before the void - isaac lahey ⁰˙⁵

29

"So?" Boyd drawls. "How was he? Bruised and bloody?"

I don't look at him. "It was awful." I whisper and I shake my head.

"Yup." Erica says, sounding bored.

I sat down at their lunch table before they had arrived and waited for them. I wanted to talk to somebody and I couldn't talk to Stiles. He'd just tell his dad.

"He looked so defeated..." I say, playing with my food with my fork.

I look at Erica and Boyd and they are exchanging a look. "What?" I insist.

"Nothing." Erica snaps quickly.

Boyd looks me up and down, as if studying me to see if he can answer. "Isaac won't be back for several days." He says and the candor of his words makes me snort.

"Obviously. I saw what he looked like-" I say and Boyd cuts me off.

"Going to see him will have made it so much worse. You can't do that again, Malena. Okay? Seriously you can't." He says and Erica groans.

I look at the confused. "What do you mean?"

His eyes narrow. "The more you show him care and affection infront of his dad the worse he'll get beaten. We used to go and see him because we knew how bad it was. He would just end up worse."

My mouth forms a 'O'. "Right."

Boys nods once and so does Erica. "You can go back your friends now." Erica says.

I nod slowly. "Thanks guys." I say quietly before taking my plate and walking to my usual table to sit with Stiles and Scott.

"Oh look who came crawling back." Stiles mutters and I slap him over the back of the head.

"Cut it out. You've see him...he needs. He needs help, Sti." I say and Scott looks uncomfortable. 

"He's very clumsy." Scott says, his face pale.

"He's not." I cut him off. "Everyone knows what's actually happening to him! No one- and I mean no one says anything about it! It's fucking- it's ridiculous." I hiss.

At this point the table has gone quiet. "And you, Stiles. How dare you? After the way that your father raised you how fucking dare you." I say, standing and turning on my heel to walk to my car.

I'm still fuming as I slam the door behind me. I hit the horn twice in rage and there's a small knock on the window next to me. I look up and Alison is standing there holding two paper bags. She offers me a small smile.

I unlock the doors and she climbs in.

"I thought you'd like lunch." She says and I smile.

"Thanks, Allison. I appreciate it." I say, heaving a sigh.

We sit in silence as we eat our meals.

"How did it go after I left?" I ask quietly.

She shifts in her seat. "Well, Jackson made some smartest comments. Apparently the abuse is quite noisy. Always has been but he never told a soul. Said that he 'didn't have to' or something."

I feel my anger seething below the surface. I force myself to take a deep breath. "Wow. I'm not even surprised." I mutter.

Again silence settles over us.

"I don't know what to do." I whisper and Allison wraps me in hug.

"It'll be okay, hun." She says, rubbing a hand on my back.

I sob into her shoulder. I'm glad she's here, my other friends wouldn't understand. Lydia wouldn't have consoled me like this. Stiles would have rolled his eyes and Scott's key point of attack is deny, deny, deny.

I'm glad to have her.

-

"Still asking questions about me?" I hear a voice say the three mornings later in algebra. I look up and see Isaac standing there, in all of his bruised glory.

"Zac..." I mutter and he smiles tightly, taking the seat next to me.

"How was your week? It's been about that long since we last saw each other." He says, his voice hoarse.

"Your face-" I start and he cuts me off.

"Don't." He finishes. "I'm fine. I'm here. That's all that matters."

"You're not fine!" I hiss and he raises an eyebrow.

"I feel fine." He says softly and I look at every bruise in sight.

I so badly want to help him but he refuses me again and again. There's only so much I can offer, so much I can do.

"Let's just do some math, hm?" He says.

The entire period I don't do anything, I can't focus as I try to think of the ways I can help him. If Isaac knows that i'm looking at him he doesn't show it.

"Thank you for bringing my homework." He says at one point, not looking up from his textbook.

I smile. "It's alright." I say softly and a small grin tickles his face.

Finally, now that he has said something I feel as though I can continue my work. I do a few equations before ultimately giving up.

Isaac has finished the entire chapter, while i'm battling to finish a page. He looks over at my progress and laughs.

I shake my head as I continue to try and work. My nose scrunches in disgust as I look at the next question.

"I quit." I mutter and he smiles.

"Would you like help?" He asks, almost a sarcastic drawl.

I roll my eyes. "Yes."

He takes my textbook and begins to explain how the equation needs to be debunked. He goes through each point but I don't really pay attention. I've never seen him so animated and it makes me think that finally, I might be getting through to him.

-

yayyy!! i finally updated!!! they're so cute and i adore them more than life itself.

i'm so excited people are still reading this book! i love writing the two of them so much and will be writing more soon xoxo