Circles

Chapter III

"Bastard! Come here now!"

His father's shouts echoed throughout the house as he heard Alister, his brother, trying to calm him with his deep and serene voice downstairs.

Noah was hiding in his locked bedroom closet, fearing what the man might do if he found him. They had never gotten along, and his relationship with his father had always been chaotic since he could remember. He was constantly scolding him, and this time was no exception; couldn't even recall why he had exploded in anger this time.

He took out the only coat he had, navy blue, and wrapped himself in it. He would probably have to spend the night there and leave for school as soon as it was dawn. He had only three more years until he turned legal age, but he wasn't sure if he would make it if things kept going this way. All he wanted was to leave that house and live on his own. He didn't care if he had to stay on the streets or do unpleasant jobs; he was already used to that, but he knew that as long as he was a minor, his father would find him and bring him back by force, thanks to the stupid promise he still held to his mother. He still hoped to save the money he was earning to go to college, but the outlook was getting darker; if things continued this way, he would explode one day and leave everything behind. 

He would vanish from the map. As if he had never existed. 

He sighed. The only thing tying him was his brother. He kept him sane despite his distance, as he needed Alister to look at him again as if he was worth something. It would be difficult, of course, but he was doing his best.

The volume of the shouts gradually decreased. Noah smiled: Alister always managed to calm their father. His personality became so submissive and servile with him that he would forgive him everything. His brother knew how to handle him, and that's why he was their father's favorite. On the other hand, Noah was the only one who knew how possessive his brother could be and how he actually hated their father. Of course, he would never tell anyone else but Noah, who was the only one who knew his true nature up close. He always admired how Alister displayed his charm whenever he needed it, making everyone around him believe anything he said. It was almost like having superpowers; he could read the environment and nearly anyone to manipulate them that way.

In the distance, he heard his father climbing the stairs and pounding on his door one last time, threateningly.

"As soon as you graduate, I'll kick you out of this house! If it weren't for the promise I made to your mother...!"

Noah stifled a laugh between his hands. Of course, he knew that. He had no intention of staying one more minute than necessary. His father's hurtful words didn't affect him anymore. Not at that moment.

He settled on the closet floor, gazing at the light seeping under the door, making the darkness feel even more lonely around him. Tiny specks of dust hung there, drawing small figures that resembled butterflies in summer.

He started moving them gently with his finger, arranging and making them dance as he thought about his mother. He didn't really remember much, but he knew that when he was four years old, she had died in an accident. The white walls of the hospital and the scent of disinfectant made him shiver, and the image of a very thin woman lying in a completely white bed formed in his memory. She had apparently been in a coma for some time before she passed away. Sometimes he thought he saw her face in his dreams, but then realized it was someone from a magazine or a TV commercial. Her face always changed in his memories, so he wasn't sure if he truly remembered anything about her or if it was just his imagination. Whenever he started thinking about his mother, memories of a gray day at the beach came to his mind. Perhaps he had been there with her once. He had the feeling that she had held his hand to comfort him while the cold sea breeze hit his face, feeling so small and fragile, and then...

"Alister..." he mumbled as his eyes began to close from exhaustion.

"Noah." A soft voice called him in the darkness of the night.

"Mmm..."

"Noah, wake up. Dad is asleep now. You can go to bed."

The boy opened his eyes heavily as he sat up, still dazed.

"Alister..." murmured.

"Come here." 

His brother hugged him, helping him get up, and guided him to his bed.

"Can you stay with me for a while?" he asked as he slid under the covers, not even bothering to put on his pajamas.

"You know I can't." Alister smiled as he moved slightly away from him, but not before caressing his cheek. "Hey, you're freezing."

"I couldn't do anything..." he yawned. "I had nothing else to cover myself with."

"You know, if you had apologized properly, Dad would have forgiven you."

"Sure, after beating me up." Noah curled up in the blankets, feeling his heart tighten. "I still have bruises from the last time."

Alister sighed heavily.

"It's just a matter of time..."

"Sure, for you, it's just a matter of time."

"Don't you believe me?"

Noah remained silent for a moment before speaking again.

"I still trust you."

"Good."

Alister was about to leave the room with only a few pieces of furniture; the only thing catching the eye was the pile of papers and notebooks on the desk. He approached to look at them and picked up the top one, smiling. Noah had improved a lot. He knew he still had a few years until college, and he also knew their father would never allow him to study something as unprofitable as art. In fact, he didn't even think his father would let him continue his studies after graduating from high school, but still...

He continued reviewing the sketches in the notebooks, and among them, one caught his attention; it was the boy he had seen with Noah.

"Are these your drawings?"

"Yes. Ah!" Noah quickly sat up on the bed. "Don't look at them!"

"Too late."

"Ugh..." he muttered as he let himself fall back, covering his face with the pillow.

Alister could be nerve-racking.

The boy started flipping through the old notebook, his eyes quickly moving from one drawing to another.

"Who is this?" he smiled curiously.

"He's no one."

"Looks to me like someone you care about, considering you draw him over and over..."

"Of course not! You know that only you are important..." he mumbled, trying to look annoyed but blushing at the same time.

"I said nothing."

Alister left the notebook on the desk and, with firm steps, walked towards the door, but before leaving, he turned to where Noah was and spoke with a soft and calm voice.

"When Dad is gone, everything will be okay. I would never do something like that to you. You know that, right?"

"... yes."

"What did you do this time?"

"Huh? As if I knew," he complained, while finally uncovered his face to look sideways at Alister, who had stopped in front of the door. "I didn't understand anything he was saying, I just ran in here as always, as soon as he started yelling."

"I don't understand why he loses control with you like that," he sighed.

"Father just hates me, I've accepted it" he yawned. "It's okay. At least you care for me." murmured as his eyes began to close slowly.

Alister smiled.

"I will always care for you, Noah. No matter what."

But the boy hadn't heard him.