BAD BOY SAVED (male pov)

Truth or dare?

"Mommy I'm hungry."

"Beat it kid, mom's got company."

My body didn't feel complete, it never did. Where my stomach was located felt like a black hole of emptiness. It hurt, it growled but worst of all it broke my mind. I obsessed over where or when I would get my next meal. Often eating things that couldn't ever be classed as food just to sate the gnawing pain I felt.

I had a bouncy ball, it was red and fit perfectly in my small hands. There was a boy at the park playing with it but when he looked away I slipped it into my pocket. His mom shouted at him for losing the ball but that's all.

"You need to take better care of your things Michael. I told you not to bring it because it would go missing, this is you're own fault." She said sternly.

But that's it.

She didn't raise her hand at him or even higher the volume very loud on her voice. Yet Michael cried. What was he crying for? His mom did nothing. Michael didn't know how lucky he was, even without his bouncy ball.

I threw the ball against the fallen plaster just outside my moms bedroom door, catching it in my hand again once it bounced off the walls. There were funny sounds coming from within her room, the kind of sounds she always made when she had company over.

I wondered why my mom invited these men over to hurt her. The men sometimes swore and she always screamed but she still let them back, again and again. Sometimes they were nice to me, they looked at me with guilty eyes and sympathetic glances. Other times they just ignored me completely. If you ignore a problem then it goes away.

"If you ignore a problem then it goes away."

My sleep talking woke me up. The room was bathed in darkness, except for the dim light from the en-suite I keep on because I don't like it when it's fully dark.

Olivia has been avoiding me for two days, ignoring her problem and hoping it goes away. I understand why, because it's awkward as fuck between us but I can't stand her being cooped up in her room, missing out on everything because of me.

We needed to talk, really talk.

I jumped out of bed and took a long shower, removing all of the thoughts from last nights nightmare. Then I went to search for food, convincing my messed up brain that it can come easy to me now that I'm an adult.

I followed the scent of cooking breakfast and slotted onto the stool at the breakfast bar, helping myself to the bacon on offer.

"Mmm, you smell so good. What is that?" Lola asked, her odd question catching me off guard.

"Soap?" I questioned awkwardly.

"Good enough to eat." She raised her eyebrows suggestively at me and I squirmed uncomfortably, willing someone to walk through the door immediately because I didn't trust this girl alone with me. She was too straightforward.

I sat quietly, hoovering up the food from my plate with my mouth. The quicker I got breakfast over the better.

"My mom gives the best advice, you know what she told me?" She flicked her auburn hair away from her face and I wondered where this conversation was going, she was so random. "She said once a cheater always a cheater. I don't like my friends getting fucked about Liam." Her grey eyes looked at me with seriousness. I didn't know if she was asking or accusing. I swallowed down my food with the biggest gulp.

"Nothing happened." I told her, matching the intimidating stare she was giving me. Our eyes could showdown, both perfected a murderous glare that kept everyone away. I recognized it in her the second I met her.