CARNIVORE [MxM+]

Chapter 13 Part 2

Tycho Black. 

"Wait," the realization made me quiet. I can't go.

Louis faltered in his steps, turning with a concerned look on his face. 

"Hey," his voice came out in a whisper so as to not disturb our friends parading out the door. He tilted his head slightly, trying to study my mood.

"You okay?" An awkward stretch and loss of eye contact.

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay. I just thought we weren't going anywhere?" His palm quickly met his face as he seemingly remembered what he had promised me earlier. When he lowered his hand, his face was apologetic. 

"I'm sorry, I-I forgot, but- but," his eyes met mine as he grabbed my biceps lightly and bent down to meet my face.

I fought the uncomfortable feeling welling in my stomach.

I'm okay.

"We aren't driving or doing anything that requires us sober, okay? I assure you. We're just hungry, walking to the corner store to get some snacks, 'kay?" If only that was what I was actually afraid of. 

I was about to make some other excuse until I saw the hopeful gleam in his eye. For some strange reason, he really wanted me to go with him to the store. And for some even stranger reason, I couldn't say no. 

"Fine," I begrudgingly said to him. 

I'll be okay. Knowing Jason, he'd be too drunk to even realize I wasn't home.

Yeah, I'll be okay.

Predictably enough, Louis lit up at my reply. His hands still held my arms. "Perfect, Tycho! Perfect, shit, I am starving." 

Before I knew it I was dragged out of the house and down the street.

I'll have to admit, the group's energy was contagious. Before I knew it, my mind had abandoned the worry I felt during the fifteen-minute walk as excitement slowly took root. For once, I felt like a teenager. 

I looked over to Louis who was already watching me intently. When he realized he was caught staring, red filled his cheeks as he looked away quickly. Guess he was higher than I thought. I fact made me laugh, which made him blush harder. 

We turned the corner to the street I live on and just like a switch, the dread was back. Like always, it crept up my throat and tried to claw its way out of my mouth, but I held it back. Not here.

My friends were passing my house when I noticed I had stopped moving. So I chased after them, staring at every window of my house like I was looking for an intruder. And luckily enough, I didn't find one. The living room window was bathed in a static light from the TV inside, meaning Jason was most likely passed out on the couch while my mother was in her room, like always. My muscles became jello once I figured I was safe, releasing a tension I didn't know had built. 

The bright LED lights of the store felt like needles to my eyes compared to the sunless night being lit by the moon outside. A slight headache started to form. From the lights or from the insane amounts of smoke I inhaled, I don't know. 

A figure bumped into me out of nowhere, making me jump. Just Louis with his Louis smile. "Hey, just wanted to say you're getting whatever you want and I'm paying for it. I don't care if you brought your wallet-" I don't actually own one, as Jason would always just steal my checks, "-or are some secret millionaire, 'cause I want to buy you something, 'kay?"

Louis laughed at my shocked expression and laughed. His fist met my shoulder in a light punch.

"And no, it isn't optional." Him using that sort of sad puppy look again meant that it didn't take much to convince me again.

I watched as the group filtered into different aisles all trying to find something to kill their high needs. I walked slowly behind them, carefully scanning each shelf as I passed by.

Now that I thought about it, I was really hungry too. I didn't want to abuse Louis' kindness, but I wasn't going to waste it, either. 

In the end, my cravings led me to a bag of chips, something I hadn't really had since I was a kid. Luxuries like eating freely weren't something I had because of Football. At least I wasn't nearly as bad as some, like Kenny, I believe his name is, who not only had a strange assortment of snacks, but the largest bag of chips I had ever seen, along with a box of popcorn, four Pepsis, and a box of Ramen. He noticed me staring and only laughed. 

The transactions were met with one-sided jokes due to the same cashier being behind the counter as always. High out of his mind, he couldn't care less what he was doing. Kind of like us. Louis expressed his joy at my choice and gladly paid before handing them back to me. I couldn't help the smile that met my face. No one did kind things for me these days.

"Thanks, Lou-"

"The fuck you want, dude?"

Louis' smile disappeared as confusion mixed his mood. His eyes looked past me to what I'm guessing was an argument. 

"I said, the fuck you starin' for, Old Man?" I turned around to see Colton yelling at someone I could recognize by feeling alone. 

Jason. My fucking stepfather. Here. 

How the fuck did he get in here without me noticing?

Fuck. I'm high. He knows I'm high, his eyes hold that amusement they always do when he fucks with me. I know this even though he hasn't even seen me yet. I know he's angry. And I don't know what he's capable of sometimes.

I'm scared. 

But he wouldn't do anything here, would he? Or maybe he would, in front of half the football team, so they know how much of a pussy I am. That's something he'd do. 

Jason's gaze shifted past Colton, who looked puny next to him, to me, standing at the other end of the store. Only then did his onyx eyes hold some sort of emotion to them. That feeling is hunger. I can't suppress a shudder. 

His slightly withered face forms the beginning of a grin making my heart start to hurt like it always does when he's around. The overwhelming urge to cry hits me like a car and I forget to breathe. He loves it when I cry.

Which is why I don't let myself anymore. 

"What's your fucking problem, Creep?" Colton's measly threats were ignored as Jason moved past him to get to me. 

I felt like water at absolute zero. 

When he reached me, he only watched me, as if to gauge my reaction. Something in him liked what he saw because that twisted grin only grew. He leaned down so his face was near mine.

"Be home soon, Boy. Wouldn't want to punish you."

My hearing died. Everything around me died too. It felt like the only thing in this world with me was Jason. On top of that, he was starving, and I had just eaten the last of the food. 

I didn't move as he paid for his beer and left.

Luckily, everyone seemed too high to notice my fear, or they just didn't care. The ones who actually noticed the encounter gave me curious looks and only one question: "Who was that?"

"My-" killer.

"-stepfather. Just my stepfather."

My hands dropped in defeat. I had a weird feeling that I wouldn't be going to classes for the next few weeks. 

Yay yay yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyy

Short update, but hey, update. 

Feel free to correct me on any spelling mistakes because the free version of Grammarly kinda sucks.