Now You Know ✅

Chapter 34: Truth Runs Wild

A/N
Yes I attached Heaven music video because
(1) It's Troye friggin Sivan Mellet
(2) Matches the title
(3) The song might as well be this book's "soundtrack"

For some reason, Pelham couldn't find a way to reply Roshon's text message. As a matter of fact, he couldn't resolve whether to reply or to ignore. Satisfying though the latter might sound, he simply couldn't shun out his own best friend simply because he was, as Pelham might like to call it, staggered by his sexual orientation. Roshon might be doing the same thing - completely ignoring Pelham - but Pelham wasn't inimical like that. It wasn't fair, as far as he was concerned. Still, Roshon sent him a text message, didn't he?

Again; the issue with replying. What was he going to do or say? After days and days of not talking to one another, as though neither of them had ever been friends, what was he supposed to say back? Lashing out was out of the equation - that was what April did, anyway, a couple of years previously, when one of her close friends suddenly became surly towards her for dating Pelham. Pelham later learned that her friend had had a massive crush on him. And when April's friend was trying to talk to her again, she had simply ignored her.

That, Pelham assumed, just had to be one of those dramas girls had to tolerate. Not that he knew all about it, seeing as he himself didn't have that many lady friends. Anyway, they were fifteen at the time. Still, this issue with Roshon was more towards the credence between them. And every time he thought about it, Lucio's so-called friend - Miguel - popped into his head.

Pelham could distinctly remember seeing the name flash on the screen of Lucio's phone months ago, when Lucio had accidentally dropped his phone on the pavement after the school camp. Did Lucio ever reply? Now Pelham was peeved with himself; why hadn't he asked?

Ethics, he thought as he fished his phone out of his pocket for the fifth time that morning, unable to get himself to tap the message since. No - privacy issues.

After staring at his notifications for a minute or two, Pelham resolved that even if he wasn't going to reply now, he and Roshon would still have to interact in one way or another. After all, he was going back to school on Monday. It was simply inevitable. Who knew what awaited him on that day? Not that he feared Bryce or his cronies. He could throw a punch. Though he supposed his records wouldn't be as clean.

What did that make him?

Him; Pelham Nixon; the supposedly mellow student who normally didn't intervene in anyone's business, suddenly starting a fracas in the hallway and getting suspended for it. He could just conclude that his life had taken its toll, ranging from the kiss done twice by Lucio - and Pelham still couldn't put a label to it - to his mother who was at the verge of casting him off the family.

Pelham had just entered his house when his mother came bounding down the steps, looking in a haste as she shrugged on her pea coat. She didn't even look in his way when she reached the landing and proceeded towards the living room.

That's it, he thought irately, following his mother into the living room.

"At least acknowledge my presence," he spoke behind her, watching his mother fiddle with the strap of her purse. It was until then did he realise just how long he hadn't properly spoken to her, not since he came out. When she continued to busy herself - as if Pelham hadn't spoken at all - he said, "Mother."

At that, she glanced over her shoulder. Her lips were pressed together as she looked him up and down, as though he was a stranger in the house - a stranger to her.

"At least check that I'm alive?" he said, not knowing how to feel or what to say now that he had her attention. "Or am I really that dead to you?"

She shook her head. Pelham felt the familiar hot sting behind his eyes. He swallowed.