Chapter 2: A fractured Image
553 Words
Chapter 2: A Fractured Image
Monday mornings always felt heavier, but this one was suffocating. Liam dragged himself into the crowded hallways of Crescent High, his shoulders slumped under the invisible weight of expectations. The stares had already started. He could feel them like needles against his skin, accompanied by the usual whispers.
“Is he dating another girl? Or is she just the next beard?”
“I heard he’s scared to admit it because of his dads.”
“What if he really is just pretending?”
Liam clenched his jaw, keeping his eyes fixed on the scuffed floor tiles. He hated how easily their words burrowed under his skin, how powerless he felt to stop them.
He reached his locker and spun the dial quickly, desperate to grab his books and escape. But as he opened it, a folded piece of paper fluttered to the ground.
With a sinking feeling, he picked it up and unfolded it. The words scrawled in bold marker made his stomach turn:
"Just admit it already. Everyone knows you’re not fooling anyone."
Liam crumpled the note in his fist and shoved it into his pocket. He glanced around, but no one was paying him any direct attention. Whoever had written it had blended back into the crowd, faceless and unaccountable.
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Flashback: A Relationship Doomed to Fail
Later, during lunch, Liam’s mind drifted to the last time he’d tried to silence the rumors. He thought of Emma, the girl he’d been dating a few months ago. For a while, things had felt almost normal. She’d liked him, and he’d liked her, and for once, Liam thought he could be happy.
But happiness didn’t last long in a school like Crescent High.
One afternoon, as they sat in the cafeteria, someone had walked by their table and loudly remarked, “Look at that—Liam’s working hard to keep his cover intact!” The laughter that followed was sharp and cruel, and Emma’s cheeks had turned bright red.
She’d stayed quiet for the rest of the lunch period. A week later, she broke things off.
“It’s just too much, Liam,” she’d said, avoiding his eyes. “I can’t keep dealing with the rumors. I’m sorry.”
Liam hadn’t fought her decision. He’d just nodded, pretending it didn’t hurt. But that night, alone in his room, he’d punched his pillow until his arms were sore.
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Present Day: The Breaking Point
By the time the final bell rang, Liam was exhausted. He skipped practice and headed straight home, ignoring Mia’s concerned look as he passed her in the hallway.
At home, James and Michael were in the living room, playing a competitive round of Scrabble. The sight of their easy smiles made Liam’s chest ache. They didn’t deserve to know how much he hated being different because of them.
“How was school?” James asked without looking up, focused on his tiles.
“Fine,” Liam lied, heading toward his room.
Once inside, he threw himself onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. His phone buzzed on the nightstand, but he ignored it. He couldn’t face anyone right now—not Mia, not his dads, not even himself.
As he closed his eyes, the crumpled note in his pocket felt heavier than ever.
- Writer
