Heartstrings Crossed

Chapter 8 - Hidden

A/n: Oooo two updates in one week? This is shocking for me /hj

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Arder's POV

After an awkward performing arts class with saying nothing to Valerian, I walked into the auditorium and waved to Miss Petunia.

"Arder!" She said, "Are you planning to work concerts this season?"

"After cross country ends, probably!" I said cheerily, looking around the class. A few of my classmates had arrived, including Griffin, but Valerian was nowhere to be found.

"Do you want to teach how to conduct a mic check today?" Miss Petunia asked, as I went behind the tech booth.

"Sure," I shrugged, opening my palm.

She dropped the keys into my palm, and I went up to the concession stand. I shut the door behind me, leaning down to unlock and open one of the cabinets. I pulled out a mic box, and opened it. I quickly put the mic on myself, and shut the box. I leaned my elbows on top of it and exhaled, wondering what Casper was up to. I wished I could text him. Then Valerian entered my mind, and what happened in chorus. I didn't know how I could face him. He was just outside, waiting for me in the auditorium, waiting for me to teach. My mind went back to Casper, wishing he was here with me. His presence just calmed me down, and I was panicking. I needed Casper. I just wanted a hug from Casper. That could probably cure this panic.

But I was an actor. Acting was one of the things I was the best at. I could hide my feelings very quickly and very well. Like how I felt when someone would take something I wanted. How I felt when passing up a date opportunity so my friends could go out with them. How I felt when my parents chose to go to my siblings games over mine. How I felt when I would put my friends and family above my own needs.

In my thoughts, I realized I had curled my fingernails into my hands so hard that I had drawn blood. "Shit!" I hissed. I scrambled to put my hands in my pockets and slid the box back in its cabinet.

"Arder?" A voice said, accompanied by a knock on the door. "You in there?"

"Yep!" I called back, flinging the door open to Valerian standing outside of it. "Oh." I said. "Hey."

"Hi." He said, not moving.

I stepped around him, switching my mic pack on. Some blood dripped on the floor, so I kneeled down and wiped it up with the tail of my shirt.

"What was that?" Valerian asked as I stood up.

"Had to tie my shoe." I shrugged.

"That's blood." He said, pointing at the spot. "Why the hell would you wipe that up? That could be infected!"

Something inside me snapped as I turned around to face him, switching my mic pack off just in case. I showed him my hands. "Look at this!" I hissed at him. "Look at my hands!"

"What happened?" His eyes widened, reaching for one of them.

I shoved them back in my pockets. "Don't act like you care." I said, blowing some hair out of my eyes.

"What?" Valerian asked, taking a step back as if he had been shoved.

I stepped back as well, regretting the words that I had said. "Never mind." I told him, walking away. "Just forget about it." I switched my mic pack on as I entered the auditorium, and clapped my hands together. "Alright!" I said, "Who's ready to do a mic check?"

Griffin rushed up to me. "Can I do the soundbooth? Please?"

I patted his head. "You can do the soundboard." I walked up to the stage and stood center stage, looking over the kids waiting expectantly.

I locked eyes with Valerian, who was looking up at me, taking his sunglasses out from a side pocket in his bag. He put them on, and turned his head slightly to the side and downwards.

Shit.

I continued with the lesson, going through the entire information needed to conduct a mic check and fix some issues that might be present. I ended the lesson ten minutes early, and I started walking back to the concessions stand. I shut the door behind me, and I winced as I ripped the mic tape off of my face. I began to place the mic pack back in the box, letting out a sigh.

The door opened behind me, and slammed behind me. I jumped, turning around as I prepared to face some sort of criminal or something. This was a public school, so it was a reasonable thought.

Valerian stood there, his back against the door, hand on the handle.

"Dude, you scared me." I exhaled, clicking the box shut. I put it away, then turned back to him, who still hadn't moved. His hand had tightened around the doorknob and his head had tilted slightly down.

"I do care." Valerian said, voice so low it was almost a whisper. He picked his head up to look at me. "I. Do. Care." He emphasized, stepping towards me. I stepped backward, shrinking as I held my hands above my face, prepared to get hit. "Hey there." He said, leaning down. "I'm not going to hurt you, what happened to you to have you react that way?"

I looked away. "Nothing happened." I said. In reality, as a kid, I had been bullied relentlessly in the very beginning of elementary school, until I switched to this district's elementary school in 3rd grade. I had been verbally and physically tormented until I had switched schools. The damage, however, was lasting, in the ways I reacted and the things I was sensitive about. "Besides, if you do care, you certainly don't show it! Plus, you met me like, yesterday!" I argued back.

"That's not true!" Valerian said, stepping towards me again. He stepped backwards, and seemed to shut down. "Forget it." He said, turning to leave.

"Wait!" I said, grabbing his wrist. "What do you mean?"

"Fifth grade." Valerian said, turning around. "On bus route 71. You had a pink backpack that you hated, and I had glasses and shorter hair, and I had a guitar pick necklace-"

Dots began to connect in my brain. "That you got from your dad." I said softly, "It was your first gift from him."

"The chain broke one day." He said, removing my hand from his wrist and leaning up against the counter. His head tilted back as he looked up at the ceiling. "I was incredibly upset and cried over it. You were the first person who had seen me cry outside of my family. You convinced me to give you the necklace. You went home, and when you came back the next day, you had fixed it with pipe cleaners instead of a silver chain." He stuck a hand underneath his shirt and pulled out the necklace, threaded with hot pink, orange, and blue pipe cleaners. "I've worn it every day since." He looked down at me. "So don't say I don't care."

"Valerian-" I whispered, stepping towards him.

The late bell rang, and Valerian cleared his throat. He tucked the necklace back underneath his shirt. "I'll see you in gym in a bit." He said, walking out of the concessions stand as I stood there in silence.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts as I ran out of the concessions stand, dropping the keys in Miss Petunia's hand. I grabbed my bag and raced out into the hallway, but Valerian was gone.

Word Count: 1262 Words

A/n: Congrats! We have unlocked a mysterious backstory (trademark pending) /j

Other than that, thanks to everyone who reads my story! It means a lot, seriously. I love seeing people add this to their reading lists :)

As always don't forget to boost and comment!

Much love,

Silverstrike1300