5: Aiden

Flashback.

Apenimon Military Academy, six years ago.

"If any one of you make an attempt to run away, because you're chicken enough to face difficulties, then good luck because you would be running through the forest, with no food or water for five days, and die of starvation or get eaten by wild animals." The captain that was dressed in a tailored button down black uniform, with a silver metallic barge at the pocket of his left breast, yelled at us the newbies. Leaning into his Jeep, he took another drag of his cigarette, and blew out curly snake-like puffs in the air.

We were in the middle of valleys, mountains, and hills. To top it all, a giant forest.

There was a straight colter road that led to the dorms, offices, training ground and the school, Apenimon Military Academy.

A fifteen years old me, stared around with a deep frown marring my facial features. Not a bit scared of the intimidating looks that are thrown my way. Or what bullshit the guy just spluttered, to input fear in us newbies. Because I was scared shitless.

We were eight boys that had been admitted into the school, and the rest seven were trembling out of fear, from the nonsense they believed.

"Here, all students are expected to seek opportunities for excellence and leadership in performance. There are no jock and geek types here. You are all expected to learn self control, time management. And most importantly, discipline. You will work to achieve high marks in academic marks, improve physical fitness, and high leadership. This is not a public school where a student who manages to achieve passing would be left alone. Every student is expected to be 'Up front' at several points during the academic period." The man continued, not minding that he was smoking in front of us newbies.

How did he expect us to live by all these rules, when he was smoking infront of us?

Hypocrite. I hissed under my breath.

One round pumpkin of a boy, even slumped on the ground dirt, wailing and vomiting that he wanted to go home.

I smirked, then held tighter on my traveling bag. So dad thought that bringing me here would change me. Little did he know he was playing a dangerous game with fire.

"Hey you, the boy with a little swoosh in front of your head."

The man's voice that he made to input fear in the kids, pulled me out of my thoughts. And for the fact that he was big, beefy, and authoritative looking didn't scare me a bit.

"What's your name?" He walked up to me, stood in front of my face, and direct this question to me.

"Aiden Wyatt." I replied, looking at him right in the eye, to show him I wasn't scared of him, wasn't scared of anyone. And wasn't scared of this fucking creepy school. To hell with them all, including Murphy who thought he was doing me a favour.

"Alright Aiden, you think because you're headstrong, you know it all right? Your girly kind of hair would be scraped, and your head would be left bald. I'm going to send you to the Sharks dormitory, were we have the class E students. You would stay there, and learn some manners, after being drilled mercilessly. I've read alot about you, and this school will straighten you up."

I wasn't scared of him, would never be, because he didn't intimidate me a bit. But when he had said those words, how I felt was indescribable. For the first time since I arrived here, I was nervous.

"Now go say goodbye to your parents, because you wouldn't see them for a very long time." He yelled at the group of boys, then returned his eyes back to me.

Raising my chin defiantly in the air, I gave him a side smirk.

"I'm going to keep my eyes on you, boy." He said, his gaze hard.

Slunging my backpack over my shoulder, I walked over to where Murphy's car was packed along with other parents small cars.

Mothers were pulling their kids into to hugs, ruffling their hair, getting teary eyed after pressing tight kisses to their kids faces.

Mom didn't even care to come, because she was fed up with me, and had sent me packing before Murphy suggested in bringing me to a military school.

The glass tinted black glass of the car was whined down, so Murphy could speak with me.

"You would be doing yourself alot of good if you be on your best behavior. Because you would be given hard labor, and that would mould you into a man." He said sharply.

"Finally getting the rebellious son off your hair. Right, Murphy?" I scoffed, tucking my tongue inside my cheek.

"Jesus, Aiden. Can you show a little bit of respect towards your father?" Murphy face palmed, then sigh.

"I fucking owe you no respect. You think bringing me here would fix me? You've got to be kidding me." I scoffed.

His lips pressed into a thin straight line, and his eyes developed this abrupt anger in them.

"You are brought here to learn self control and discipline. Those of which you lack."

