Secrets in the Skin (BoyxBoy #Wattys2015) **ON HOLD**

Ch.1

-Hiro-

My head pounds as dad slams me against the wall behind me. I feel something crack as the back of my head starts to throb. I fight the tears that threaten to spill. If I cry in front of dad he will just laugh and beat me more.

"What's wrong, kid?" Dad asks with venom in his voice. "Had enough yet?" I don't say anything, just look at the ground and swallow. "Guess not,"

His fist comes up and cracks against my jaw. He smiles as he sees the pain on my face. He throws another punch on my jaw before he kicks me to the ground. I slump on the ground in pain as he kicks me in the ribs twice before storming out of my room.

I gulp in pain. Is that blood in my mouth? I move the back of my hand across my mouth only to be greeted by blood. Lots of blood. I spit blood out onto the floor and gag from the metallic taste. I have never liked the tastes of blood, or the sight. I struggle to stand up but end up crawling to the bathroom across the hallway. I have to hold my mouth as to not drip any blood on the floor.

I struggle to pull myself up by using the counter for support. My reflection makes me jump a bit. Blood leaks from my mouth so I wad up the toilet paper and press it gently to soak it up. My jaw is sensitive to the touch, not broken just bleeding badly and bruised. My cheek definitely has a giant bruise. Today's beatings would be harder to conceal.

"Your a** is going to have to walk if you miss that f***ing bus!" My father screams up the stairs at me as I walk slowly back to my room, then I hear the front door slam shut, meaning he was leaving for work.

I look at the time on my clock that sits on the floor next to my sleeping bag. Yeah, dad threw out my bed when mom left us when I was six, 7:59 the clock reads. That doesn't give me any time since the bus comes at 8:00.

I look down at my light blue shirt that now has blood stains, quite noticeable too.

"Well f**k!" I slur out. It hurts my jaw to talk and I still have blood in my mouth.

I go to my closet and look at my last four shirts. Luckily these last four are all black so if I bleed on them it won't be as noticeable. I slip my blood stained shirt off and kick it into my closet and quickly replace it with a black shirt. I hear the honking of the bus but I ignore it, there is no way that I am going to school until I put concealer on my bruises.

I grab my worn out backpack and head back to the bathroom. I drop my bag on the floor and pull out my concealer. I have really light skin since I get no nutrition and barely any sleep, so finding something that will cover my dark bruises, plus match my skin tone, is actually quite difficult. The concealer I have cost me $32.99, to me that's a fortune. I apply a thick layer to my face but the bruises are still very noticeable. I give up after a few more coats, it doesn't even look like I put anything on, and the bruises are still forming.

I sigh as I pick my backpack up off the floor and head down the stairs. Once outside in the cold I shiver as snow falls to the ground. I wrap my arms around myself and go to the side of my house. I run my hands over the siding of the house until I feel where it is coming apart. I pull on it gently until it opens just enough for me to stick my hand in. I stick my hand in and find what I want, so I pick it up and slip it out. I push the siding back against the house and slip the coat on my body. My best friend, only friend, Hazel, gave me the coat since I don't have one. I have to keep it hidden under the house in case my dad finds it, he would most likely throw it out.

I start to walk the five miles into town. The walk would usually be nice, if it wasn't so cold, and my body wasn't sore as f***ing hell. The forest outlining the road is nice though. I love the trees, the green, the smell of the pine, the homey feel it has. Right now the trees aren't so much green but white.