Safe Hands

31. Old stories

Grayson picked at his lunch, his thoughts far away from the noisy cafeteria around him. Julian, seated across from him, noticed his brooding expression and decided to break the silence.

"Why are you so mad?" Julian asked, biting into his sandwich.

Grayson looked up, his eyes dark with frustration. He reached for a slip in his pocket and dropped it on the table. Julian glanced at the red slip. "Did Dad sign it, or did you...?" He trailed off innocently.

Grayson rolled his eyes while slipping the paper back into his pocket. "He signed it, after a long sermon. Mr. Simon is a jerk. He hates me, and I don't like him either. I'm done with his class. I'm just going to skip it from now on."

Julian frowned. "You can't skip class, Grayson. You'll get into even more trouble."

Grayson scoffed. "What difference does it make? He already thinks I'm a cheat. Why bother trying?"

Julian sighed, thinking hard about how to cheer Grayson up. "Well, maybe you should swap classes with me. My P.E. teacher thinks I have a kind of phobia. That's why I won't use the locker room. I mean, there are spiders in there and all those kids. I don't want to be a victim!"

Grayson's lips twitched, almost forming a smile. He shook his head, trying to keep his mood intact. "You're just a little weirdo," he muttered, but there was no heat in his words.

Julian grinned, happy to see a small crack in Grayson's armor. Just then, two of Julian's friends approached their table—a girl with dark hair and warm brown eyes, and a boy with glasses and a shy smile.

"Hey, Julian!" the girl greeted cheerfully. "Are you ready for our project?"

"Yeah," Julian replied, then turned to Grayson. "Guys, this is my cousin Grayson. Grayson, this is Priya and Chen."

Priya and Chen gave Grayson tentative smiles but seemed intimidated by his stern expression. "Nice to meet you," Priya said softly.

Grayson nodded, not bothering to soften his demeanor as he swallowed the last piece of his food.

"We should get going," Chen said, glancing nervously at Grayson. "We need to finish our project."

Julian stood up, giving Grayson an apologetic look. "See you later, Gray."

"Don't call me that," Grayson frowned.

Julian smirked. "Stop calling me bleached face, then." With that, he walked away with his friends.

Grayson watched them leave, feeling a pang of loneliness. He picked up his empty tray and headed to the trash bin to discard it. As he turned, he heard a familiar voice call out.

"Gray?"

He froze, recognizing the voice instantly. Turning slowly, he found himself face-to-face with Milo. They locked eyes, and Grayson felt a rush of emotions he had buried for years.

Grayson's heart pounded in his chest. He threw the tray into the bin and started walking the other way, trying to escape the encounter. Milo hurried after him, catching up and grabbing him by the shoulder.

"Wait, Grayson," Milo said, his voice earnest.

Grayson flinched away, glaring at Milo. "What do you want?"

Milo looked at him, his hazel eyes filled with concern. "You disappeared after that incident in elementary school. I didn't know what happened to you."

Grayson clenched his fists, trying to keep his anger in check. "It's none of your business."

Milo took a step closer, his expression softening. "We were friends, Grayson. You just left without saying anything. What happened? How's your life been? How's your stepfather?"

At the mention of his stepfather, Grayson snapped. "Forget about him!" he yelled, his voice shaking with anger.

Milo didn't back down. "I'm just trying to understand, Gray. We were close. You couldn't just shut me out like that and disappear!"

Grayson felt a mix of anger and sadness. "I didn't have a choice. I didn't want to leave either." He said firmly

Milo's expression changed to one of understanding. "So he made you."

Grayson looked away, the memories flooding back. "Just forget it, and stay away from me," he said, his voice less aggressive.

Milo stood frozen as he watched the boy before him, unable to comprehend the new character. "Gray?" he called softly, but Grayson just walked away, not bothering to glance back.

************

Grayson sat in his usual spot in Spanish class. The lesson was ongoing, and Mrs. Garcia was fully engrossed in the topic, her lips dancing as she spoke. Despite his efforts to focus, Grayson couldn't help his thoughts drifting to the past.

He recalled the first time he met Milo. It was during a Mother's Day card activity in elementary school. Grayson had refused to participate, and his teacher had sent him out of the class for throwing a fit. He sat alone in the hallway, trying to feel as numb as he could when Milo approached him.

"Why aren't you making a card?" Milo had asked, his voice gentle.

Grayson had glared at him. "I don't have a mom," he spat.

Milo had sat down next to him, not saying anything for a while. "That's okay," he had finally said. "My mum doesn't have a mum either." Grayson had felt less lonely and more understood.

From that day on, Milo had made it his mission to be there for Grayson. He brought extra lunch for him after finding out Grayson never brought food to school. His curiosity and concern made Grayson share his deepest secret with him, and he reacted with support and understanding. They had become inseparable, sharing secrets and protecting each other like brothers. Even in silence, Milo could read his thoughts. Sometimes, when he would go silent, Milo would sit by him, his presence more than enough. But then, after the incident, he was forced to move to California, leaving Miami and Milo behind.

Grayson's memories were interrupted by the teacher's voice. "Grayson, are you paying attention?"

He looked up, realizing he had been staring blankly at his desk. "Yes, ma'am," he muttered, frowning.

The teacher gave him a disapproving look but continued with the lesson. Grayson tried to focus, but his mind kept drifting back to Milo. The memories were both comforting and painful, but he could only feel his chest tightening the more he thought of the moments they shared.

As the class dragged on, Grayson's thoughts became clearer. Milo knew too much about his past, too much about the stories behind his scars. He was a looming threat, a reminder of a vulnerability Grayson didn't want to confront. Those days were still very dark in his mind. Sometimes, he got so lost he couldn't tell reality from the scenes in his mind. Milo could make things worse.

Grayson stared ahead, at the back of Milo's head as he shared a notebook with Russell. He returned his gaze to his notebook. The only solution left was flight.

A/N

Drop your valuable comments and votessss