later she was standing among six injured old men on the sand. She reached for her wallet, grabbed some money, and threw it at them. They were fighting to grab the most of it even in their situation. ‘That’s for the hospital bills, and next time think twice before you act like a drunk dude to get girls.’ she stated before getting in her car and hitting the road. She drove slowly, as she wasn’t in a hurry to reach home because she knew Tyrone would be there with a long lecture about picking her phone up. She just wanted to hug her princes and sleep the rest of her of her life away.