AN alarm goes off, where a male was laying down staring at the ceiling. That was all he did, all night. He blinked a couple times—sure, but he didn't fall asleep. Hope Moo-Joo was gone for five entire months.
It all felt like hell, no matter where he was. From passing out on his own vomit and feeling his head pound a hundred times made it harder for his family to help him. All you could hear that night was the sounds of Hope's mom screaming and begging for him to wake up.
But, he didn't.
Hope was "dead" the whole night. His family mourned and students were already posting about everything. "This is all Ray and Scott's wish!" "Cant believe the football team thought they were being funny." "He deserves it." "What'd you guys expect?"
Hope hasn't had a phone. Well, he does have one. But the male leaves it in his desk, not wanting to see what was going on there. "Hope, sweetie." A knock was heard and his door sprung open. "You're gonna be late for school if you don't leave in ten." His mom, Margret checks her watch and goes towards his son's closet before opening it up.
Hope sits himself up as he watches his mom take a long sleeve shirt and dark pants out. She never liked seeing his scars, so she went towards long sleeves for him. "Thanks, mom." He says as his mom planted a kiss on his head.
Hope watches her leave the room and shut his door. He turns to look at himself in the mirror, why does he have one next to his bed? He looked like shit and wasn't looking forward to school.
Zhen and Charlie were sitting with Wen in the cafeteria, eating lunch. The principal had on his announcement on the tv about Hope coming back, Zhen hated how they didn't even try and say his last name.
There was signs everywhere, so much for not making him feel weird. "Look." Wen whispers. Zhen and him turn around. Hope was getting a drink from the vending machine. Zhen turned back around. "I hope he's okay." Charlie sighs with a frown.
"I didn't know him, but everyone was so mean to him." Charlie explains. Wen furrowed his eyebrows. "Why did everyone even start hating him? What'd he do?" He asks curiously.
Charlie didn't know the whole story at all. So he turned to Zhen in hopes that he knew. Which, he did.
Charlie watches as Zhen signs the story, making his stomach almost drop at each sentence. "Apparently, he peeked at Ray Beech while he was changing. His sister told the whole school." Charlie whispers to Wen.
He looks at Zhen signing more before repeating. "But..we don't know the full story. They should've talked it out. Not drive him to take his own life."
Hope turns around to see everyone staring at him. He only saw six people who did not. He used his other hand to play with his pen, while he stuffed his drink inside his bag. "Well, well, well."
Hope easily recognized that voice.
"Is that Hope?"
He gulps from nervously, the clicking on his pen going faster. This alerted everyone in the cafeteria, especially this one guy.
The new kid, Felix Asnee was the one sitting in front, not liking what he was seeing from how many things he has heard today about this kid. "Did you miss me?" Ray asks with a laugh.
Hope looks down, embarrassed to even move a muscle. "Why are you here?" Ray spoke. "Come on, no one wanted you to come back! You see those posters, teachers made them. They don't care about you." Felix immediately had enough.
He stands up, walking over to the blonde man and his dumb friends. "Why are you back at this school? Why are here at all?"
Felix gets in the middle, "you better knock it off and leave." The blonde man immediately commands. Ray scoffs, "and what are you gonna do to make me?" He glares at the male before spitting in his face. The students gasped and Jules just laughed.
Felix wipes off the spit, rubbing his hands on Ray's shirt aggressively as a napkin. "I will call the police or get a teacher and I swear you will be sorry when you can't get into your stupid sports school." He explains, crossing his arms as the students oohed.
Ray looks over at Hope before Felix. "Who the hell are you? You snitch." He rolls his eyes, "Felix. I'm new to this awful school."
Ray couldn't even speak before walking off and Felix grabbing Hope's wrist, letting him walk with him. They waited until they reached an empty hallway, Felix turned around to face him and let go.
"Are..you alright?"
Hope looks up at him before nodding slowly. "Sorry. I-I didn't mean to grab you like that." Felix stutters, getting a little shy as he came to eye contact with him. "I'm Felix. Which I said earlier..."
God, he couldn't talk to this really really cute guy.
"Hope."
Felix takes a deep breath. "Hope. I'm your friend now." He let's him know. "Can I have your number?"
This was going good, so far.
Hope didn't want to say no. But he didn't know if he was going to even answer him. Felix then remembered something. "Are you going to the Halloween Bash this weekend?" He asked him. "I'm helping out with the decorations, so I kinda have to go." Hope shrugged.
"Your first day back and you have to help out?" "No, I volunteered. Gives me something to do."
Felix nods in understanding, before grabbing his phone out to hand to Hope. He entered his number in, before giving it back. "Thanks. If that guy or anyone else messes with you. Just let me know. Okay?"
"I wonder what happened to Hope. That new guy was really nice." Wen says to the two as they walk down the halls to their lockers. "He's in my third period. He is really nice but he's shy. Doesn't talk." Charlie explains as he opens up his locker.
"I like his hair." Zhen signed, making Charlie laugh. "He likes his hair." He mentions to Wen, making him chuckle. "I gotta head to my next class. I'll see you guys later." Wen waved goodbye to them, the two waving back.
"Are you coming to the halloween bash tomorrow?" Charlie sighs to Zhen. He nods, "of course. I wanna see my favorite person and his band perform the song I wrote." Zhen replied as he smiled.
Charlie easily made an lovey dovey smile, his eyes staring deeply at Zhen as he wanted him to say more. "You're my favorite person too." He signs back, making Zhen's smile grow even more.
"Can I...walk you to class?"
Charlie shuts his locker. "Please."
...
Zhen places his backpack down on his chair, before he headed to see his father in the kitchen. He was sitting down, looking at the floor like he was thinking about something.
He looks at him, greeting his son. "Hey buddy, you got a minute?" Zhen takes a seat next to him, looking at him. It took a while for him to sign what he wanted to ask. This made Zhen nervous, this was serious.
"Who's Charlie?"
What the fuck.
"What do you mean?" Zhen tries to twist this the other way in hopes it would work. "Last night, you talking in your sleep." He replies, "you said, I like you Charlie. I just want to know who you were talking about."
He didn't know what to say. His father didn't like him having crushes on girls, but he hated when it came to liking guys. Every time they were in public and he saw a two men or two women in love—he thought it was disgusting.
Maybe the church and god loving part gave it away. But he was hoping his father would at least let his son live the way he wants to. "What have I told you about liking someone?" Zhen watches his fathers hands, before replying himself.
"Don't."
He nods. "Now, I think it's best if I don't know if Charlie is a boy or girl. But, we're going to church this Sunday. I want you to pray away the sins you feel. Do you understand me?"
Zhen felt a puddle forming under his eyes. As soon as his father left, he let the puddle drip down into a tear rolling down his cheek. Zhen wipes under his eye before walking towards his room, trying not to have a loud slam appear.
This was all so stupid.
—-LIV!
i want food