A way towards home (chapter seven)

            On a busy street most people would pass by one another and in some places were the eyes can't see different things may happen. Noel Cross a 14 year old boy learned that one can only gain something by taking it by force, he lived in a normal home with a complicated family. Noel has two older brother and a younger sister, their father and mother would often fight about an issue brought by some rumor from a person outside the family. Back then there were no problem whatsoever but ever since the young Noel brought that envelope inside the house their lives fell into chaos. Their parents were fighting and it had gone on for days then weeks and to a year. Noel doesn't understand what was happening but his brothers changed as well, they took their anger on the youngest member of the family and that was their sister. Everyday they are left alone in the house for their parents would go out to a separate place and it leaves the children with no parents to look after them. Time passed by and his brothers got involved in a gang which caused havoc in town. Noel at the age of 10  was the only one who looks after his sister, he does the house work and whenever his brothers or his parents come home he hides her in their room. The family was a mess, his father comes home drunk the mother would not stay for long and his brothers are full fledged delinquents. They all argue about everything blaming one another and Noel always got caught up with their fight and ends up beaten. He takes the pain everyday just to make sure his little sister won't get hurt. Every night before going to sleep he'll cover himself with a cold towel to ease the pain, his sister was always concerned for him but he would always say to her that everything was fine. One day Noel got home late because of their school meeting, when he opened the door he saw his little sister lying on the floor with a large bruise on her face while his brothers where in their room ransacking what ever they can take. Noel asked Nella what happened.
"They want to take your piggy bank but i hid it somewhere safe and when i didn't tell them where it was they hit me but don't worry i never told them anything."
Noel can't explain what he was feeling but he want's to take his sister somewhere safe so he carried her to her teachers house. Nella's teacher was shocked by her appearance and asked Noel to take his sister inside.
"What happened to Nella Noel?!" Nella's teacher was tending to her bruise.
"My brothers hurt her." Noel told her with a shaking voice.
"Stay here and I'll call someone." says the teacher.
Noel has no plans to stay so he left and went back to the house. He saw his brothers standing on the terrace of the second floor of their home. Noel walks towards them then they asked him about his piggy bank.
"Hey you better tell us where you hid that money or you'll end up like Nella!"
"Before i tell you i have one thing to ask." Noel's tone was deep and husky.
"Don't get too cocky twerp we are the ones who will be asking the questions!" the oldest of them grabbed Noel's shoulder but what happened next was something they never expected.
Noel tripped his big brother's right foot and pushed him off the terrace with his left hand which resulted him to fall from the second floor and landing on the street bleeding and unconscious. Noel's second brother was horrified by what he did and when he was about to punch him Noel pulled out his hand and pointed a large kitchen knife towards his second brother.
"What the hell is wrong with you Noel!" his brother couldn't move while a sharp knife was only inches from his face.
"I'm going to ask now so answer me directly big brother, why did you hurt Nella was it ok to hurt someone?"
"NO IT'S NOT SO PLEASE PUT THAT THING AWAY!" Noel's brother was on the floor with his hand blocking the knife.
"If it's not ok then why did you hurt my little sister? did it make you two feel good to do so.?" Noel still pointing the knife.
"WE'RE SORRY WE WON'T DO IT AGAIN SO PLEASE STOP THIS.!" Noel's brother is now almost on the verge of tears while begging.
"If saying sorry is enough to gain forgiveness after hurting someone then i'll say sorry to the two of you after i hurt you big brother." Noel lifted his arms and gets ready to swing the knife at his brother but the doors burst open and his father and mother came in and what they saw is too unbelievable for them. Noel stopped and looked at his parents while they beg him to put away the knife.
"What is wrong with you Noel, are you really gonna kill your brothers?!" his father asked him while attempting to get near.
"It was my fault that everything had happened if only i knew what was inside that envelope then none of these couldn't have happened." Noel has his hand raised up high with the knife.
"You looked inside the envelope?" His mom asked him worriedly.
"There were pictures of dad with some other woman but not just that, i also found out that after you discovered what dad was doing you went out to do the same mom!" Noel faced them and told everything that he knows.
"Please stop Noel you must not do this!" His father was shocked but he still tries to convince his son to stop.
"I endured all those pain cause i don't want Nella to know and i kept her safe but i failed." Noel is crying but he shows no sign of stopping.
"We're sorry for what happened but please stop this now and we promise everything will be back to the way they were." His father is now trying to think of anything to make Noel stop.
"Is that so dad? Then if everything can go back to the way they were then why didn't you make them go back!? Nella is hurt because of us and all i know now is that she doesn't deserve to have a family like us. We are horrible people and i can't bring myself to drag Nella in to our conflicts so now I'll make you all stop for her sake!" He raised his knife and prepared to strike but the thought of Nella being alone popped in to his mind and now he can't bring himself to commit a crime that may separate him to his sister.
Noel's grand parents came and his grand father saw what was happening so he asked Noel what was the matter.
"Noel stop this. I know you're not a bad child so give me the knife and let's go home with Nella." His grand father approached him in a mild manner.
Noel looked at his grandfather and started crying, after his grandfather took the knife he hugged Noel and told him everything will be fine. His Father was very angry so he pulled Noel away viciously but Noel's grandfather punched his outraged son knocking him to the floor.
"You have no right to lay your filthy hands on my grandchild!" Noel's grandfather protected him.
"But look at what he did! He tried to kill his second brother and his older Brother is now bleeding while unconscious!" the oldest of the brothers was brought to the hospital while they were trying to make Noel stop, Nella's teacher called their family and informed them about what happened but what noel did was very unexpected.
"He has no fault to any of this whatsoever! All of you forced him and no one is to blame but you and your rotting family! We will take Noel and Nella so the rest of you can stay here and rot!" Noel's grandfather and grandmother took Noel and Nella after they gained the legal authority to take their grandchildren into their custody but Noel was changed and doesn't trust anyone except Nella.

