Alex slouched in his chair, his attention divided between the teacher's monotonous lecture and his phone. When the teacher announced his partnership with Liam for the history project, his heart sank.
"Alex and Liam, you'll be working together," the teacher said, and Alex groaned.
Liam caught his eye from across the room and grinned. "Looks like we're stuck together again, firecracker," he teased.
"Great," Alex muttered, trying to mask his annoyance.
They met after school at Alex's house. As Liam entered, he immediately set his backpack down and got to work, unfazed by Alex's usual jabs. "So, what's the plan, Ice Prince? You going to boss me around again?"
"Let's actually discuss the project," Liam replied, rolling his eyes.
"Sure, but if you spend more time worrying about grades than actually working, I'll lose my mind," Alex shot back.
Their banter continued, but underneath, a storm brewed within Alex. Memories of the fire that had destroyed everything haunted him. He remembered being trapped, his brother Jamie reaching for him as flames roared around them, the sound of shattering glass and desperate screams.
After the fire, Alex was placed with foster parents who initially seemed kind but soon revealed their true nature. Their anger turned violent, and Alex learned to hide his pain. The bruises became part of his life, a constant reminder of his worthlessness. He wore long sleeves to cover the scars from both the fire and the abuse that followed.
As they worked, the weight of his memories grew heavier. The laughter of Liam and the smell of snacks from the kitchen faded, replaced by a crushing panic that clawed at him. "I need a minute," he muttered, bolting to the bathroom.
Inside, he leaned against the sink, gasping for breath as memories overwhelmed him. The room started spinning, and a voice echoed in his mind, a twisted blend of Liam's teasing mixed with Jamie's laughter and the sharp words of his parents. "You'll never escape this, Alex! You're weak!"
Just as darkness began to close in, he heard Liam's voice through the door, woven with his parents and Jamie's.
"Alex! Are you okay? Don't tell me you're scared!"
"Go away!" Alex yelled, frustration boiling over.
"Let me in! If you don't open this door right now, I'll Detroit Smash it!" Liam insisted, urgency lacing his words.
"Try it!" Alex retorted, but the panic tightened its grip, and the room spun around him.
"Alex, I'm not joking! I'll kick this door down!"
In a moment of helplessness, Alex collapsed to the floor as darkness engulfed him.
Days turned into weeks, and Liam remained by Alex's side in the hospital, refusing to leave. The machines beeped steadily, a constant reminder of the silence that filled the room where Alex lay, lost in a deep, unyielding sleep.
As he sat there, holding Alex's hand, Liam filled the silence with stories, memories, and laughter, hoping to coax Alex back into the world. But each passing day was a reminder of the unspoken words that lingered in the air—words that could have changed everything.
One day, while Liam was tidying up, he noticed a small, leather-bound diary peeking out from under Alex's pillow. Curiosity tugged at him, and he carefully opened it. The pages revealed a torrent of emotions, detailing Alex's trauma from the fire, the pain of losing Jamie, and the struggles with his foster parents.
But what struck Liam most were Alex's feelings for him, raw and vulnerable, filled with confusion and longing. "He reminds me of Jamie, and it scares me. I shouldn't feel this. I shouldn't want to"
Liam's heart ached. He hadn't realized how deeply Alex had been suffering, how much he had kept hidden beneath his bravado. The realization of Alex's crush hit him hard; the weight of it made him long to reach out, to bridge the silence that now loomed between them.
As weeks stretched on, the hospital remained a haven of hope tinged with despair. Each day, as Liam sat by Alex's bedside, he held onto the hope that his friend would wake up. But the silence remained unbroken, and Alex lay still, caught in a dreamless void.
Liam vowed to stay, ready to face the darkness when Alex was finally ready to return. The weight of their unspoken feelings hung in the air, a reminder of the love and support that would endure through the hardest battles—even in silence.
And as the days turned into months, Alex remained in a coma, a heart-wrenching testament to the battles he fought alone. Liam stayed, a constant presence, waiting for the day when Alex would finally awaken and they could face their fears together, even if that day never came.
