Friend or Foe?

Chapter 9

Warning: Racism, Self-hatred, Minor Self-harm.

Damian is still feeling pretty negative from Friday's events. He spends most of the day in his room and keeps on an act when he has to be around others. By the time Sunday comes around, he's feeling better and doesn't stay in his room as much. He spends the day in the library or outside with Titus. Tim had left the night before, so things are pretty calm around the manor. Damian enjoys the peace and quiet. But his mood begins to deteriorate once he realizes that he would be back in school in less than twenty-four hours.

—Time skip—

Damian walks down the halls to his locker. After organizing his locker he heads to the Library. He'd normally just head to his first period early, but he isn't looking to be around Mr. Tanner longer than needed, considering the fact that it's painfully obvious that he has some kind of connection to Travis.

Damian opens the door to the library and steps in before closing it silently behind him. Damian finds himself sitting at the back of the library, in the corner, where nobody seems to be around. Damian doesn't have much time before he'll have to make his way to his first period, so as to not be late, but he'll have enough time for a chapter or two of the book he just started. He's already read the book multiple times, but he's not sick of it at all. It's one of the few books that can easily distract him and gives him a feeling of peace.

After what felt like only a minute, Damian places his bookmark in his book before unzipping his bag and placing it in carefully. He then zips his bag up before throwing it over his shoulders and politely exiting the Library. Damian walks through the halls, heading to his first period classroom. Once he reaches the door, he takes a quick breath in and out. He then grabs the door knob and turns it before pushing it open.

Nearly everyone is already at their desk, waiting for class to start. Damian closes the door and heads over to his seat. As he takes a book out, along with a notebook and pencil, he notices some girls looking at him in disgust. They begin to whisper something and Damian just sighs in annoyance, quickly turning his attention away from them, to his book.

The bell rings as Mr. Tanner walks over to Damian and sets a sheet of paper down on his desk. Damian glances at him with an unamused expression before reaching out and grabbing the paper. He looks down at it with disbelief. An F. Even after a second chance, he got an F. He swiftly flips through each page, skimming through the questions.

"This doesn't make any sense... I didn't write these." Damian states with an annoyed panic in his tone. He glares up at Mr. Tanner. "You. You're failing me on purpose, aren't you? Did Keller set you up to this?" Damian states and he stands from his seat, clenching his fists. Mr. Tanner replies with a disappointed expression. Classmates begin to whisper around them. Thanks to his good hearing, Damian can make out something from the kids behind him.

"What's going on?" One kid whispers, "I think the freak has finally lost it." Says the other. The first kid giggles a bit, "I bet he's never had a bad grade in his entire life. Probably cheats his way to the top." He giggles. You just had to make a scene, didn't you?

"Are you blaming me for your laziness?" Mr. Tanner questions with an offended tone. It's so fake. Everything about him is so incredibly fake. Just like Travis. "You've been forging my answers!" Damian defends. Mr. Tanner pinches the bridge of his nose. "I was kind enough to give you a second chance at the test. You cannot blame me for whatever it is you are lacking." Mr. Tanner takes in a tired and disappointed tone. Kind enough to give me a second chance? You fucking threw me to the wolves! Damian thinks to himself, but reframes from speaking aloud.

There's a moment of silence before one of the kids decides to chime in, "The little freak is probably just upset that his cheating didn't work." The kid shrugs in an egotistical way as he speaks. "You act like you're better than the rest of us, but you've been a cheater this entire time, haven't you?" another kid states, with an annoyed expression as he points his finger to Damian. Damian bites his lip and turns away from them in an annoyed manner.