Price of Silence

.: Chapter One :.

September 7th, 2002

The pencil tapped against his sleeve again, giving a small patting sound as he did it again, and again, and again.

Chemistry always dragged on, and his eyes were half lidded. His mind barely left him alone in this class anyways. His mind barely left him along. Period. He swallowed thickly, brown eyes flicking to the clock on the wall again, as it kept ticking silently. It almost seemed to be mocking him.

"... and what state is water in if reaches below zero?" The teacher's voice was barely a bother as the seventeen year old kept daydreaming.

More like dreading what was about to come in less than five minutes.

At ten to twelve the bell for lunch would ring and Lachlan would run, more like speed walk only to keep from being told off by any teacher that could see him, to his locker and stuff his things inside. His spare always came after this block, no matter what day.

His group of tormentors knew that too.

"Lachlan Anderson," the teacher's shrill voice caught his attention finally. "What state is water in when it reaches below zero?"

"The freezing point ma'am," he replied, almost a little too quickly.

She narrowed her baby blue eyes at him before adjusting her glasses and nodding shortly. "Very good, seems you are listening to me, after all." Snickers from around the class could be heard, and she silenced them with a stern look. "Now, before the bell goes, homework for tonight is pages 97 and 98, questions 1-10." The bell went, on time and everyone was released.

Even being on the other side of the class, Lachlan was the first one to leave the class. His pace was quick and panicked and before long, he was turning the corner to his locker. After a bunch of bobbing and weaving through wayward students.

His locker was in sight, and he felt more than relieved but that moment passed sharply as he was roughly pushed to the side of the hallway and his books were knocked clean from his hands.

A grin was standing over the shorter boy, not that he was terribly small it was just that Julian stood a little taller, and his hand was dangerously close to his head.

"Hey bitch," Julian sneered, that taunting smirk never leaving his lips. The hallway was nearly deserted by now, no one wanted to get in Julian or his posse's way either. It was too risky for anyone. "How was Chemistry?"

Lachlan didn't reply right away, this wasn't an actual question, so he just stood there terrified for a moment, eyes wide and his chest was heaving.

Julian didn't like that. He slammed his hand against the locker, letting it make a loud, obnoxious sound that startled Lachlan into squeaking. "I asked you a question."

"F-fine," he whimpered, nearly pathetically. "I-it was f-fine."

"Good," Julian bit into his lip before grabbing Lachlan by the scruff of his black, long sleeved shirt and pulling him away from the lockers, before shoving him to the tiled, and rather clean, floors. "Now, when I ask you a question-" He emphasised this with a sharp kick into Lachlan's ribs, he placed his hands on his waist. "You answer me the first time. Understood?"

He nodded, coughing out shortly before sniffling. The tears had been brought to his eyes by the sheer force of the kick. Then there came the next kick and he whined trying to curl into himself.

Julian didn't like that either. "Arin, Terrance, hold his arms, keep him from protecting himself." The did as instructed and heaved him to his feet. Giving Julian a clear look of his flushed cheeks. "Baby gonna cry?" He pouted, shoving a fist into his stomach. "You gonna go call for your boyfriend, Lach-y? You want to get your big protective boyfriend? Gonna go cut yourself some more just because we don't accept you?" Another fist into his stomach and he cried out, almost reduced to begging for mercy. "Because I will gladly give you another razor, attention hog."

The beating went on for a good few more minutes. Kicks, punching, and soon the rest of the posse was allowed to join in. Lachlan had curled into his fetal position, hands covering his head, legs curled up to try and protect himself from the merciless movements of the other boys.

"If you were straight," Julian spat after the bell for class went, "this wouldn't have happened. Remember that." It was like the boy could snap and the others would follow along.

Of course, not before getting in a final kick each, and then having Julian literally spit on him, before disappearing around the corner.

Lachlan had laid there for a good few minutes more. His Chemistry papers were scattered all over the floor and he could already feel more bruises forming on his ribs. The tears were already running down his flushed cheeks as he sobbed.

The sound of footsteps caught his attention and he curled in tighter, hands digging into his dirty blonde hair as he kept his neck protected and down. "P-please! I've h-had eno-enough!"

The shoes stopped, creating a slightly squeaky noise, before they continued a little gentler over to him. "Woah, calm down man, I'm not into that shit."

He blinked his watering eyes for a moment, before trying to compose himself enough to look at who this other boy was.

He was stooped down. A black backpack hanging off one shoulder. He had a navy blue hoodie on, a few different patches showing he'd been to different states and provinces, but what caught his attention was the pride patch the boy had sewn into his jacket. Thick, black and blue over-the-head, headphones laid down connected to his phone as a lime green corn connected them to a device in his pocket.

Shinning, grassy green eyes peered down at him through thin framed glasses that suited his face perfectly. Light blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail hung over his shoulder.

"You okay man?" The boy said again.

Lachlan stammered for a moment. "Y-yeah," he coughed, before laughing hoarsely. "Yeah, I-I'm good." He pushed himself to sit up into a more comfortable position.

"Sorry for just... coming over unannounced, but you sort of looked like you needed a friend," he offered gently, before sticking his hand out in a friendly gesture. When Lachlan flinched, his hand curled in on itself slightly. Even though this was a little more hesitant, he kept talking gently. "I'm Jared. We have the same spare, and I've been meaning to talk to you... it just never happened until now."

He sat there, staring dumbly for a moment before accepting the hand held out to him and Jared helped him into a stand. "O-oh um.."

"Hope you don't mind me just... taking up your time."

"N-no," Lachlan murmured, brushing himself off. "I...- I don't mind at all."

The bright smile he got in return was heart-warming, and for once, Lachlan didn't feel hated by someone.

Jared knelt down and quickly gathered his Chemistry stuff for him. "Chem?" He asked, a small question in his voice. "You must be pretty smart for something like that." He held the books out to him and Lachlan accepted the silently.

But the blush on his cheeks said otherwise. "Depends o-on who you ask," he rubbed the back of his neck. He bit into his lip, really concerned that this cute boy was going to disappear, as if his mind was playing tricks on him, but when he turned to open his locker, Jared leant against the other one beside him.

He pursed his lips. "I was thinking about heading to McDonalds for a drink or something," he explained, reaching into his pocket before pulling out the keys to what Lachlan could only assume was a car the teen owned. "Wanna come? I don't mind having a passenger." He nudged Lachlan teasingly. "Anyways, I think you deserve something special for putting up with Julian like you do."

Lachlan let out a small breath, trying to hide the blush forming obviously on his cheeks. "I-I mean as long as I'm not a bother." He grabbed his backpack before shutting it quickly.

The blonde shook his head. "Nah, not at all! I offered, dude," he winked before nodding his head towards the door. "C'mon. My car's in the student parking."