CARNIVORE [MxM+]

Chapter 13 Part 2 [Revised]

Tycho Black. 

"WAIT," THE REALIZATION MADE ME QUIET. I can't go.

My hands begged to scratch at my skin. I'll get caught by him. What if he's somehow there? What if he sees me pass the house?

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

"Hey," his voice came out in a whisper so he wouldn't disturb our teammates parading out the door. He tilted his head slightly, trying to study my mood. 

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

He was closer than I expected him to be. Not that he was on top of me, I just found it weird. "Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. I just... Thought we weren't going anywhere?" He gasped, his palm quickly meeting his face as he seemingly remembered what he had promised me earlier. When he lowered his hand, he looked apologetic. 

"I'm sorry, I-I forgot, but- but," his eyes met mine as he grabbed my biceps lightly and bent down the few inches to meet my face. I let out a shuddering breath.

I fought the uncomfortable feeling welling in my stomach. I breathed out.

I'm okay.

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

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

"Fine," I begrudgingly said to him. 

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

I closed my eyes. Yeah, I'll be okay.

When I opened them again, Louis's excited face came into view. Predictably enough, he was completely ecstatic about 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 long 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, and he quickly looked away. Guess he was higher than I thought. The 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 teammates were passing my house when I noticed my feet refused to move. I looked down the street where they were already one hundred yards away. I chased after them, staring at every window of my house like I was looking for an intruder. 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 softened once I figured I was safe, releasing tension I didn't know had built. 

The bright LED lights of the store felt like needles in 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 didn't know.