               Noel was 13 years old and almost two years have passed ever since their grand parents took them but his attitude towards others was very hostile and this often gets him into a lot of fights. His grandparents were very caring and they understand why Noel was acting that way. One day Noel wandered into a new place in town and there were two college boys who were picking on a little girl. Noel threw can and it landed on the head of one of the boys.
"Don't you scumbags have nothing better to do with your lives?" Noel provoked them.
"Your being all high and mighty kid! How dare you throw a can at us?!
"I'm sorry.. but i mistook both of you for a GARBAGE CAN."
They walked closer to Noel and noel reached for his pocket where a small knife was hidden and when he was about to pull it out someone riding a bike came out of nowhere and rammed the two thugs unconscious.
"Ouch. I could have sworn i fixed my brakes." Richard was 12 years old but he looked like he was the same age as Noel.
"What are doing? where did you come from? Noel asked.
"What? Who are you?" Richard asked back.
"You do know that you rammed two people?"
"Oh them?" Richard picked up his bike and walked away.
"Hey! You can't just leave after knocking them out kid!"
"But my bike might be damaged so bye."
"Come back here! What are you gonna do with these guys!"
"Fine. I'm sorry for running you both over with my bike. May you rest in peace." Richard covered them with news papers that he pulled out of a dumpster and walked away again.
"They are not dead!" Noel doesn't know of what to think about Richard but something inside him sparked his curiosity about Richard but after taking his eyes off of Richard he saw him riding his bike and now far away.
"Damn that kid! wait. Where is that little girl?" Noel wandered his eyes around looking for the girl but after seeing she's not there he went home.

     Noel went to school and he saw Richard walking on a different direction so he followed him.
"I can't believe his in the same school as me." Noel told himself.
Noel took a turn and waited for Richard to in the direction that he was taking.
"Hey whats up?! Why did you just left those scumbags lying on the road side you could have killed you know? Noel asked Richard while blocking the way.
"Who are you?" asked Richard.
"You don't remember me?! Yesterday you helped me when i got into a fight and you knocked down both of them."
Richard thought for a moment.
"Oh so your that kid? You're welcome bye." Richard turned away and left.
"Hey wait!" He called out to him but the two boys from yesterday appeared behind Noel.
"Hey kid! did you honestly think that we will forget about what you did? you're coming with us whether you like it or not." Noel did not want to cause trouble inside the school so he went along with them to a secluded place.

     Inside the class Richard was sitting alone when a student told him about the two boys who took Noel outside the school.
"Hey Richard wasn't Noel your friend?"
"Who's Noel?" Richard don't honestly know Noel's name.
"You know.. the kid your talking to this afternoon? Some shady boys took him and i think it's not good."
Richard was wondering about who the two boys were when he remembered the two thus that he rammed yesterday. Richard was riding his bike that time when a girl asked for his help, she told him that someone was about to get beaten by a pair of bullies and the girl begged Richard to help so he went to the place where the girl told him and saw two larger boys going against a smaller one. He knows he can't just take them both because they were bigger so rode his bike as fast as he can and prepared himself to ram them both all at once. Richard was sure that the two boys Who took Noel was the same ones yesterday. Richard stood up and went out of the classroom.

