Awaited love, come soon

CHAPTER 16 : BE THE SOLACE OF MY CHAOS

At the Infirmary of Walstrom High..

Drake was being treated and to the teachers relief there were no major injuries. As Drake looked at the opposite bed of his, he saw Xavier still pretty disheveled. He smiled to himself. 

Drake ( internally) : I did it! I got the better of him. I knew mom will always be his weakness. He is just a baby who can never grow up. Well, now his famous image is shattered and everyone will make fun of his crying. I'll make sure that from being the sweetheart of the school he turns to the crybaby of the school. It was totally worth losing a year. Though, it's still not over! I still have lots of plans for you Xavier.

Xavier's fist was being bandaged and it was announced that both the Derozio brothers are being called to the principal's office.

At Principal's Office...

Principal Harvey : So, now that you are just a few months away from graduating, was it really necessary to create such a ruckus? I won't even ask who started it because no matter who instigated the fight, both of you will be equally punished. Your father is on his way. As soon as he comes we will take a firm decision.

I didn't want to be strict but really boys, after few months you could just peacefully have graduated or fought with each other after school? Do you even know, how bad it will be in the future for you guys if I give a bad remark on your result?

Hearing that their father was on his way, both the Derozio brothers looked at each other. The look did not go unnoticed by the principal.

Principal Harvey : If you guys are scared of your father, then you shouldn't be fighting in the school campus, in the first place. 

Drake ( nonchalantly) : I'm not scared of anyone, Sir!

Xavier ( pretty firmly) : You can just rusticate us, Sir! We will take any punishment.

Principal Harvey was stunned! Were the boys even in their right frame of mind? How scary could their father be for them to voluntarily accept rustication? 

As the principal was about to reply, there was a knock on his door.

A tall man wearing a black three piece suit, with a staunch figure and an intimidating aura entered the room.

It was Mr. Patrick Derozio!

Mr. Derozio : Good afternoon, Sir! I'm the father of these two morons. What have they done ? 

Principal Harvey had been a principal at Walstrom High for almost 30 years now, he knew an authoritative and abusive parent if he saw one. And Mr. Derozio was exactly that. However, intimidating him after 30 years of dealing with troublesome parents wasn't that easy!

Principal Harvey: Welcome, Mr. Derozio. Your sons have been creating a ruckus at the school's Boy's Locker Room. This type of behavior is totally unacceptable and...

Before Principal Harvey could finish his statement, two slaps echoed loud and clear in his room. 

Patrick Derozio had just slapped both his sons and he seemed like he would murder them!

Looking back at the principal, Mr. Derozio said : Just rusticate them. They don't deserve to study. They know that they will have to beg to make a living. Actually, it's all their dead mother's fault, she had always been protecting them. I always knew, both of them would grow up to be useless morons!

At the mention of their mother, both Drake and Xavier looked with fury at their father, staring straight into his eyes.

Mr. Derozio ( about to hit them again) : How dare you look at me with anger in your eyes? It seems that I really have failed to teach both you brothers a lesson! I should have just left the both of you on the streets rather than bringing you up.

Xavier ( murmuring loudly ) : We didn't want anything from you.

As Mr. Derozio was about to slap Xavier again, Drake stepped in : You technically never did anything for us! Hitting us everyday, doesn't make you the parent of the year! And to be honest, why do you suddenly care about us? You are probably more angry that you had to leave your business meeting rather than at us for fighting!

At this Mr. Derozio got more infuriated and Principal Harvey knew, now, was the time he should intervene.

Principal Harvey : Mr. Derozio. Please try to maintain the decorum of my office! Your sons are not to be slapped around and taught a lesson. I had called you here, so that I could give them a warning in front of you. There are hardly 3 months left before they graduate. I don't want to spoil their entire career. Even as a father you may not care, but I do care, for my students.

Mr. Derozio : So you literally called me, just to say this? Anyways, punish them, however you want. I don't care!

