Some Secrets Are Better Off Hidden

Chapter 5: Tom Really Wants To Punch The Sink

It was silent at first. Edd passed him a cutting board and a few vegetables, along with a knife.

Tom stared at the vegetables before cutting and peeling them carefully.

He knew Edd was looking at him but he tried to ignore it. Tom felt uncomfortable and shameful, to say the least. He just finished crying in front of a man he hardly knows and now said man is staring at him. So he had every right to feel that way. He just wished the guy would spit out whatever he wanted to say. Or better yet, look away entirely and leave Tom alone to his own thoughts.

Tom shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Why were you crying?"

Tom looked up and stared into his eyes, trying to find any negative emotion they were holding. All he found was concern. Pity.

Tom looked back down.

"I don't know." And honestly, he didn't. He was just overthinking something, and that led to something else which made him cry. Tom's head hurt even trying to figure out what happened mere minutes ago. So he decided to leave it blank for now.

"How do you not know?"

That made the blue-clad huff. He peeled the carrots faster as he frustratingly replied, "I just don't." He refused to look up when he spoke.

Just like that, the discussion had stopped and so did the pounding in his head. And Tom rather liked it that way. Found it calm and peaceful as the silence grew on him.

He could no longer feel Edd staring at him. But he heard the disappointed sigh that came from the other.

As time progressed the clock became a rhythmic sound in the background. Tom found himself tapping his foot to the ticking, attempting to make it sync. He tried counting the movement of his feet as every second ticked by. He was lost in that moment.

1, 2, 3, 4

5, 6, 7, 8

His mind was vacant from any anxiety or stress. Just the peeling of the vegetables, the ticking of the clock and Tom's shoes tapping the tiled floor filled his headspace.

9, 10, 11, 12

13, 14-

The squeaking of a chair made Tom cringe. It broke the gentle tune Tom had going on and he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

He looked up to see Edd removing himself from his seat.

He didn't ask where he was going even if he was curious. Tom didn't feel like speaking up, believing it would start an unwanted conversation. He observed Edd as the guy stationed himself in front of the stove.

Tom lost curiosity after that and placed his attention back on the vegetables.

He could no longer go back to the peaceful tune he once made, no matter how hard he tried.

Instead, other things filled his thoughts. Things he honestly would rather not think about. Like how he felt so out of place in this house.

It was like living someone else's life, or being stuck in a dream sequence he wasn't able to wake up from. The throbbing in his head came back with a vengeance. How could his mind feel so heavy and hot yet so light at the same time? It was like a floating bowling ball set aflame. His throat was pretty dry too. When was the last time he drank something? He recalled having a glass of orange juice that morning but that was pretty much it.

Tom looked across the room to stare at the kitchen sink. He felt like it was teasing him as the droplets fell from the tip of the tap and descended to the bottom. Making a light pit-pat sound that was starting to get on his nerves.