Twenty-nine

Zhan's Pov.

"Welcome home. How was your trip?!" my mom yelled, bursting out the door before I could even make it to the entrance.

"It was fine, mom." I sigh in frustration. The trip was more than fine, it was amazing actually. I just wanted to get rid of her.

"Tell me everything that happened!" she beamed, grabbing my hands and pulling me inside. I just let myself get pulled with a long groan. I should have known I couldn't shake her that easily.

"Dear, Zhan's returned!" She yelled through the house. Not too long after my father showed his face, adding to my disappointment even more. I just wanted to make it to my room without being spotted by these crazy lunatics. You think I would've gotten used to their antics by now but nope, they somehow manage to surprise me to this day.

"How was my son's trip?!" My father chuckles while wrapping an arm around my neck almost forcing me to the floor.

"It was fine!" I repeat, raising my voice. "I can tell you had a lot of fun. You look excited." My father spouts. I mentally groan. Look Who's Talking.

"Can I go to my room now?" I question them angrily.

"Come, tell us what happened." My mother drags me over to the couch in the living room, gesturing her hand for me to sit down. I groaned out loud this time. They have to be doing this on purpose. I'm already missing that quiet, dark cabin and Yibo, yes Yibo. I hope I see him at school tomorrow.

Yibo's Pov.

I ran down the road towards my house in the dingy-looking neighborhood. The area always felt so damp and eerie. I guess that's the reason there's mold growing everywhere. Running to my house with my mountain-sized bag was like running an uphill marathon.

My world froze when I finally reached the steps to my house, or apartment rather. I crept up the stairs to the deck as quietly as possible, hoping to be void of my father. Didn't need a black eye before school. I placed my hand on the handle of the door; it stayed that way for a couple of minutes, going over the possibilities that could take place. I just opened it. I crept in and slowly shut the door behind me. When I heard someone clearing their voice, I thought I had died.

"Why haven't I seen you recently?" My father spoke in a deep, dull tone, setting my nerves on edge.

"I... We've been missing each other, I guess. I responded quietly, staring at the floor under me.

"Or you've been avoiding me." He corrected me. A ton was lifted off of my shoulders when I realized he might not know where I was. Instead of responding, I stayed silent, since I didn't know how to respond to his accusation. I heard his footsteps approach me and I tensed up. I felt a sharp pain glide across my face. He'd slapped me.

"Are you ignoring me?" He yelled, making me jump in my spot.

"N-no, I'm sorry." I continued speaking in a hushed, nervous voice.

"Tsk..." was all that escaped his teeth before he shoved me out of the way. He left the house, slamming the old door behind him. I released a huge breath while clutching my chest. If he were drunk, I know he wouldn't have let me off so easily. I didn't wait for him to return. I immediately headed for the stairs and into my bedroom. It seemed to be a lot more trashed since I'd been in it last. I guess this was my father's way of coping with no one to beat on. I cleaned my carpet of torn books and shattered glass.

My bed has never looked so discomforting. I sat my bag next to it and unpacked all my things. I hid all the books under my bed so my father wouldn't get a hold of them. I brushed my teeth and headed to bed, skipping my nonexistent dinner. I drifted to sleep with thoughts of the trip still on my mind. I have friends. I can't believe it. Zhan is extra special to me, though. He's the most thoughtful, caring person since my grandparents. That's why I've fallen in love with him. That's... why.... I've fallen- Oh crap, I have! I didn't mean for this to happen! I knew nothing more would come out of our friendship, but I still fall for him. Why am I so stupid? Couldn't I have just settled for a normal friendship? I fell asleep with my face completely red at these thoughts, both from frustration and the thought of Zhan.

I managed to sleep the night without waking up in a cold sweat. I'm assuming it's because I fell asleep with Zhan on my mind. Since I went to sleep early, I woke up early. I sneaked out of the house before my father woke up, so I got ready for school and quietly slunk down the old wooden stairs. I didn't want to be in the house for another second, so I quickly took to the door.

"Where do you think you're sneaking off to?" The sound of the devil echoed through the room. I turned to spot my father sitting in his usual chair at the dining table with an upset look on his face. Oh gosh, I think he's drunk. My legs were ready to give out on me already. I practically swore under my breath. This was a pretty bad situation. I wanted to run out at that precise moment, but I knew he'd probably kill me later. He stood from his chair and slowly approached me.

