" C'mon..open the door.", a guy says from the other side of the door. It's not Ethan's voice. Neither is it Kevin or Tony. It's someone else. I reluctantly take the lock and pull the door open to reveal four guys standing in front of me, smirking at me.
From the looks they are giving me, I can clearly say they are not here for a friendly chat or anything. Probably they too are gonna bully me. And they are all well built and muscular. I don't know what's going to happen to me.
" New student ?", One of them asks. I nod.
"Hmm...you are the one who stutters, right ?", the second guy asks. I again nod.
" What took you so long to open the door ?", the guy on the extreme left asks.
" I- I was watching a m..movie.", I reply.
" Oh..I see.", he nods. " You didn't go to class today ?", I shake my head 'no'.
" So you are here to skip school and watch movies ?", the first guy asks raising an eyebrow. " Easy, right ? Free stay, Free Wi-Fi and nobody will care."
" No..I wasn't feeling w..well.", I reply.
" That's a nice excuse.", the last guy says. " Probably you aren't gonna feel well any day."
" So anyway you are now free, right ? We've got you some works. You can put your laptop aside and do it.", the guy in the middle says peeking into my room and looking at my laptop.
Why ? Why me ? Why only me ? What am I gonna do now ?
" I and you share Biology together. And we've got a new assignment today. To write about different types of bones...no different types of joints in human body along with diagram. We need to submit it on Friday. So write a copy for me too.", The guy on the left say nonchalantly as if I'm someone appointed by his Dad to do all his assignments. I fe furious.
" Why don't you reply ?", the really tall muscular guy among them ask. " What ? You can't do it ? You want to watch movie now ? Then we'll better destroy your laptop that you don't need to spend time watching movies anymore.", he says trying to enter into my room. No ! I can't get my laptop broken.
" I- I will do it.", I quickly say, blocking him.
" Good.", he mutters and steps back.
" We share Chemistry.", the guy on left says. " If that Allen happens to give some stupid assignments, then you'll have to do it for me." I nod trying to calm down myself. I don't want to get my laptop broken or get manhandled with these fours jocks right now.
" Good. Now go and start doing the Biology assignment. I want it by tomorrow evening.", the other guy says. I nod again while I feel exasperated and I want to punch his face.
The four of them then turn and walk away, not before glaring and smirking at me once again. I close the door shut and lean against it. My hands fist into balls in extreme frustration while I grit my teeth together tightly in an attempt to prevent myself from screaming out loud.
After a few minutes, I finally walk to my cupboard and start searching for the Biology text. I can't believe I start furiously throwing things out of the cupboard, searching for the bond paper and markers.
Once I get the things I needed, I barge to the table and sit down, scraping the chair harshly against the floor. I open the Biology text and start furiously copying down the paragraphs about Types of joints.
Suddenly the light goes off and I start panicking, my heart beating hard against my chest, double the rate than normal. I move my shivering hands on the table searching for my lamp. Fortunately I find it within a few seconds and I somehow quickly switch it on. Then I hold my hand against my chest, breathing in and out a few times, trying to steady my breathing and heartbeat.
The light from the lamp was really dim that I knew it will go off any moment. I didn't charge it today. So once I calm myself down, I quickly go and switch on my mobile flash. Then I go to the cupboard and start searching for the candles and lighter. I soon find them and I walk back to the desk taking two candles and the lighter. By the time I lit the candles, my lamp goes out.
I sit down on the chair looking at the flickering orange flame. I bend a little forward and continue gazing at the blue portion of the flame. It kinda felt calming and meditative.
I sit gazing at it blankly for sometime. Then I start thinking about my life. How worse my life already is. How much more worse it can get ?
Life is so difficult and I don't actually love my life. But I need to somehow live this life, at least for my parents. They can't lose one more son. But how will I deal with all my problems ?
Out of nowhere an idea pops into my mind. I suddenly pluck out one of the candles from the table. It won't be that bad. Let me see whether this can help me. I stretch my right arm and tilt the candle slowly. I wince and fist my palm as the candle wax falls on the warm skin of my arm, causing a stinging sensation in the area.
Tears start to form in my eyes as memories of my high school life flash through my mind. People calling me stutter boy, nerd, worthless, stupid, disgusting. I hear it every day. And I know it's true. I'm worthless and disgusting.
Ignoring the burn and biting down on my lips, I continue to drop the candle wax little by little on to my bare skin. I trail it from my wrist till my elbow and then again trail back a line to my wrist. Hot tears fall from my eyes to my arm along with the hot wax and I'm sobbing. It hurts.
But it kinda feels good.
My fisted hand is shivering as I draw a third line. My blue veins are flexing. A searing pain goes through my hand and my whole body. I squeeze my eyes shut in pain and hold the candle straight. "Enough ! ", I pant out to myself.
Finally I open my eyes to the hot wax involuntarily falling on to my sensitive finger tips. I fix the candle down on the table and then look at my arm adored with the three lines of white coloured wax.
I should get red candles, I think.