If Walls Could Talk

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

The voice slid through Louis' wall just as effortlessly as that morning, though Louis noticed a slight difference. While he could tell that it was the same person as before, they were speaking with a different tone in their voice. It was a tone that Louis was all too familiar with. It was the same one he had heard Kara use while talking to him many times. It was sweet and laced with sympathy, and Louis didn't have to see the face of the mystery person to know that there was concern written on it. While the words were spoken with a softness, they came through the wall clearer than they did in the morning, but at the same time, the voice sounded hesitant and distant.

Louis stood frozen next to his bed, not knowing what to do. Tears were still rolling slowly and silently down his face, though his body seemed to be calming down a bit. He had almost completely stopped shaking. At first, he thought it was just because he was startled, causing his body to react in stillness, but he knew that wasn't it. He had never calmed down this fast before, but he found his body was now barely shaking. He didn't quite understand why, but he chose not to question it too much, not now.

Cautiously turning around, Louis stared at the wall that was now in front of him, still not entirely sure on what to say or do. Or if he should say or do anything. The whole voice situation was so surreal to him. As a matter-of-fact, the whole day had felt surreal to him. While making a new friend at school was a high-point, Louis knew that there was going to be a low. That came in the form of a fight with his aunt. But now this... Louis wasn't sure what this was. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to find out.

A shaky breath made its way through Louis' body as he sat down on his bed, not making any sudden movements. It was as if he was trying not to startle a wild animal. But, at this moment, it felt like Louis himself was the wild animal. His eyes remained unmoving from the wall that sat behind his bed's headboard, and he waited. Surely, the person on the other side of the wall would speak again. Surely, there was a reason that they spoke. Had they heard what had just transpired in the apartment? Had they heard all of the yelling? The questions raced around in Louis' mind as he silently hoped that they hadn't heard anything.

Of course, they heard. Louis silently cursed. If he could hear the voice through the wall so clearly, even when it sounded like a whisper, then that person had definitely heard the screaming that was coming from Louis' apartment. He was pretty sure the whole building had heard.

Louis continued to sit and wait, but the voice did not come through the wall again, and the silence began to plague his mind. It was driving him insane. Normally, Louis would relish in silence, but after what had just happened—all the yelling and blood pumping around his head and ears—it felt as though he could still hear the echoes of the screams around his room. He could still see the silhouette of his aunt standing in the doorway. He could hear his heart beating in his chest, threatening to break out of his rib cage. The silence was daunting, and Louis felt as if he needed to get out.

Swiftly getting up from his bed, causing it to groan loudly, he made his way out of his room, only stopping when he thought he heard another noise come from behind him. After a second, he dismissed the thought and continued into the middle of the living room.

Why me? he thought. I just want it to stop.

Louis scanned the room, still hearing the echoes of what he had said to his aunt, feeling a wave of nausea rush over him. Louis spun himself around and rushed to the bathroom, making it to the toilet bowl just in time before bringing up the contents of his stomach. Louis pulled his head up from the toilet before lying back on the cold bathroom tiles, allowing guilt to make its way through his bones.

This was how it went. How it always went. This wasn't the first time he and his aunt had fought. However, every time they did, Louis' body followed the same steps. The same procedure. He always tried to keep his calm. Just wait until the storm had passed. Sometimes he could. Other times, he couldn't. Sometimes it all became too much, then anger surged through his body, causing words he never wanted to say to spill from his mouth.