CHAPTER TEN: sister Theresa

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XAVIER MACKEN GROANED IN PAIN AS HE FLIPPED ONTO HIS STOMACH. Which turned out to be a bad idea, as laying on his stomach caused him even more pain.

The blond-haired boy glanced back at his door, deciding not to risk it as quickly but quietly put on his clothes and grabbed his bag before walking over to the window, carefully opening it and throwing out his bag before sliding out. Xavier turned back around, placing his hands on the bottom part of the window, pulling it as far down as it would go before leaving it the slightest open.

"Shit," he cursed, looking around before being up his shirt to see bruises covering him. "I swear he's gonna kill me," he muttered, before making his way to school.
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"Oh, my god, Xavier," Cory yelled as he had seen the other, his yell caused a few other students to turn.
Xavier looked up, some student's eyes widened at the sight of him.

"Wow! What happened to you?" Cory asked.

Shawn stared at the other, worried.

Xavier fakes a smile, it hurts to even do that. "Oh, you know, the usual. What's up?" He asked.

"I got a girl's number!" Cory yelled, lifting up his hand to show the written number.

"Great for you. Might want to write that down on a paper. In case it smudges."

"Xavier, can I talk to you?" Shawn asked, talking to the other's jacket sleeve and pulling him.

"Sure, why not?" Xavier sarcastically replied.

Shawn dragged him into an empty classroom, looking around multiple times before closing it. "What did he do this time?"

"The normal. Shawn, it's-"

"No, it's not okay. You can't keep telling me it's okay. He-he's gonna kill you!" Shawn panics.

"You can't tell anyone, Shawn," Xavier grabbed the other's shoulders, making him look at him in the eyes. "promise me, you won't tell anyone."

"No, no, I have to tell someone, you need help-"

"No, Shawn, we don't even know if I'd end up in a good house. It could be worse than living with him. And no one wants to even foster a kid my age, much less adopt them, unless they wanted, like, a free servent. You can't tell anyone. Shawn, come on, I've been saving up money for years, the second I'm eighteen, I'm out of the house."

"And what if he kills You before you even get to that age?" Shawn almost yells.

"Shawn, keep your voice down," Xavier hushed the other. "I'm almost eighteen. Look, it's a year and I'm out."

"Xavier, just-"

"Shawn, even if someone would want to foster me, we don't know if that's anywhere near here. I could end up moving away."

And, Shawn thought about how selfish it was that he wasn't telling just so Xavier wouldn't leave him. He didn't want the other to leave him, he didn't want for Xavier to get hurt, possibly even worse somewhere else. "You have to go to the Matthews house as often as you can, and call me."

"God, you're so obsessive. So, this is what it's like to have a stalker," Xavier jokes. "Fine, yes, anyway, I'm tutoring Eric and Mr.Matthew doesn't trust me enough to let me in his house that often."

"Because he, as does everyone else, thinks you get into fights." Shawn pointed out.

"Just, get to class, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

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"Holy shit you're tall," Xavier says, looking at the tall delivery man.  The adults looked at the teen.

"What happened to you?" Amy asked, quickly walking over to the other.

"Nothing. Just where I live, you say or do something wrong," he technically isn't lying. "There's no need to worry. Seriously, I've got it all handled." Then he saw the roses shaped into a heart, the initials 'T.K' at the end.

"From T.K," Alan reads out loud.

"Oh, shit, Cory, is T.K the girl's number you got? Do you know what T.K. stands for?"

The boy smiled. "Yes, I do."

Oh, he has a death wish. Xavier thinks.

"Cory, what's with this girl?" Amy asked.

"She's very sentimental. You know; flowers, candy."

"Sirloin steaks?" Alan questions.

"Nothing says 'I love you' like a beautiful piece of meat," the mailman says.

"Tony, please!" Alan speaks, shaking his head for a moment.

"This girl is trying to buy your affection," Amy tells Cory.

"So let her," Tony, the mailman, says.

"Do you mind?" Alan told the other, trying to gesture for him to get out.

"Alan, you should know me well enough to know when I'm kidding."

Alan walked over to his son. "I think this girl coming on a little too strong, a little too fast. And, man will these barbecue great." He trails off.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt," Xavier speaks. "but, is Eric upstairs?"

Alan gestured to the stairs, still looking at the stakes. Xavier walked towards them.

"Xavier," Amy calls. "let me get an ice pack for you," she says.

Tony, who was still apparently there, looked at the other. "Wow, you look like a truck hit you."

Not too far off. "Yeah, yeah, said something to the wrong guy," Xavier says, he forces a smile. "Thank you, Mrs. Matthews, but-"

The woman takes the boy's jacket sleeve. "Alan, talk some sense into your son." She takes him into the kitchen, gesturing for him to take a seat. "You know, you worry us." She says, taking an ice pack and wrapping it in a paper towel before handing it to him.

"Thanks," he forced a smile, despite how it caused his lips to stretch and open the cut.

