Outcast ✧ Phan

Eight

good·bye
exclamation
used to express good wishes when parting or at the end of a conversation.

Dan coughed, the warm tears he'd spilled dripping onto his lip, introducing a salty taste to his tongue. He had his hands over his mouth, trying to be quiet with the sobs escaping.

He had made sure to run into the bathroom furthest from the classrooms, where, most likely, nobody would bother him. The stall door in front of him was latched shut as he sat on the top of the toilet, ensuring his feet were out of view from the outside.

Everything had went wrong.

When he had told Louise about his powers at first, she didn't believe him, and when he tried to make her, she demanded proof.

So he gave her proof.

Needless to say, it did not go well.

Her muffled gasp was still clear in his mind, the horrified expression slotting over her usual cheerful one a burning engraved image pierced into his head.

It hurt Dan, cracked him like a window. Not totally broken, but overall wounded.

Louise had stumbled away from Dan when he reached to her, hoping to help ease the shock. She shook her head quickly at him, no words emitted, before turning and running down the hall.

He figured she had ran to the bathroom, so he did the same, only instead of out if fear, it was out of pain and heart break.

Dan couldn't stop the tears that fell, he just felt so useless, so pathetic sitting in the bathroom, hiding from his problems, wishing he'd never been born to screw up like he had.

He had scared her.

His only friend, his only best friend.

Dan knew that he was a freak, his father never failed to remind him, always staring coldly at him when his mother was home, beating when she wasn't.

He thought things would be different with Louise, that she would accept him.

He was wrong.

Dan just wanted to disappear, to stay in that stall alone forever. He never wanted to see Louise again, or his Dad, or anybody else.

Not even mum, because he knew all the sadness she was facing these days was all because of him.

Everything was because of him.

Dan could hear footsteps now, loud and clear. They were getting closer, louder, until he could see big black shoes in front of the stall. He choked back another sob, trembling and wishing for the person to just leave. Of course they'd notice him not being in class.

"Daniel?" An older voice echoed, tapping on the door with his knuckles. It was probably a teacher. "You need to come out, what's the matter? Why are you crying?"

"G-Go a-away!" Dan whispered, scooting back further on the toilet lid, his spine pressed painfully rough on the cold wall.

"Please, unlock the door. I can't help you if you don't come out."

"I-I don't w-want your h-help!" He yelled, sniffling loudly.

"If you don't come out, I may have to contact your parents."

Dan froze this time, the words sending a spark of fear through him. Dad would be mad as hell if he got a call from the school, and would surely take it out none too gently on Dan.

Dan did not want another set of bruises.

So, reluctantly, he slid off the seat, inching slowly to the door before unlocking and opening it.