August 24th- Book One in the May 3rd series

Chapter 67--The mac and cheese has been abandoned on the table.

Warnings ⚠: Child Abuse, Rape, Violence, Religion, Drug Use, Alcohol Use, Use of Slurs, Homophobia, Bullying, Mention of Suicide, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicidal Actions, Gun Use 

Damien's P.O.V.

 -Monday, November 15th-

When I pick Josiah up from school, I have a surprise waiting for him..

As soon as he gets in the car, I say, "Hold out your hand."

"No."

"Why not? It's good, I promise!"

"It's a bomb."

"...Why the fuck would it be a bomb? Do people just hand you explosives all the time? Hold out your hand."

"You're the only person who hands me anything ever! I don't know if you have any plans to take advantage of the blind."

"Have I ever given you a bomb?! Also, rude. I'm relatively nice to the blind. Except you. That doesn't count." I sigh and grab his hand, putting the surprise in it.

"I got a call today! I have an interview at Starbucks for Friday night! And, Pierre knows a guy with a construction crew that hires people part time and he's going to call them up!"

I stare at him excitedly.

He stares at his hand.

"Good job...? What's this?"

"Oh. Pierre got me a cookie to celebrate... It's your half."

"It's...what?"

"Your half. It's my favorite, chocolate chunk and everything. But it's for you."

"It's yours. Why are you like this?"

"I don't back out of a promise." I say, starting the car and taking us home.

After a beat of silence, and him just staring at the cookie in his hand, he takes a bite.

"How's school? Is anyone like...bothering you?"

I still send him dog of the day while he's on lunch breaks.

"Yeah. It's none of your business now that you're a highschool dropout."

"...You don't have to say it like that, but okay."

"I was joking." He grins.

"You didn't say you were joking first. Double standard!"

"Well. That's because I didn't decide it was a joke until after you got upset about it."

"So then it wasn't a joke. I'm going to get my GED, you know. Once we have a place and I'm working."

It's not that I just left school....

I really don't think I had much of a choice.

"I know. That's all irrelevant to the fact that nothing at school is your business anymore and you don't have to worry about anything."

"I have to worry about it, because Ethan and Hunter and Logan are all still there, and who knows if they've given anything up or..." I stop.

Thinking of them again makes my head and heart hurt.

"So...? I can take care of myself at school. It's not like you can do anything about it anyway, since you dropped out."

The way he says it...