Facing the Past

Cian looked up at his parents. A mixture of emotions boiled within him. Both his parent glided down the stairs. His mother was wearing an amber-colored business suit and his dad wearing an Armani suit tailored to fit.

"I knew it wouldn't be long until you two arrived. How are you?" Cian said.

Victoria moves to hug her son. Cian didn't resist but at the same time, he didn't put a lot of feelings into the hug.

"It seems we have guests," Said Victoria. "Will you introduce us?"

Cian moved to the side and spoke "Koray, Simone this is my mother. Mom this is Koray and Simone."

"And they are?" Asked Victoria. Her words sounded a little hostile when she spoke.

Cian took a protective step forward. "My pride." Cian's words hit Victoria a moment after he said it. She had hoped he would find friends and a life here but not something like this.

"Come now, honey." Said Vradus "I am sure they have had a rough day and could use some rest. Cian the girls can have the guest room across from you. Please go and rest. We will talk later."

Cian nodded to his father. "Ladies please follow me." Cian leads Koray and Simone deeper into the house. On the second floor, they walked past a few rooms to see a familiar face. Cian smiled at Jason. "I didn't expect to see you here." Said Cian

"Well, I wouldn't be very good at taking care of you and your friends if I didn't know where you were. I had my team pick out some clothes for the girls. I knew they wouldn't be able to go home for a bit after this."

Jason hugged Cian. Unlike before Koray and Simone could see the genuine feeling in the embrace.

"How did you know our sizes?" Asked Simone.

"Well, I will say that we had some female staff members look at the video and guess what size you girls are. They picked out a range of things in a few different sizes. I left their number in there so you can call them and give them your sizes and we will get you more stuff." Said Jason.

"You guys are full-service bodyguards." Said Koray.

"We aim to please. I must be on my way. My company picked up a government contract to help with this mess. I want to take a crack at these N.E. bastards." Jason sighed. "You all take care. I will see you in a few days."

And with that Jason was off. The girls could feel Cian dread fill his heart. Cian turned and looked at the door across the hall from their room. Cian slowly walked towards it. Cian stood outside the door for three minutes before he opened it. Koray and Simone moved up beside him to look inside. It looked like a normal young male room. Posters on the walls and a nice bed. A desk and a t.v. in the room as well. Cian looked into the room and then looked at his wall. There was a poster on the wall and he grew angry. The poster was of an E.D.M artist known as 'One Rule'. Cian rushed over the poster and tore it from the wall. His heart began beating hard and his anger swelled. Koray rushed over and wrapped her arms from behind. Cian was uneasy. He let the poster drop from his grip.

"I need to get away from here." was all he said.

Koray and Simone lead him away to their guest room. They didn't even bother shutting the door. Simone pushed Cian onto the bed. Cian landed on his butt and stared up at her confused. She only pointed and he moved to the middle and reclined on the bed. Simone laid down beside him. She was facing him and Koray laid her head on his chest. He rubbed her hair. They didn't press the issue and waited until he could speak about it.

"It was Samantha's favorite artist. She forced me to listen to him also. It wasn't my thing but she didn't give me a choice. When I was older I figure out why it was her favorite artist. It was the name. She warned me that she had one rule as well. Don't disappoint me. Whenever we were out and she needed to remind me of who was in control she would say something like hey don't this remind you of my favorite song.' It was never about her song. It was a reminder that I was about to break her rule. It was always about control. I didn't see it when it started but now that I think about it was in grade five. She would get me and Issac to do something stupid then after the fact she would rat us out. She would say 'I just can't lie to our parents. Now I see it was all her plan to make herself look good. All it took was a few words from her and I would change from hip-hop dancing to ballroom. Gymnastics was her idea as well but I enjoyed that. Issac was my best friend from 5 to 7 grade. He had a crush on Samantha but she told him that she wasn't ready for that. After that, she started to push us apart. I wonder how I could not see it at the time. I am ashamed to say it but I did whatever I could to make her and my parents happy."

Simone and Koray let Cian talk. They were unsure if he ever had a chance to tell someone other than his therapist.

Koray asked, "So what opened your eyes?"

Cian sighed, "The event that opened my eyes had to deal with her best friend Emma. She commented that Samantha didn't like and it seemed like overnight Samantha made it her goal to ruin her former best friend. Misinformation, rumors, and downright lying to bad mouth a person she once confided in. I guess this was the moment my eyes were open about how bad she was. One day I was sitting at a table where Samantha and Emma had spent many lunches in high school listening to her talk about Emma as if she was a monster and it hit me. At that moment I figured out that Samantha was so messed up. It was a moment of enlightenment that just shattered the world that she has built and I was living in. I saw Samantha for who she really was and I hated myself for allowing her to be in my life. I stood up and called her out. I told all our friends at the table about the lies and falsehood Samatha was spewing and I walked away."

Koray smiled "At least you called her out. Was that all you did?"

"No. I called her later and after she yelled at me I told her we were done. She went silent and started screaming at me. Then I hung up. For hours after she texted me and even called my parents with a sob story. I told my parents that we had a difference of opinion and that it was enough to end our relationship." Cian's face had a little smile.

Simone bumped Cian "What's with the smile?"

Cian sighed, "For a few months before my senior year I was free. I went where I want. I did what I wanted. I didn't sign up for football. I watched movies I wanted to see. My parents tried to get involved but I shut them out. I was angry at how much they allowed her to control them and me and not see it. Samantha was still in their heads and told them I was going through a rebellious phase. Then my senior year of high school Samantha started making moves to ruin me. On the first day, I was attacked by four guys I use to play football with and I thought they were my friends. In that fight, I gave as good as I got but they all said I was the cause of the fight. It was their word versus mine. And the rest of the year was like that. Attacks, vandalizing my car, and rumors. Samatha told anyone that would listen of the abuse I had done to her, but in a way to never say my name but heavily implying it was me. Teachers started to lose my schoolwork. It got to a point where I had to take pictures of handing in work to make sure I wouldn't fail out of my last year of high school. Then before Christmas one day when I arrived home, Samantha and her parents were in my house."

Cian's face turned sour. "Her father lunged at me in anger but he is not trained very well and I am. I didn't understand what was going on. My parents asked Samantha's family to leave then tore into me. I tried to defend myself but I guess Samantha was more believable." Cian laughed.

"They believed her over their own son."

Cian's mother Veronica was right outside the door and heard Cian talk about the day she and her husband failed their own son.