Mysterious Boy - McLennon

9.

It was around 3:24 when Paul reached the school gates, Mike having finished 4 minutes before he got there. His chatting with John had made him delayed, not that the teachers would mind. Paul was often late when picking up his brother, they knew that.

Paul made his way around the side of the building, to the back of the building, where he knew Mike's new classroom was, not expecting to hear a familiar voice from around the corner.

"What do you mean 'you can't let him go with me?'" A man stressed, and Paul recognised the voice clearly.

"Sir... We can't let Michael go with somebody we have never seen here before..."

Jim.

Paul's feet sped up as he turned the corner, and sure enough, Jim was standing there, outside of the door. He looked ever so angry, also rather hurt. Mike was stood behind a bleach blonde haired teacher, around the age of 25, looking scared.

"What's going on here?" Paul asked, making his way over. The blonde teacher looked over to him. "D-Da'?"

The blonde teacher seemed to smile in relief at those words, seemingly having been waiting for him.

"Son..." Jim exhaled, remaining clam. "Son... They will not let me take Michael..."

"Paul, we have never seen him collect Michael before... For safeguarding reasons we simply can not allow this man to take Michael home without proof he is his father."

That was a good point, these people had never seen Jim pick Mike up before... It was only normal that they had no idea what relation he was to the young boy.

"Well I am his father..." Jim spoke accusingly to the woman, before abruptly turning to face Paul, glaring at him. "Paul, tell her."

"He is, Miss... He is my father, James." Paul nodded.

She nodded back.

"Very well, Paul." The woman smiled lightly at Paul, before facing Michael to whisper a goodbye. The little boy ran straight up to Paul, burying his face in the teenager's leg.

"C'mon..." Paul murmured, before leaning down to pick Mike up. He nodded in the direction of the exit for his father to follow him, and began to walk.

Jim followed behind him, a sour and irritated face on himself. It was nothing that Paul hadn't seen before. When the man got closer, Mike buried his face in Paul's neck, and the teenager could sense that familiar feeling of fear in the pit of his stomach.

"Why were you not in detention, hm?" He asked.

"They seemed to have forgotten about it, daddy..." He whispered back, a lump in his throat as he said the last part. Fear had occupied his body.

"You're not lying, correct?"

"No... I'm not." He almost begged.

"So... If I was to ring up your highschool and ask them the same question... 'Why is my son not in detention'... Would they say the same thing, James?" Jim's voice was very intimidating. If a tone could kill, the teenager would be dead.

Paul swallowed deeply.

"They would..." He barely whispered out.

Jim just nodded in reply, speeding up his walking so he was in front of Paul instead. All Paul did was lean his head on top of Mike's as they walked, wishing it was gong to be just himself and his brother on this ever so long walk home.

-

Let me be the one... That shines with you...

The music played through his phone, which was down at the end of the bed. It was around 9pm in the evening, and Jim was downstairs watching football.