‡† The Unseen †‡

07 † More shadows †

Raven didn’t move for a long time.

He’d seen a lot of things.

But he hadn’t been ready to see something like that.

____________

The next day, the cafeteria was packed—buzzing with voices, trays clattering, chairs scraping. The kind of noise that usually faded into the background for Raven. But not today.

Manage the pain.

Today, it was too loud.

He sat at the edge of the jocks’ table, half-listening to conversations that swirled around him, his eyes blankly focused on the untouched food on his tray. His muscles felt coiled, like wires pulled too tight, and the back of his neck prickled with heat.

God, it feels like the pain is coming even more frequently now..

"Raven, hey!" A girl from the year below slid into the seat beside him, smile too bright. "You were amazing at the game. Like, insane."

"Yeah," another girl leaned across from the next table, her voice syrupy. "Do you do personal training? Because I could really use a one-on-one session."

The table laughed.

Christ, that wasn't even funny.

Raven forced a smile. A tired, brittle thing that didn't touch his eyes.

Someone else grabbed his arm—complimented his shot, his abs, his hair.

Their voices blurred together. Praise, attention, flirtation—all layered over the sound of his own heartbeat, which was thudding too hard, too fast.

His chest tightened.

I can't breathe.

He tried to stand up, but someone caught his sleeve, pulled him down—another question, another compliment.

Then—tap tap tap—a voice from behind him.

"Mr. Eli," came the biology teacher’s voice. “Don’t forget—project check-in’s next Monday. You and Devon are partnered, remember?”

The name hit him like a punch.

Devon.

Bruises.. death.

Raven blinked, and suddenly the walls of the cafeteria were too close. The laughter too sharp. The light too bright. He barely mumbled a reply to the teacher before stepping back, out of reach, out of the circle of noise.

Can't.. breathe...

He was walking fast before he even realized where he was going.

————

The back of the school was quiet, overgrown with ivy and scattered cigarette butts. No one came out here except to sneak away. It was hidden, shadowed, safe.

Raven pressed his back to the cold brick wall.

And everything collapsed.

His breath hitched, shallow and fast. He slid down until he was crouched against the wall, knees drawn in. His fingers tangled in his hair, pulling at the roots.

Thud.

He hissed as the pain shot through his heel. A pained groan escaped him.

Yet he did it again. His foot hit the wall. Again. Again.

I can't manage the pain..

Thud. Thud.

Thud. Thud. Thud.