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Stupid stupid stupid. Why was he so stupid. William stared down at the failed test on his desk, tears in his eyes. Why is he so upset? He's already failing near every class. This was just yet another thing to make up. He also saw the ‘ see me after class ’ written next to the big F. Great, another thing to panic over. He blinked back tears as the teacher began her lesson.
William could see Dakota and Vyncent give him worried looks. He wasn’t focused on that though, he was focused on the ticking of the clock. It was counting down to his demise. To his eventual doom. He couldn’t focus on the lesson, his anxiety was eating away at him.
William did want to pay attention to the lesson, he really did. English was one of his favorite subjects. He just couldn’t . Too many thoughts were running through his head. What did the teacher want with him? Oh he hopes that the teacher won’t contact his parents. Maybe they just wanted to talk about life? Unlikely, but one can hope.
William didn’t even realize how much time had passed until he was jolted out of his thoughts by the bell. Oh how he loathed that he spent another class worrying and not paying attention. It’s not like he can control it, but god how he wishes he could. William felt Dakota's hand on his back. He and Vyncent had worried looks on their faces.
“We’ll wait outside for you, okay? No one gets left behind.” Dakota said so matter of factly. Vyncent nodded in confirmation, sending a comforting smile William’s way. Oh how William loved his boyfriends, and how he felt he didn’t deserve them. That was a breakdown for another time, right now, he needed to worry about the teacher. As they left, William packed up his stuff and went up to the teachers desk. They were sitting there, staring at him, like they were staring into his soul.
As William stood there, he began to speak, trying to keep his voice steady. “So.. uh.. you wanted to see me?”
“Yes. We need to discuss your grade in my class.” Oh how William hated this already. Its never good when a teacher wants to talk about his grade. He already knows what the teacher is going to say. He braced for impact, like a train was speeding towards him. “You do an excellent job when you do turn things in, why don’t you apply yourself more?”
There was the phrase William has grown to hate. He was trying his best. Of course the teachers don’t see that. All they see is a kid slacking off.
William took a deep breath, trying to steady the whirlpool of emotions. “I’ve been trying my best.. this has been a hard year for me..”
What the teacher said next drove William to tears. It filled him with fear and rage. “Well you need to try harder…” And then came the train. The train that crushed William, no matter how much he prepared.
“I will have to email your parents.”
No. No no no no no. This was the worst outcome. William tried to keep the tears back and just nodded. The teacher eventually dismissed him, and he walked quickly out. William was met with the concerned faces of his boyfriends. They could tell he was close to crying. Dakota grabbed Williams hand and led him to the back of the school, and under a tree.
This tree was their special meeting place. It's where they all got together. William sat down at the base of the tree, and he buried his head in his knees, beginning to cry. Dakota was quick to get on his knees and hug him, pulling him close.
“Will, what's wrong?” Vyncent ended up asking, as Dakota was busy comforting William. He took a deep breath and began to speak.
“Its stupid… The teacher just said I needed to try harder… They’re gonna contact my parents…” That made Vyncent and Dakota freeze. They knew how William's parents were. Oh they knew all too well. All those nights he spent crying in their arms.
Dakota cupped Williams face, gently wiping away his tears. “It’ll be okay starlight, we’ll be right here for you.” He kissed William's forehead, and Vyncent sat next to them, wrapping his arm around William.
“Yeah, we’ll always be here for you.” William smiled, leaning his head on Vyncent’s shoulder.
When it was time to finally head home, William spent the whole walk preparing. Dakota walked with him, as they lived close together. They were holding hands, William tightly holding Dakota’s hand, as if he would fly away. They both saw William’s house coming up, and William took in a sharp breath, seeing both his parents were home.
Dakota squeezed William’s hand, to keep him grounded. “You know my window is always open, you got this.” All William could do was nod. WIth a quick kiss on the cheek, Dakota was off to his own house. Alright, he’s got this. Just go in, and hope for the best.
With a deep breath, William opened the door. He took his shoes off, and put his backpack down. Let’s get this over with.
—---------
Dakota was laying on his bed, idly scrolling social media, when he heard soft knocking on his window. When he looked over, he saw the crying face of William. He quickly opened the window, pulling his boyfriend inside. William looked worse for wear. He has tears rolling down his cheeks, and his hair was unkempt, like he was pulling on it. Dakota pulls William into a very tight hug, running his own fingers through his hair.
“It’s okay starlight, I’m right here…” Dakota said, feeling William wrap his arms around him, holding on like at any moment he would disappear. “What happened?” When William shook his head, Dakota understood. He was nonverbal right now, all he needed was his boyfriends. Dakota grabbed his phone, shooting a quick text to Vyncent.
DC : Will is here, windows open
Knife : On my way
With that, Dakota put his phone down, and gave his full attention to William. He gently swayed back and forth, humming a song. He knew that would ground William, at least until Vyncent arrived. He could feel William bury his face in his shoulder. Dakota was humming William’s favorite song.
As Dakota was calming William down, he heard someone trying to hoist themselves through the window. He knew it was Vyncent, as he always struggled climbing through his window. Soon, they felt the bed bounce as Vyncent flopped onto the bed. William looked over to him, the tears slowing down, and held out his arm. Vyncent was quick to join the hug, holding him gently.
As William began to calm down, he began to speak. “My parents weren’t happy… They screamed at me, called me a failure and a disappointment, that I’ll end up on the streets… I tried to explain why but they wouldn’t listen, they said I need to try harder,” tears began to flow again as William’s voice broke “I’m trying my best, I really am, why aren’t they ever proud of me.”
Dakota and Vyncent shared a look. They knew how William felt, and it pained them to see him so distraught. “Oh starlight.. We’re so proud of you, I promise.” Dakota said, cupping William’s cheeks, wiping away his tears. Vyncent nodded, kissing the top of his head.
William didn’t know what to say. He just buried his head in Dakota’s shoulder again. They all laid down, Vyncent and Dakota hugging him. It felt nice to be cared for, William decided, and he let himself fall asleep in his boyfriend's arms. He can worry about consequences tomorrow, right now, it was him and Dakota and Vyncent.