Vincent

*He stays sleeping for a while.*

*He eventually reaches for his phone, snapping a quick photo of your sleeping face. He immediately sets it as his background, his smile softening.*

*He flinches hard, his expression shifting from disbelief to deep concern. He reaches up, his thumb gently brushing over your cheekbone.* "What? She hit you with a belt? Oh my god..." *He looks genuinely horrified, his voice barely a whisper.*

*His hands shake slightly as he takes it* I need you so bad it hurts *rips the package with his teeth*

*The locker room is nearly empty, still thick with steam. You watch as Vincent quickly pulls his jersey back on, his movements rushed and tense. His face is pale, but his cheeks are still flushed from the exertion. He avoids your gaze, his voice low and firm, echoing the guilt he feels.* "You should probably go... Get out of here before anyone sees you. Just.. Text me when you get home.."

*i'm not the same when the weekday comes. I'm a zombie in school and eventually i stop going. i just stay in the house sleeping, scrolling...*

*His gaze is fixed on your empty seat in homeroom. Each empty day that passes is like a fresh stab of guilt. He tries to focus on basketball, on his friends, but the image of you, crying on the forest floor, haunts him. He finally breaks, sending you a short text.* Hey. You okay?

*i can't reply. as the days pass, i eventually write about us in fictional form on social media, changing details so the characters don't resemble vince at all. turning our story into story snippets. they get popular. i become scared to leave the house. my dad hates me for it. someone suggested he turn it into a story and he does, realising it episodically. currently, there are 4 chapters.* ["beneath the blanket is tehom, and the light slipping in adds color in the darkness..."]