He found himself at the hospital and being fixed with intravenous drip. Everything spur around that only death rang in his head, he attempted to rise from the bed which he laid but someone told him to lay back which he did.

It was his mother who had worries written on her face, if it were a dream, then he would have wished never to wake up. Seeing his mother should have given him peace of mind but it only gave the lad high blood pressure. She was complaining about work rather than his health. Really? Couldn't she just leave behind her office and stay with him for a day on the sick bed.

The reason why she came must be because she wanted to act all loving and caring in the eyes of outsiders. Those moves of hers wouldn't work on him.

"How did this happen? I got informed you collasped in school!" She snapped checking her wrist watch for what time it could be.

"Stress" he muttered narrowing his brow at her and a brief sigh escape her lips. What would have been stressing him out that he had to collapse in school.

"Alex, is this an act or something for me to come over and babysit you?"

Those words ached him badly that he shut his eyes and didn't say anything again. That left an impression on her that her presumptions were right. He couldn't believe that she thinks he was putting on an act when he was seeking for a way to hide his fears.

"Seriously, Alex you're older than this, stop acting like a kid..."

"Go away" he interrupted coldly at her. Her statements made him all riled up rather than staying quiet, he would prefer sending her away afterall, it wasn't like though she wanted to stay with him.

"You keep pushing me away even when this is serious"

"No you keep pushing yourself away, don't blame it on me"

He said that sentence to himself because he couldn't find his trembling lips uttering it to her.

"Well, you succeeded, I need to take you home now, I can't leave you here..."

"It's because you don't want people talking that you abandoned me, I'm sick and tired of all your sheraid! Do you ever consider me as yours? I wish you all die!" He blasted unexpectedly that got his mother baffled and speechless simutenously. Alex kept interrupting her as he couldn't keep those words that had longed to flow out.

"How dare you say those cruel words to me Alex? Why would you wish me death! You dispicable child!" She cussed with anger stirring up in her eyes.

Alex kept silent as his mother asked him to refute those words but once his lips were shut, they weren't going to open. She ended up advising him and then got him discharged, drove him home.

She left for work shortly after dropping the weaken Alex home. His siblings had returned home and it felt like the haunted him, the only way to avoid them was locking himself and he began to mourn.

He wasn't man enough not to cry because he was tired of this life, the society he found himself was defineing his lifestyle which he never wanted.

Alex strides towards his window and gazed outside, he gazed at the clear sky and then the sun which would soon pave way for darkness, he lowered his eyes at their garden which was below his window. His looks were stern on them as though cursing their beauties.

Unexpectedly, his eyes met two police officer entering into the house, he could hear his heart palpitate and could blast any moment from now. He haven't even left that spot when a knock was heard on the door..

It was one of those twins who had taken it upon herself to call him out. Their parents weren't around and he needed to play smart, dry those wet eyes and act natural. It never crossed his mind that the cops would come around to interview him! Who would have suggested his name in their findings?

"Alex!" Vallery called pissed off from his delay when the officers clearly stated that they needed to have a word with him.

"Yes?" He responded in a meek voice, got the door opened and stepped out. Her eyes on him made his soul skimper for help. This was the kind of news these girls like to hear and witness, which was having their stepbrother as a suspect.

"Alex right?" The first cop began as soon as they exchanged gestured with the whined boy.

"Yes?" He responded rhetorically while curling his toes. Everything they asked him didn't register in his head except the one question.

"Where were you last night"

Luckily for him, his siblings weren't in the sitting room but in the kitchen soughting out meals for their grumbling stomaches as they couldn't afford to stay put at such a boring interview done on Alex.

"School, we had after school lesson" he said and the second jotted down.

"We've heard your relationship with Adrian and Eric isn't on good terms, tell me kid, why is that so?"

Alex explained that he was bullied often times by them, however, he never had intentions of paying them back for their evils.

"Around what time did you return last night?" The second added while staring into the eyes of Alex who maintained an eye contact with this man.

"8am, due to the traffic" he lied gnashing his teeth while praying in his heart for these men to leave. They desired to speak with his parents but unfortunately they weren't home.

Alex made sure he didn't give a benefit of doubt to these curious men and suggested some names of those being bullied by these two guys if perhaps one of the might have an idea. He also listed their friends who would possibly know their whereabout. He almost made lies seems so real and convincing with his innocent looks and confident attitude towards them that it was difficult to detect if he was a culprit in knowing their whereabout. However, they weren't going to leave this lad alone as he he was a suspect.

"Thank you for the informations, we would return, after our evaluation" the first concluded and Alex wished they never returned.

"Eyes on you" a voice whispered with an evil chuckle. His hands shook a bit as he rolled his eyes to the back. If he was scared of anything at that moment, it would be his classmate Jason who could be the devil himself.