𝐎𝐥𝐝-𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 | 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚣𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘.

𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 | " 𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 "

[ please be advised that this chapter contains sensitive topics like homophobia and physical abuse. Not too much but still. I don't want any of you to feel bad. I luv chu. ]

Joe.

Sugar
Honey
Iced
Tea-

That escalated quickly.

You are wrong. I didn't plan to ask him if he wants to walk around with me tomorrow. I didn't plan to bake lots of cookies and create a mess in the kitchen so that I can impress him. This isn't what you're thinking. I have clear intentions.

"What the fuck- Joseph!"

Oh my god there's Gwilym.

I heard a loud thud coming from the living, probably that was his bag that happened to drop on the floor after seeing what I have done. The flour had slipped off my grip and now not only I'm covered with the white powderly thing but also the entire kitchen. I didn't move from my place, Gwilym hasn't taken his eyes from my mess.

"Uh, atleast I cleaned my room? Welcome home! How was London?"

He rested his hand on his forehead and lets out a exaggerated sigh. "What am I going to do with you." I heard him say.

Just when you thought it stopped right there, nah uh. He began yelling at me about how he shouldn't have let me alone in the house. How he should've asked Lucy and Rami to take care of me while he's helping me clean the kitchen. I felt bad because ever since I've decided to move in to his apartment, we're always like this. The keeps treating me like a kid, just like how he treats his students. Not that I mind it because I love being treated like a baby but times like this I wish someone had taught me how to adult.

I didn't want to adult. I want to be a cat.

"What has gotten into your head?" He just finished taking a shower when he walked into the living room. I'm currently laying on the floor and staring at the ceiling.

"You and Rami were childhood friends." I was supposed to ask him but it ended up like I'm stating a fact.

"Yeah. Yeah, why?" Gwilym nodded, occupying the space on the couch near me and lay down as well.

I just sighed in response, offering him the remaining cookies from the bowl which he gladly accpeted. We begun munching on the food quietly as he connects his phone to the speaker, Therapy by All Time Low started playing.

In case you didn't know, well- of course you didn't. I was actually from Rhinebeck but when things happened and I was forced to move to another place my mom asked me to go to Hyde Park. Good thing I was a freshmen so it's like I'm starting all over again. Like literally because I am on my own. I used to live in a boys dorm near my school when I met Lucy and later on was introduced to Rami and Gwilym. We're classmates since freshmen so it isn't a surprise that even though we've parted courses when we enter college; with me taking Photography and Digital Arts, Rami taking Theatre Arts and Acting, Gwilym took Secondary Education Major in Music and Lucy took Culinary Arts- we're still friends and it even got stronger because we have a fair share of bitter childhood.

Yes, Rami was a rebel that's why he needs to repeat his freshmen year thrice. Gwilym had repeated twice because when his father died, they need to move back in London but he don't like it there that's why he asked his mom if he could go back to New York and just stay in the house where they used to live. Rami and Gwilym are in the same age but since they had to repeat the school year, we ended up in one class. Lucy, on the other hand- her parents were divorced and she doesn't wanna stay on neither sides. She decided to stay with grandma, we call her grannie Kash.

And I'm this skinny closeted gay that happens to have a homophobic father and when he found out my mom has been keeping this from him, he almost killed her. He told her to dump me or he'll take away my siblings from her and will kill me, the "faggot". My mother didn't want to choose so she helped me escaped Rhinebeck and asked me to stay away but not too far away. She talked to grannie Kash and she would give the elder my allowance so my father wouldn't suspect anything.

But he found out where I am and how she's helping me so without further ado he went to my school and decided to beat the shit out of me so I had to ran away. Still not too far away but I know I'm safe when Gwilym offered his place to me. There were guards around the village to protect us and no one can enter without having a pass or someone inside inform the guards that they're expecting visitors.

Grannie Kash informed the guards of what happened to me (based from what I've told them cause I wasn't ready to tell them I'm gay) and they give me a pass under her name. Then the rest is history.

It's funny that it happened five years ago and it feels like yesterday. Stitches from the damages he's done to me are still visible on my forehead, my arms and legs that gave birth to my insecurities and fed my anxiety.

My beloved father spat on my face and called me names- I was just thankful he can't say the word gay or any word that synonyms it but what was the most painful is that he didn't want to be my father anymore. That I'm a disgrace and I'm going to die regretting my decisions.

That I'm never going to be happy. I bet your sweet ass I'm starting to believe him. If it wasn't for these three crackheads I would've ended my life a long time ago.

And of course, I want to see my mother one day.

"You haven't told me what has gotten into you that made you bake tons of cookies." Gwilym spoke, I'm sure he noticed that I was zoned out for moments now and he needs to pull me back to reality. Or else I will let myself drown in the past.

"I thought of making something you can eat when you get home." I shrugged.

"No need to lie, Joseph. Rami texted me everything." I rolled my eyes and turn to face him. The fucker is already giggling.

"Yes, laugh on my miseries Gwilym. I actually appreciate that. Thank you."

"You little shit." He mumbled in between his laughs. "Don't tell me you baked him cookies as a welcoming gift after scaring you-"

"He doesn't know I got scared and shut up he might hear you I told him I made these for you and thought of giving him some! Not the other way around!"

He laughed louder. Like literally louder. "Oh god!" Now he had to get up to dust off the cookie crumbles from his shirt.

"Why?! Is it bad now to welcome new neighbours, Gwilym?!"

"No, of course! But I mean, I don't know-

The new neighbour seems odd. He likes old stuff."

𝐈 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞
𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐨. :›