MIK

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

I generally avoided my father after my mother was taken. I stayed out late, left early. Only really slept at home. It wasn't that I was even doing anything with all the time out of the house. I was hanging around the library or the park mostly. Just public places it wouldn't be too weird to spend extended periods. My father was suspicious of me. Though he didn't believe my mother in the slightest, he would never be on my side. I was always up to something in his mind.

School was no breeze either, Juno and her friends were gone. So that left me to spend time with those dick heads. Luckily the camping trip occupied their minds as it seemed like it was actually happening, they had a planned date and everything and despite my recent distance from the group I was still invited. They didn't know quite what had happened with my mother. I wanted to keep it that way. They just assumed I was going through and angsty phase that was exacerbated by what was happened to my mother.

However in this small town something like that couldn't be kept quiet.

Fucking gossip.

I was minding my own business staring at a wall with the other boys when Conner walked up to us. The majority of my group was cautious and dare I say sensitive around me but Conner he was the issue, he was always the issue. I sighed but my muscles clenched. That guy always made me want to punch something. Most times, him.

Even though I kept my eyes on the wall I could feel him smiling at me, "Hey Torsten!"

I glared in his direction, "What?"

He almost laughed as he spoke, "My mum heard that your mum's been locked up in a looney bin."

Conner's mother was one of those typical housewives whose eyes you see peering over the fence. I clenched my fist, every cell in my body wanted to bash his face in. He really didn't have a shred of fucking sense. Aside from wanting to bash the fucker I really didn't have a strong reaction. All my tears were cried and I was dead inside.

Conley gave me a soft pat on the back, "I'm sorry to hear that man."

"Yeah that's too bad," Sam rested his hand on my shoulder, "we're here for you."

It felt like they were trying to hold me back in the most supportive way possible. I was just waiting for Arawn to spout, 'it's not worth it'.

Oh if only they really knew what was going on. They couldn't be further from being there for me, there was nothing they could do. Though I still appreciated the 'support'. They at least cared rather than just laughing in my face about my mother's mental health.

Arawn stood up and looked at Conner. Without a word he grabbed Conner and pulled him away from the group. That was the kind of support I really needed. Who knew?

A slight flicker of a pleasant feeling burned inside me. It was so small but I couldn't be more grateful for it.

Yet, I couldn't even hear what Sam and Conley were saying. Bringing up my mother just made me want to cancel out everything. To curl up in a corner. That was the only way I saw it fit for me to exist.

Conner came back with a huge welt on the soft spot under his chin. My lips twisted into a cruel smile.

***

I checked my watch, only 10. I had to wait another half an hour. Staring into the darkness of the forest, my only light being a street light. The one that had failed me down the street was still out. I wondered if anyone beside me even noticed it not casting any light. How long would it take for it to be replaced? How long until that terrible reminder of what happened to me was fixed? If that light were on would any of this have happened? Would I have become a werewolf? Met Juno? Unearthed a deep blood lust? Traumatised my mother?