‡† The Unseen †‡

01 † Boundaries †

Everything about the guy screamed danger.

Raven just stared, and the silence between them remained thick, filled with unspoken questions and a shared memory of rain.

Mrs. Langley continued, "And finally.. Raven Eli.. and Devon, you'll be working together."

Raven rolled his eyes.

Now we're partners. Of course. What were the odds?

"Your first task is to choose a topic for your project. I expect a proposal by next week."

Raven glanced at Devon, who still stared straight ahead, his expression unreadable. Taking a deep breath, Raven leaned slightly towards him.

"Looks like we're partners," he said softly.

Devon didn't respond, his eyes fixed on the front of the classroom.

Raven sighed inwardly. This was going to be a challenge. But he couldn't ignore the pull he felt—the need to understand the storm that raged within this boy.

"Where should we meet? We're going to need a place to discuss... Not in the school library, forbid that. How about..." Raven stared, before completing tentatively, "..your house?"

Devon glanced at him for a second, then resumed his staring at the board.

Raven arched a brow, expecting a more interesting response. When none came, be just shrugged. He didn't know his house, but...

Guess that's a yes then.
____________

Raven stood at the threshold of the modest, dimly lit house, the scent of damp wood and faint cigarette smoke wafting through the open door. He wasn't sure if this was the house, as the only person who knew the guy's place was one of his teachers. He stared at the address in his hand for the hundredth time, praying to the heavens that this was the right place.

It was.

Devon's mother, a weary-looking beautiful woman with tired eyes, greeted him with a nod.

Raven stopped himself from arching a brow at the last moment. Something about this woman... "Good evening.. uhm.. I'm looking for.. Devon?"

"He's upstairs," she said, her voice flat. "Second door on the left."

As Raven stepped inside, one of Devon's older brothers glanced up from the couch, offering a curt nod before returning to his phone. Another brother, leaning against the kitchen doorway, simply pointed upstairs without a word.

Climbing the creaky staircase, Raven paused halfway, looking down to see that they were all staring at him with some kind of expression. The second brother was shaking his head, and..

Wait, isn't that pity I see on their faces? Why the heck would they..?

Raven frowned slightly, ignoring their soft, sad, pitying looks as if he was heading bravely into the lion's den. He walked the short stretch down the hallway and stopped at the designated door. He hesitated, then knocked softly.

"Come in," came Devon's muffled voice.

Raven turned the knob and pushed the door open, only to be met with a sharp command:

"Shoes off."

Startled, Raven quickly slipped off his sneakers, leaving them neatly by the door. He stepped into the room, noting the sparse furnishings—a neatly made bed, a battered desk covered in closed notebooks, and Devon—perched on the windowsill like a freaking gargoyle, one knee up, arm draped over it, staring blankly out into the gray outside.