Going back

13|| Headache

A/N: here's chapter 13. Enjoy, people.

Damien was always confused, but today he was particularly befuddled.

"Do what you want, I don't care."

Those had been his exact words- so why did his stupid heart refuse to obey them?

He didn't care- he shouldn't- but something tugged on his chest and caused a mild headache to form at the thought of Iris walking home. Alone. In the cold, dark and rain.

Whatever. He rolled his eyes and stabbed his spaghetti aggressively, spun it around on a fork and shovelled the last bite into his mouth.

"Who pissed on your sunshine, Damien?" An irritating friend with a hyena-like laugh leaned forwards, green eyes sparkling with intrusive curiosity.

"Leave me alone."

"Ooh why so crabby? Girl or boy troubles?"

"Shut up."

"Aw what's–"

"Hey, Jack? Are you deaf or just acting thick?" The one friend whose name he actually remembered, Nadia, spoke up.

Jack huffed and harrumphed, but Damien chose to ignore his incessant whining. He rolled his bottom lip between his teeth, a strange and uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Suddenly, he didn't feel so hungry anymore.

The lunchroom felt too loud and bright and he found he couldn't be bothered to partake in the jubilant conversation surrounding him.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.

Mumbling some vague excuse about needing fresh air, Damien expertly dodged the harassing questions and broke free from their burning gazes.

A throbbing pain spread from the centre of his forehead all the way to the back of his head. He pressed it with his fist, sighing softly at the sporadic moments of relief it brought him. This type of headache had only started recently and he liked to call it by its cause- Iris.

Seized by the sudden urge to go to the bathroom, Damien wove his way through the lunchtime crowd, offering half-hearted greetings to faces he recognised. The headache swelled and seemed to become even more painful with each passing second.

Unintentionally, his thoughts drifted to Iris. He didn't know how to deal with the fact that she- his sister- had come home. Initially, he was elated- he'd missed her so much! But when he saw her that day, looking so much older with blue eyes burning with hate, something had clicked in him.

The others wanted to continue pretending that Iris was the same lump of flesh that had left their home all those years ago- especially his father. They wanted Iris to be the same as it would finally fix the pieces of their broken household. But she was different now- she had her own life, her own family.

It hurt Damien a little that he would never be a part of it.

Do I have a right to be in her life? Would she ever allow that?

He'd seen the way Iris's eyes lit up like fireworks when she got a call or text from DeLano or whoever else she talked to that wasn't anyone in the household. But when she looked at them, she only scowled and argued or maintained a frosty silence.

Whatever. Damien scowled and shoved his hands deep in his pocket, angrily slamming his shoulder against the bathroom door.

He stopped at the sight before him.

"What are you doing here?!" He exclaimed, eyes widening at the sight of Iris with a boy. Alone. In the bathroom. Why are they– wait. I don't want to know. I have to pee.

"Hey Damien," Iris laughed awkwardly, glancing at the boy. "This is Jax, my uh, my brother. Jax, this is Damien."

"Oh." Toilet-boy's nose crinkled and he stared at Damien like he was dried up chewing gum at the bottom of his chew. "So you're the hedgehog."

"What're you doing here?" Damien repeated, swivelling around to face Iris. He was in no mood to fight with a child.

"Poetry," Toilet-boy blurted out.

"Poetry?"

"Poetry," he repeated firmly, nodding to Iris. "Y'know, I wander lonely as a cloud– all that kinda stuff."

An awkward silence ensued, and Damien's bladder grew uncomfortably insistent.

"Jax I- I don't think he's buying it," Iris sighed and pressed the bridge of her nose.

"Well obviously he won't now that you've said it!"

"What were you guys doing here?" Damien was curious, despite his absolutely bursting need to pee.

"We were talking," Iris finally relented, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears.

"About?"

"None of your business."

"What if I tell Dad?"

"Tell David what? I'm not breaking any rules."

"Uh technically," Toilet-boy interjected with a cough, "it's against the rules for someone to be in the opposite gendered toilet."

Iris stared at him, a slight curl in her upper lip. "Are you on my side or his?"

"Yours, always. But... we should probably–"

The door burst open and a boy froze at the entrance.

"Out!" The three of them barked at the unfortunate visitor. He backed away slowly, eyes widened like a deer caught in the headlights, and ran.

"Great," I sighed. "He's probably gone to get a teacher. Look, Ri- Iris, if you leave right now and take Toilet-boy with you, I won't tell Dad."

"Deal." Iris grabbed her friend's arm. "We will never talk about this again."

"Agreed. Now get out before I change my mind."

*********

Short chapter but this was mainly to give an insight into Damien's thoughts!

Teaser for next chapter- Memories

I hope you guys liked it!

Stay safe and thanks for reading :)