Enoch.

                    "Anything else?" Albert asked  with his nose in the air. After working for the Fayose household way before Enoch was born, he had grown immune to their unnecessary rich people drama and Theatrics.

                       "Have you called Max." Enoch asked blandly staring out into the pool from the balcony. Albert wondered if he was contemplating jumping off which would be suicidal considering they lived in a huge mansion with four  floors.

                      "Yes. Mr Maxwell has been contacted. He will be here in a few." Albert stated stiffly. His bald head shone in the late morning light.
"Anything-"

                       "You may leave Albert. I can take care of myself."

                       "It is still Eleven in the morning. I am not to leave you until evening." Albert protested half heartedly. He had noticed how Enoch's hand shook and from experience, knew that wasn't a good sign. Yet he didn't want to stay and witness whatever followed.

                 Enoch heaved a sigh of frustration. He rubbed his face trying to still the irritation brewing within him.  "Albert, leave before I say or do something stupid. I will not apologize when I do. Max will be here and he'll keep me company."

                     The old man hesitated, gave a small nod  and walked away leaving Enoch to stew in guilt and misery.

                    "Anyone in their right minds would do what I did." He told himself trying to still his trembling hands.  "If he hadn't joined the wrong crowd, none of this would've happened. I wouldn't have to choose."

             He leaned closer to the rail of the balcony, gripping it forcefully. "I can't go to prison. I'll go crazier. Eli will survive. He will."

                        But he will never forgive you. His conscience taunted and like unsteady glass, he fell to his knees and shattered in tears. He will hate you. You have ruined his life. He will despise you.

                       "I am so sorry. I am so sorry Eli. I'm sorry." He cried covering his face in shame. Sobs racked his body, consuming him and he barely heard the soft knock on his door.

                          "Enoch? It's Maxie. Are you decent or do I have to get rid of my glasses?" Max's cheery voice pierced through the haze of guilt and shame. He rose to his feet quickly, wiping the tears of his face furiously.

                         "Come in Max."
        He had known Max for six years. After his first therapist; a nagging old woman who took pleasure in wacking answers out of him than actually listening to him; had died due to cardiac arrest, Max had come into his life, making therapy less ridiculous and demeaning.

                         "Holy Jesus. Have you even bathed this morning? And why is our academic guru not in school?" Max strolled in, a man in his early forties dressed in round glasses, green unicorn print shirt, black pants, suspenders and a wide grin.

                         "At least I'm not dressed in some weird outfit." Enoch smiled tiredly.

                       "At least I don't sleep in a grey themed bedroom!" Max shot back. "I don't know how you do it, but your bedroom is my nightmare."

                      "I could say the same for your wardrobe." Enoch muttered walking away from the balcony into the room. He watched as Max made himself comfortable on the only chair available and proceeded to sit on his bed. "It's good to see you Maxie."

                       "Is it? I get a call by ten fifty two on a Monday morning from your stuck up Butler that you requested my presence, I get here and see you in your grey pajamas with red rimmed eyes and shaky hands-" Max stopped talking, an alarmed look on his face as Enoch burst into tears a second time.

                    "I'm a terrible person Maxie." Enoch gasped between hiccups. " I deserve to be nailed to a tree or something. A selfish, very selfish bastard. I don't....I can't... I shouldn't have-"

                     "Hey, hey, heyyy, let's reach conclusions later hmm?" Max consoled walking over to Enoch. He pulled the younger boy closer and patted his head awkwardly. "You tell me what happened."

                        "I hadn't meant to. I didn't want..want to. But Demi. She was going to send the video to the police Max. I was so scared. I-I was terrified. I'm not a rapist. There's no way I could've... Right?" He glanced up at Max's face and continued when he nodded. "I panicked. She said she wasn't going to send it if I testified against Eli. I just didn't know what to do." He cried harder clutching the green unicorn shirt harder.

                     "We've been friends for four years. Four years and I just- I just threw that away. Threw it all away. Eli will rot in prison for something he didn't do and I'll be free, my conscience will make me mad before I'm twenty Max. There's no hope for me. I'm a goner. But Eli has so much to do in life and I just spoilt everything for him. Everything." He sniffed, swallowing the lump in his throat. His chest felt lighter from all the crying. He sighed, shuddered and drew away from Max's hold. "Thanks. God it feels good to cry like a normal person."

                          "You are a normal person Enoch." His therapist stated. "It is normal to feel scared and threatened. It is also normal to do something about it.  And it is definitely normal to feel bad for doing something wrong."

                      "This isn't like breaking a plate, or tearing your books Max. I can't fix this. The police won't take me seriously if I take back my statement. Eli will definitely go to prison. Demi... Demi will keep been Demi." Enoch groaned.

                      Max nodded then walked back to his chair.  "How do you feel about Demi's return?"

                     Enoch grimaced as if in pain.
                  "Frightened. She's a manipulative witch. Like some stalking hyena. I'm afraid she'll use me against my friends-"  he paused staring at Max wide eyed.

                      Max nodded knowingly. "You see it now?"

                       "Yes!" Enoch yelled standing up abruptly. "She already used me to put Eli in prison! Oh God."

                         "And she will keep on doing so. That video is the only leverage she has over you, and she will  use it as much as she can." Max included.

                     Enoch felt his stomach drop in fear. He stared at Max woefully. "I'll never be free then, will I?"

                     His therapist sighed and clasped his hands together. "How about a story?" He grinned and leaned forward.
                    "There was an abandoned little bird who lived in a lonely Queen's cage. The cage was made of glass.  And so the little bird lived, trapped inside it and would stare everyday at the lonely queen as she went about her day. But soon, the little bird got tired. He wanted to fly in the sky like other birds. He wanted to be free, to be happy. So one morning, he decided he had nothing to lose. He girded his loins, stared at the walls of the cage and charged towards it with his beak. Alas, he only felt air."

                   "Whaaaaaa? Why?"

                    "Turns out there was no cage at all. But because the Queen knew birds couldn't see glass, she lied to him and told him he was in a glass cage. And he lived in that fear. But  when he faced his fear, he flew away and never came back."

                     "Because he was finally free." Enoch murmured.

                    "Either that or some Hunter had killed it and cooked it in pepper soup." Max shrugged with a teasing grin.

                   "Crap!" Enoch winced at the mental picture.

                        "The point is,  things are not always what they seem. Sometimes our fears are fake. The bird had thought he was trapped in a cage all along until he grew tired. Are you tired Enoch?"

                       "Is that a trick question?" Enoch gestured to himself. "This is the face of a tired soul Max. So I'm supposed to be the bird?"

                      Max gave another smile and leaned into his chair.  " You have a dead mother. Your father would rather spend time with the files in his office than with you. What do you have to lose?"

                     "Nothing. But Eli will lose everything."

                      "Wrong. You'll lose something too."

               A gentle breeze rushed from the balcony into the room and Enoch felt his tense muscles relax.

                      "I will?"

                     "You lose your friends Enoch. They're all you have. And right now, you're letting false glass stand between you and them."

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How's this chapter? Wooo, PIECES is almost on the 1k mark. Thank you so much. All of you for your wonderful support. I love you guys. Stay with me, stay happy, stay safe.

Love,
Miriel.