"Shawn asks if we have seen you every time he comes over."

Damn "He does?" Xavier forced a laugh. "That kid needs to calm down. I don't get into that many fights. Really, it's just the place I live in. Seriously, I'd die for the kid, but he is way too hyper sometimes."

"How long have you known Shawn?" Amy asked, smiling softly.

"I used to hang out with him a lot when we were younger. Babysat him. He was like the little brother I never had." Never wanted to have. He never wanted a younger sibling, not if he couldn't protect them from his father. "Thanks. For the ice pack," he lifts it up before gesturing upstairs. "But, I should probably go and tutor your son."
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"Are you okay?" Eric asked, seeing how the other seemed to wince at a certain movement he made.

"Yeah, fine. Do you mind if I use your bathroom?" Xavier asked, Eric pointed behind, looking at the other in worry. Xavier walked in, picking up the door before sighing and then walking over to the mirror. He lifted up his shirt, grinding down his teeth from making a pained sound.

His torse had bruises covering it. He hissed slightly, bringing the shirt back down. "What a bastard." He muttered, glancing at the door before turning on the facet quickly.
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Xavier quickly called Shawn, telling him he was fine.

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"Mr. Macken," Feeny called. The blond-haired boy turned.

"Yeah?" He questioned.

"I was hoping to speak to you," the man says.

"Uh, but, I've got class-"

"I'll write a note for you," Feeny walks to his office. Xavier follows.

"What's this about?" Xavier immediately asked, panicked.

"You're not in trouble, Mr. Macken, I just want to have a chat with you." The man sits behind his desk. Xavier sits in the chair in front of him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He answered.

"How did that happen?" Feeny asked, gesturing to his bruised eye and split lip. The man didn't know about the other bruises, or, Xavier hoped so.

"Mugging," Xavier lies. "helped someone from getting their belongings snatched in the street. The guy got a lucky shot."

"You seem to get into a lot of... altercations."

Oh, shit. Shit. Fuck "What can I say?" Shut up, for once. "I can't keep my mouth shut." He tried to joke.

"Xavier," Mr. Feeny speaks again. "is there anyone that-"

"Wait, wait," Xavier pretended to realize what was happening. "do you- come on, Mr.Feeny, don't you think I would tell you if my father was hitting me?"
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"Shawn," Xavier called, entering the Matthews house. "Sorry for just entering, Shawn; I need to talk to you," he gestures to the door.

"Uh," Shawn hesitated.

"Xavier!" Eric smiles.

"Hello, listen, I'll be with you in a minute," Xavier told Eric, but kept looking at Shawn. "It's really important."

Shawn nodded, going out to the front yard. "What happened?" He examined the older one for any new injuries.

"Feeny knows," Xavier tells him. "Or, he's getting close to knowing."

Shawn smiles. "Well, that's great. You can get away from your father!"

"Shawn, I can handle him. It's other people that I might not be able to handle."

Shawn frowns, going to speak when Xavier speaks again.
"Go follow Corey; he's going to get himself in trouble dating Harley Kiner's little sister."

Shawn looked at the other, worried, but followed his friend.
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When Xavier arrived at school, he had actively avoided Mr.Feeny and had instead searched for Shawn. The blond-haired had been worried that Shawn would tell Feeny.

"What the fuck?" Xavier yells, pulling Harley away from Cory, who he had pinned to a locker.

"Xavier?" a voice came from inside the locker, then the other rattled. "Xavier, are you alright?" Shawn yelled from inside.

"Shawn?" Xavier quickly opened the locker.

Shawn jumped out, immediately looking at the other for new injuries.

"Look, Harley, I didn't mean to say she's a bad person. She's not." Cory tells Harley.

"I know. I know. It's just, you know...you try to do good by 'em, raise 'em right. But I guess it was enough." Harley replied.

Xavier watched closely, in case he needed to jump in and rescue Cory.

"You know, your sister loved you a lot," Cory told the other. "She told me you're the only one that's always been there for her."

"And yet, it seems I failed her. It's the pressure, you know? The demands of my day."

Xavier couldn't believe that he was actually feeling bad for Harley. He bit down on his tongue from making a rude comment. "It wasn't your job to be the parent to her," Xavier tells him. "Truthfully, if anyone failed anyone, your parents failed both you and your sister."

"No, you are not doing this," Shawn told the blond-haired boy. "We are telling-"

"You said you wouldn't say anything," Xavier glared down at the other boys, who were still speaking.

"He's going to kill you!" Shawn yelled.

That had caused both Cory and Harley to stop their conversation, looking over at the two.

"Shawn, you promised me you wouldn't say anything."

Shaken didn't look away from Xavier, but his next words weren't for Xavier. "Cory, call your parents."

"Shawn," Xavier starts.

"Why?" Cory asked, confused.

"Because someone needs to pick up Xavier before his dad kills him."

I am so screwed.

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{1876}
Now, Corey knows, and soon so will the Matthews.