Alex's POV I was walking round the corridors since I needed a piss and I really didn't enjoy the lesson I was in which was maths. I saw Mr Carlile walking with a new student and i knew right away he was going to tell me to put my hood down but no one could see my beauty of a black eye my father gave me last night. "Alex put your hood down please." Carlile asked but I ignored him and went back to my lesson and waited until music which was my favorite lesson.----------- I was miles away doing my work quietly listening to my music without getting busted by Mr Ashby. He didn't care if I had my hood up as long as everyone did our work he didn't care what we did as long as he didn't find anything offensive, inappropriate. It was half way through the lesson when someone knocked on the door. Everyone stopped and looked up and I did the same. "Yeah!" Ashby said and Carlile and the boy walked in. "Mr Ashby I have a new student for you." Carlile said to Ashby who looked at the boy. I didn't like the look off him. "Come and take a seat." Ashby said and gestured towards where the tables and chairs was. "Mr Gaskarth can you company me to my office please." Carlile said. "I haven't fucking done anything." I muttered quietly to myself as I got up and put my bag over my shoulder. I accidentally barged into the new boy he pushed me hard which nearly made me fall over but I kept my balance. "Fucking touch me again and your dead!" He growled. Christ he sounded just like him. "Barakat! Sit down now!" Carlile said loudly and the boy glared at me as he sat down and I walked towards the door. "Enjoy your challenge." He said to Ashby as he shut the door behind me and him. "Follow me please." He said and we walked to his office. --------------- We got to his office and he sat in his chair and I looked down and stood in the doorway. "Sit down Alex, I won't hurt you." He said softly. I gingerly walked and sat in the seat but kept my hood up and my eyes fixed on my feet. "Can you take your hood down?" He asked quietly and I shook my head. Carlile knew what my father did after he witnessed him beating the shit out of me through the window at home. He promised he wouldn't tell anyone so far he has kept that promise. "Alex has he hurt you again?" He asked. "No." I lied. "If he hasn't hurt you then take your hood down for me please." He said softly. I looked at him from under my hood. "Take you hood down Alex." He said. I sighed and got hold of my hood and pulled it down gently but looked down at my feet again. I heard him gasp. "Jesus Alex." He said quietly. I had a big black right eye and a cut on my lip. "It's nothing." I said quickly. "You hurt anywhere else?" He asked. I shook my head which was a lie as I had cuts on my legs and I had a nice brusie on my ribs. "I have to report him Alex." Carlile sighed. "No don't!." I said and looked at him for the first time but soon looked down. "Dont, please no one is meant to know and if he found out someone knew he would kill me." I said quietly and messed with my hands. "He can't keep on hurting you Alex. He has to be stopped somehow." He said seriously. "Look, I have it under control. I can cope with it. I have been going through it long enough." I said and whispered the last part. "Look, I had a word with the other half and I know this is breaking the rules and everything, but if it gets too much and you need to crash somewhere for the night then you know where I live." He said. I looked at him. "I can't risk yours and Ashby's jobs because of what my father does to me. I can cope with it. You don't worry about me." I said and got up. "I have a duty of care Alex, its my job to worry about what goes on at home, especially if you come to school with a busted lip and a beauty of a black eye." He said. "Forget what you have seen, because your not the one who has to live with him." I growled. He was taken back by my sudden mood change. "You know what, just forget we even spoke about this." I said quietly. "You can but I'm not. And my offer about crashing round mine is serious. If it gets too much you know where I live." He said. I smiled. "Thanks." I said quietly and walked back to class. Ashby stopped me and introduce the new boy. But I wasn't listening so I went back in and sat in my seat and carried on with my work.--------------- I skipped my last two lessons and went to a park and listened to my music and got my art book out and started to doodle some stuff. It was getting dark and I put my stuff in my bag and dragged myself back home. I walked in the door and the place stunk like alcohol and cigarette smoke. "Dad?" I asked and dumped my bag on the kitchen table and saw a bag of coke. I looked round and tipped the smallest amount on the table and got it in a line and quickly snorted it and dad came downstairs. "Alexander?" He asked. "Out here." I said and quickly put the coke back and make it look like I haven't taken anything. "I need you to stay in your room tonight." He said. "Fine by me." I said. "Here, its yours anyway." He said and pushed the bag of coke one the table towards me. "Thanks. But I need more, so I'll go and hunt my dealer down and get more." I said and grabbed my bag and money from the jar. "You need to be back by 11, have to earn you keep some how." He growled. "And I will be. See you later." I said and walked out the door and went on the hunt for a dealer which wasn't my dad.

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