The Boy Next Door

Chapter 19

Lyric's pov

I sit across from the boys, not moving. The four of them stare at me, concerned. Well, I assume they were staring at me. I couldn't exactly tell where their eyes were. They had sunglasses on, trying to disguise themselves. They were also wearing baseball caps.

"Lyric," Ashton says, "you have to be hungry. You didn't eat breakfast or lunch." They had brought me back to that ice cream place that we came to before. They were trying to get me to eat. I wasn't hungry. I was numb.

I had been ever since that phone call from my mom last night. I cried myself to sleep in Ashton's arms. Then I stayed in bed as long as I possibly could, just trying to avoid the world. The boys had literally dragged me out from underneath the covers, outside to the car, and into this building. Ashton has ordered my favorite ice cream, but it was just melting in front of me.

I know that I should be relieved that my mom wasn't going to call the police or fight me about going with the boys, but I can't bring myself to feel that way. She's my mother and she disowned me. It really stung.

"Lyric, please," Calum pleads from my other side. I sigh and give in. They wouldn't stop bugging me until I did anyways. I slowly get a spoonful of ice cream and bring it up to my mouth. The boys keep their eyes glued to me as I eat it.

~

"Happy?" I ask, leaning back in my chair. My plan backfires as the chair starts to tip backwards. I panic, my arms flailing. Then it stops. I glance over and see that Ashton caught my chair. He sets it back up with all four legs on the floor.

"Thank you, Ash," I says softly. He smiles and nods.

"How are you doing, Lyric?" Michael questions.

I sigh and think for a minute before answering, "I'm pretty miserable. But I don't think this is the worst I've been. I'll eventually get over it. It just hurts right now."

"I'm sorry she was a dick," Luke apologizes.

I giggle softly, "Thanks Luke."

"Are you laughing at the word 'dick'?" Michael asks, grinning.

I smile, "No. I was laughing because I've never heard my mother referred to as that word before now." The boys laugh.

"What word?" Calum asks me, grinning.

I huff and cross my arms over my chest, "The word that Luke just said."

"Why won't you said it, Lyric?" Ashton questions, poking my sides.

I laugh, "Because it's a nasty word. And it's not very nice. This is what I was talking about when I said that social media corrupted you guys." Calum, Ashton, Luke, and Michael laugh harder. I grin and join in, temporarily forgetting how miserable I had been previously feeling.