"Isn’t it lovely to live in this country!? This county is the best place to live... if you’re a criminal, right, officers?!"
The madman they arrested from a brawl continued to laugh maniacally until so officers took him sowhere else. Even when being dragged, he expressed his dismay toward the wife and the cowardly husband who could only fight won.
"Tch!" Grace clicked her tongue through her gritted teeth, glaring daggers at her parents. "You two... you’re just the sa!"
As soon as the last syllable rolled out of her tongue, she ran away with a heavy heart. Grace ran away so fast that so lazy police officer couldn’t stop her.
"Eh. She’s just being dramatic," said her father while waving dismissively. "Don’t mind her. She’ll co ho."
Hugo, Charles, and Haines weren’t pleased with how this man would not even show the slightest remorse. However, after writing up their reports, the officers let all of them leave — just like that.
It was a frustrating experience for everyone and, in a way, the experience would be like a splinter stuck in their hearts.
*
*
*
When they left the station, the Bennet Family returned to the square to et up with everyone. Thankfully, Charles was quick enough to alert Haines and Allison so as not to cause panic. Allison stayed with Atlas and Slater to make sure everyone wouldn’t panic while Charles and Haines looked for Penny and Hugo.
Therefore, when they returned, they had to socialize and celebrate the success of the club’s mission. Acting like nothing happened was a skill many in the upper echelon learned. Which explains how the Bennets quickly put on their smiling faces.
But when the charity event ended, and they were on the way ho, Slater and Atlas nagged Hugo for not telling them when he left with Penny. The couple, Penny, and Hugo decided not to worry the other children unnecessarily. So, they didn’t detail what actually happened.
"Penny, don’t disappear like that again," Slater repeated as he idled in Penny’s bedroom after they reached ho. "Do you know how worried we were?"
Penny looked up at him from the bed with her pets while Slater stood near the door. "Sorry."
"Penny, nothing really happened?" he asked suspiciously. "You, Mom and Dad, Uncle Haines, and even Second Brother had been acting strange since you ca back. What really happened?"
"Well... hmm..." she rubbed her chin, thinking she agreed not to tell her other brothers so they wouldn’t have to worry. What happened already happened — it was done.
Assessing Slater longer than she should, Penny blurted out, "Third Brother, if, sohow, your bullies were caught bullying you by a teacher or the headmaster, would you tell them the truth?"
"Hmm?"
"Or would you keep quiet and deny it?"
"Penny, are we talking about this again? I haven’t decided on what to do yet," he frowned, assuming this was Penny’s way of reminding him about coming clean to his parents.
"That’s not my intention. I’m just curious why would victims deny and protect their abusers?"
"Because that’s what happens when you’ve been abused for so long. Your spirits break and you sohow believe it’s your fault."
"Are you like that?"
"I’m not bullied that long, but I’ve seen so people," he casually explained. "I’m only picked on by Keith when I told him off. He targeted since then, and our family’s relationship with their family isn’t really good. So, that added to his reasons for picking on ."
Slater leaned his side against the wall. "Why are you asking?"
"Third Brother, if I didn’t find out about your situation... do you think you’d be dependent on your bullies as well?"
For so reason, his breath stopped, unable to answer her question.
If not for Penny...
It wasn’t like Slater didn’t know what Penny had done to make his life a lot easier. She never ntioned it before, nor did she ask for credit for it. But now that she ntioned it in a tone that genuinely ca from pure curiosity, it touched a part of his heart he never thought existed before.
"Maybe," he admitted under his breath as this sense of bitterness crept into his heart. "I an, yes. Penny, can I ask you a question?"
"Hmm?"
"Why did you help when I was an to you?"
"Why is that a question?" she blurted out. "Even if you’re an to , you’re still my brother. I might bully you, but it’s different if others did it to you or any of our family."
"Right?" Slater let out a short laugh.
Penny pressed her lips into a thin line. Before she could say anything, Slater peeled his side from the wall.
"Anyway, you should rest first. Today is fun, but also tiring," he said. "I gotta go back to my room. I forgot I have to do sothing!"
Her mouth parted, but Slater already fled before she could speak. Deep lines appeared between her brows, staring at the door he slamd closed.
"Why did he suddenly act so strangely?" she wondered, but then shook her head and didn’t dwell on it.
Right now, she wanted to think about how to help Grace. Clearly, Grace’s mother was already too trapped in their situation that she would blatantly lie, even when help was right in front of her. Not to ntion, Grace ran away earlier.
"She worries ..." another whisper slipped past Penny’s. "How can I help her with this body?"
Oh, how she wished she was already an adult now. Things would be a lot easier if she were.
******
Unlike what Slater said, he didn’t go back to his room. Instead, he made his way to his father’s study, where he and Haines would be. Standing in front of the study room, he gazed at the door.
He clasped his hands into a tight fist and gulped a mouthful. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and then he knocked. Even before he could hear anyone from the inside permitting him to co in, he reached for the knob and slowly opened the door.
"Slater?" Charles, who was leaning against the desk, turned to him with furrowed brows. Surprisingly, Allison was also in the study, seated on the couch.
Haines was standing by the window, looking at Slater curiously. "Slater, do you need anything?"
Slater raised his head and looked straight at his father. "I am being bullied," he confessed bravely before his resolve could wane. "For a year, I have been bullied. That’s why Penny suddenly asks to go to school to stop the bullying."
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