The Chairs Between Us

Fading

The next day at school Liam was nowhere to be seen. I sat under the tree at lunch but he never showed and after school he wasn't in the theater either.

This is weird he would have texted me. He is probably just sick or something.

I walked home liked I use to with headphones in listening to Twenty One Pilots.

It felt like I was all alone even though there were a lot of people walking passed me. 

Why does today seem so strange? It's like I can since something is wrong.

When I got home my parents were sitting on the coach watching a movie. My stepdad said "Hey" while my mom just looked at me. She smiled and went back to the TV.  

I walked into my room and closed the door. I texted Liam: 

Hey I didn't see you at school today.

But there was no answer. 

Strange, he normally answers right away. 

I decided to call him and again, no answer.

Days went on without any answer. 

No one has heard from him or seen him for a whole week. 

It was like Liam was just a dream. 

Orchestra seemed unreal and everyone noticed how my playing began to turn out of tune again. His chair up front was left empty and seemed to be a reminder that he was still a person. 

Life didn't seem colorful anymore and my walks home seemed just to put me back into my old life. My mom began to slip away again as she stopped talking to me. 

I texted Liam everyday but, there was no reply. I gave up and threw my phone on my desk. 

And another week went passed. 

Mr. Bennet told me to kept practicing and to focus on festival but there was no way I could. He told me that Liam has been called in sick everyday too. 

That is hard to believe. He would have still texted me.

It felt like I had lost my brother all over again. 

My mom had fully blocked me out. 

My music turned to a jumble of notes and the nightmares got worse. 

I would wake up from seeing my brother dead or feeling the bullies punching me. 

Oh and the bullies. 

They would see me at lunch and push me around or slam me into a wall. 

I was walking through the halls when I saw them walking towards me. I quickly turned and began walking the other way only to hear them getting closer and closer. 

I really don't want to get beaten again today. I already have bruises all over me from the other times. 

I was walking so fast that I ran into someone when I turned the corner. I looked up to see Officer Jones, "Oh... hey Dominic are you okay there?"

I nodded and looked down, "Yeah I am fine. Sorry I ran into you... I have to get going."

I ran past him, leaving him standing in the hall confused. I thought I heard him call after me but I kept walking until I reached another corner.

The bullies caught up to me and pushed me onto the floor. My head hit the ground pretty hard. I just stayed there staring at the ceiling.

It all seemed useless. I didn't care what they did to me anymore. The pain was the only thing I could feel. The only thing that made my feel that I was still alive. 

I pealed myself off the floor and walked out the school doors. 

I don't want to go to class anymore.

I hung out in my brother's room staring at the piano in the middle of the night to avoid sleep but it only brought more pain. 

Everything had lost it's color and I was fading away into darkness.