"Why move? I'm just a worthless piece of trash."
Nicholas closes his eyes while getting ready to accept the impact of the bat.
His mind shows him his memories. One where he was raised in an orphanage.
In that memory, he is just 8 years old. While the other kids are playing around, he is just standing in front of a closed glass window.
Right in front of his eyes, a girl from the orphanage is hugging a couple, and both of them look simple.
Nicholas breathes deeply while witnessing the girl stepping inside the passenger's seat.
His eyes twinkle as his lip pouts. He hears a voice, and he follows its trail; leading him to an opened door of a room.
He hides behind the wall beside the door. Inside, two women are talking to one another.
"It's not his fault that that couple doesn't want to adopt him."
She laughs. "It's his fault. He talks too much, and he seems to annoy the couple that went here to choose a kid to adopt."
Nicholas' head falls, and he walks away from that door.
Presently, he speaks in his mind. "No one wanted me. I became quiet because I thought a couple or anyone would want to adopt me but even doing that, no one wanted to adopt me.
"I became stuck there as I grew up… assuming that a couple would choose me."
The bat hits his waist, and his eyes open while he groans. Juan lets out loud laughter while slamming it against Nicholas' legs, and waist.
Nicholas is breathing faster. He looks up slightly, and Juan strikes his cheek with his bat.
Blood spills from Nicholas' mouth while he's coughing. Juan rests his bat on Nicholas' chin; lifting his chin.
Juan chuckles. "Now, this is what I call an 'art'. You're too weak. Not even I can't understand why a hottie like Nelly would choose you."
He inhales deeply, and he smirks. "She would choose me over someone as dirty as you."
Juan looks up, and his eyes widen as an idea comes into his mind. He turns his eyes down at Nicholas and leans closer.
Juan laughs and spits on Nicholas' forehead.
"That sister from that orphanage who helped you enroll here."
Nicholas' eyes start to go wide, and he clenches his teeth. "DO NOT USE HER NAME!"
He shakes his body, and his teeth are gritting with anger visible in his eyes. His breath is ragged while he's releasing cries of his resentment.
Juan steps back a bit. He aims his bat at Nicholas.
"That one sister… oh, I'd rather call her 'Sister Madeline' or 'my slut'."
Those words cause Nicholas' eyes to narrow and he screams his anger. He wriggles, and the chair moves along with him.
"I WILL BEAT YOU UP!" Nicholas roared.
The rope breaks apart, and he stands up from the chair. He holds the armrest of the chair and starts pulling it away.
Juan runs toward him while his bat is raised above his head. "You're dead as fuck!"
His eyes widen, and an armrest hits his face, sending him stepping backward, and everything in his sight is spinning.
Nicholas holds Juan's collar, and Juan yells as Nicholas stomps on his crotch.
"You deserve this!" Nicholas dragged Juan back to his feet.
"YOU FUCKING PERVERT!" Nicholas tossed Juan at a row of boxes.
Juan stands up and coughs. His eyes widen, and Nicholas sends a wave of punches straight at Juan's face.
Juan catches Nicholas' fist and punches his abdomen. Nicholas raises his forearm on his face, blocking the incoming punch.
Nicholas steps closer to Juan's body and thrusts his fist upwards, hitting Juan's chin.
He shakes his head as he stumbles backward. He groans and speaks in his mind. "That Lamey!"
Nicholas punches Juan's face, and he coughs as blood spills from his mouth. Juan falls backward, and Nicholas holds his neck; pinning him to the ground.
Nicholas' eyes are narrowing, and unforgiving as they settle down at Juan's face; blood is falling from the corner of his lip and nose. Bruises are visible near his eye and his lip.
Nicholas raises his other fist and rains down punches on Juan's face. Each punch coats Nicholas' fist in blood and Juan's body shakes with every punch he receives.
A pair of arms wrap around his chest from behind.
Nicholas' eyes widen and the woman from behind him pulls him away from Juan whose eyes are closed, nose broken, and blood dripping from his nose and lip.
"Nicholas! Pull yourself together!"
The woman who's embracing him is none other than Nelly. Nicholas still has his teeth gritting and his fists trembling while they're closed.
"He insults the one who raised me! The punches he receives are not enough!"
Nicholas trembles as his voice cracks. Tears are now falling from his eyes in a gentle stream down to his chin.
Nelly looks over at Juan, and she looks back at Nicholas. "I know but don't get your hands dirty because of your anger! You're different! You are a nice man!"
Nelly shakes his head and pulls himself away from her grasp. He turns around, facing Nelly, and he holds her collar.
"SHUT UP! YOU DON'T FUCKING KNOW ME!"
Nelly smiles a little and she embraces him once again. She pulls his body against hers, and Nicholas' eyes widen. His eyes close and his head falls to her shoulder.
Nicholas' hands soften from holding Nelly's collar. "I'm worthless, Nelly…"
She rests her hands on his back, and she can feel his body shaking and his tears soaking her shirt slowly.
Nelly rubs his hair gently and uses her other hand to pat his back.
"I'm sorry for what you went through. I am not siding with him but I only wanted to stop you from becoming the worse version of yourself."
Nicholas continues to cry with his teeth gritting. "But I'm just a piece of trash that no one wants."
Nelly's grip on his hair and back tightens. She shakes her head as fluid fills her eyes.
"No. You are more than trash, you are a person striving every day; fighting against battles that you are facing alone."
She closes her eyes. "That's why I am here, you can lean on me anytime. I won't throw you away or judge you, Nicholas."
His eyes grow wide. His heart starts to beat faster as if he has come back to life again, and more tears come out of his eyes.
He couldn't say anything but all he can do is to let it all out. His body shakes with every tears, and sniffs.