Without asking for his leave, Mr. Derozio looked at both the boys threateningly and left without another word.

As the room got quite, both the brothers released a breath. 

Principal Harvey ( nodding his head in disapproval) : So, just because I saved both of you doesn't mean that you won't be punished. Both of you have to clean the entire school before the exams. And, remember, you won't be given a second chance if you create a ruckus again.

Both the brothers had their head hung low.

Principal Harvey felt like this is why he always emphasizes on developing strong yet empathetic parent child relationship. Their anger and their youth are a dangerous combination and if they don't get proper guidance now, they will never be able to adjust in the cut throat world. 

Principal Harvey ( standing up, in front of both the boys) : I don't want to know why both of you hate each other, but I will tell you this and you must remember it clearly. The main battle is between you and the outer world and not your own family. Use this aggression in a constructive way and who knows you might be serving to make this world a better place. Walstrom High has always been a school for students who are not only intelligent but who are also empathetic. Learn how to make your weakness as your strength. You both may leave now.

As both the brothers left the principal's office, Principal Harvey really hoped that they would not create a mess again and realize what he had advised them.

Back at the Infirmary....

Viveria and Jackie were waiting for Xavier and Drake. It was lunch time and Daniel and Dew were informed of the whole fiasco and Viveria had urged them to give her a chance to talk to Xavier and Drake. Grudgingly both the boys had agreed.

However, both Daniel and Dew had also cautioned Viveria to stay away from both the brothers after this, to which Viveria had agreed.

As Xavier and Drake entered, they saw Viveria and Jackie. 

Drake : Hi girls! What's up? Don't you have class to go to?

Xavier : Hi Viveria! What are you doing here?

Viveria ( looking at both Drake and Xavier) : Actually, I just came to check up on you guys. Jackie and I have kept our notes for you Drake. Xavier.. I... wanted to...

Jackie ( helping Viveria get the alone time with Xavier) : So, Drake, how about we go get you lunch?

Drake ( giving Jackie an uninterested look) left the room casually.

Jackie: Such a jerk! 

Jackie noticed the tension between Viveria and Xavier and she excused herself leaving the both of them alone.

Xavier sat down and motioned Viveria to do so. Viveria cautiously sat beside Xavier, not too close and not too far away either.

Xavier ( looking at Viveria intently) : You shouldn't have stopped me, you know? You could have been in trouble.

Viveria ( blushing a little) : Yeah, I kind of have a superhero complex. Don't mind me.

Xavier ( hesitating a little) : So, Thanks I guess! I'm sorry if I scared you.

Viveria was falling in love with Xavier all over again. She loved Xavier's humble and sweet side. However, now was not the time to focus on it. She had to ask him what she had been dying to know. 

Viveria ( looking at Xavier) : Actually, I don't mean to pry, but, what happened to you back there? Why were you crying, so badly?

Xavier became a little uncomfortable at this and suddenly remembered that probably this question will be asked by the whole school now.

Xavier ( internally) : Drake, did it! He finally won. I lost control. Everybody must be laughing at me right now. Why am I so weak? My image will be gone, now! But, should I tell Viveria? Will she understand, what I am about to tell her? Should I tell her or just let it be? She doesn't need to know what my problems are, but why is it that I am feeling like if I share the burden with her maybe I'll feel a little less vulnerable. Still isn't it too soon?

Viveria watching Xavier lost in thought, did not want to push him. But she also knew, that she would never get a chance like this again to know Xavier for who he truly is. She needs to make Xavier trust her.

Viveria ( hesitantly putting a hand on Xavier's shoulder) : Actually, you don't have to really tell me if you don't want to. In any case, I just want you to know that, even I have been there at one point of time. As, you might be aware that I don't have parents. They died when I was very young. My aunt was given my custody and she, well let's just say she wasn't too thrilled about it. So this one time, my aunt had come home, pretty drunk and I had my exams the next day, so I was studying in my room. It was a very important exam and I really had a lot to study. 

