Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Matilda walked to the door in search of her sister and her boyfriend since they hadn't come inside ever since Isabelle instructed her to go inside only to see figure standing there scaring her.

"Oh My God!" She yelled jumping as she clutched her chest upon realizing it was Alex.

"What are you.. what are you doing there?" She asked after a few deep breaths.

"I didn't mean to scare you... I'm sorry... I really am." He replied panicking as he waved his hands and shook his head.

"Why are you all fidgety? It's fine... I was just startled for a moment. Come in." She said turning around as she walked to the bed.

"Woah! This place looks cool." Alex complimented on entering the room.

"Thanks... Told you black was cool."

"Blah blah blah... I'd still choose Blue over black in the blink of an eye." He replied instead snickering at her.

Matilda shook her head and rolled her eyes at him. She looked at him for a while reminiscing the first time she saw him.

FLASHBACK

She had gone to the vending machine with the hope of drinking a cola or perhaps something cold to quench her thirst.

Inserting her coin and pressing her desired number and letters... The drink wanted to fall but it got stuck on the way.

Stupid Vending Machine. She sighed and bent down pushing her hand into the machine and then pressed the button her again. The drink finally fell and she took it before turning away.

She decided to seat down at the waiting room and watch the nurses work and then when she was done she'd do some volunteer work.

A hit against the machine broke her thought. She turned her head as she sipped on her canned Sprite to see a boy kicking against the machine with a frustrated groan.

He was holding a crutch under one arm to support his injured leg which had been casted. His arm was casted as well.

Was he in an accident just like...

He kicked the machine again with his good leg breaking her train of thoughts for the second time.

She frowned and stood up with her sprite in hand.

"Hey... Need help?" She asked as the boy turned his head and she almost stumbled over.

His hair was blonde which she had seen from his back view except it had black roots. His eyelashes were weirdly long as they fluttered while he blinked his eyes at the girl in front of him.

His nose bridge was straight and pointed at the end. His lips was pink as though he had applied some pink lips balm on it.

His Adam apple bobbed as he swallowed his spit while staring at her.

She raised her hand to touch his lips in a trance which made him break out of whatever trance he was in as well.

He was well, doing what Matilda was doing just now... Checking her out. He started from her golden hair that was tied into a messy bun with streaks here and there.

Her face was round and squishy, her eyes were big like does own and her lips was pink as she licked it.

He gulped on his spit as he stared at her until her brought her hand up aiming for his lips. He broke out of his checking out trance and caught her hand mid air.

"What are you doing?" He asked blinking at her.

"I... ummm... Do you need help?" She stuttered.

"I...ummm... I don't need help with walking thanks." He said politely and turned around to walk- limp away.

"Not walking!... Umm sorry... I meant with your drink." She said smiling.

"Oh... Do you know how to work with it? Cause it's like stuck with my drink." He said and chuckled.

"I'm an expert... I'll bring your drink to you in no time." She said smiling then paused as Alex paused as well.

Both turned their heads rethinking the moment just now before they turned again to theirselves.

"Anyways... I'm coming." She said and bent down but looked at her drink in her hand.

"Hold this for me would yah?" She asked stretching the Sprite to him. He collected it with his good hand and watched her stick her hand into the machine through where the drink was supposed to fall into.

After some seconds, a thud could he heard and Matilda jumped up smiling.

"Wow! You really are an angel!... I mean... Expert." He stuttered in glee.

"Here you go." She said giggling.

"Umm... Thanks. Here." He replied blushing.

"What room are you?" She asked him collecting her sprite.

"Room 105." He replied.

"For reals?! I'm in room 104." She said.

"That means..."

"We're neighbors!" She yelled jumping him as she threw her arm around his neck.

She froze and awkwardly disengage from the hug before turning her head sideways to hide her blush.

"Oh shit." He said suddenly making Matilda snap her head towards his suddenly.

"What's wrong?" She asked panicked.

"Is it your arm? Your leg? Ah geez! You shouldn't stand for so long. Come over here... Sit down." She said and without waiting for him to say anything she pulled him towards the chair she was sitting on before.

"No no... Nothing's wrong with me... I'm fine. Nothing. See?" He asked jumping up. Then he say down when he started to feel pains in his injured leg.

"Oh so... why'd you cuss earlier?" She asked.

"Oh I realized I didn't know your name." He replied and grinned.

"Oh... Well.. I'm Matilda." She said smiling.

"I'm..."

"Mr Monroe?!" A nurse's voice cut him off.

He turned his head to her raising up his good hand.

"Right here." He called.

"There you are." She said.

"Exactly why I said right here." He muttered to which Matilda heard and giggled.

"So I'm guess it's Monroe?" She asked when he was about to get up.

"No... It's actually Alexander. Alexander Monroe." He replied and flashed her a smile showing off his teeth.

"Mat... Jeez! I've been calling you like forever." He called breaking her memory lane.

"Sorry... I was umm... jogging down the memory lane when we first met." She said pinching her nose bridge.

