Empath

Chapter 14

It came back. Of course it came back. That feeling that he had been abused. It felt as though his own father had traumatized him. Dammit, Al cursed internally. Why did the feelings have to linger like this? Why couldn't they just go away once the clients were happy and he was away from them? Why did Al have to lay awake at night feeling like his heart was being ripped from his chest? He gripped the covers tightly, as he tried to tell himself he'd be okay. It was all an illusion. These weren't his own emotions. It was just a trick being played on him. He wasn't actually sad and broken.

No... he couldn't lie to himself like that. Of course he was sad and broken. Just in a different way from Rose and Roger.

The negative emotions flooded his consciousness. His mind withdrew back to twenty-nine years ago.

Not only did William Eden continue to meet Al during lunch every day after they met, but they also discovered that they shared the same gym period. They were getting changed in the boys' locker room, when a nearby student snickered and mumbled to his friends "what do you think that's about?"

William had taken off his sweater-vest and dress shirt. He already had his gym tee-shirt on underneath.

"Probably too prissy to show his skin," the snickering guy's friend suggested. "Like those prudish old ladies. Like oh dear me, are her ankles showing?" He said the last part in an attempt at sounding like a shrill British woman.

Al could feel that their words caused William pain. William had already been extra distressed that day, for reasons he hadn't divulged to Al.

The boys continued bantering and started making suggestions as to what William might be hiding under his clothes.

"Maybe he's hiding a weapon," the one said.

"Or maybe he has boobs," the other suggested.

Al couldn't take it anymore. "Shut up!" He roared. His deep voice shook the boys into silence. They looked at him, fearfully. Their eyes met his for a second, and he gave them an intimidating glare. They turned around and resumed getting dressed in silence.

Al turned around and sighed. "I can't stand them," he admitted. He looked over at his friend, who was being quiet. "Are you okay?" He asked, although he knew he wasn't.

"You think I'm a freak, don't you?" William suggested. His olive green eye looked imploringly at Al, through his glasses. "It's quite alright if you do."

"Of course not," the sixteen year old Al squinted in astonishment at his friend's assumption. "I mean, have you met me?"

William laughed. It sounded like music to Al's ears. Like the jingle of wind chimes. "My apologies," he said, as he wiped a tiny dew-like teardrop from his brown lashes. "I don't mean to laugh at the prospect of you viewing yourself as a freak."

"No, it's fine," Al said, as he put his gym shirt on. "It was supposed to be funny. Looks like it worked." He smiled halfheartedly. William's happiness was contagious, but... the sadness outweighed it greatly. Al knew something was terribly wrong. Perhaps it was the bullies' curiosity rubbing off on him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something under his clothes.

One day, after school, William Eden had missed the bus home. He stood outside the school door, under the awning. Rain was pouring down.

"Are you getting picked up too?" Al asked, as he looked over at his consistently sad friend.

"My father? Pick me up?" William scoffed in a hoity-toity manner. "He doesn't have the time for such frivolities."

Frivolities? That's what he thought of taking care of his son? Making sure he was home safe? That wasn't serious enough for him to take time out of his day? Al had been getting a lot of red flags about William's father lately. He hadn't met the guy yet, but he really didn't like him. Especially since he had a hunch that he was the reason William came to school with such a gloomy air about him.