Each coming step shook the ground under my feet like an earthquake. When he finally reached me, he stood there for a while, making me that much more nervous. Soon enough, I felt a pair of hands wrap around my neck. He held me tight, choking the air out of my lungs. I felt so helpless. I didn't try to fight back or resist him. I couldn't! Tears streamed down my face, and when they landed on his arm, he released me. I knew his session wasn't over yet, so I prepared for the worst. He balled up a first and lunged it into my stomach. His force was enough to knock me off my feet and onto the floor. He gave me a couple of good kicks before storming out of the house like last night.

I lay there frozen on the ground, trying to compose myself. I went back to my room and cleaned myself before heading off to school. When I looked in my half-smashed mirror, I saw hand marks on my pale neck. I hope no one sees them. I tried to cover it up with the collar of my shirt as best as I could.

I sat patiently at the bus stop, rubbing my painful new bruises. Not too long after arriving, the bus pulled up. I got on and sat in my usual seat. I looked out the window the entire drive. I was pulled from my daze when the bus suddenly stopped, sending me face-first into the back of a solid leather seat. I pouted and rubbed my aching nose. I'm just a magnet for pain, aren't l?

"Damn kids." The driver grumbled. I assume they walked in front of the bus. The driver pulled in and the students began flowing off the bus. Walking up the stairs and heading into the school has never been so nerve-wracking or exciting. I was pretty disappointed when I didn't see Zhan and the first couple of periods have already passed. I decided to head to lunch and, by surprise, I ran into Zhan and his group on the way.

"Hey!" Zhan called across the hall. I lifted my head to him and a smile crept onto my face. My day suddenly got a thousand times better just from his presence.

"Hi." I replied with a small wave. His friends turned their heads and eyed me weirdly as I approached them. I felt so uncomfortable, but I had to see Zhan, even if it was just for a bit. Without him, I know I'd slip back down into the darkest pits of depression. He's the only soul bright enough to keep mine afloat.

"These are my friends." He gestures to them.

"Yo." One guy tossed me a wave before turning all of his attention to the phone in his hand. Some of the girls gave me quick smiles, and the other two guys completely ignored me. Yup, I feel out of place. Zhan introduced all of them, since they didn't seem willing.

"This is Yubin, Ji Li, Meng, Zhao, and Cindy." He pointed to each of them as he spoke their name.

"I could've introduced myself." Cindy pouted at him.

He raised his hands. "Forgive me. I didn't expect you to say anything."

"Shouldn't we get lunch before our period is over?" Yubin rushed.

"You guys are so strange. One moment you can be loud and clingy and the next you can be so self-absorbed that you walk into a pole." Zhan sighed. "But I guess you're right. We should probably get moving."

"Wanna come with us, Yibo? Please say yes." He asked, muttering the last part. I nodded in response. I'd gladly go. I followed behind the group quietly. I continued while we sat at the table. I gained some strange looks since I was a nobody who happened to be sitting at one of the popular tables. Zhan's friends ignored me and chatted between themselves, even when Zhan clearly tried to include me in the conversations. I felt so out of place and awkward. I considered just getting up and leaving the table. There was one girl who kept glancing between me and Zhan though, her name was Cindy, if I remember correctly. I wondered what she was thinking. Soon enough, the painful lunch was over as the bell rang. Zhan sent me a sort of apologetic look as I quickly fled from the table. He'd done nothing wrong. It was his friends, so I gave him a reassuring smile before heading off to my next class.

All my classes were done for today, so I planned on heading back home. I grabbed my bag and headed for the door. When I got outside, I saw Zhan standing near the door.

"Yo. Sorry about earlier." He apologizes while throwing up a wave.

"It's fine." I replied. It was a bit hurtful to be ignored like that, but in the end, it's fine.

"I got an idea earlier today." He sparked. I tilted my head slightly, waiting for him to speak further. "I want to see that bridge we spoke about the other day. I need to get away from everyone for a while." He finished.

"Uh.." I thought for a while, trying to form directions in my head.

"You take the first left turn after exiting the school, continue driving for a while then ta-" was all I managed before he interrupted me.

"No, you're coming with me." He ordered. I felt heat creeping at my cheeks.

"I thought you sa-" I tried before being interrupted again.

"Said I wanted to be alone?" He finished my question. "You're an exception. I'll always be in the mood to hang out with you. That is, unless you start nagging me like the others." He warned playfully.

Wow, I actually felt honored. For the first time in forever, I felt special. He was the only one besides my grandparents and my mother to make me feel more than dirt. My father practically treats me like I'm dirt now with the way he steps on me. I nod, listening to his command.

"Alright, you'll have to direct me as we're going." He said while running towards his car.

