Lunar Whispers

Chapter 3

When the lesson finished, Jacob was dozing until William tapped his shoulder.

"I wish I could have slept through that too," he sighed. His younger brother stood up with a confused frown.

"What was it about?" he mumbled.

"Did you not listen to any of it?"

Jacob shrugged and moved so they could start making their way out of the busy room.

"It doesn't matter. You can look at my notes when we're home."

When they reached the hallway, it was time for the brothers to go to separate lessons.

"Do we finish at the same time today?"

"Um..." Jacob pulled his bag from his back and rummaged through it. Just as he reached for his timetable, a guy bumped into him, and he dropped it. Everything spilt onto the floor.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" William frowned but the guy turned with a scowl directed straight for Jacob.

"Freak," he muttered, loud enough for the brothers to hear.

"What did you say?" William stormed after him.

Jacob tried to ignore it as he leant down to pick up his things. William grabbed the boys shoulder, but he turned and pushed him away, just as Hunter approached them. Hunter rammed the guy into the opposite wall who froze when he saw who had pushed him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hunter growled.

"Get off me," the guy muttered, a little timid of Hunters big frame. He wasn't shy about holding back a glare until he eventually left, giving Hunter a reason to back off.

"Thanks, man." William sighed, turning to see if his brother was okay. Jacob was at the end of the corridor when he saw him walk quickly out of sight. 

Jacob hated confrontation. He knew his brother would be okay because he could stick up for himself. Even though they were the same height and pretty much the same weight, Jacob didn't have the confidence to talk back to people when they deserved it.

"Are you okay?" the deep voice was so loud in his mind, he almost jumped.

"Get out of my head." he thought and clenched his jaw.

"Where are you going?"

He didn't answer and quickly made his way down the stairs and towards the exit. He had decided that today just wasn't going to be a good one. It began rough, and he needed some long hours by himself without having to pretend that he was okay.

"Your brother is worried about you."

"Will you just be quiet?" he said out loud, catching the attention of a tutor who stood next to the reception.

Jacob chewed on his bottom lip and dug his hands into his pockets. His face burned with embarrassment. Sometimes he wished the ground would swallow him whole as he quickly made a smooth exit out of the double doors and into the sun. As he put his hood up, he saw a group of boys standing and chatting. A few of them stopped and watched him walk down the steps.

He recognised them. They were standing with Hunter when he first caught him staring. Jacob gripped his bag straps and marched across the carpark. He wanted to be very far from civilisation today.

"Things will get better, I promise."

Jacob wanted to laugh out loud at how stupid that statement was.

"Leave me alone."

"I can't, even if I wanted to."

Jacob continued into the trees. If he walked for fifteen minutes or so, he would reach a field where he could lie down and shut the world out for a little while. All Jacob wanted was some peace. He used to like his own company, but now, it felt like a curse. There was someone else in his head, how could he escape that?