Outcast ✔️

Chapter 13

I felt someone's cold hand shaking me awake.

"Storm, wake up," I slowly opened my eyes as he shook me harder. I jolted awake to find Liam in the seat next to me.

"We're home," he said with such a dull tone.

The day's sudden memory came back to me, and I checked the time as it read 2:35 am. I must have drifted to sleep on our way back. I quickly gathered my belongings and headed out of the car.

I almost started walking back to my house but stopped midway, realizing that I had forgotten my bag in his car. I turned back to get it, but he was already pulling into his driveway. I wanted to go after him and grab my bag, but I knew he was tired and didn't want him to get angry at me.

I told myself to call Mrs. Stone tomorrow to retrieve my bag this way; I could avoid seeing him and wouldn't have to deal with him either.

I walked into my room, being as quiet as possible, trying my best not to wake my parents up. I quickly headed to take a shower and put on some comfy clothes.

I went to close my window drapes when I got a glimpse of Liam's bareback. He was wearing grey sweatpants with no shirt. His back muscles seemed to have been stiff, and it was hard to tell from this distance, but it's as if he had a couple of scars on his back. There was as well as a tattoo of some sort on his left back shoulder.

It was impossible to read from where I was, but it was for sure a black-inked tattoo was perhaps a sentence.

But I decided not to think about it. As hard it was to control my curiosity, this is something I will never get to know. It was safer for me to forget about it completely.

I quickly closed the drapes and took a glance at the picture of Noah on my desk table, smiling a saddened smile, and headed off to bed.

As soon as my head hit the soft pillows, my eyes shut, and I was fast asleep.

-

Monday morning.

I hated Mondays.

The whole day I felt sluggish and tired. I could barely focus on any of my classes which wasn't quite like me.

But whatever it was, I could not pay attention no matter how hard I tried.

I was exhausted.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sarah asked, tapping my shoulder. I looked at her, almost passing out if I didn't take a nap right this second.

"I'm fine. I'm just so tired," I said, rubbing my eyes.

"Did you get much sleep last night?" She asked.

"No, Liam and I got back home around 3 yesterday, and by the time I went to bed, it was already 4:30," I explained.

"Right. How was your trip?" She asked.

"Good. The school is great," I said honestly, not wanting to say much else.

She nodded her head as we walked into the cafeteria, taking our seats at our usual table after grabbing our lunches.

I decided on only eating a small salad, ashamed of what Liam had said yesterday. But I already didn't have an appetite since I was just so darn tired.

"Gosh, do you mind if I just take a nap right here?" I asked, being completely serious.

She giggled and said: "of course, go right ahead," I smiled at her appreciating that she didn't say no.

I laid my head down on the cold table, trying my best to cover my ears with the hood of my hoodie I was wearing.

It was noisy in the cafeteria, but it honestly didn't seem to bother me as I fell asleep instantly.