Hollow | BxBxBxB

-10- Rude Awakening

For the second day in a row Connor awoke abruptly to the sound of his door being forced open. Groaning he sat up but to his surprise it was still dark outside. He could hear owls hooting in the distance and a full moon was visible in the cloudy night sky.

Connor sighed thinking he must've been dreaming or had a nightmare, he lay back down cuddling into the cushion to try get a bit more sleep before morning came, however this plan was thwarted when hushed whispering became audible from the right side of his room.

Shooting back up in bed Connor felt a pit growing in his stomach. Someone was in here with him. He could hear shuffling in that same corner now. Slowly he stared out praying his eyes would readjust sooner rather than later. Every second it took felt like an eternity but after a while he could see clearer, the first thing he spotted was a glint of something pink, then it moved in a wavy formation.

Craning his neck to see further Connor realised it was the blonde boy, Alex. The pink he'd seen were the highlights in Alex's hair. What the fuck was Alex doing in his room? He'd nearly had a heart attack.

"Alex?" Connor whispered timidly, Alex gazed up at him his pale green eyes wide with fear.

"Tell them to shut up!" He hissed back at Connor. "Please, tell them all to shut up!" He repeated louder this time.

"Who?" Connor asked quietly his eyes darting around the room worried someone else was there.

"Do you see them too? The shadows moving, always moving. They won't shut up" Alex told him his words tumbling out quicker than Connor could process.

"Shadows? What shadows?" Connor replied looking around the room again. The only shadow being cast was his own from the light of the moon.

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Alex begged gripping his head in his hands and shaking, he curled in on himself burying himself in his jacket back against the wall.

Connor turned to the light switch flicking it on plunging the room into a sudden, bright light. It took a second for his eyes to stop stinging but when they did he could see Alex looking around wildly.

"There's no shadows" Connor whispered also glancing around the room.

"They won't shut up" Alex insisted. "They'll come back when you shut your eyes, don't shut your eyes please!" He begged.

"I- I don't- what do you mean?" Connor questioned shyly his voice barely above a whisper despite Alex's loud, pained tone.

"Do you like cats?" Alex asked randomly his eyes fixed on one of Connors stuffed teddy bears, it was a little ginger cat that he'd had since he was a baby. His grandma had knitted it herself but sadly died before he'd been born. So his mom had given it to him on her behalf.

"Yeah, I do" Connor replied perplexed by the randomness of Alex's question.

"At home, I have 2 cats, well not at home. At my foster home, they aren't my real parents thank god" Alex explained a small smile appearing on his face. "Little devils they are"

Connor dropped to the floor not next to Alex but close to him with his back against the bed, he crossed his legs gazing into Alex's terrified pale green eyes. He looked so scared yet was right now smiling.

"I watched Encanto last night, such a good film" Alex told him. "I'd love to have a superpower like that, I'd want to be able to read peoples minds"

"That's cool" Connor answered awkwardly, he felt way out of his element right now.

"Shut the fuck up" Alex whispered to himself before turning back to Connor. "My boyfriends said it sucked but I disagree, I loved it" He explained nonchalantly throwing the word boyfriends into the mix.

"Boyfriends?" Connor echoed, did this mean Alex was gay? Or bi at least?

"Mhm, I literally watched game of thrones for Ricky, that was like torture. Yet he couldn't even sit through one Disney film with me. Bastard" Alex said with a fond smile and loving edge to his harsh words. Alex had a boyfriend called Ricky? That made Connor feel a bit less scared what would happen if they found out he was gay. If Alex was also gay surely it'd be a non issue?

"Do the others know you have a boyfriend?" Connor asked meekly.

This made Alex laugh loudly. "It'd be-" he paused still laughing and unable to get the words out properly, finally he managed to recompose still chuckling slightly as he finished his sentence. "It'd be hard for them not to know" He answered smiling.

"Right" Connor answered nodding, that made him feel safer. Suddenly Alex began shaking his head, he then slapped himself in the face making Connor jump and lean back his eyes widening at the sudden movement.

Alex glanced up a look of pure confusion now etched into his features, his focus then shifted to Connor and he looked horrified.

"Shit, Connor I'm so sorry!" He blurted out scrambling to his feet, instinctively Connor did the same so the pair now stood facing each other.

"I didn't realise- I'm so sorry I shouldn't be in here, I'm really sorry dude" Alex continued to apologise looking insanely guilty.

"It's all g-good" Connor replied quietly. "What happened there?" He added feeling completely out of the loop.

"Nothing, I'm fine. Don't worry about it" Alex quickly answered. "And don't tell anyone I came in here, this never happened yeah?" He requested cocking his head to the side with a small, cheeky grin taking over his face.

"Y-yeah sure, I won't tell anyone" Connor reassured him feeling a bit scared, he didn't like keeping secrets. Especially other peoples secrets. His own he could manage, but now he'd always be anxious of revealing Alex's.

"Promise me" Alex insisted narrowing his pale green eyes.

"I promise, I won't tell a soul" Connor whispered back fear lacing his words.

"Thank you. Sorry again about all of this I didn't mean to come here" Alex explained sheepishly.

Before Connor could reply Alex spoke again, he was very chatty for such an obscene hour in the night. "This was certainly a way to have our first proper conversation" Alex remarked grinning cheekily.

"Y-yeah, I guess so" Connor stammered back awkwardly.

"You're awkward as fuck you know that?" Alex commented before grimacing. "Sorry, I have literally no filter, I wasn't trying to be mean" He added sighing at himself.

"I am don't worry, s-so awkward. Anxiety and- and stuff" Connor answered trying his best to explain his awkwardness but the words not coming out properly. However he did let out a small smile at Alex's gaffe which the blonde clocked immediately.

"Hey at least I made you smile, you've got a winning smile" he told Connor cheerily.

Connor let out another nervous laugh scratching the back of his neck awkwardly then yawning.

"Sorry for keeping you up, thank you for not freaking out" Alex whispered nodding thanks at Connor, Connor just nodded back unsure what to do.

"Night loser, sleep well" Alex concluded walking slowly out of the room, he shot one last grin back at Connor before shutting the door.

Letting out the breath he'd been holding Connor collapsed back onto the bed, that had been incredibly stressful but he was also kind of glad he'd gotten meeting one of the other patients out of the way, even if it was in such odd fashion. If he was up for it maybe introducing himself to the third boy would be a good idea. That way he wouldn't have to awkwardly avoid them all the time.