Abused and Broken

Chapter 26

TW// MENTION OF EATING DISORDER AND SELF HARM

Mason's POV

"Liam stop playing with it, you can accidentally pull it out."

"But it's making my shirt look weird," he whined.

"You are the one who chose that site for your glucose monitor so quit complaining. You can always just wear a tank top."

"Are you crazy? I'm not trying to be a walking trigger for other people Mason."

"Right sorry, you can take my hoodie, it's big on you so it won't be too noticeable and please try to eat something, anything. Please don't let your blood sugar drop again."

"Well, I've got to go. Niko would be waiting for me, bye," he said as he ran out of the room. At the rate he's going, he might be leaving here with a feeding tube down his throat. Doctor Rodriguez wanted to give him one but he refused it but she said if he got worse he wouldn't have a choice anymore.

Liam's POV

Mason is being worried over nothing, I'll be fine I've survived this far. Besides, people pass out, it's a normal occurrence. I don't need to monitor my glucose levels and I have survived without food for much longer.

"Hey Liam, how are you feeling?" Niko asks when I get to his room door. "I'm fine thanks. So uh what are we going to do?"

"There's a gaming room if you wanna check it out? Or we could stay in my room and watch some movies? There's also an art and music room."

"Can we check out the gaming room?"

"Sure, c'mon," he says leading me to the elevators. He pressed the button for the fifth floor.

"Your nails look nice Niko." My father always said boys should never paint their nails get piercings or wear skirts and dresses. I've always wanted to do those things but he said it's not right.

"Thanks, they're really cool cause they change color based on the temperature. When it's hot it's red and when it's cold it's yellow."

"Do- do you think anyone can paint their nails?" I asked him as we stepped out of the elevator.

"Anyone could if they wanted to... Do you want to?"

"Yeah, can I?" I asked hopefully as we walked into the game room.

"Yeah of course, we can do that when we go back to my room. But for now, let's go play air hockey."

I felt a little bit embarrassed that I didn't know what that was so I just followed him. He led me to a table, the top looked like a mini ice hockey pitch.

"Do you know how to play?"

"Y-yeah," how hard can it be?

🕚Ten Minutes Later🕛

Hard, it was very hard we played about six rounds and I lost every time. Niko figured out I was lying about knowing how to play after the first round. After assuring me there was nothing to be embarrassed about and teaching me how to play I still lost five more times. We also played with the basketball machine and some of the other arcade games before going back to Niko's room.

"So I have red, black, blue, purple and the one that changes color which would you like to choose?"

"Blue, please." Niko started doing my nails, "hey Liam can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Can you please use they/them pronouns for me? I'm non-binary. I do use he/they sometimes though."