A Song of Two Hearts [A TomTord Highschool AU]

Chapter 22

Tom had tried his best to be unnoticeable at lunch. The crowding around the large room made him want to throw up, and he didn't want his friends to catch sight of him. Tom sat next to the choir girls, a group the boys would never expect him to be. It was a tactic of hiding in plain sight. And it totally worke-

"Tom!" A pudgy brunette wrapped in a green sweater stormed over. "Where have you been! Ignoring our calls and texts, not coming to school yesterday!"

"Sorry, I was busy."

"Too busy to answer one text!" Edd pulled Tom up by his shirt's collar, but quickly stopped when Tom flinched. "W-what happened?"

"Nothing." Tom snapped. "Maybe I didn't respond for a reason! Maybe that reason was because I needed to be alone. Read between the lines."

Edd stood silently for a moment, trying to figure out how to respond. This time he carefully grabbed Tom, making sure to move slow. He then started to drag him through the room and out the door.

The sun was bright and cheery, a true juxtaposition to the mood. "What happened?" Edd's tone this time was soft, like a mother comforting her crying child.

"Shit. Shit happened."

"And what exactly is 'shit."' Tom sighed, not wanting to go into this.

"My step dad."

"Did what?"

"I don't know! The better question is what didn't he do!" Tom started to take off his shirt, and Edd was utterly confused... until Tom turned around.

"Jesus!"

"Yeah."

They stood in silence while Tom put back on his shirt."You aren't there anymore, right?"

"I left."

"Oh good."

"Can I go now?"

"Wait, where are you staying?"

"Somewhere. Look, man, I love you. Thanks for caring. But right now I need to be alone. I'll text when I'm ready to talk. Just... don't tell Tord or Matt. Mainly Tord."

"Oh, okay."

Tom the left, with only silent opposition from Edd.

Tom got through the day rather uneventfully other than lunch. And he finally started to head home. But before he got home he saw a liquor store. It's lights shone through the window with such a joyous frequency that Tom felt pulled to it. He entered the store to find punk playing softly over the radio and the bitter smell of alcohol. A man sat in the front behind a cash register.

"Welcome to Spirits and more, what can I do for you?"

"Just looking, but thanks."

Tom started to wander through the store, looking at each shelf for the cheapest thing he could find. He eventually found a simple whiskey. He picked it up by the neck of the bottle and carried it over to the register.

"Can I get this?"

"ID?"

"Ah, I'm getting it for my dad. He's in the parking lot." Tom pointed to a random car. He then waved at it, hoping the man hanging out inside would be friendly and wave back. Today was just his luck, and the man eagerly waved back for reasons unknown.

"Alright then, sonny. I'll ring this up for you!"

Tom slid the money over the counter and quickly made his way towards the motel.

He immediately closed and locked the door when he entered the musty room. All the blinds were shut, and the only light came from a digital clock on the nightstand. He collapsed onto the bed, whiskey in hand. Everything had a light green glow to it, the light blinking on and off every couple of moments.

Tom stared at the bottle, sitting on the bed in silence. He knew this wasn't a healthy decision, and he knew what his parents would think. But they were dead. And Edd would care, but he wouldn't know. That about covered who cared about him. So Tom popped open the bottle. A small gust of acid rushed through the air, the smell lulling him. He slowly jiggled the bottle, hearing soft sloshes hit the edges. Within moments he felt the liquid rushing down his throat. This cheap of a brand wasn't smooth, and it burned way more than a quality whiskey would. But it numbed him, and that was all he needed. His eyes turned glassy from the feeling lodged in the back of his throat, and he felt his vision getting slightly blurry. He continued on, taking swigs from the bottle while his senses numbed more and more. And god did it feel good. The smell spun around the room, his mind wasn't stuck anywhere. It was just floating freely. And his body felt so light and warm. It almost felt like when he had woken up next to Tord. But this time anxiety wasn't biting the back of his brain. This time he was completely free, nothing was tying him down. And he wanted to be like this forever.