Chapter Text
CHAPTER 1
The alarm didn’t wake me.
It never does.
The vibrating buzz was more like background noise, barely louder than the thoughts in my head. I stared at the ceiling, already awake, tired. The glow of early morning crept through the curtains, turning my room a dull grey.
Another year. Another beginning.
Who cared.
I groaned and slapped around the bedside table until my hand finally hit the right button. Silence. Thank god. My eyes stayed closed for a moment longer, but the pressure behind them, the same dull weight that never left made it impossible to drift back to sleep.
I forced myself upright. My head felt heavier than my body.
The mirror didn’t help.
Same face. Same hair sticking out in the same annoying direction. Same dark smudges under my eyes that made people whisper things like ‘Is he okay?’ or ‘Is he…a goth now?’
I wasn’t.
I was just tired. Actually tired.
I changed into my uniform automatically shirt, belt, tie, everything neat because I didn’t have the energy to deal with teachers nagging me later. My room was quiet the whole time. Too quiet. It always was.
When I stepped into the hallway, I saw Mom pretending to scroll through her phone. She wasn’t reading anything she never did when she waited for me like this.
“You didn’t sleep well again,” she said immediately.
I grabbed a glass of water instead of answering. It wasn’t like she was wrong.
She watched me eat the toast she made. I wasn’t hungry. I ate it anyway because skipping breakfast always made her worry more.
“You know…” she began softly, “if something is bothering you, you can--”
“I’m fine,” I said. Not cold. Not irritated.
Just… tired.
She pressed her lips together like she didn’t believe me but also didn’t want to push.
“Have a good day, sweetheart.”
I paused with my hand on the doorknob.
“…Yeah.”
Outside, the air was cool enough to wake me up properly. I shoved my hands into my pockets and started the walk to school. The roads were the same, the shops were the same, even the stray dog outside the tea stall was exactly where he always slept.
I used to pet him.
Now I just nodded at him silently.
My footsteps echoed on the pavement. The world felt like it was moving faster than me, but I didn’t mind. It meant fewer things slowing me down.
When the school came into view, the noise hit me first. Laughter, yelling, lockers banging too loud for this early in the morning. I slipped through the gate without stopping, weaving through the crowds like a ghost no one bothered to look at.
Inside the hallway, the chaos continued.
But at least it meant I didn’t have to talk to anyone.
I turned the corner--
Stephen turned the corner-
-and nearly collided with a wall of enthusiasm.
The boy he bumped into was big.
Not fat just solid. Broad shoulders, strong arms, and curly dirt-blond hair that bounced like it had its own personality. He looked like the human version of a golden retriever bright-eyed, energetic, and way too friendly.
He blinked down at Stephen.
Then grinned. Widely.
“DUDE! My bad--you okay?”
He didn’t wait for an answer. His eyes had already zoomed in on Stephen’s face.
“Ohhh snap your dark circles look AWESOME. Like straight-up goth prince energy. What brand is that makeup?”
Stephen stared at him.
The boy didn’t notice the stare. Or the energy screaming go away.
He just kept smiling like he’d found treasure.
“DUUUUDE this is gonna be so cool, wait till the guys see you!” Liam said, practically glowing.
Stephen was too stunned to resist, and Liam was too enthusiastic to notice anything resembling hesitation or gloom. He dragged Stephen down the hallway like a 3-year-old dragging a favourite stuffed toy to show his friends.
They reached a classroom.
Liam didn’t burst in or shout or kick the door.
He simply slid it open fast, excited, like he’d been waiting for this moment.
“Guys guys guys LOOK!” Liam said, grinning as he pulled Stephen inside like he’d just caught a rare Pokémon.
Inside, three boys looked up at him.
And collectively groaned.
“Not this again…
Oliver closed his book with a soft thud.
Lucas spun around, startled by the sudden noise.
All three stared at Stephen.
Then at Liam.
Then back at Stephen.
Lucas, the shortest among them with spiky red-dyed hair, blinked hard.
“Bro--what the hell, Liam?” he blurted. “Why did you drag some random guy in here?!”
His voice was a perfect mix of confusion and aggression.
Oliver, the smarty pants adjusted his glasses, leaned forward, and asked the most reasonable question:
“…Who is that?”
He said it slowly. Cautiously. Like he suspected this might be the beginning of another one of Liam’s disasters.
For the first time since meeting him, Liam froze.
Completely.
His smile trembled.
His eyes widened.
A single bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
“Uh…”
He looked at Stephen.
Then at the group.
Then back at Stephen.
“I-uh--I… don’t actually… know?”
Silence.
The kind of silence where even the dust motes in the air judged him.
Liam gave an awkward grin and kept ranting dramatically, waving his hands around like he was performing a Shakespeare monologue.
“…and another thing, Noah, you never listen when I-”
He stopped.
Because the room suddenly felt… cold.
Very cold.
Very “your best friend is about to murder you with his mind” cold.
Slowly very slowly Liam turned around.
Noah was already right behind him, not even blinking, eyes glowing like an eldritch LED lamp someone forgot to unplug.
Liam squeaked. “BRO-”
SMACK.
A perfectly delivered flick to the back of his head. Not too hard. Not too soft. Just the right amount of “shut up.”
Liam stumbled forward dramatically, grabbing the air like he'd been fatally wounded.
“You see?! This is what I deal with! