I fucking hated being homeschooled.
An at-home educational program consisting of six mandatory classes taught by a single instructor might appeal to some, but not to me. There was no way to cheat on tests, breaks meant nothing, and I didn't have anyone to confide in about how lame everything was.
You think having homework is bad? All the work I do technically counts as homework.
My instructor was my dad and he works as a professor for a neighboring college. He was responsible for the asynchronous classes, which meant he had more time to curate extremely boring lectures for me and my sister.
I found myself resting my chin on the palm of my hand as I used the other to fidget with my pencil. "So again, The Halyciane Environmental Toxic Substance Control is done to save what?" My dad asks out loud.
"Wildlife." Ikaris chirps out.
"Correct!" Her response manages to pull out a cheer from our dad. "Now the main components that utilize-"
"School is over." I interrupted with a tone that came out a lot more harsher than intended.
"Oh, right." He quickly fixed his glasses up at the clock on the wall and let out a tiny laugh in realization. "Well I guess that's it for today. I'll see you guys tonight for dinner!" He does a smile and gestures us out of his office.
I got up immediately while Ikaris stayed back to ask some questions. "Later." I quickly grabbed my skateboard and made my way outside the house.
My obsession with skateboarding started early when I remembered seeing my dad on a skateboard for the first time. I watched him glide through the air until finally performing a perfectly weighted kick flip that he had executed so effortlessly. At that moment it felt as if he did it just for me, like he knew just how mesmerizing I'd find it, enough for it to have such an everlasting impact on me.
Ever since then I've always wanted to be good at skateboarding myself. There was a priceless feeling of freedom and liberation that came with skateboarding, a feeling that I couldn't quite get anywhere else.
I skimmed the wheels against the wide open driveway that connected the backyard to the front yard. This new house was significantly much larger than the last one so I had plenty room to practice a couple tricks.
The current trick I'm working on is called a laser flip. It involves both of my feet maintaining a very specific place in their position to be able to pop and flip my board up in a unique aerial motion.
I know how to do it with my fingerboard but it's so much more cooler to be able to do it on an actual skateboard. Most of the time I'd fail my attempts at doing the trick but my dad tells me that practice makes perfect so never be discouraged.
I swiftly skated along the corners of our property until finally stopping to kick my board up with a deep inhale. I ran my hands through my hair and prepared my attempt at performing a well done laser flip.
In one swift motion I quickly propelled myself through the air and jumped, only to end up colliding myself with the hard ground. I hissed at the sudden burning sensation caused by the scrapes on my elbows, knees, and cheek. I took my time to get up, cursing as my skateboard landed and wheeled itself away from me.
"Embarrassing." Ikaris' monotoned voice let out from her window.
"Can you mind your business!?" I hissed as I finally got back up to retrieve my board.
"Believe me I've tried, but the loud unbearable noises coming from your failed attempts to learn a pointless trick can be heard all the way from up here." Ikaris blinked as she looked down at me.
"Then close your window!" I raised my voice in annoyance.
"Must I sacrifice my comfort to the outside breeze just so I can let you continue to engage in a non-transferrable skill of making a piece of wood spin in the air?" I remained quiet at her brutal response.
"Aren't you exhausted?" I aggressively picked up my board from the ground and glared up at her with a clenched jaw.
"Of what?"
"Constantly acting like you're better than everyone else?" I let out as I made my way into the house.
"Not everyone." Her cold tone blended into the air. "Just you."
I loudly slammed the door in response to her unbreakably large ego and made my way upstairs to my room. I threw my shirt off and quickly headed over to the mirror to observe over the scrapes I had just gotten from outside. I carefully watched the tender redness and welled up blood begin to subside and regenerate at an incredibly fast pace.
I barely ever get wounds or terrible injuries but when I do it's always so oddly satisfying to witness the healing process.
Upon standing before the mirror for a couple more moments, a familiar scent suddenly blew right in from my window to gently greet my twitching nose. It didn't take long for me to become tantalized by the familiarly intoxicating scent as all of my other senses followed through with undeniable sensitivity.
It was the boy.
My eyes widened as I dropped everything to eagerly look out into the window, in hopes to maybe catch a glimpse of him without being caught.
Time slowed the second I gave him my full attention. My surroundings faded off into tunnel vision that was completely honed in at him. I couldn't bring myself to stop looking, and I couldn't exactly figure out the reason why.
