But Now We're Stressed Out

Lies and propaganda or deceit and falsehoods

More characters I don't think we've seen enough of and I miss writing

TRIGGER WARNINGS : slapping, child abuse, swearing, aNgSt

Logan POV
I let out a long sigh and rested my forehead on the steering wheel of my car. After all the drama of trying to find Quinn this past day has been too much.

Virgil called all of us yesterday that Quinn ran away. He showed everyone the box of photos and the tape recorder. Then we all split up and tried to find him.

We never found him.

Quinn never showed up to school today. It was an unexcused absence from school. He never got in touch with anyone and no ones seen him.

Everyone's been on edge, which I understand, but it's as if this friends group can't go a day without drama. Now Damien, Evan, Remus and Virgil are all having breakdowns and blaming themselves.

It's almost 11 pm at night because Quinn still hasn't come back. Most of them think that Quinn killed himself and we just haven't able to find the body. I believe he's just hiding out somewhere because of how often he expressed that he wanted to be left alone.

I forced myself to get out of my car and walk up to my house. I could see the shadows of my parents in the window. They probably aren't very happy that I'm home so late on a school night.

Mother and Father were on me instantly when I opened the door. I felt a pool of something, which I later realized was dread, pooling in my stomach.

"Where were you?" Mother asked.

"You know you're not allowed to be out this late on a school night," Father added.

"I was helping my friends," I answered.

"With what?" Father asked. "Because if it wasn't about school, it's not worth it."

"Friends are important," I argued. "They needed help."

Mother slapped me. Hard. Across the cheek.

I let out a little gasp and put my hand to my cheek. It was burning in pain. Mother glared at me with anger in her eyes.

"Nothing is more important than school," She growled. "You need to study and work hard if you want to get into Harvard! These stupid friends of yours are absolutely ridiculous. I don't want you hanging out with them anymore. They'll make you homosexual and stupid just like them."

My hand curled into a fist and I dug my fingernails into my palms. So much of a burning hot emotion filled me. This is anger. I recognize this feeling from when Patton and I weren't getting along.

"I can hang out with who I want," I argued. "They make me happy."

This time my father slapped me. Across the other cheek.

My face was burning with pain. I could tell I was red in the face but I don't know if it's from
the slaps, the anger, of the embarrassment.

"Who cares about happiness when there's money to be made?" He yelled angrily. "You need to get to college and get a job so that you will be successful in life. Happiness won't make you successful!"

"You don't know anything about being happy," I whispered but instantly regretted it.

Mother grabbed my roughly by the arm. She pulled me up the stairs and down towards my room. I almost lost my balance multiple times.