NO MAN LIKE HIM

2

Thomas was just a kid but in his mind, he felt like an adult. He sometimes viewed himself as a sixty years old man, living alone in his huge house and having no company whatsoever.

That's because he could go on for days without seeing his mother. She preferred to stay locked in her bedroom, drinking her pain away.

But after all, Thomas was kind of grateful that he didn't get to see her a lot because he was scared of her, though she never physically hurt him or yelled at him. It's just that he felt like she was a ticking bomb and that someday, she'd pour all her anger out on him. That's why he tried to remain as discreet as possible and stay out of her hair.

She wasn't always like that, though. Thomas wouldn't say that she'd been the best mother in the world but, a year ago, Gigi would make breakfast for him, pick him up from school and have dinner with him every day. That's when his father was still alive. They were not that warm and loving with each other but at least they were a family. Now, Thomas considered himself an orphan because he lost his mother the same day his father died.

He woke up like every other morning at seven and got ready for school. After wearing his uniform, he went to the kitchen and looked into the fridge for a quick meal.

He couldn't remember the last time someone bought groceries. His mother was rich but she couldn't even provide food for her son. Thomas looked for bread in the cupboards and made himself a jam sandwich. He ate alone at the dining table, headphones plugged to his ear and bobbing to the sound of music to avoid the silence in the house.

He hated going to school.

He didn't have bullies or anything like that but people just treated him like glass. He hated to see their pity as everyone knew he'd lost his father and his mother was now depressed. Thomas just wished they could forget about him. He had enough reminders of his misery at home, he didn't need to see it in other people's eyes as well.

Just after he finished his breakfast, he received a text from no other than Sasha, telling him that she was waiting for him outside. Thomas rolled his eyes. Out of all the people that pitied him, Sasha was probably the most obvious one. The young assistant went out of her way to take him to school and pick him up everyday, as if he was a baby.

Sure, his mother was kind of forcing her to do it but Thomas couldn't understand why Sasha would not just quit like the other employees of his mother. He suspected that it was because of him, because she pitied him and that made Thomas even more angry.

He went out of the house and found her there, with her huge smile and exaggerated waves. Thomas chose to ignore her but she passed an arm over his shoulders.

"Hey, how are you today?" She chirped. "Did you eat breakfast or do you want me to buy you a pain au chocolat? I know a really nice bakery and it's on our way to school."

"Just leave me alone, Sasha." Thomas replied aggressively. " You're so annoying."

"Hey, don't be so grumpy in the morning, mister..."

"Just stop, okay?! If you have to take me to school every day, do it in silence at least. I don't want to talk to you."

Thomas shrugged her arm off and walked two steps ahead. He felt a lump in his throat and his heart squeezed but he chose to ignore it all. He forced himself to believe that he didn't care about hurting someone else.

Sasha dropped him to school and normally, she was supposed to get to the office and arrange the day for when Gigi Montagne would decide to show up. Yet, she decided to make her way back to Montreuil.