The sun's glowing rays delicately hugged against the boy's golden curls like a soft halo, further emphasizing his doe-like eyes that were too big for his heart-shaped face. His full brows were furrowed as he seemed so focused on what he was drawing. If I hadn't ever heard his voice that night at the cliff, I would've probably mistaken him for a girl due to his androgynous features that went so well with his meek and gentle demeanor.
The boy is beautiful.
In an instant, he turned to look out the window to meet my eyes, causing my breath to hitch. His gaze was large and complimented by thick blades of lashes. Although they were pinched with small traces of exhaustion, he still had such a rare glint of innocence to them; the type of innocence that needed to be protected at all costs.
My mouths drops in preparation for a greeting but I couldn't bring myself to say anything to him due to my crippling nerves getting the best of me.
I could tell he was nervous at the sight of me as well but he slowly lifted a hand up into the air anyways. It was significantly much smaller than mine, blending seamlessly with his gaunt body as he sent me a small shaky wave.
The gesture caused my stomach to flutter with stupid little butterflies.
I quickly raised my hand up to return his wave, only to find out it was already too late since he's attention had already been taken away by the loud yells that suddenly entered his room.
"What is this!?" A man exclaims, completely overtaking him in both height and width. "Answer me now Leone!" He continues with fury as he aggressively shook a piece of paper in front the boy's worn out face.
The boy was clearly shaken up as his posture became much more feeble and shaky than it already was. "It-It's an assignment from drawing class." He brokenly replies as his growing nerves and fear had rendered his tiny voice even more fragile.
The man proceeds to walk closer towards him, towering over him with a look of repugnance. "Why was it on the fridge?" He harshly queried.
The boy drops his head down and joins his shuddering hands together. "We were told to draw our loved ones so I-I drew a family portrait with you, me, and mother. I thought you'd like it." He was audibly falling apart and it was enough to overwhelm me with emotions. "I thought it would make you happy." He weakly adds.
The man responds by swinging a thunderous backhand across the boy's cheek. An unconscious yelp was forced out from the boy as he lifted his hand up against the sting in complete shock.
A sharp exhale escapes my lungs as the hand I was going to initially wave with had tightened into a fist.
"What did I tell you about having your drawings around my house?" He says before continuing in a much louder volume. "Answer me!"
The boy flinches and disappears into an uncontrollable sob. "Y-You don't wanna see it."
He leans over towards the boy without a single ounce of mercy on his face. "Only faggots do arts and crafts, tell me Leone, are you a faggot?"
"N-No." He cried.
"Louder!" The man quickly grabbed him by the shoulders and began digging his nails into his skin while intensely shaking him for an answer. "Answer me!"
"No!" He corrected himself through a shattered yelp.
"You know what this means right!?" His dad let's out while crumpling up the piece of paper and throwing it to the side.
"No! Please no-I'm sorry!" He vanished into a fit of desperate yells and cries the second the man picks him up and throws him on top of the bed. "Please father! I beg of you!" His dad didn't hesitate to begin unbuckling his belt, unsheathing it and turning it over so it ends with the hard silver point.
I had about enough of what was happening before me so without any forethought I quickly got into position to jump into his window.
"Don't do it." Ikaris warns as I turned around to look at her in complete disbelief.
"He's hurting him!" I frantically say with a heaving chest. "I have to go help him!"
"You don't have to do anything, you don't know that boy." Her cautious voice intertwined with the distant sounds of the boy's breathless screams being caused by the endless lashings from the hard buckle. "You only feel protective of him because of the Blood Bond, if you go, who knows what you'll end up doing if you lose control."
"Don't you-don't you hear him!? He's hurt!" I exclaimed as I began to feel my heart begin to pound towards the returning uncontrollable in my body. "He's hurting him!" My voice began to tremble and grow weary as the boy's spilt blood began to linger in the air, entering my senses.
"Don't be stupid Dydan." Ikaris warns as I weakly drop on one knee to regain myself. "What he's going through isn't right, but you can't help him at this state-not right now." She helps me up and brings me over to my bed.
As much as I hated not being able to do anything, she was still right.
I have to find a way to get control and help him without ever losing it.
I just wanted to briefly express my gratitude to those who voted, commented, and have even reached this point in the book. You could be literally doing anything else, but yet here you are giving my book a chance. So, thank you; I truly do appreciate it!