( Lucas ★ )
As soon as Maria left, I picked Autumn up in one arm. He looked at me and said, "Lucas, can I tell you a big secret? But you won't hate me, right?"
I smiled.
"Of course, I won't hate you. You're my dear friend!" Autumn glanced between me and the floor before letting words out.
"I can see the future... And in my head, I can hear people think, just by looking into someone's eyes," I was taken aback. Could he really see the future? Did he know about my past? I kept my voice calm, replying,
"Wow... that's... interesting," Sensing my awkwardness, Autumn quickly added, "Don't worry, I know your secrets... I promise not to tell people... But..." I gave him a sad smile and asked, "But what, Autumn?"
"Do you like Maria?" he asked, catching me off guard. I hesitated, but eventually I answered.
"Yes, I do... Why do you ask? And how did you get your superpower?"
Suddenly, Autumn's grip tightened around me as he started crying.
"A—a scary man put a needle in my arm... then he put me in a cold, dark place... they... they hurt me too..." Autumn said through his sobs.
I was stunned, but I held him tightly. He was just a child, he didn't deserve any of this. After hearing a part of his story, I realised that some people had subjected him to terrible experiments. I gently stroked his hair.
soothing voice, "Hey, shhh... It's okay, bud. You're safe with me now. Let's play with the cars, as I promised you yesterday, okay?" I said, in a soothing voice,
Autumn looked up at me with a soft, bittersweet smile.
I lined up the cars while Autumn strolled them around in a circle. After a moment, he closed his eyes as if he were remembering something. When he opened them, he asked seriously, "Do you like Maria?"
"Yes, she's my girlfriend. Why do you keep asking?" I replied.
Autumn looked serious and said, "We need to go to the coffee shop by your school."
"Why?" I asked, confused.
"There's something important about Maria. If you don't pay attention, something bad will happen. You need to know the truth, please trust me, I'm not lying." I felt confused. Was he being honest or just messing around? I chose to follow along, thinking that nothing could go wrong if he was just bluffing.
I helped Autumn change his clothes, and we walked to the coffee shop together. Fear crept in as I questioned my trust in Maria. What if she was cheating on me? The mark on her neck replayed in my mind, fueling my suspicions. I tried to ease my anxiety by making small talk with Autumn. "You know about my past, right?" I asked. "Yes, I know most things. You're a good person, Lucas. You don't deserve what's happening behind you," Autumn replied. I managed a smile.
We stopped at an ice cream shop, and my eyes lingered on Maria as she kissed Alex, the rich guy from our school. I felt betrayed, and I hated myself and her. The worst case scenario was unfolding right in front of me. I let go of Autumn's hand and ran toward Maria. My chest was racing. She had actually cheated on me after all the love I had given her. Why? What did I do wrong? Tears began to well up in my eyes, and my chest ached as memories from yesterday intensified my pain. Even if she apologized, my love for her had faded. I would have given her everything. Even my soul if she had asked for it. But right now, hate consumed my heart. Tears rolled down my face as I felt like the world was slowly running out of air. I couldn't breathe... it felt like everything was falling apart, including my body. My blood boiled. I never wanted to see her face again. That was the final straw for our relationship. She used me, and I knew I wasn't a fool, but my love for her had made me forgive her. Not anymore.
"I hate you, Maria! I hate you so much right now!" I yelled before walking away from her. I ran away after what I said, completely forgetting that Autumn was still there with that witch. I didn't know where to go... I just wanted to run to a place where no one knew me. I needed to be alone. Maybe it wasn't the best idea, but... I didn't have anyone. I was alone again. But as a teenager now, I wonder- am I always going to be by myself? I thought I would never have friends, never be loved. The only place I could be alone was at home, so that's where I went.
When I got home, I ran straight to my bedroom and cried nonstop. It was all too overwhelming. I sat on the bed with my head buried in my knees, my arms wrapped tightly around myself, trying to calm down. At that moment, a notification popped up on my phone, showing the same picture of my mom and me that I used as my screen lock on my laptop. It made me cry even harder because it reminded me of my old boss from when I was a kid, and what my mom had done to me. I felt like my boss's words were haunting me again: "Stop being a child and be a man."
I don't know why I did it, but I grabbed a cigarette and lit it. After taking a few drags, I pressed it against my arm to put it out. It hurt, but somehow, it felt good...like I deserved it. It didn't compare to the pain I felt in my heart.
Just as I was trying to sleep, my phone rang. It was Sally, my classmate and seatmate. We had a project together that I had completely forgotten about. I answered the call with a shaky voice, "Hey Sally, I'm sorry I forgot about the project. I've just been busy with family issues and other things."
Sally's voice was filled with concern, causing my heart to ache. "Are you okay? You sound so sad. Do you need help? I can come over if you want. It's not good to be alone when you're feeling like this. I'll come, okay?"
The last thing I wanted was for her to come over and see me like this. What if she ended up being just like Maria? I wasn't ready to see anyone, not now. In a quiet voice, I replied, "Look, I'm not ready to see anybody right now. I'm just... stressed. Let's talk on Monday, okay, Sally?" There was a brief silence before she softly said, "Okay... but take care of yourself, alright?"
"Alright... Thank you. Bye," I muttered, ending the call.
Weeks went by. That Monday never came. I found myself sinking deeper into depression and heartbreak. I stopped attending school, unable to concentrate on anything except the painful questions that haunted me: Why did Maria cheat on me? Was I a bad boyfriend? Did I miss something she needed? I had never really made any friends in high school or elementary school, so it felt like no one noticed or cared that I was no longer showing up.
Those weeks felt heavy and overwhelming. I found myself sleeping through the days and struggling to eat, existing in a haze. Each time I woke, I couldn't shake the urge to turn to cigarettes, even if it meant hurting myself, before sinking back into sleep. It was as if a dark cloud had settled over everything, and I felt completely adrift in the shadows, longing for a glimmer of light...