"Dude, hurry! I don't need my friends catching up with me." He shouted in a whisper. Dang it, why did I always have to pack heavy bags? This thing was slowing me down like crazy.

"Crap, sorry!" I breathed, hunching down, out of breath. He popped the passenger side open and ran to the driver's side. I slouched my bag over the side of the seat and sat down, shutting the door behind me.

I gave him directions as he passed familiar areas, well, familiar to me anyway. After I told him where to park, we got out. I ran through a small dense forest with him tailing close behind. It was exciting having someone else here with me. This was my first time having anyone tag along, and I was glad it was Zhan.

"I hope you're not taking me somewhere to murder me out of sight." He chuckled.

"I should be saying the same, since y'know, you're the one who made me come and all." I fired back while we continued through the forest.

"Are you saying you don't want to be here?" He asked seriously.

I hesitated to reply, making him raise a brow. "N-no. I do. This is a lot of fun." I mumbled the last part, but he still seemed to hear it.

"Okay, that's good to know." He smirked. At that moment, we'd finally made it out of the forest. The sun beamed over the mountain as it had begun setting. Its light still managed to be cast over the whole area, lighting up the old bridge. It also brought out the colors of the forest and land. It looked like an image straight out of a postcard. This was the most beautiful I'd ever seen in the area look. It usually looks a little depressing and sad on rainy days, so this was really mind-blowing. Not to mention I had Zhan with me, though that could be why I'm noticing all of this beauty. Zhan always seemed to make the place bright, even during the darkest nights.

I sat there looking up at the blue and orange sky in awe until I heard Zhan snickering.

"You seem to be taking this moment." He teased me. "I can't blame you though, this place is quite the scene." He finished before heading over to the bridge while studying the area. I snapped out of my lengthy daze and followed behind him.

"Do cars still use this road?" He asked as he leaned over the rails, checking the river beneath us.

"Only a few every day. That new bridge a mile overtook all the traffic... literally." I explained whilst including a silly joke. We both laughed. I was happy he found it funny even though I knew it was awful. It felt good to be making jokes again. I hadn't in the longest time, though there were a few times when I tried to crack a joke to my old "friends" who are probably currently after my blood. They didn't find it funny and continued ignoring me until it was time for me to pay for their things. That hurt me more than I'd thought.

"This is such a nice change from my usual routine." Zhan sighed a breath of relief.

"Yeah, same here." I spoke in a small quiet voice. I leaned on the rails alongside Zhan and watched as the dark blue water flowed across the rocks that bathed in the shadow-coated river. The sound of the water and the bird songs in the distance made this moment that much more magical. It made my love for Zhan grow even more. This was not a good thing, however, considering my situation.

As the light from the setting sun had faded, Zhan got on the road and extended his arms to feel the oncoming breeze. I quickly joined him, not wanting to miss out on the experience. A smile captured my face as I got a whiff of the sweet evening air as it gently passed us by. All the flowers and plants around really added to the scent.

We spent a lot of time off the bridge and on the side of the road, hopping rocks and tossing stones into the river. There was still enough light to watch our footing and to see the rocks hit the water, but the night was closing in fast.

"We should probably head back now," Zhan suggested.

"Okay. " I replied, with a small nod. I wished to stay out here the whole night, or possibly forever, just messing around. The thought of it had me excited, but I knew it wouldn't be possible. We both had our lives to get back to. I led him back through the forest. It was much harder to traverse at night, but I'd been here enough times to know the landmarks. When we got in his car, he turned on the engine and I saw the time. It was seven twenty-five pm. After a moment of driving, I realized I'd have to tell him where I lived. I didn't want that. So instead, I just directed him toward my neighborhood.

"Where should I turn next?" Zhan asked, studying the area.

"You can drop me off over there." I say, pointing to a brown brick building out of his windshield.

"You live there?" He asked, sounding skeptical.

I thought for a second before answering. "No, I live in the area, though." I decided to answer honestly.

"Why don't you let me drive you to your home?" He offered.

"Bye." I said quickly, getting out while ignoring him. I made sure to grab my bag and then hurried down the sidewalk. I felt bad for ditching him like that, but I just couldn't let him see or know where I live. The musky air of the dingy-looking neighborhood hit my nose, making me a little uncomfortable. After smelling that air at the bridge, I'm sure anyone could tell how foul this air currently smells.

After a few minutes of walking, I finally made it home, making sure Zhan or anyone else wasn't following me. I slowly turned the door handle, trying to make as little noise as possible in case my father was home. Thankfully, when I got inside, he was nowhere in sight.