Chapter Text
When Thomas enters in the bus, he sees the blonde stranger sitting alone. He walks pass him and sits on the back, rests is head on the window and closes his eyes. Then he feels someone sitting beside him, and chooses to ignore it, but his eyes shot open and he flinches when he feels the person tapping lightly on his shoulder. He's surprised when he realises the person is the blonde stranger. He's smiling, and Thomas wonders why.
"Hey my name's Newt." The blonde says. He sounds...kind, which Thomas thinks is strange, because why would he be kind to him.
Thomas doesn't know what to do, what to say. This Newt guy is sitting here beside him, and he seems like he wants to talk to him. Why? He's a bad person, no one should want to befriend him. The situation feels so odd to him he just blankly stares at the blonde.
After a short moment of silence, Newt awkwardly scratches the back of his head before speaking.
"What's your name?"
Now he wants to know is name? Thomas doesn't understand why he would want that, so he does what he always does when he doesn't understand something; he starts scratching the back of his right hand.
Newt frowns at the brunette's lack of response and his eyes fall on his hand. They widen when he sees the boy's right hand is covered with angry scratches. He reacts on impulse and grabs the boy's left hand.
"Dude, don't do that! Your hand is all damaged already!" He exclaims.
Thomas is shocked. This stranger just forbad him from hurting himself, and now he's stroking the back of his left hand with his thumb. No one has ever done that to him before.
"Are you okay?" Newt asks in a worried tone.
He is so kind that Thomas doesn't want to make him worry, so he nods. Newt relaxes and lets go of his hand.
"You're not much of a talker are you?" The blonde says with a small smile.
Thomas only shakes his head. Newt doesn't seem to mind though.
"That's okay."
Newt stays silent for the rest of the ride, and waves him goodbye when he gets off the bus.
When Thomas enters in Dr.Paige's office, he sits on a chair in front of the woman and puts his backpack on the floor.
"So, how are you Thomas?" She asks with a genuine smile on her lips.
She is always kind with him, and very soft. He likes that, it makes him open up very easily. She's the only person he really talks to, the only he person he tells everything to.
"Something odd happened. I was in the bus, and this guy, he came and sat beside me, he talked to me and when I started scratching my hand he grabbed the hand I was doing it with and told me to not do it, he was very kind. It's strange." "Would you like to be friend with him?" "...Yeah? I don't know... I mean, Why would he want to even talk to me, I'm deranged." He bows his head down. "I don't think you're deranged." She pauses a moment. "Did you go back to high school?"
Thomas winces. He knows it's stupid because Dr.Paige would never judge him, but he can't help it. It's been three weeks and a half since the last time he went to school.
"No." "Why?" "Honestly? I just ... I don't feel like going." "What do you feel like doing then?" "Sleeping. I sleep a lot. I like it." Dr.Paige purses her lips and her eyes fall on Thomas's thighs. "Have you been self harming lately?" It's a tough question, but her tone is light so the brunette doesn't feel too umcomfortable. "Yeah. I did it again three days ago. I really tried to stop, but everything around me triggers me. I've been feeling worse lately to be honest. I feel like everyone's getting on with their lives, and then there's me. I can barely get out of bed, I don't eat, I can't talk to strangers, ... I am a terrible mess." He sighs. "Thomas, you know you don't have to answer me, but do you want to talk about what happened ten years ago ?"
Thomas's body instantly stiffs and he starts furiously scratching the back of his hand. Dr.Paige leans toward him and puts a warm hand on his arm.
"It's okay Thomas. " She tries to comfort him.
He knows he'll have to talk about it eventually, just not now.
Dr.Paige smiles at him, and he can see pity in it.
When Thomas gets back home, it's 07:39PM and the house is empty. He's used to it.
He goes to his bedroom and takes his shoes off before throwing himself on his bed and closing his eyes.
Newt is happy tonight. He finally got to talk to the mysterious boy from the bus, and even though he never talked back, it's enough to make him smile. His interest for the brunette is getting bigger, and he really hopes that one day he'll talk to him, and tell him why he scratches the back of his hand for example, or why he always looks so sad. Newt thinks no one deserves to look this sad, and his new goal is to do everything he can to make the brunette smile.