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Daniel Howell was 11 years old when he was first hit.

That was when he first experienced true terror. His mum had gotten divorced with Dan's father a year before, then quickly found Jimmy. He became her boyfriend in no time, and soon came the time when he was called to meet the kids, Dan and his little brother Adrian.

Dan angered Jimmy quickly. Jimmy told the young boy to get him a Ribena. When Dan refused because he was helping his younger brother with his homework (and, let's be honest, he didn't quite like the man that wanted to replace his dad) Jimmy got unreasonably mad. He grabbed Dan by the shirt and after throwing him into a wall, slapped him across the face.

To say Dan was scared would be an understatement.

Jimmy left almost right after that.

Dan wouldn't come out of his room for the rest of the day. He was afraid that Jimmy was going to return only to do more damage.

The worst part? Dan's mum wasn't there to actually witness this. She didn't believe the allegations of the two boys, claiming that they were just having a rough time transitioning.

That was when Dan was in 6th grade. Now, Dan was a senior in high school. He was used to getting hit, but now, his mum was well aware of what was going on.

And she didn't try to help him.

~

Daniel slipped out the door without bothering to say bye to anyone and left for school. He tugged at the strings of his jumper nervously. Everyday, he gets nervous at the mere thought of hundreds of kids in one building. His social anxiety laid a huge burden on his mind and his heart.

He fixed his fringe for the hundredth time as he neared the building. He sighed and ducked his head as he opened the front doors. 'stay hidden, stay chillin' was his motto. He didn't mingle by his locker or wonder around like the other kids, rather going straight to his first class. As usual, he sat in the back, avoiding any contact with anyone. He slipped his notebook out of his back pack and started sketching whatever, oblivious of anything that was going on around him.