Unrequited

12

The following morning, Pooh woke up with a heavy heart and a bruise on his face. His father's reaction had been even worse than he had anticipated. The anger that had driven his father to storm out of the dinner table the night before had boiled over into violence.

Pooh gingerly touched the bruise on his cheek, wincing at the pain. He felt a mix of fear, sadness, and anger. He had hoped that coming out to his family would be difficult, but he never imagined it would result in physical harm.

As he got ready for school, he tried to cover the bruise with makeup, but it was still visible. He knew he couldn't hide the truth from his friends, especially Thanapon.

When Pooh arrived at school, Thanapon was waiting for him at their usual spot. As soon as he saw Pooh's face, his expression changed to one of shock and concern.

"Pooh, what happened?" Thanapon asked, rushing over to his friend.

Pooh looked down, unable to meet Thanapon's eyes. "My dad... he didn't take the news well," he said quietly, his voice trembling.

Thanapon's face hardened with anger. "He did this to you? How could he?"

Pooh shrugged, trying to hold back tears. "I don't know. He was just so angry. I didn't think he would... hit me."

Thanapon put a comforting arm around Pooh's shoulders. "You don't deserve this, Pooh. You did nothing wrong."

Pooh nodded, feeling a bit of comfort from his friend's support. "I just... I just wanted to be honest with them. I didn't think it would turn out like this."

Thanapon squeezed his shoulder gently. "You were brave, Pooh. And I'm here for you, no matter what. We need to get help. This can't go on."

Pooh nodded again, grateful for Thanapon's support but unsure of what to do next. He felt trapped between his fear of his father's anger and his desire to live his truth.

Throughout the day, Pooh felt a mixture of relief and anxiety. He was determined to face whatever came next, knowing that he had people who cared about him and would help him through this difficult time.