Chapter 3

Also at this point he was already getting bullied for being the shy and silent guy that wasn't very much into talking or interacting with his classmates. The most intelligent kid from that class, Ravan, being also the most evil starting to pick on him and shaming him bringing him a lot of pain and humiliation that got worse and worse making him feel degraded day by day not responding back only because he didn't want to bring problems to his family. He was remembering promising to his father to never getting into fights again after he almost strangled a kid. Thinking back to that moment it was quite a f.u.c.k.e.d up situation where he took his bike and gone to visit his friend but upon getting there and calling out to him the one who opened the door wasn't his friend but the cousin of his friend who was visiting him. Oliver wasn't to good with new faces so he asked him where his friend is and if he is home. The kid asked a question of his own instead saying "Is this my bike?". This took Oliver by surprise totally asking himself what the heck is wrong with this kid. He told him "No mate this is my bike, where is your cousin?" but the kid kept asking the same question 3 more times annoying Oliver and making him say "Yes is your bike and what? Now go and tell your cousin to come out will you!".

Next thing that happened was event more surprising for Oliver seeing in slow motion how the kid pulled out a metal pipe and getting hit in the head with it. It made him drop down from his bike while screaming and feeling for the first time hate and rage towards another person. He wanted to make him pay he wanted to make him suffer. And so he approached him slowly. The kid felt it and made a run for it but for some reason stopped not long after and waited turning towards Oliver and looking him in the eyes. Oliver was feeling his feet heavy for some reason. His heart also felt heavy like he was about to do something taboo something sinful but with heavy and steady steps he approached the kid slowly. Getting near him and looking at his eyes it was almost like he could see his reflection in the kid's eyes. He seemed to see a smile but he wasn't really sure who's smile was it? Was it that kid's smile or was his own. He couldn't even tell if there was any smile in the first place anyway.

He raised his hands towards the neck of this child that hit him for no apparent reason out of the blue and making him see everything in red like some kind of monster was about to be released from it's cage. It felt like the kid's neck was the key that will let it free. He approached it verry so slowly with the child not moving a muscle only watching straight into Oliver's eyes like a mouse looking at a snake.

Right at that moment tough his father appeared and yelled at him saying that he heard Oliver screaming and came to check what was wrong and it was quite quick taking into notice that they were neighbors and right next to each others so his father got there fast.

Turning around and seeing his father Oliver lowered his hands and the kid started running again. Oliver could almost hear someone or something saying "...so close..." but that memory was blurry now and he didn't remember what happened exactly anymore.

Who was the snake and who was the mouse Oliver still couldn't tell. Was he the hunter or the hunted back then? He did learn later in life that he very much would want to be the hunter than the pray instead but that future it is yet to come...

Back then Oliver explained to his father what happened and that he wanted to beat up the kid very much. His father making him promise then that he will not get into fights again no matter what and that they should play nicely from now on.

And so Oliver choose to respect his father's wish and to not fight back no matter what. Letting others humiliate and shame him as they pleased for years but keeping it all to himself because he didn't want to bother his parents about it.

It was a living hell everyday but he still gone trough it. He took good grades too, not perfect ones but acceptable. Not to low and not to high with the occasionally high ones still coming in from time to time.

When he got into the 7th grade his promise to his father started to get a bit blurry tough after he made a vague friendship connection with a guy named Peter who got transferred into his class in the 6th grade. He was one of the smartest kids rivaling Ravan even. He was also a cool guy making some nice tricks and being good at sports.

One day after having a good time and laughing together with some other classmates Oliver and Peter have gone towards their homes which was in the same way so they had some time to chat.

"Man I can't wait to see my mother again. I'm so exited because I rarely see her. She works aboard and comes once every year for a few weeks only and this is that time of the year. She should be home by now!" said Peter with a small smile on his face. Oliver looked at Peter and felt a bit sad for him thinking how hard it must be to be in his place considering he was seeing his parents as the most important peoples in his life.

"I didn't know that your mother was working aboard. It must be hard for you and her. And also you must feel very happy now that you can see her again" said Oliver.

"Are you kidding me!? This is the best time of the year for me with her coming back. To say that I'm happy is an understatement!"

"..." A bit of an awkward silence has fallen after that between them. Peter was the one who resumed the conversation after a bit of contemplation.

"Listen Oliver, you seem like a nice guy mate and I wanted to ask you...I don't want to sound bad or anything but why are you so stupid man? Why do you let Ravan do as he pleases with you without doing anything?"

"...if I can beat him up it doesn't mean that I also need to do it. I promised to someone that I wont get into any fights."

"Who said anything about beating him up man? You just need to stand up for yourself. Even though the guy does seem to deserve a beating...Why fall so much? Why let him do whatever he wants?"

"..." Oliver didn't know the answer to this question so the conversation got silent again after that but they were approaching a crossroad anyway where they needed to split up.

"Anyway see you tomorrow at school Oliver, take care mate!" Peter thought to himself that Oliver was going to extremes with either doing nothing or going all out. He felt bad for him because he seemed like a nice guy overall but he thought it's his life after all and he can chose whatever he wants to do. He can't have others chose for himself.

"You too. See ya tomorrow!" Oliver said his good byes and gone home thinking to himself "Why indeed...?"

The sad thing about this was that Oliver's bad luck seemed to stick to those who were getting close to him as well for some reason and Peter's mother died a few mouths after this discussion that he had with Peter. She died because of cancer while aboard. Peter didn't come to school for 2 weeks after that and when he showed up he played it like he was fine and is everything was ok. With one of the other kids even joking about it and saying:

"Ha! This guy even seems happy about it. He got 2 weeks free too!"

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