Aiden [Book Two]

6

He should have stayed home.

The moment Nathan asked, Aiden should have said yes and stayed in his bed, hidden from the world. But he was too attached to his boyfriend and wanted to be close for a short while.

All morning, he'd been agitated, jumping at any unexpected sound or loud voice. Much like the first few weeks at school.

Aiden didn't know who had been texting him all night or when the next would come. His heart rose in his throat every time he glanced at his phone; expecting a vile message or an unknown caller. The constant stress and expectation shook the vulnerable boy to the core.

The impending sense of doom and heavy ache in his stomach wouldn't leave.

It was impossible to think about anything else; even with Reid clowning around beside him.

In class, Aiden struggled to focus on the teacher and constantly picked at his hand, tugging and pinching the skin until it was raw. Listening to the words spouted at the front of the room proved difficult.

Reid seemed to notice the constant agitation and did his best to distract the boy. He figured the sudden behavioural changes were part of his anxiety and suspected nothing.

The pair talked about the past a lot, so the blonde knew about his friend's emotional problems. He tried to help, but keeping Aiden calm during these moments was difficult.

By lunchtime, the orange-haired boy was rattled and needed to take a break. Thankfully, with class over, he had an hour and a half with his friends, and most importantly, with Nathan. He would cure the fear and heartbreak.

But, just like those first few days at school, Aiden flowed with a suffocating anxiety that he couldn't shake. And it became more apparent as he and Reid walked towards the cafeteria.

His heart raced at the cacophony of noise emanating from the room. Somewhere in there was a stranger who hated him; how was he going to know who?

How would the orange-haired boy hear the voices of hatred in that noise? How would he protect himself?

After a long day of worry, controlling the incoming panic attack was impossible.

Aiden's feet ground to a halt against the linoleum floor, shoes squealing as he stared through the open doorway. His chest squeezed as the air thickened; breathing was agonising.

It was just the canteen, but he couldn't force himself to walk in. The redhead watched as his friend continued chatting, barely paying attention as he wandered into the crowd of people. After a few seconds, the blonde reappeared, frowning in confusion, but recognising the fearful look right away.

The sweet, gentle boy trembled as he stood in the hallway, gasping for breath. His mouth parted with every intake of air; his fingers pulled at the skin on his left hand.

Reid had to act fast to bring Aiden back from his anxiety. To keep him out of Croydon.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm right here."

Reaching out, Reid touched the other boy's hand, hoping it would stop him from hurting himself.

Aiden whimpered, eyes widening as he grabbed his friend, dragging him closer to stem the terror. He didn't want to be alone.

It felt pathetic to become so distressed over nothing. Just a few text messages and calls. But there he was again, choking as his throat tightened and head pounded.

"I-I'm sorry, uh, s-sorry..."

Reid shook his head as he wrapped his arms around the shorter boy, giving him somewhere safe to hide and calm his frazzled nerves.