Thick Skin and A Jeweled Heart [5]
17th April, 2019
A week has passed and Liam still hasn't come to school.
Jade looked again at the empty seat beside her and pursed her lips. 'Did we freak him out? Oh no. Or is he talking to the police? Oh no that's even worse.' She kept thinking about what happened to him, the mythology teacher teaching in the background.
"The term 'fallen angel' is used to describe angels who sinned, therefor casted out of heaven--" A weak knock interrupted both the teacher and Jade's thoughts.
At the doorway stood Liam, his figure hunched. His hoodie covered most of his face and he gripped his backpack tighter. "Sorry I'm late." His familiar voice echoed slightly around the silent classroom.
"It's quite alright, Liam. Please, have a seat."
"Thank you, Mister Smith." Liam mumbled quietly.
"No problem, sonny." Mister Smith replied, his face showing sympathy as he comfortingly patted Liam's back.
Liam nodded, his head still down as he walked briskly towards his seat beside Jade.
"... As I was saying," Mister Smith continued to teach and the class was forced to turn their attention back to the lesson, though reluctantly.
Jade kept stealing glances of Liam. 'Why does he look so weak? Is he even paying attention?' she thought in concern. 'Maybe I should ask.'
"Hey." Jade leaned in a little. Liam flinched away slightly but didn't respond. She frowned at this but continued talking. "Is everything alright? You seem a little off."
Still, Liam didn't say anything. Instead, he tugged his hoodie strings tighter to cover more of his face and shifted closer to the window. Jade saw him do a barely noticeable nod and took that as a sign to not bother him anymore.
Meanwhile, Liam rested his forehead on the cool surface of the window. He exhaled, closing his eyes and letting his tense body relax. A week. His dad didn't come home for a week. He took the time to tend to his wounds, both from his dad and the thorn--which miraculously healed with the help of the amethyst, somehow-- and rest.
He slept most of the time. A week of fretful sleep. He thought tiredly to himself. He was scared his dad would come home and do more... unspeakable things to him.
Well, he did come home in the end.
Liam was trying to sleep after waking up from yet another nightmare when he heard footsteps on the front lawn, dead grass crunching loudly under whoever's weight.
Scrunch, scrunch, scrunch
Liam shuffled closer to the window, pulling back the curtains slightly, just enough for him to see through.
He saw that his dad was back. Liam's dad was well built, muscles visible through his plaid t-shirt. He was searching in his pockets for his keys, when suddenly, he looked up towards Liam's window. What he saw broke his heart.
There were visible eye bags under Liam's eyes, face ashen and hair tussled from sleep. He looked so weak and tired, his dad couldn't help but feel sad for his son.
Liam noticed him watching and pulled the curtains shut, eyes wide. Got to get out. Out. Out! He fussed around his room, stuffing random school books into his backpack and pulling on a hoodie he grabbed from his dirty pile of clothes.
He could hear the front door opening and his dad's footsteps coming up the stairs as he splashed his face with ice cold water, gasping.
Three firm knocks were heard, followed by a plea from Liam's dad. "Liam! Please come out."
Liam started to panic some more, looking for a way out. He locked the door and backed away from it. There was a pause at the other end of the door before the handle shook. "Liam? Did you just lock the door? Liam!"
His back hit the window and he hurried to open it, fumbling with the lock. Outside was windless but cold and he swung his backpack over his shoulder before climbing out.
His dad must've found a spare key because he got in. "Oh god. Liam!" exclaimed his dad in horror.
By the time he got to the window Liam was already running away, his backpack flinging wildly on his back. His figure became smaller and smaller, until there's nothing left of him to see.
And all his dad could do was stare hopelessly towards the way his precious son ran.
Ran away from him.
A week has passed and Liam still hasn't come to school.
Jade looked again at the empty seat beside her and pursed her lips. 'Did we freak him out? Oh no. Or is he talking to the police? Oh no that's even worse.' She kept thinking about what happened to him, the mythology teacher teaching in the background.
"The term 'fallen angel' is used to describe angels who sinned, therefor casted out of heaven--" A weak knock interrupted both the teacher and Jade's thoughts.
At the doorway stood Liam, his figure hunched. His hoodie covered most of his face and he gripped his backpack tighter. "Sorry I'm late." His familiar voice echoed slightly around the silent classroom.
"It's quite alright, Liam. Please, have a seat."
"Thank you, Mister Smith." Liam mumbled quietly.
"No problem, sonny." Mister Smith replied, his face showing sympathy as he comfortingly patted Liam's back.
Liam nodded, his head still down as he walked briskly towards his seat beside Jade.
"... As I was saying," Mister Smith continued to teach and the class was forced to turn their attention back to the lesson, though reluctantly.
Jade kept stealing glances of Liam. 'Why does he look so weak? Is he even paying attention?' she thought in concern. 'Maybe I should ask.'
"Hey." Jade leaned in a little. Liam flinched away slightly but didn't respond. She frowned at this but continued talking. "Is everything alright? You seem a little off."
Still, Liam didn't say anything. Instead, he tugged his hoodie strings tighter to cover more of his face and shifted closer to the window. Jade saw him do a barely noticeable nod and took that as a sign to not bother him anymore.
Meanwhile, Liam rested his forehead on the cool surface of the window. He exhaled, closing his eyes and letting his tense body relax. A week. His dad didn't come home for a week. He took the time to tend to his wounds, both from his dad and the thorn--which miraculously healed with the help of the amethyst, somehow-- and rest.
He slept most of the time. A week of fretful sleep. He thought tiredly to himself. He was scared his dad would come home and do more... unspeakable things to him.
Well, he did come home in the end.
----
Liam was trying to sleep after waking up from yet another nightmare when he heard footsteps on the front lawn, dead grass crunching loudly under whoever's weight.
Scrunch, scrunch, scrunch
Liam shuffled closer to the window, pulling back the curtains slightly, just enough for him to see through.
He saw that his dad was back. Liam's dad was well built, muscles visible through his plaid t-shirt. He was searching in his pockets for his keys, when suddenly, he looked up towards Liam's window. What he saw broke his heart.
There were visible eye bags under Liam's eyes, face ashen and hair tussled from sleep. He looked so weak and tired, his dad couldn't help but feel sad for his son.
Liam noticed him watching and pulled the curtains shut, eyes wide. Got to get out. Out. Out! He fussed around his room, stuffing random school books into his backpack and pulling on a hoodie he grabbed from his dirty pile of clothes.
He could hear the front door opening and his dad's footsteps coming up the stairs as he splashed his face with ice cold water, gasping.
Three firm knocks were heard, followed by a plea from Liam's dad. "Liam! Please come out."
Liam started to panic some more, looking for a way out. He locked the door and backed away from it. There was a pause at the other end of the door before the handle shook. "Liam? Did you just lock the door? Liam!"
His back hit the window and he hurried to open it, fumbling with the lock. Outside was windless but cold and he swung his backpack over his shoulder before climbing out.
His dad must've found a spare key because he got in. "Oh god. Liam!" exclaimed his dad in horror.
By the time he got to the window Liam was already running away, his backpack flinging wildly on his back. His figure became smaller and smaller, until there's nothing left of him to see.
And all his dad could do was stare hopelessly towards the way his precious son ran.
Ran away from him.
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