The Prince and His Pauper

Chapter 12: The Pauper Apprehensive

Why isn't he here? He said he'll be here on Monday but it's Wednesday and Antonio's not here. Where is he? I know he's not avoiding me since we have two classes together. Unless he ditches them but Leonardo's here and has been eating lunch with me. Well, only yesterday because he escaped from his fan club. At least, that's what he told me.

I should just ask him what's going on with Antonio. I thought to myself as I head over to my usual lunch spot under a shady tree. If he comes today....

After Antonio left with his brother and friend, my mom pounded on me for information. Like, how did I meet them, were they my friends, what exactly did we do all day, and when I'll be having them over again. I told Mom that I wasn't sure when I'll invite them again but hopefully soon since being cooped up at home isn't something I want to be doing for the next nine months.

Then, when Dad came home, I wished I stayed in my room because Mom started telling him how handsome the guys were. Especially Antonio. She went on and on about how polite and generous he was to me. I thought Dad would have stopped her but instead, he joked about how I should just marry him so that he can become my mom's new son.

"I shouldn't be getting so close to them..... The only reason they even hung out with me on Friday was because of that Jock bullying me..... I'm so stupid...." I mumble to no one. There's just no way those two would ever want to be friends with me.

"If we had known what you were, we wouldn't have hanged out with you!"

"Don't fucking get so close to me! No! I don't care how long we were friends, Cassiel! We're done until you change!"

"Start liking girls and everything will go back to normal! It's not that hard!"

"Where do you think you're running off to faggot?! Don't you know that you need our help?"

"Careful, man! Don't let him kiss you or you'll end up gay like him!"

"Yeah, you don't want to get AIDS from that faggot!"

"STOP IT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" I scream while I press my hands over my ears to drone them out. All the voices from people that I used to know. Every one of them telling me hurtful things and a bunch of lies.

"It's just in my head..... They're not here.... They won't hurt me... It's just in my head.... They're not here.... They won't hurt me...." I whimper, hoping that could calm me down but it's not working. The voices won't stop.

I shouldn't be remembering the things they said to me. It shouldn't affect me. So why am I remembering? Why do I let past words from those idiots affect me? I don't want to remember them. I don't want to remember what they did to me. I don't want to remember what I almost did last year. I don't want to-

"Cassiel!" A voice shouts, pulling me from my thoughts.

I didn't realize that my eyes were shut close until I felt my eyelids open and see I was curled up in a ball with my hands covering my ears. Once I took a minute to let my surroundings sink in, I slowly moved my hands away from my ears and I uncurled from my position.

"Are you ok? What happened? Did Thomas do something to you?!" Leonardo's voice interrogates. He must have been the one who interrupted my thoughts.

"No, it wasn't him..... I fell...." I lie quietly while I stand up and dust off the grass on my clothes.

"Yeah, right. Tell me what happened." Leonardo scoffs.

"It's true! I fell! Thomas didn't do this to me! S-so just drop it, ok?!" I snap, bringing my head down to glare at the ground.