Ciaran was glad his mother was still at work when he entered the house. Under no circumstances, he wanted her to see what happened the moment he crossed the threshold. After controlling himself with sheer willpower for the last hours, emotions broke through like an undead crawling out of his grave. At first slowly, while the ground still tried to contain him, before the monstrosity teared through the last obstacle. 

Once the first tears rolled over his cheeks, it was too late. He tried to resist it, tried to push it back, but the more he tried to deny it, the fiercer the emotions clawed at their barriers. Sobbing, he sank to the floor just a few steps behind the closed door.

“Damn this asshole!” There was no one here to hear him cursing the bastard, yet he felt at least some relief from it. How could he? Had he meant so little to him for all this time? Just a nice face and a well-shaped butt to conquer like his personal playground? He never considered Pierce to be such a lowlife. Sure, he was flirty and pushy. Arrogantly, of course. But still. Bragging wasn’t that unusual with the teenage boys. 

It took Ciaran some moments to calm himself. If only his friends were still here. Ashley and Dylan’s parents got divorced last year. While their father, a police officer in Mistdale, stayed in town, they moved along with their mother to a bigger city. On some weekends, they visited their dad and so Ciaran got a chance to see them. 

But especially in situations like these, he noticed the gap they left behind. He took his phone, checked their online status, and realized they probably wouldn’t be reachable anytime soon. Instead, he wrote a short message to them in the group chat they created.

Ciaran, 5:57 pm

Hey guys,

I hope you’re still well. Schools been bad today. I caught Pierce with Helen in the equipment room. So, the short version: I broke up with him. It would be great to talk to you and get some distraction. So, call me once you’re free, ok?

Cia

He had no idea when they’d see the message, so he kept his phone close to himself and took a shower instead. The last thing he wanted was to end in a discussion with his mother.

The rest of the Friday passed without a call from Ashley or Dylan. At dinner with his mother, he declared he broke up with Pierce, but explained he wasn’t willing to discuss it just yet. Thankfully, his mother realized when there was a time to inquire further and when it was not. So, she left him alone after reassuring him, he could talk to her anytime he wanted. 

As well-meant as the offer was, she wasn’t the one he wanted to talk about in this situation. She had no chance to understand the situation itself and telling her how Pierce had fooled him, would only result in him feeling more like a stupid, helpless victim. 

Sleep came slowly that night. He tossed and turned in his bed without calming himself. With the Friday ending this bad, he hadn’t high hopes for the weekend. As he checked his phone in the morning, he realized, Ashley and Dylan hadn’t even read the message yet. Sighing, he tried to call them, but no one picked up the phone. Great. Just great. 

After a breakfast with far to worried looks from his mother, he used it as an excuse to flee from her gazes that he was still waiting for a package. Sure, he had ordered another horror book some time ago, but he wasn’t that bent on checking the mailbox. He just feared he’d break in tears again if he had to stare in her worried facials any longer. 

As he opened the mailbox, he didn’t just find his package. There was a postal in it. At first, he thought Ashley or Dylan might have sent one from their new home, but there was no sender on it. That wasn’t the strangest thing through. In a neat handwriting that seemed like an invitation to a marriage rather than a simple written message, there were a few words written on it, that changed his mood completely.

He didn’t deserve you. — K.

It was just a single sentence. No further explanations, nor hints about who sent it to him. Back then, it didn’t matter to Ciaran, though. After all the bad emotions pilling up and no one to cheer him up effectively, this words comforted him more than he ever expected. There was someone out there who took his side in this matter. Maybe not everyone in the school was just badmouthing him for being stupid and blind with Pierce. Or for getting up his hopes in this relationship. 

That someone was willing to tell him that it was Pierce who didn’t deserve him and that he was something too precious for that bastard, meant a lot to him. Even if that someone hadn’t had the courage to come out with his feelings in the open, at least now he knew, he still had somewhat like an ally in school.

The trees and bushes near his houses rustled. Ciaran looked up and for a moment, he could have sworn he heard some steps walking away. But there was no one to be seen anywhere. And even if, it was probably just a coincidence. The path beside their premises lead directly into the woods. 

There were several trails for hikers that were used by joggers as well, and a street that led to the abandoned Davis mansion in the middle of the woods. So, people often passed their house to get into the nature. 

With the mysterious postal that cheered him up and the book to keep him company, he returned to the house to spend the rest of his weekend reading to distract himself.