        Behind a building the two thugs called out four of their friends and they all started to beat up Noel. Noel fought back and was able to throw some punches hitting anyone he can but their number was overwhelming for him and even after he dropped to the ground the six assailants still continued to kick him.

       Richard saw everything and even though Noel was coughing off blood they still won't stop. One of the attackers saw Richard and approached him.
"Hey kid! who the hell are you and what are you doing here?!"
Richard did not respond but he was hiding something behind his back.
"HEHEHE! it looks like this kid wants some beating too. We can't let him off easy now that he saw us right guys!" They agreed to him but after turning his attention back to Richard he suddenly dropped to the ground with blood coming out of his head.
"Is it fun to gang up against one person..?" Richard now has his cold eyes staring at them and soon they all attacked but the first one to reach Richard got knocked out by the steel pipe that Richard was holding, Second swing landed on the face of the second attacker, Richard closed in to the third and struck the side of the body breaking 3 ribs then ran towards the fourth swinging his pipe downwards and broke it's shoulder then kicked him to the crotch, the fifth one got his fist batted away and Richard aimed the back of the head and a sharp blow immediately floored the guy and as for the sixth boy he was shocked to see his friends on the floor moaning in pain so he backed away from Richard but he tripped his own foot and fell, when he was about to stand up he saw Richard with his arms up and ready to swing the pipe so he used his own arms to cover his head but Richard had put so much force into his swing that when it landed on the boys arms it instantly broke the bones and it made the guy drop his guard which was futile for Richards follow up attack was aimed directly to his head.

       Noel gained consciousness and the first thing that he saw was Richard beating up the other boys who were still conscious until they faint. Richard was covered in blood and his eyes were cold and blank he was moving upon his instinct. A bunch of men came behind the building as saw the terrifying scene. They took Richard to a nearby police station and after getting his bruises fixed up two police men questioned Noel about what happened. Noel told them that the six boys were beating him up and he don't remember how Richard got into the scene. Richards mom was talking to the police with a taller man behind her, the man was a psychiatrist who told them about Richards mental behavior.
"The boy has a mental state that surfaces when he or those that he knows are in an unreasonable amount of danger. His survival instinct is in an abnormal level that once he lost control he will not stop until the certain threat is removed, we found out that the six boys were beating up a school mate of his and this triggered him to act under his instinct."  The psychiatrist explained to the police everything about Richard and they agreed to drop all accusation and treat the case as self defense for there were also some witnesses that says he was attacked first.

        After a few days Richard returned to school but his classmates were all staying away from him and whispering things at each other. Noel entered the class with a cheerful greeting and was all covered in bandages.
"YOH! I heard you returned to school bro! And Thank you for rushing in and saving me! Man if you didn't came i might have been killed but you risk your life just to save me!"
Noel was speaking loudly as if telling everyone that Richard was a hero.

    The other students were all asking noel what had happened and he told them that Richard valiantly came to his aid but he left out the part where he saw Richard in very different way. After school Richard confronted Noel and asked him some questions.
"Why are you doing this?" He asked Noel.
"Is it not natural for a guy to help his friend?" Noel answered.
"I don't know who you are but you don't have to bother helping me."
"Now now.. My Name is Noel Cross and starting today i will be your best friend."
"I don't like people who acts falsely and so stay away."
"I'm not acting like this just because I'm returning the favor for saving me bro. Lets just say you were able to make me realize that there are still some people who will save anyone no matter what and you are one of them. Don't worry.. i wont tell anyone about your problem and besides your awesome for going out of your way just to help me so drop the ''I AM A LONER GUY'' and be yourself cause whether you like it or not I'm gonna be sticking with you." Noel was true to his words but the reason why he want's to be Richards friend was he saw himself when Richard lost control and if it wasn't for his grandpa he would have been the same so he was determined to save Richard from himself cause he now found someone who is kind enough to have his back and ask nothing in return, Noel wanted to have a friend like Richard someone who can be honest to him and after transferring to the same s class as Richard, Noel was able to return to his former happy go lucky self and the friendship that they both share has turned to a bond between brothers even though Richard is a less talkative guy he never fails to amuse Noel.

        Noel wanted his friend to walk towards life and now that Richard has Mae Noel is never letting anyone to barge in and ruin the only thing that can save Richard from being chained within the darkness of himself and he is determined to do anything to protect both Mae and Richard even if it means that he has to be the same monster as the one hiding within Richard.

        Sacrifice is not only a word or action, it is an instinct that knows no bound                   

            

Reviews

[a.c luna]

i made some flaws in this chapter but i promise to make the next one a lot better