Chapter 3 When fear wins

Eric's POV

As I spotted Carter approaching with his followers, a wave of fear washed over me. My heart pounded, and instinct took over-I had to run.

Without saying a word, I darted through the back entrance and fled, leaving Ethan behind. My legs moved as fast as they could carry me until I made it to the main road, where I quickly flagged down a taxi and rode home.

The moment I got in, I headed straight to my room and collapsed onto my bed, burying myself under the duvet as the tears poured out uncontrollably.

I felt powerless. Trapped. I couldn't even bring myself to tell my parents what I was going through at school. They were always so busy-too busy to listen.

As I muffled my cries into the pillow, a soft knock interrupted my grief. I quickly wiped my eyes and tried to compose myself.

Opening the door, I found my younger sister, Dabby, standing there, her face laced with concern.

"Hey, Dabby... what can I do for you?" I asked, trying to smile.

"Eric, are you okay?" she asked, stepping in.

"I'm fine," I said, returning to my bed.

"Eric," she continued, her voice gentle but firm, "I know you're not. Your eyes are red, and your face is swollen. What's wrong? Are you going to tell me, or should I go call Mom?"

I quickly made up a lie. "A fly got into my eye. It's been stinging since morning."

Dabby gave me a long, knowing look. "You know you can trust me, right? Whatever it is, I'm here for you. I'm your sister. I want you to be happy."

I sighed and gently pulled her close. "I'm okay, Dabby. Really. You don't need to worry."

She gave me a small smile. "Okay then. If you say so. Anyway, I need your help with an assignment. These math calculations are driving me crazy."

Grateful for the distraction, I nodded. "Let me see."

She handed over her notebook, and I scanned through the questions. "Oh, this is a simultaneous equation. It's not too hard. Just pay attention."

As I solved the problem step by step, Dabby kept watching me.

"Eric," she said softly, "is someone bullying you at school?"

I paused for a second. "Where's that coming from?"

She shrugged. "You've changed, Eric. You've been distant since the first week of school. If you're honest with yourself, you'll admit that something's wrong."

I looked at her and tried to smile. "You're too smart for your age. But now's not the time to be snooping. If you keep asking questions, I'll stop doing your assignments."

She frowned and kept quiet until I finished explaining the math steps.

---

Meanwhile, Back at School

Ethan had just stepped out of the classroom when he noticed I was gone. As he packed his books, Carter and his gang strolled in, their presence as overwhelming as always.

"Hey, man," Carter said, "where the hell is your friend?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Ethan replied. "He was out there a minute ago, but he must've left."

"We saw him," Oliver said sharply. "He was standing right outside."

"I swear, seniors, he probably had to rush somewhere," Ethan explained. "I was just inside sorting my bag."

Caleb stepped forward, voice cold and threatening. "Then you'll take the fall for him."

Ethan's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

He hesitated, then spoke firmly, anger bubbling beneath his calm tone. "Just because you guys are rich doesn't mean you can bully others. We earned our place in this school, just like everyone else. Maybe it's time someone told you-you're not untouchable. Just... leave me and Eric alone."

There was a moment of stunned silence-then smack! Carter landed a heavy slap across Ethan's face.

"How dare you talk to me like that?" he growled, eyes narrowing.

"Teach him a lesson," Carter ordered coldly.

Without hesitation, his boys pounced on Ethan. The beating was swift and merciless. Ethan collapsed to the cold tiled floor, coughing and groaning, bruised and breathless.

---

Back to My Room

The afternoon sun streamed faintly through my curtain. Dabby had left, and I was alone again, lost in thought.

A lump formed in my throat.

I had no idea what happened to Ethan after I fled. Did Carter find him? Was he okay?

Guilt crept in slowly-burning, biting.

I should've stayed. I should've protected him.

But I ran.

I picked up my phone, dialed Ethan's number, and waited as it rang, but there was no answer. I tried over and over again; it just kept ringing, and soon I became worried and dropped my phone.

Throughout the night, I was restless. Dabby kept asking me questions, but I assured her that everything was fine.

The following morning, I dressed for school and left the house immediately, even though the fear of running into the notorious bullies gripped me. I needed to find out if Ethan was safe.

When I got to school, I waited at our usual meeting point, but Ethan didn't show up, so I decided to head inside, hoping he was already in class.

I searched for Ethan around the school, but couldn't find him. Worry started to consume me, and I began dialing his number again, feeling guilty for leaving him the way I did.

I kept trying Ethan's number, but it was the same story-no answer. I decided I needed to go to his house. I remembered he had given me his address.

After school was dismissed, I patiently waited and then caught a taxi to Ethan's home.

When I arrived, I noticed an elderly woman sitting outside. Her hair was gray, and her body was covered in wrinkles. Just by looking at her, I estimated she must be around 75 to 80 years old.

I approached her and greeted, "Good afternoon, Granny."

"Good afternoon. Who are you looking for?" she asked in a fragile voice.

"I'm looking for Ethan Winslow; he's my friend from school." Before I could say more, I heard a groan from inside the house.

"Ethan is my grandson. His parents left him here with me to help me out, but they barely visit. They only send money for our upkeep," the grandmother explained.

"Is Ethan okay?" I asked, hardly paying attention to what she was saying.

"Go inside and see for yourself. I don't like seeing my grandson in such a condition, and he refuses to talk to me," she said.

Even as she continued speaking, I walked inside without hesitation and was met with a shocking sight-Ethan was lying on a couch with bandages covering his face and hands.

I was shocked for a moment as I broke into tears.