6 #2
Fuck! I want to get my knuckles bled this evening.
He mentally cursed. He bit the inside of his cheek and drew a slow breath, forcing himself to bridle from starting a fight.
He knew Jude had been bullied at school for a long time, and deep down, he was aware it was partly because of him.
Anyone who tried to get close to Jude, talk to him, or befriend him usually ended up facing his wrath.
That was how ruthless Sky could be toward the person he hated most. He ensured that the person suffered in every possible way, all at his own hands.
The crowd gasped almost immediately in synchronization when he lost his balance on the penultimate step. Even Sky was quick to detach himself from the wall. He soon realized his stupid reaction.
“Oh, so silly of me,” Jude muttered drunkenly and palmed his forehead. “I’m okay,” he added, waving a hand weakly as if to reassure everyone.
Almost everyone was watching him. Some leaned in to whisper something, others kept moving to the music without looking away, and a few simply watched his every move. Many of them had bullied him before, so seeing him like this felt completely out of character, especially to Sky.
The room seemed to pause as everyone’s eyes fixed on Jude when he walked over to the fridge and bent down to grab something.
His thin Doraemon boxers clung to him, tight enough to leave a noticeable impression on his butt, and as he moved with the music, he absentmindedly swayed a little, drawing even more attention.
Sky swallowed hard and leaned back against the wall for support.
Sky hated the way he dressed up. He hated the way his baggy T-shirt fell, almost covering his whole petite body, and his boxer shorts exposing his glossy, white, hairless legs, making him look like a twink who needed a daddy.
He knitted his brows even more and bit the inside of his cheek.
Finally, Jude straightened his back and faced everyone.
But now, his right hand was already holding a bottle of gin and holding it up delightedly.
It was like he was a little kid who finally found his lost candy.
When did this faggot learn how to drink? Sky thought. Not once in his life had he ever seen Jude drink alcohol. He was certain of that.
Sky was so focused on him that he did not realize that Mitch was rushing to Jude angrily.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Mitch said firmly, gripping her little brother’s hand with force.
Mitch’s eyes were dilated, her gaze blazing with contained fury as she struggled to keep from shouting. Jude flinched a little, doing his best to steady himself.
“I want to drink tonight, Mitch. This is a party, right?” he innocently asked, and it immediately sent chills running down Sky’s spine.
Jude was intoxicated. Sky could clearly tell.
“We’ve already talked about this.” She gritted her teeth, trying not to raise her voice as much as she could because of embarrassment.
She was even looking sideways as if people were not already looking at them.
“I couldn’t remember we had an agreement or something,” Jude replied vaguely.
Sky wanted to smirk at the unfamiliar behavior displayed right in front of his two eyes, but he held it.
“I said you should not go out of your damn filthy room, you bitch.” She was frustrated and started to raise her voice.
Jude paused briefly as he recollected his thoughts.
“Oh, I remember. I remember now. I am sorry. Silly me,” he said as he scratched his head. “So, what now?” he said, looking at her with dazzled eyes. “So, what now, Mitch? I am already out.”
“So what now? You shut the fuck up.” Mitch cursed sternly. “Go back to your fucking dog cage now!”
“Am I not automatically invited to my own house? I’m also living here. I am your brother,” he pointed to his chest. “Why does it feel like I don’t even exist?”
“Just shut up. Your existence doesn’t matter anyway. So now, go back to your fucking cage before I can do something worse,” she said as she grabbed the bottle out of Jude’s grasp.
Jude refused to let go of the bottle, and Mitch was trying hard to get it. They were going back and forth.
“Give it to me and get lost, you faggot! I don’t have a brother like you!” she snapped, shoving his shoulder, making him stumble back a step.
Jude froze, clearly stunned by what she had just said.
He let go of the bottle and stared at Mitch, dumbfounded.
His expression quickly hardened into the usual stoic mask he wore, though his eyes began to well up, betraying what he was trying to hide.
His lips pouted, trying not to cry. But his eyes betrayed him.
Tears started to cascade down his cheeks.
“Don’t tell me what to do, Mitch,” he said, his voice hurt.
This surprised the people around. They all knew who Jude Finn was, and standing his ground was something new to them. He was usually the type of person who did not talk back when being scolded or bullied.
“I’m so tired of you all giving me shit every day.
You don’t have the right to dictate to me what I want to do with my life.
So please give me that and let me forget just even for tonight!
” he raised his voice and tried to grab the bottle back, but Mitch was quick to keep the gin away from his grasp.
“Give me that back, Mitch!”
A sharp slap suddenly rippled across the room.
“Fuck off!” she spat.
Everyone gasped in shock, followed by complete silence despite the blare.
Mitch’s eyes were about to pop out of her sockets, not to mention her hand clenching Jude’s arm with her long nails, digging them into his flesh.
Jude held his cheek at the sudden impact.
Another set of tears, much bigger, fell down his cheeks.
Sky clenched his fist and detached himself from the wall as he made his way to them.
“Sky…” Mitch muttered quite shockingly, and then, surprisingly, the music became barely audible.
Murmurs and whispers could now be heard across the room.
“You’d better go to your room, fag.” Sky commanded.
Jude looked at Sky while his hand was still on his cheek.
“Now.”
They looked into each other’s eyes. Jude’s eyes were filled with so much anger and pain. Sky just stared at him plainly.
“Don’t ruin the night or I—”
“Or what? Huh?! You slap me, too? You punch me? You kill me?” Jude yelled, leaving everyone shocked.
Jude took a step forward and looked Sky directly in the eyes without any reluctance. Sky was momentarily stunned by the way he reacted.
“I was used to it, Sky Granger. It has always been like that since seventh grade! Nothing new,” he blasted, breath fanned on Sky’s face.
“Why don’t you just kill me then, huh? Why make it longer so I can end this miserable life!
” he goaded as he pushed Sky’s chest multiple times, and he tiptoed so he could get closer to his face.
Sky smelled the grapefruit scent that came out of his mouth when he spoke, which made him shiver a little. Mitch was about to stop him, but Sky secretly signaled her to stay on her heels.