𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 ; 𝘉𝘺𝘭𝘦𝘳

𝟏𝟖.

When the clock struck 2, Troy lifted up his covers slowly and tip-toed over to his closet, slipping on his shoes quickly. Patrick told him to set an alarm, but he knew he wouldn't need one. Not when the anticipation of their post-midnight activities would keep him up all night. He even went to bed dressed in his "expedition" clothes.

He snuck around his house like a burglar in all black, hopping onto the parts of the floor he knew wouldn't creak and making his way to the lowest window in the house. The laundry room.

Troy climbed onto the dryer and pushed open the window before sliding out and falling onto the planter right underneath it. His old converse accidentally crushing his mother's flowers again. She'd always blame it on raccoons, refusing to believe that her angel could ever do anything wrong until the words 'I'm gay' left his mouth.

This night he practically ran to their spot on top of the hill and only slowed down when he realized there was another guy there too. One of Patrick's high school friends that was also his weed dealer and the first person Troy ever hated with a burning passion.

"Oh look who's here!" The dude said, walking over to him and ruffling his hair roughly. Then, he reached into his pocket and grabbed the compass that was prominent in his pants.

First thing he hated about the guy was how touchy he was, and how he'd constantly just invade his personal space without any regard for boundaries.

"Hey! Give it back!" Troy whined, standing on his tippy toes and desperately trying to retrieve the trinket. Patrick's friend was also a known kleptomaniac, so if he took his eyes off that compass he'd never see it again.

"Why don't you come up here and get it? Fairies fly right?"

Another reason he would've ended up murdering him if he stayed in Chicago. He was the first person to tease him about being gay, somehow figuring out even before Troy fully knew himself. And it only got worse when everyone else found out too.

"Knock it off you two! We're going to be late!"

Troy's feelings about his friend was what first tainted his image of Patrick, the boy's resentment building higher and higher every time he wouldn't defend him. Or when he'd act like they were equals just messing around when Troy was obviously weaker and vulnerable. He was only 13 at the time. And never got an answer as to why he did that. Soon realizing that he didn't know why Patrick did a lot of things he did.

In hindsight, he wished there was someone to tell him to run away while he had the chance. Everything that happened to him could've been avoided. He probably would've been a much better person if someone had the decency to give him a hug every once in a while. Tell him everything would get better.

Eventually.

Woodlake High | Tue 2:23 PM
Troy Walsh

Troy's had a few drinks in his life. He's even been blackout drunk. But after leaving his demons in another state, he vowed to stop. Sure, it was hard at times, but he stuck to his morals and didn't even have a taste of alcohol at parties. When he was still getting invited to them anyway.

But now it was a necessity to get through the day, and as soon as he got out of the hospital, he was breaking into his step father's liquor cabinet. Preparing himself for another surprise visit, even at school, which somehow became the place he felt the safest.