Chapter 42

RECAP
"I thought you were tough, what are you waiting for?"
"Are you afraid, Swift?"
"What are you waiting for, Swift?!"
"You want to bolt the same way your dad did?!"
Everyone exploded with laughter.
"Can't even take a challenge the same way your dad couldn't?"
Another laughter.
"I thought you said something about proving us wrong, where's your courage now, Swift?"
"Where's your courage, Swift?"
Their voices went an octave higher and the not too little boy flinched.
"You can't do it, Swift?!"
"Are you scared?"
The boys kept on taunting the blue eyed kid as stood and watched the door to the gym quietly with his little heart pounding. He needed to open the door and walk through it but why was he finding it hard to do?
Isn't this the way they strategize in movies? Eyes closed, hands folded, eyebrows raised? He had seen way too many action movies to know he was doing it right. Why wasn't it working?
Yes, this is the way it is done, he's doing it right. But why can't he seem to gather enough courage to pull through with what he had accepted to do? It wasn't supposed to be this hard or was it?
Maybe the bullies were right, the kid thought. He most definitely wasn't courageous, he was just plain stupid. What if he gets caught by the teacher and ends up getting expelled? Will anyone understand his reason for accepting such a risky dare? Or would they just dish out the punishments without enquiring about his motives?
One of the bully laughed menacingly as he walked towards the kid with the bright blue eyes and strange black hair, who was still rooted to a spot in front of the gym's entrance. The bully looked him squarely in the eyes, laughed again and asked, "Are you going to do it or not, Franklin Swift?" And this time around, the kid whose name turned out to be Franklin Swift, one of the Swift's triplets, knew there was no turning back from that point.
Franklin blinked over and over again, his palms were getting sweaty which was a way for him to know his anxiety was spiking and spiking anxiety equaled a panic attack which was the worse that could ever happen to him in front of the popular kids.
This was it, Franklin said to himself, this was it. It was time to pull through with the dare he had accepted to do, there was no turning back now, not at this point. Not after everything they had put him through till this point, he wasn't going to back out now, not now. He was going to show them he was more than they thought.
Franklin looked at the bully right in the eyes as he leaned closer to the boy who stood a good foot above him and whispered so low the bully had to strain his ears to hear, "I'm going to do it" then to himself who needed all the boost he could get, he said, "I've got this" and with that, the gym door swung open.
FRANKIE'S POV
I was right. They had been talking about me. Maddie had a knack for not minding her business but why were they talking about Stacey too?
"Stacey looks like she has a lot going on for a 9 year old, Mel. I think you should talk to her" Mum's voice flowed through the locked door as I pressed my ears closer to it. I knew it was only a matter of time before her secrets got out but Stacey wasn't exactly a genius in keeping stuff and apparently, me neither.
Oh, yes, the dare. Let shed a little light on it, I mean isn't that what mum wanted? "To hear from the horse's mouth" like she called it. I most definitely wasn't a horse but I also wasn't innocent of the charges placed against me, the same charges my mum wasn't aware of but wanted to find a way out of.
Luke Clinton has and will always be a bully but being one of the most popular kids in our middle school, he was my best shot. I know it would totally freak Stacey to discover I've been intentionally putting myself in front of Luke Clinton ever since I had to repeat the 3rd grade.
I think there's a saying that goes, "If you want to be a part of them, join them or fight them" Is that how it goes? No, I think I got it wrong but anyways, you get my point. I wanted to join them that's why I had been doing everything in my power to step on their toes. Yes, I know, I know, it's not a strategic move but it worked, didn't it?
"Mum, if you're going to talk to him about him I'd suggest you do it on his own terms" Maddie said as I heard someone jump down from the bed pulling me out of my slight daydream. Madison was a very annoying person and an even more annoying sister but she was also very smart and at the moment, very right. It would be best for mum to do things my own way, would end up benefitting her for real.
Aunt Mel had been quiet ever since and I was surprised to hear her voice, "Maddie is right, Amber. Just go easy on him, okay?" The exhaustion in her voice was noticeable. She really was worried about Stacey and I felt the urge to try to convince Stacey to confide in her mum but I decided against it quickly before the thought materialized in my head.
Footsteps approaching the door told me the conversation was over and it was time to bolt. I hurriedly tiptoed down the stairs heading straight for the room. Stacey had been acting extra strange and that's coming from me who is the strangest person I know, closely following my status was my weird brother, Daniel. Anyways, I had to know if anything else had happened after what she had told me about her dad and the harassments.