"Right... Vending machine." He muttered before smiling.

"Yeah..."

"So why were you calling me?" She asked.

"Oh right... Umm... I need to tell you this so you'll understand why Brother Chris is helping me and all." He replied and then sighed.

"Oh...Kay? What's up?"

"It's me... I mean my uncle and aunt. My parents dies in a plane crash but surprising enough, I was the only survivor." He said giving a bitter smile.

"So, since I wasn't 18 at the time, I had to go live with some relatives... Greg and Florence. Those were the name of my guardians. My uncle and aunt. My aunt was my Mum's younger sister so well... I lived with them. They had no children too... Guess that's why I've been their burden."

"My Uncle didn't like the fact that I was living with him and perhaps invading their stupid whatever type of private life they might have had. It all started with just little beatings on the back for a small mistake until it all blew up into starving, punishments. I could tell they hated me."

"You'd think since my Aunt was my Mum's younger sister, she'd take my side and fight against her husband... Jokes on me. I told her about it and instead she said I was lying against her husband and told me to pack my load and move to the attic as 'punishment'" He said air quoting the punishment.

Matilda pursed her lips unable to utter a word. Did Isabelle also go through that kind of treatment?

"Then the next thing I knew, I was suddenly the bad guy, anything going missing, I was held responsible... They'd starve me as my punishment while asking me to cook for the family even though I won't eat a bite out of it. I knew the consequence of even having the thought of stealing some bites. And so when I was 18, I decided... it was time to run. Enough was enough... but I needed money. Money for transport." He paused to look at Matilda who was staring at him with tears at the brim of her eyes threatening to fall anytime soon.

"I had planned it quite well... Until he caught me with his wallet in his room... then he beat me and finally broke my arm and leg. I gave up on the money and everything. All I know was I managed to make it out then after that is a blur. I even have no idea to took me to the hospital." He concluded and turned to look at Matilda.

"That's my story." He said and brought his hand up to clean the tears that was streaked on her cheeks.

Matilda pulled him into an embrace as she sobbed into his chest. After a while, she stopped but still kept her face in Alex's chest.

"There was an incident when I was 3..."

FLASHBACK

"You count to 10 while I go hide okay?" 5 years old Isabelle instructed pointing at 3 years old Matilda.

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three..."

Matilda peeked out of her fingers that was covering her face. She climbed up the stairs with a smile on her face until she saw him.

Her smile fell as she stood firmly on the last step staring at the man in front of her with alert.

"Who... who are you?" She asked staring at the man in black looking down at her.

"I'm here to bring you to your Dad... Come here." The man replied opening his arm wide.

"But Daddy and Mummy are inside." She replied crossing her arm.

"I know... They asked me to bring you there... it's a surprise."

Matilda subconsciously stepped forward at the word 'surprise' before she paused.

"If Dad truly asked you to come and pick me, then what did he tell you to tell me?" She asked smartly.

"What are you talking about? He just asked me to bring you. Let's go immediately." The man said impatiently with a frown settled on his face.

Suddenly a deafening bang echoed through the whole house making Matilda turn her head towards her parents room.

"M- Let me go!" She yelled when the man pulled her arm.

Another bang echoed again with tears pooling her eyes.

"Shut up you stupid little girl." He yelled jerking her.

"No- I want Isabelle... Get away from me." She muttered. She brought her lips closer to the man's mouth as she talked biting his hand.

Immediately, the man let go of her hand and clutched his bitten hand.

He raised his hand to slap her as she turned her body and ran down the stairs.

She had reached the fifth one when she heard footsteps behind her. She whipped her head around to look at the man thereby losing her footing and a step and down she tumbled on the stairs with one of her black sandal on the stairs she was on just now and the other one on her unconscious body as she laid in her own pool of blood soaking her yellow dress that she was wearing.

FLASHBACK END

"That's more brutal. That's just so... wicked." Alex said rubbing her back.

"Isabelle saw it all happen... If only we weren't playing that stupid hide and seek game..." She trialed off staring at her fingers.

"Then something would have happened to Isabelle. If she didn't hide, she'd have probably met with a very brutal fate." Alex said shaking his head.

Matilda looked at him and then she sighed.

"Life's so fucked up."

"Yeah... It's pretty shitty."

"Hold on... How many years have you been in coma?" Alex asked suddenly interested in the years.

"Umm... 18 years I've heard... Why?" She asked.

"The incident happened when you were three so that would mean you would be like 21 years old?" He asked and then clamped his hands to his mouth staring at Matilda who still didn't understand what her age has to do with this.

"20 actually." She replied after a minute.

"And you want to go to high school?" He asked.

"Are you trying to say I'm... Old? You..." She paused and pushed him away.

"Oh my Goodness! How do you look so young then? Even Isabelle looks young kinda."

"Shut up! Get out of here." She yelled at him.

Didn't he know it was embarrassing to call a woman old? She glared at him and grabbed the pillow near her throwing it at him which he caught swiftly.