"You had no alternative but to bring me here, because you failed as a father, old man." I pointed out the obvious, tucking my tongue inside my cheek to feel the soft silk-like flesh. A die hard habit of mine.

And he silenced me, by holding up a finger. As if he had something painstakingly important to say. Lips in a hard thin line.

"Try anything stupid, or get into more trouble by causing damages here, I will disown you." His voice was so commanding, that it added a stamp to no room for arguments.

His words were a threat, but they didn't  move me a bit. To hell with him, and whoever gave him the idea to ship me off to Apenimon Military Academy, so I could change.

Leaning close to his face through the car window, I emphasized these words dangerously low. "I. Will. Be. Waiting. Old. Man."

Murphy adverted his anger towards the stirring wheel in front of him, by kicking slamming his fist hard on it. Before driving away.

End of flashback.

The fact that I was giving them consistent problems, made Murphy and my mom to ship me off to military school, hoping I would change. Little did they know that it was futile.

Turning on the sink tap, I lowered my head to the bowl so I could wash my face that had dried blood stains.

I raised my head up to stare at the mirror in front of me.

My hair was messy, because I hard forked my fingers through it a couple of times. Out of frustration.

My eyes were bloodshot, because I barely had any sleep throughout the previous night.

The skin on my cheeks had closely packed bruises.

My nose still had the fresh broken lines, after I had stuck it in several tissues to stop the blood from gushing out, uninterruptedly.

And my lips were swollen, due to the hefty punches I had receive from Murphy, early that morning.

He had his own fair share of blows, from me as well.

The way I hated the man was something words couldn't grasp fully and thoroughly.

I knew if I wasn't caught off guard by staring at the girl through my window, Murphy couldn't have been given the opportunity to decorate my face with bruises.

That girl, I knew I had seen her before, right at the moment I caught her staring at me through her window, that was directly opposite mine with only ten feets away from mine.

And then, without hesitation, I remembered her.

She was the girl who had saved the baby, that Murphy nearly knock on the road, yesterday. The fact that she was my neighbor made me realize that, truly the world was a small place.

The moment my eyes connected with hers, it felt like I was splashed a bowl of chilled water.

We had locked eyes for a few moments, with she giving me that look again. Like she could see right through me. Knew my fears and darkest deepest thoughts. Something that was rather unsettling.

And Murphy who I had stopped giving blows, because I suddenly had this pity for him because he looked like he was going to pass out, used that opportunity to send his fist flying directly into my face. Something which caught me off guard, and sent me flying to the floor.

He gave me three hard punches, and then left.

After that, I went out to smoke some cigarettes. Because it did render help to torpor and apathy. And I saw the girl a kid.

This time, she was putting on a cashmere pink sweater, plain blue jeans, and sneakers. Looking all dressed up for school, with her backpack slung on her back. And was heading towards garage where three cars were parked.

It was just like she sensed being watched by me, and snapped her head right at my direction. Where I was sitted and was having a good smoke.

The only thing I found attractive about her, were her eyes. They were ocean blue, and captivating to look at. The more you stared into them, the less you wanted to look away.

We stared at each other, until her mother and younger brother came to join her. With the mother giving me a look like I was already taking off her daughter's panties. It was quite an amusing sight though, all because I was having a smoke.

Letting those thoughts aside, I took a towel to dry my face, and felt a rambling sound coming from my stomach, like a toilet bowl that was being flushed.

I was hungry.

I hadn't had food in my mouth since we moved in here. And there wasn't any food in the house, which meant that I had to head out and buy.

Fifteen minutes later, I was heading towards a close by grocery store, when I saw two lousy looking men, harassing a girl at some corner.

It's no business of mine. I assured myself, jamming my fists into the pockets of my hoodie, as I carried on walking.

Suddenly, I heard a sharp piercing cry from the girl. And I was forced to head back, to see what these men where up to.

The girl had tears streaming down her cheeks, as she tried to swat the hands of these men away from grabbing fistful of her bountiful breast, and groping her ass.

This generated anger inside of me, and seethed through every of my insides.