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•Gifts Of Emptyness•

Pov: Nick

I groggily wake up from my one-hour nap and realize that it's already time for dinner with my "brothers". I still can't believe what I witnessed earlier. Did they kill someone? The thought of spending time with them makes my stomach churn. 

I decided not to think about it and get ready for dinner instead. I stood up, my whole body hurting. I groan from the discomfort from the growing pain in my lower spine.

Glancing down at my shorts, I panic as I realize what I was wearing.

-I can't have these shorts on. They will reveal my scars.

I quickly run to the door and lock it, before changing into a pair of black jeans I found in the closet.

-I should probably change the hoodie as well.

I pick out a gray hoodie, hoping it will cover up any other marks. I take another look at myself in the mirror and notice that my hair looks kind of messy as well. I reach for a brush from the drawer and quickly brush through it until it appears presentable. 

The room is also quite messy, and I feel a compulsion to clean it up before leaving. I start gathering the clothes that are strewn on the floor and head to the bathroom where I discard them in one of those fabric bins. I quickly return to the room and tidy up the remaining items to make it look much more organized.

With the room now pristine, I hear Michael shout that it's time for dinner. I take a deep breath and hang my headphones around my neck and put my phone in my back pocket, just in case I need it to call Hannah. After that, I start drawing my feet to the door and unlock it before opening the door and walking out.

-Here we go.

I rush down the stairs but stumble on the final step. Just as I prepare myself for the inevitable impact on the floor, I suddenly feel a pair of strong arms catch me. I opened my eyes, expecting to see Lucas, but instead, I was met with Austin's cold glare. Why did he catch me? Does he actually care?

"Can you stand up?" Austin says coldly. "You're getting kind of heavy."

Well, never mind then.

Feeling embarrassed, I take a step back, away from Austin, who seems more irritated than normal. Together, we walk into the kitchen where everyone else is already seated. I scan the room for an empty chair for me to be seated on. After a while, I spotted one next to Lucas who was smiling at me. I guess he knew I didn't feel comfortable sitting next to the older once because Alex was on my other side.

As soon as the maids bring in the food, everyone begins eating and having conversations with each other across the table. However, Jasper interrupts them by telling us he had an announcement to make. 

"As you all already know, school starts in two days."

That earned a lot of grunting and protests from around the table but Jasper shut everyone up with a quick glare.

"As I was saying, Nickólas, you will be going to the same school as Lucas, Alex, and Austin so if you need anything just ask them, ok?"

I nod blankly, not wanting to talk to any of them at the moment. The thought of being at the same school as my brothers makes me feel even more uncomfortable.

"Good." I was eating while he was talking so by the time he was done talking I had already eaten all my food. I didn't take a lot of food either, so that kind of helped.