"Did I mention I'm on the basketball team?" He asked smirking at her.

"Ugh! I hate you!" She yelled at him.

"Ugh! I hate you!" He mimicked in a high pitched voice trying to sound girlish.

"I don't talk like that."

"I don't talk like that."

"Oh I'll kill you today." She said standing up.

"Oh I'll kill... Oh shit!" He yelled before he ran to the door.

Matilda's stomach grumbled as she looked down at it in embarrassment and clutched her arm over her stomach.

"Hold on... why do you think they're late?" Alex asked.

"I wonder... I'm starving." Matilda said staring at the door.

"I can tell."

"Hey!"

Alex stood up and stuck out his tongue at her.

"Your stomach grumbled!"

As if on cue, her stomach made the sound again. She frowned and ran after him.

"Hold on. Hold on. What if they come back now?" Alex asked making Matilda pause.

"Pray you aren't dead by then." She said and ran again.

"Help me!!!" He yelled running to his room which Matilda followed him into.

"It really is you. I thought I'd never see you again." came a gruff voice from behind them answering Isabelle instead of Chris's voice.

Isabelle frowned at the unfamiliar voice and turned around to see a man in orange shirt and black shorts. She turned her head to look at Chris who was staring at the man with some sense of familiarity.

Was this some pack stuff? She wondered. She looked to the man in front of her, he didn't look like he was a pack members of any sort. He looked ordinary. He was ordinary.

Chris on the other hand looked at the man whom he fooled some weeks back to take the last jar of Nutella. He looked at the plastic bag he was holding which was full of Nutella.

It was obvious this man was the reason Nutella company was still running.{Note the sarcasm.}

"You... How have you been?" He asked making Isabelle snap her head towards him.

"Oh I've been horrible... you? You look good anyways." The man replied giving Chris a once over.

Chris tilted his head a bit and sucked in a breath before turning his head to Chris.

"Why did you take that last Nutella? My wife needed it that night and you just took it." He said.

"I'm sorry but my wife needed it too. Send my sorry to your wife. I really mean it."

The man pursed his lips and glared at him instead.

"Well it was nice seeing you. Come on, Belle." He called turning around and Isabelle immediately followed after him.

"You should run, you coward. Cause if I catch you, you'd wish you never came back here." He threatened with a deep voice making Chris stop on the spot.

"And who's the chick by you? Her legs look fresh." The man said eyeing her legs suddenly making Isabelle regret ever wearing this cloth.

She turned around to the man before he view was blocked by Chris's back.

"Shut your filthy mouth." Chris said through gritted teeth.

"Why? And if I don't?" He asked smirking.

"Forget it... Let's just leave." Isabelle said slipping her hand into his and squeezed his hand a little.

"Fine." He replied and they turned around only to be stopped by the man's hand instead.

His hand was on both Chris and Isabelle shoulder. Chris glared at the hand on Isabelle's shoulder as he turned around and grabbed the man's hand ripping it off her shoulder.

"Get your hands off her." He said with deathly glare.

"Bastard! What if I don't?" The man spat.

"God! Did you forget to brush this morning?" Chris asked.

"Dare you to repeat that."

"Seems like he's deaf as well." He said to Isabelle who had no emotion on her face.

"She didn't laugh. See that? She wants to follow me. Come here." The man said stretching his hand to Isabelle.

Isabelle moved to hide her small figure behind Chris while she looked down at the bags in her hand.

The man turned his neck so he could see Isabelle but Chris blocked his view.

"Look, I have no idea what's wrong with you but... let us go." He said. You'd think he was pleading with the man but he was actually threatening him.

"Sure. On one condition." The man replied shrugging.

Chris snorted but the man's next words made his eyes see red.

"After I have my way with her then I'll let you both go."

"Or I kill you, have my way with her and then kill her and you both die. The choice is yours." The man said smiling a sick smile.

"How about you leave now and I spare your life?" Chris asked through gritted teeth.

"You? Spare my life?" The man replied and then laughed like it was the funniest thing he had heard today.

Isabelle shivered at his manic laugh before clutching onto Chris's cloth.

"You don't want to fight me." He said.

"Yeah? Bring it on." The man said pushing Chris backward with a shove.

Chris caught his hand when he was about to shove him again as he clung to his neck squeezing it.

Isabelle looked down at his arm and saw things getting out of hand... Literally. Claws has begin to come out of his hand.

Xerxes was coming. Isabelle knew. But not here. He couldn't come out right now. People were here and so she did the only thing that came to mind.

She dropped the two plastic bags on the ground, disheveled her own hair and screamed out loud attracting the passerbys who were either enjoying the breeze or going for a walk as she sat on the ground and started sobbing.

Chris and the man who were still at each other's throats were oblivious of the small crowd gathering around them.

Chris was the first to notice as he looked down at Isabelle who was biting her own lips enough for it to pain her and she would bleed and then cry at the pain.