What did you think of Pierre when you first saw him?
Beautiful.
How?
What do you mean how?
I mean, you said he had just been beaten up by a bunch of chavs.
Well, that's the point. He was dirty, hair's a mess, and he had blood rushing from his nose. He was everything I didn't want to see in a man. Even then, his eyes stood out. He looked at me that time as if I was someone. I've never had anyone look at me that way. He had this gaze. An expressive one. The kind that tells you words without actually hearing them. And I understood him. Thank you, they said. But everything was going fast that time. I could see the boys I knocked out trying to stand and I just had to drag Pierre back into the car. I drove off real quick as I saw him in tremendous pain while sitting beside me. Panic hit me. It's not the first time I had to drive someone to the hospital. But that's another story.
So, you took Pierre to the hospital.
No.
What?
He didn't want to.
Why not?
He didn't want his mom seeing him that way. He has an overprotective mom. I mean, I would be too if I had a son on my own making sure my abusive husband does not get anywhere near him.
His parents are divorced?
Yeah. And It was a bad one. His dad had a restraining order because he once laid a hand on his wife and son. Pierre took most of the beating as a child. I think he's a brave kid despite everything, you know. The name calling, the weird and awkward gestures, that glow in his eyes when he's really happy. I think that's what attracted me to him. You know? He might be what most people think as a weakling but I don't see that. He's a man of principle. He makes choices without thinking of just himself. Pierre is that guy who wants everyone to feel great even if it means sacrificing his own happiness.
Sounds like a really nice kid.
He is. But… Roman took awhile to understand him.
Why's that?
I brought Pierre home and all Roman could think about is his carpet. His sparkly floors. I mean, there's a bloody kid right in front of you. Help the guy! And he went on and on ranting about letting a stranger inside his home. He's so paranoid and that's what I hate about him. He thinks everyone is out to get him, you know? I don't know, it's probably just being brought up as a privileged kid who is used to everything turning out okay for him, you know what I mean?
Maybe he was in shock?
I get that but I don't know, maybe I expected something out of him. Two weeks before that he came to the coffeeshop to personally ask me to stay with him. I thought he would be more understanding with Pierre. I mean, the guy looked like he needed more help than I was at the time. But I had to put up with his tantrums while I'm trying to save a guy's life and all. He was hard on Pierre that day. I remember him saying, he wanted the kid out of the house the next day.
When you help someone, you don't really care who they are, or where they come from. What their background is or what could be their motive. You see someone needing your help, you go help him. I don't know what happened to this thing we live in. Everyone's so scared. Everyone thinks people are evil even the ones in need.
That's what I thought until the next day, the worst happened. May I? (She reaches for the tissue box)
Go ahead.
It was a rainy morning, past 10. It was dark outside and the rain just kept pouring. After a long quarrel with Roman that night, Pierre was ready to leave I mean, after seeing Roman and hearing it for himself, Pierre didn't want us fighting over him. After all, he was a stranger to us. It must have been really embarrassing. Anyway, fate probably wasn't having it and it didn't want him to leave.
Because?
The doorbell rang in succession. It was as if someone was so eager to get inside. Without thinking, Roman opened the door and found himself flying down to the ground after one whack of a baseball bat. Three boys went inside carrying weapons of their choice. Started checking the house out, picking up stuff, and breaking them.
I saw Roman flailing on the ground, trying to stay at a distance from the three boys. There was blood rushing from his forehead.
"What do you want?" he screamed in pain.
I've never seen people so sinister in my life. They were all laughing and they didn't care that someone is dying in front of them. I was hiding in the kitchen with Pierre but I took a knife, the biggest one on the rack and decided to brave the three boys.
"Who are you people?"
"Oh, there she is!" they were the same boys I put in place when I found Pierre. Roman was right. It was a cycle of violence, it's never gonna stop. I found myself standing there in front of three brutal men holding steel rods and baseball bats. I pointed my knife at them telling them to back away but they kept going forward.
My god, what did you do then?
I… I tried to tell them to leave. That I've already call the police and they're on their way, to scare them but they didn't budge. Their eyes were just devoid of decency. That's when I thought there are actually people who are just… plain evil. I always thought there was some good in everyone and all that positive bullcrap.
With one wave, this big guy Kyle hits my arm with the bat sending my knife flying across the room. I felt like it crushed my bones and I was whimpering in pain but I tried to put on a brave face. But it was so painful, I became vulnerable as my remaining arm held the limp one. "Hold her down," I heard him say. He had this disgusting smile, an image that would probably haunt me… forever.
Are you sure you want to keep talking about this?
…yeah, I mean. I wouldn't want you to miss the best part.
Really?
I was in so much pain when the two boys pushed me on the kitchen counter top. I tried kicking my feet but they pressed on, doubling the pain. I couldn't move and I was crying, stop. Please stop, I told them. But they wouldn't listen. Their hands were cold and wet from the rain. I heard a belt unbuckling and I was thrashing but I was no match for three boys pressing down on me.
Are you really…
Relax. If something happened, I don't think I can tell you about it so.
Oh.
So please, you have to stop interrupting me.
Okay. Go on.
As I was helpless, Pierre suddenly came up from hiding behind the countertop and sprayed something on the big guy's face. Right into the eyes, sending the big guy falling backwards, trying to keep his pants up while his other hand rubbing his eyes. Then comes Pierre with his other hand and with just one flick of a lighter, flames started bursting out of the same can. He waved it around burning the hairs of the two boys holding me.
I was so surprised. I mean, you know what they say. You don't mess with someone who starts a fire.
The two fled out screaming, leaving their supposed to be leader lying on the ground. Face and eyes all red and couldn't stand properly because he had his pants down to his knees. Pierre dropped the can and went to my side, helping me up, asking if I was okay. I was crying on his shoulder and I saw the leader with a steel rod smashing it on Pierre's leg. As Pierre fell down, the man was back on his feet and he gripped my neck into a choke. From what I can remember, he tossed me to the ground and sat on top of me with both hands around my neck.
He was screaming, "You fucking bitch, I'm gonna kill you" over and over. I was starting to lose consciousness. Everything went blurry and no sound came out of my throat. All of a sudden, I was released from his hold as he rolled to the side in pain. It was Roman kicking his ribcage and not stopping there.
I couldn't hear properly and my whole world was spinning. But from there, I felt finally safe. I heard the door close and the sound of the heavy rain on mute.
Was this the last time those people bothered you?
Yeah. I-I don't know what Roman did, or maybe Pierre. But they never came back after that.
You never called the cops?
No, we didn't. No reports. I think we kind of had this mutual understanding about what happened. Roman's a bit known around the area because of his modeling stint. That might hurt his career. Although it already did, because he was unable to go to this casting, especially with a stitch on his left eyebrow. I don't want my name out on the news either. You see, I ran away from home right? And there's Pierre who from the get go, didn't want to worry his mother.
What happened next?
I don't know. We all kind of passed out from the whole ordeal. We took ourselves to the hospital. Roman got 11 stitches, I wore a cast for my arm, while Pierre didn't really get one for his leg. But he was limping for a few days.
At the hospital, we were on three adjacent beds at the emergency room. I looked to my right and there was Roman sitting and getting a gauze taped on his forehead. He smiled at me. I don't know why but I felt like he was saying, it's gonna be alright. And his eyes went past me. Pierre on my left was also sitting while a nurse was checking the big bruise on his leg. He smiled at me as well.
That's when I knew. I was gonna be spending a whole lot of time with these men.
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