Sticks And Stones

Noise within my silence

Keith's P.o.v.

Silence. I'm surronded by chaos. All I get is screams. I once dreamt of silence. But that was just a dream. Silence. Oh how blissful. But as I said before silence is just a dream. Not a reality.

As I hide behind a facade of fantasies. And I feel it cracking. My mask falling from my tear stained face. 84 degrees out and I'm wearing a black hoodie. 84 degrees out and I'm walking the mile to school. Limping slightly due to what looks like my left ankle being out of place causing my foot to protrude at an odd angle.

Easily turning invisible to everyone. And I like to keep it that way. I don't get lonely. It's not something I've ever felt. Maybe once before all of this I felt that emotion. But not now, no not now. I've gotten used to being in my silent world. My silent facade. Where in reality it's a monstrosity. Noisy. Unbearable.

I enter the school building heading to my locker. 2nd floor. Secluded. I take a long time walking quietly down the secluded hallway. Suddenly I feel a large hand ruffly grab my jacket and along with it my backpack strap. I let out a small yelp as I'm slammed against a locker. "Hey nerd..." oh-no... Michael. You remember how I told you that I get bullied. Well this is one guy who just won't stop. He asked me out once and when I refused this was my life from then on. "What's up with the hoodie? Huh... trying to hide something from me? You know I don't like it when people hide things from me..." he says the last part menacingly bringing his fist up lining it up with my face.

"You know this'll all stop of you just go out with me..." he says gruffly punching my cheek. I close my eyes not letting tears out. I won't let that happen. I open my eyes bracing myself for the next punch but it doesn't come. "Why are you hitting his pretty face?" Wait... I know that voice I look up. Pretty far up I might add. I stare dumbfounded. Michael lets me go and runs off not wanting to get in trouble with the captain of the swim team. Most popular kid ever. Lance. I slide down the lockers and rest on the ground hanging my head in embarrassment. "Here let me give you a hand" lance says offering me his hand. "N-no it's o-okay" I manage to croak out. "Come on I insist" he says grabbing my hand and pulling me up.

I stand on my right foot not wanting to put pressure on my out of place left ankle. I was going to head to the nurses office but I might have to skip school instead seeing that i'm so tired and I can't even walk. "He sure did do a number on you huh?" He says examining my face. Not knowing that most of the bruises and a swollen eye weren't put there by Michael but instead by my father. I shift a little in my hoodie trying to cover my bruised neck. "Lets get you to the nurses office" "I-i c-c-can't g-go t-there" "hmm? Why not?" He replies smoothly looking me up and down finnaly resting his eyes on my left foot. He notices the odd angle my foots at from yesterday's fight "how'd that happen!" He yells kinda loudly and definitely shocked. "I don't know" a lie and I feel guilty telling it. He frowns wanting an explanation. "I already w-walked a mile t-to school t-today a-and it took me f-forever to g-get up the s-st-stairs" I take my time stuttering out. My throat still soar from yesterday's choking.

My face flushed bright red as I continue to crane my neck up too look at him. I'm so nervous around him that it's basically a dead give away that I like him. But of course he's oblivious to it. He looks down at me. "well that's all you needed to say. It's probably just out of place so it won't take long to put it back in place. I'll get you there" he said as he leaned down slowly and put a hand on my back. "W-what are y-you d-doing!"  I yelped  in a very high pitched voice as he picked me up bridal style, chuckling at my reaction. "Helping you silly" he then proceeded to carry me downstairs to the nurses office. He left me there and said goodbye. Get well soon he said. I wish I could.

And for once in my lifetime I realized how lonely I really was. Never once had anyone stepped foot into my world of silence, not even Pidge. But Lance, my crush might I add, did. Somehow he stepped into my place of solitude where I lied and convinced myself that I wasn't lonely for years. He entered my world of silence and filled it with noise. And even though I hated noise my whole life, I found myself starting to smile at the noise within my silence.