the Secret Life of Damien Carmichael

11. A Taste of Hope

Damien didn't sleep that night, he had run as fast as his legs would carry him, as far away from Tyler after that. His heart raced in his chest and his mind flooded with thoughts. It was all over. The secret he had spent the better part of two years trying to protect would be revealed.

Every time he attempted to close his eyes and hope to sleep, he could see Tyler's gloating face behind his eyelids, grinning madly at him. 'Now I've got you Carmichael', his voice repeated in his head on an endless loop.

Damien wanted to cry, to scream, or be sick. But he didn't do any of those things, instead he lay in his bed, trying to will himself to calm down, to try to sleep, to do anything other than listen to the voices inside his head that were all screaming at him. He was doomed. It was only a matter of time before Tyler outed him, and the whole school knew the truth.

By three in the morning, Damien had worked himself into a frenzy, what about Oliver? Oh god, he hadn't even thought about what it would mean for Oliver to be outed along with him. He groaned, he needed to tell him. Only he couldn't wait for another four hours before Oliver would no doubt wake up on his own. He would have to tell him now.

Sneaking out of his bed, Damien crossed the darkened dormitory in search of Oliver's bed. It was a few off of Damien's own, which had proved at times, to be rather difficult for him, though he would never admit as much. He tiptoed towards Oliver's bed and kneeled down beside him.

"Oliver," he whispered. Oliver groaned. "Oliver," he repeated, slightly louder. Oliver jumped, his eyes burst open, and he looked nervously around the room as though he might run at any moment. Damien frowned. "Sorry."

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked, as he looked around the still darkened dormitory and the still asleep room.

"We have a problem," Damien said. "We need to talk."

Oliver nodded, sleepily, and got to his feet, pulling on a pair of shoes from beneath his bed, and a nightshirt, from the end of his bed. Damien let out a little squeak of surprise as he realized that Oliver slept in very little. He swallowed hard, and gave him some privacy, walking out into the living area, and began to pace.

Several moments later, Oliver appeared at his side, and took his arm again, stopping him mid-stride. Damien turned, and swallowed hard. "I... I don't think we should talk about it here," he said.

Oliver nodded, and the two slipped out of the Senior's floor and made their way down the stairs, quietly as they could. There were several monitors on duty, walking around, but they managed to sneak past them unnoticed, slipping down a hallway when they were nearly about to be spotted. Damien held his breath, trying to keep himself steady as the two monitors walked by. Once they were sure they had passed, Damien slipped out of the room first, and Oliver followed.

"What's this all about?" Oliver asked once they were outside, standing in the brisk October air. Damien gave an involuntary shiver.

"Tyler's seen us," he said.

"What?" Oliver asked, still apparently trying to wake up and not entirely certain he understood.

"Last night," Damien replied, already pacing. "He was there, he saw us together."

Oliver grabbed his arm again to stop him mid stride. Damien turned to face him, and sighed, there was something comforting about Oliver's presence, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Nothing happened," Oliver assured him.

"But he thinks something did," Damien replied. "What if he says something? What if he tells everyone and..."