Sterling

Chapter Thirty-Four

When Taehyung was finally discharged from the hospital-denying rides from his friends yet again-he was released in time to make it to his third class of the day. He walked to school, hands in his pockets, wearing the clothes Hoseok and Yoongi had brought him from his place, telling the boy yet again his parents weren't home and probably wouldn't be home for a while.

The walk to school wasn't as long or as far as it was from his house. It was peaceful, knowing his parents weren't around made him feel more at ease. He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets, being sure not to hurt his wrists and pop any of the stitches. He sighed as he walked, eyes looking up at the dark cloud in the sky, the air cool and calm, a clear sign a storm was about to head their way.

He didn't care if he got rained on and arrived at school soaking wet. He just enjoyed being alone and with nature, and when a clap of thunder echoed through the sky and rumbled the ground beneath him, he felt more at ease somehow. He soon seen the school building come into his line of sight, sighing when he realized he was already at the second most awful place he could ever be in.

He wasn't ready to face Bogum, and he wasn't ready to face the harsh and judgmental rumors and stares he would receive from everyone. He hoped no one knew about his suicide attempt, or his past ones for that matter. He made sure to tug his long sleeves down so they were now covering his wrists, wanting no one to accidentally see them and show them off to the whole school.

Being nervous was an understatement. What he was feeling couldn't even describe how nervous he was to face the school again-to face his friends again-to face Jungkook again. The raven-haired boy hadn't left him any messages since the day he tried committing suicide. Not a voicemail, not a phone call, and not even a message. He didn't visit Taehyung in the hospital at all the three extra days he had to stay, and his friends said they haven't spoken to him much since Jimin had ran him off.

He assumed Jungkook hated him and didn't want anything else to to do with him now, and Taehyung couldn't blame him. He didn't blame the raven-haired boy if he wanted nothing to do with him, because he knew it was only a matter of time. He didn't expect Jungkook to want to visit him in the hospital anyway, due to the fact they haven't been on the best of terms lately-for the past two weeks or so.

He was surprised when he heard Jungkook was the only one who seemed the most worried about him when he went MIA those few days. He may regret not picking up his phone and telling them what was running through his mind, not telling them he needed a friend and he needed to get out and away from his Homs and school life for a little bit. He may regret not telling them what was going on at his own home, and he may regret not answering any of their messages.

A simple 'I'm fine' would've been great, even though it was the biggest lie he would've ever told anyone. He was used to saying those two words, telling everyone how he was living his best life and wasn't going through any suffering, when in reality, he was living in what only hell could feel like. He was living in a nightmare, and the only days he's ever looked forward to were when his parents were leaving for a business trip.

That's all he enjoyed because there were no beatings besides at school. He would only have to deal with Bogum and his harsh punishments, and he would only have to deal with rumors. He didn't have to worry about his parents getting ahold of him. All he really had to worry about was Bogum getting ahold of him, but he barely did because his friends were always there sticking up for him, and that was also when Jungkook was around and helping him out when they were on good terms and weren't fighting.

He looked around the parking lot, looking for any familiar cars, seeing Hoseok's, Yoongi's, and Jimin's cars parked in their spots. His small smile was faint, but then it disappeared when he landed on Jimin's dark blue Mustang, knowing the man was still pissed off at him for not telling him what was going on. He didn't blame him for being mad, but he also began to think that it necessarily wasn't anyone's business to know what was happening to him.