[TAC] THREE'S A CROWD

Chapter 24

{New}

New is over it.

He's over the pain, he's over the struggling, he's over the awkwardness, he's over the self-deprecating, and most of all, he's over staying stuck on Tay. It's like he's been fighting in a battle that's been drawn out for far too long, and he's ready for it to just fucking end. He can't take this anymore. He's pretty sure he doesn't even have the mental capacity for all of this.

He's certain he looks a mess when he drags himself into class, his hair disheveled and his face resembling a corpse as he enters the atmosphere of students and teachers who have to witness him this way. He doesn't care about how he looks anymore, and he's about two more emotional breakdowns from not caring about how he smells.

It's the class he has with Tay, and at this point, he doesn't even care about what people will think if he doesn't sit next to Tay, because he just can't do it. Yes, he's proud of himself for ever having the courage to do so after their breakup, but he can't do it anymore. He refuses to put himself through fifty minutes of torture for another day.

He doesn't glance Tay's way as he spots a seat in the very back corner of the classroom, empty and pleading for him to sit down right on top of it.

When he sits, he brings his knees up to his chest and places his feet on the seat, burying his face in his legs and proceeding to sulk during the entire period. He's surprised Mr. Niti doesn't call him out for keeping his face hidden and seemingly sleeping during the entire lecture.

Piling on top of the heap that is New's misfortune, he finds out the library is also closed for the day, and therefore he cannot spend lunch in there "studying" in order to avoid being in the same vicinity as Tay.

He sulks some more as he enters the cafeteria, not even contemplating actually getting something to eat before choosing a seat at the very end of an empty table, placing his head in his hands and wondering when he'd gotten a migraine.

He hates how no matter what someone's going through in life, no matter the hardships they're currently facing or the heart wrenching obstacles that make it hard for them to do something as simple as breathe, life still goes on. Everyone still has to do things they don't want to do, because life isn't going to halt for anyone, no matter how dead and unmotivated they feel inside. It sucks, it's unfair, and it's the reason New is even at school when he'd much rather stay in bed and cry.

His headache worsens as he continues to rest his head in his palms, the loud sounds of eighty different conversations in the giant cafeteria filling his ears. He wishes it would all stop and he could experience silence for once. He wants to go home.

He's tired, and he's certain it's not in the "sleepy" kind of way. If anything, he's tired from all the crying he's been doing lately, barely ever giving his eyes a rest before the pain hits him again. However, he still wants to sleep, because he knows that sleep will at least help him escape the stress the world has been inflicting upon him lately. Unless he dreams about it, which has happened. Of course.

He feels a hand shake his shoulder, and although it's gentle, it's not gentle enough to be Off, so New doesn't shift one bit.

"Go away. We're closed," New groans, keeping his head buried in his hands.

"New," he hears, causing him to lift his head up hesitantly. His eyes fall upon Arm's face, uncomfortably close to him as the boy takes a seat next to him.

New just sits there and blinks at him, because this makes no sense, and he's tired of dealing with things that don't make any sense.

"I'm...I feel really bad about everything," Arm says slowly, his knuckles settled on top of the lunch table. "You don't deserve to be in the middle of it."