Mysterious Boy - McLennon

2.

Liverpool, 4th September, 2016

"Mike? C'mon Mikey, get up..." Paul whispered into his brother's ear, gently shaking him in order to disturb his sleep. Not that he wanted to, but he had to get him up before Jim woke. "Mikey..."

Mike murmured something incoherent in his sleep, stirring slightly.

"C'mon mike, dear..."

"'S Da 'wake...?" The seven-year-old's eyes were still closed, but he spoke anyway.

"No... No, that's why you need to get up now, hm?" The boys eyes fluttered open. "There we go. If we hurry now, we can get a McDonald's before school, hm?" Paul offered, smiling sweetly.

"Again? We had that last week..." He frowned, sitting up in bed.

"Ay, I thought you liked McDonald's, no?"

"'Course, I just..." The boy cut himself off, tugging on his shirt.

"It's all I can afford... So if you want breakfast this mornin', we gotta hurry up before Da' wakes alrigh'?" Mike nodded, shyly, and Paul watched him yawn fur a few seconds, before heading over to his wardrobe to grab his clothes.

He just hoped Mike would hurry up. It was already nearly light outside, and Paul didn't wish to be confronted by that monster before they left. It was the first day of his final school year, and he didn't want to go in with any fresh bruises, not today.

As Jim always woke just after sunrise.

-

The little boy skipped next to Paul, holding onto his hand tightly. He wore his uniform, but had a cute Dino coat around his shoulders. Including the little ears on his hood. He was making 'roar' noises as they made their way out of McDonald's, and now headed towards Mike's primary school.

Paul listened happily to the boys noises, smiling sweetly at them, as if there was no other noise.

But then they stopped.

"Paulie?" He asked.

"Hm?" Paul asked, still staring at the street infront.

"What's that Mark on your neck?"

Paul felt his eyes shoot wide open at the mention of a mark. He swore he covered them all... What did Mike mean?

"W-What d'ya mean, Mike?" He laughed, nervously.

"On ya neck, look!"

They stopped at at shop window, Paul taking a look at his reflection in the glass. And sure enough, Mike was right. There was a bruise, that was exposed where his top button was undone. Quickly, he fastened the button on the collar up, clearing his throat as he tried to make something up.

"Ah, yes." He smiled, reaching down and picking Mike up. "All big Dinos are born with marks like that, y'know?"

They began to walk, and Mike gasped in surprise.

"Really?! No way!" The boy seemed excited.

"Aye. But they don't always show. Infact, they only show every... On the first Tuesday of every September." Mike looked amazed.

"Will I get one...?" God, Paul hoped Mike never got one. After all, that's why Paul took all the beatings instead.

"Only the eldest brother gets them."

That was true.

"Oh..." Mike nodded, accepting Paul's lies as a fact.

It wasn't too long until they reached Mike's primary school, Paul rushing to the door of Mike's class and waving him goodbye. The boy gave another 'roar', before running inside with a smile.

Mike always made Paul smile too.

-

He arrived at school with 15 minutes until lesson started, glad when George and Ringo were there, waiting for him. For one, George had his timetable, and he had completely no idea where he was going without it.

"Where've you been?" George questioned, pushing the paper forward.

"Me and Mike went to McDonald's, got carried away... Sorry." They began to walk, Paul opening up the timetable to look at what lesson he had first. "Shit!"

"What?"

"Mr Martin... No I can't be in his class again." Paul groaned.

"Why not? What's wrong with Martin?"

"Always picks on me." He sighed.

He didn't really pick on him, to be exact. Mr Martin had noticed a mark on Paul's face near the end of the last year, and Paul brushed it off as walking into a lamppost or something he couldn't even remember. He figured he'd probably never see Mr Margin again, so there was no point in stressing about the man knowing his secret.

But now the stress cane back...

God, what if he remembered? What if he saw the bruise on Paul's neck?

No. Paul covered that up by buttoning up his collar...

Ringo and George has began to talk about something they'd done a few years back in one of Mr Martin's lessons, whereas Paul... He was trying to remember what his excuse was.

Was it a lamppost? Or a door?

They were approaching stairs now, and that's when Paul figures he might have said stairs...

Ringo let out a laugh at something, and just as Paul lifted his head to turn to the older boy, he was stopped. Another boy had caught his attention... A boy with messy auburn hair, standing next to a girl with long, curly and dark brown hair and another one with a brown bob...

Paul hadn't seen him before...

He decided to wave, why not? And the boy waved back.

And then they passed him.

Coming to think of it, Paul was sure he said lamppost.