She had barged into my room and said some stuff... some mean and hurtful stuff, but I couldn't say anything back because; I knew it was not her responsibility to take care of me to begin with and I knew she was drunk and maybe she didn't actually mean any of it. But then, her the then, boyfriend, had also barged in and told me to move out of the house in the middle of the night.

Well, trust me I have a lot of self respect but when you really have no money and no shelter, you often don't know where to go and what to do. So, I just slept at the garden that night. However, though it may seem to you that I took it pretty well. Trust me I did not. The next day, I had suddenly burst out crying in the middle of the exam. I guess I had realized it then, in the middle of writing an essay about 'self esteem', how humiliated I had felt.

As Viveria took a pause, Xavier saw that her eyes were moist. She was trying hard to suppress but the pain was pretty eminent. Xavier couldn't stop himself but just lightly touched Viveria's face to comfort her in some way. As he saw, Viveria restraining from his touch, instead he just held Viveria's hand tightly, mothing ' It's okay'.

Xavier ( internally) : God! What had this girl been through? He needs to know more about her. However, if she has shared something with him. Maybe, even he should share a bit with her. It's only fair. He wanted to make her feel that he is here for her. She was the only one who had stopped him from his own destructive anger. She was the only one who had helped him and extended him a hand of solace. He needed her to trust him as he was starting to trust her.

Xavier ( looking at Viveria with a painful smile) : Okay brave girl. Now it's my turn to say. But you have to promise me this will only stay between you and me. Also, I'm telling you something which I have never said to anyone, so please be patient, okay?

Viveria ( earnestly staring into Xavier's eyes) : I promise Xavier, I'll not tell a single soul. You can trust me. I'm here for you.

Xavier did her trust her. He had gotten to not only trust Viveria, but maybe grown more fond of her.

Xavier ( taking in a deep breath) : Well, to begin with, since my childhood I was always more close to mom. Drake was an year older to me and often felt jealous that mom would care more for me. But that was so not true, mom loved the both of us equally. It's just that my mom loved everybody without any conditions. The unconditional love, you see. But my dad, well let's just say that, the saying that 'often the most good people end up being with the most bad people'.

Initially, our family was very happy. 

My dad had a stable job and my mom also had a small shop of noodles. Until, one day dad came home pretty drunk. I was just 5 year old and Drake was 6 years old, we were both fighting over a small robotic truck, when we heard a loud crash from the kitchen. As we both had gone to see what's wrong, we saw that mom was lying on the floor and... and...

As Xavier started to get all nervous and sweaty, Viveria could feel that he was getting very uncomfortable. She moved closer to his side and hugged him sideways. 

Viveria ( gently rubbing on Xavier's palm) : It's okay. You know what I do in such situations? Let's do it together. Take a deep Breathe In and Out. Breathe in and breathe out...

Xavier took deep breaths in sync with Viveria, feeling his mind clear a little bit. He stared into her eyes. 

Xavier ( internally) : Why is she so good at handling me? God! Those eyes were the reason he was with her now. If only, he could admit to himself and also tell her, how much he wanted to hug her right now.

Xavier ( breaking from his trance) : So there she was, lying on the floor, dad was not stopping and had continuously been beating her. Telling her that it was because of Uncle Hudson, that he had suffered a loss in business. If mom, hadn't convinced him to partner up with uncle, we would not have lost everything including dad's job. He cursed mom for always helping the poor people in the neighborhood by lending them our money, thus, we had no savings left. gradually it became a habit for dad, to come home everyday, drunk and angry at mom. Sometimes he would pull Drake and me to hit us. But mom never allowed him to hit us. She didn't protect herself but she always protected us until, that one night when... when...

Xavier had tears in his eyes. Viveria could feel how difficult it must be for the proud Xavier to feel so weak and helpless. She doesn't know whether what she was about to do would be improper or not but she just couldn't stop herself.

She hugged Xavier tightly.

And to her surprise he hugged her back!