The Boy Band Who Adopted Me!

Chapter 35 - Christmas Around the Corner

I felt so helpless for the rest of the break, and even though I was hanging out with my family, it still couldn't pry my mind from Will's ordeal. It was even worse than any of us had realized. When we got back to Carroll, the first thing I did after greeting Gavin with kisses was fling my arms around Will in a worried hug.

"We're only gonna be here for another two weeks, are you really going to go back to that for winter break?"

Will shrugged with false confidence. "Actually, I worked it out with Emmett's mom, and I'm going to stay with him after Christmas under the guise of a 'skiing trip'." I exchanged eye contact with Emmett, and his starlight eyes betrayed the most genuine sense of stress and concern ever.

"Okay, well..." I almost was lost for words. "We just have to get through midterms, and then you only have what, three days there, and then..."

Gavin put a hand on my shoulder. "Slow down, Alex."

He was right, I was being a little overzealous. Will, who had been through a lot, looked slightly overwhelmed.

"Let's go to creative writing, okay?" Will half-smiled at me. The glint of morning sunlight on his glasses could not hide the pain from me, pain that I knew all too well from viewing my own reflection in the mirror, and from watching Matthew slowly succumb to bullying.

"... Okay."

--

We were having yet another sort of break day, even though we were supposed to be studying for midterms.

"Soooo," Will said calmly, "I guess you might as well see it." He rolled up his shirtsleeves.

The bruises were faint, but large, as if he'd been punched several times. Tears welled up in my eyes.

"Oh, Will..."

"No, no! Listen. It wasn't just me getting my ass beat. It was an actual fistfight between brothers. He did start it, though, it's just that I stood up for myself."

I couldn't stop one tear from threatening to roll down my cheek, and I quickly dabbed it away with my sleeve. "Will..."

I didn't know what to say to make Will feel better, and he didn't know what to say to make me feel better. He stammered, scratching the back of his neck.

"Ah, God, Alex, uhhh... don't worry. I know I say that a lot, but really. It was a one-time thing. My family will be all around at Christmas. He won't have the opportunity. It won't happen again, that's for sure." He paused for a second, before reaching out and rubbing my back gently, for just a second.

"Nooo, it should be me comforting you," I huffed, defeated.

"I am comforted. You're here, and you care. I should tell you what I told the guys, though, that my mom is thinking about homeschooling me because I basically kinda ran away from home..."

I could feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck in terror for Will's situation.

"No, that can't be true," I said faintly, not knowing what to do.

"I'm just letting you know. I'm not about to let her. I'll fight with everything I have to keep that from happening."

"How can you even stop that?" I asked in disbelief.

Will adjusted his glasses, and I could sense helplessness in his expression. "I-I don't know. But I'll figure something out."

I felt sad, tired, and sullen. "... And... what does Corinne think?"

Will stopped at the mention of his girlfriend, who was absent from Creative Writing today, and his brow furrowed, as if I'd just reminded him of even more stress.