mine || why don't we

mine, 002

²
⇝ stop

THE FOLLOWING DAYS IT WAS SILENT IN EAST-WOOD HIGH, apart from the camera clicks, the officers feet and the hushed voices of bystanders and journalists. Only few said words over the murder of Jack Avery, nobody dared to show their mourning.

It was Monday, exactly five days after Daniel had discovered who gave off the horrid smell in his locker. It was three days after he was finally let go from police custody. Two days of torture, but Daniel kept to the truth; he had nothing to do with his boyfriend's murder. And he kept repeating and repeating the same old words of 'i didn't do it'.

It was today, in which everyone was forced back to school.

Every time Daniel walked past he heard whispers, the names he was called hurt, but he kept the same unemotional look on his face; he didn't dare give them what they wanted. In class there were deafening silences, only ones in which he sat alone in the front were doable for him. Everyone was frightened of him and Daniel did take a small liking towards that, although he knew he was innocent of such a crime.

The only thing that made Daniel frightened now, were the police stepping on his heels. The letters, which the shadowy figure had not stopped giving. The eyes he felt on his body whenever and wherever he went. Daniel understood if they ever asked him for something, he would have to give.

Stopping in front of his locker for the year, the scene was brought back up to his mind. The horrid smell still stuck in his nostrils. The nausea making his head spin once more. He did love Jack, even if the curly headed didn't reciprocate that feeling, even when he beat him half to death.

With a deep breath, Daniel turned the lock with the numbers and slowly pulled the newly painted, sunshine yellow metal towards him. He was frightened of what he was about to find, but he let out the smallest, half-hearted chuckle when there was nothing there. Only his newly replaced study and notebooks; his old ones were smeared with blood and smelled horribly.

As he stared, he took out the new pictures of him and his parents, hanging them on the inside of his locker door with a bit of clear tape. He zipped open his backpack, only now, when he was about to put his history study book in, he noticed the folded letter on top of it, surrounded by dead men.

Daniel took it between his fingers, looking at the trash can he wanted to throw it in, but something told him not to. Maybe it was fate deciding for him, or maybe it was his curiosity that tugged at his heart and brain, making sure there was no movement towards the gray bin.

Hi, Daniel, love,

You're not getting any sleep and i hate to think i'm guilty for that act. Your exhausted eyes make me want to cry, they make me want to hold you and force you to sleep. Your eyes are haunting my every breath, you look like you're in pain and that hurts me.

Is Jack haunting your dreams, like he is mine? I would hate for that to be happening to you. I wake up in screams and cry the night through, although i have seen you do the same, i am still hoping it's not happening.

I have also noticed you haven't eaten in quite a while, are you okay? Even if you're not, you can't stop eating. You will die that way and i don't want to bury you. If you don't eat today, there will be serious consequences.

I want you healthy. You're supposed to be healthy. You are mine and what is mine is supposed to do as i say.

With all my love,
anonymous.

Daniel slammed his locker closed, eyes turning his way as if they hadn't been looking in the first place. He crumbled up the letter, throwing it in his backpack as the nausea he felt earlier returned. This person had been watching him so intently, Daniel believed they knew everything about him and that made his stomach turn.

He tried to keep the small amount of crackers down, but ran to the bathroom with his hand cupped over his lips once he felt the bile rise up his throat. He hunched over the toilet seat on his knees, almost choking once nothing came up, there was nothing in his stomach he was able to puke out.

"Fuck, are you okay?" The younger rushed to his side, rubbing his back softly. Daniel recognized the voice as the one of his ex-boyfriend, his now best friend. Once Daniel finally caught his breath and calmed his body, he leaned back against Zachary Herron's chest, the younger rubbing his arms softly. "I'm okay," Daniel answered, wiping the tears left on his cheeks.

"I can bring you to the nurse," Daniel stood to his feet, ignoring Zach's words. The taller shook his head, flushing the toilet and walking past Zach to the sink. He washed his hands, gargling the water to get the taste of nothing from his mouth. Taking out a pack of gum, Daniel teared the foil and popped one of the pieces between his lips.

Zach stared at Daniel's reflection from afar, taking in every detail of his face while he was stood so close to him. "I didn't kill him, you know," Daniel shrugged his shoulders, looking Zach in his eyes through the mirror. "I didn't and they're trying to prove i did. The police, i mean. They want the case closed as soon as possible, they want nobody to worry. They want to be seen as the good guys, but they're not doing their job. To close the case they have to throw someone under the bus and that someone is going to be me. They chose me, because i had a fight with him te night before. Because i was the one to find him," The older's bottom lip trembled, he was going to cry any second now.

The smaller walked up to him, surrounding Daniel with his arms. "If you're not guilty of this, you don't have to worry, baby. They can't prove anything," Zach whispered the words in Daniel's ear, his hands trailing from Daniel's waist to his butt, squeezing the flesh softly between his fingers. "Don't touch me," The older immediately pushed him away, his bottom lip trembling in fear.

"God, please, don't let this repeat," The words traveled through his mind, fright emerging from the pit of his stomach.

Zach walked towards him again, this time faster and with a smirk on his face, formed with his lips. Daniel backed away from him, until he hit the bathroom wall harshly with a whimper. He was actually frightened at this point.

"Don't be scared, baby. I promise, nothing wrong is going to happen. Nothing you won't like. Nothing we haven't done before," Zach smiled at him brightly, one of his hands cupping Daniel's cheek, while the other was holding onto his hip, fingers curling around the bone and bruising the flesh. The frozen boy did nothing but stand there against the wall, shaking with tears running down his cheeks, he was frightened, actually frightened.

Zach chuckled softly as he felt Daniel jump, his hands cupping his butt. He brought his face closer to Daniel's, placing his lips harshly on the other's. God, Zach couldn't describe how much he had missed that feeling. Swiping his tongue over the older's lower lip, Zach needed acces, but Daniel didn't grant it, keeping his lips tightly sealed. With one movement, Daniel whimpered as his head slammed against the wall.

"Stop, please. Please, stop," He tried and tried to push Zach away, but the younger didn't listen to his pleads. Daniel's tears became heavier as he heard two belts fall to the ground, now both were only in their underwear. "Please. Don't. Stop," But as he was turned around, the side of his face pushed against the white, wall tiles, his lips kept sealed and not a sound came from him, not a movement.

The only way you could even see the brunet boy was breathing, was through his clenched fists, his tear dropping eyes and the smallest movement of his chest as his breaths were small and rushed.

Daniel would never forget how Zach's fingers felt on his body, how dirty he felt again, how much showers he took; which made his skin shed and how much pain he felt. He thought it would never happen again, never after Jack, but God proved his thoughts wrong.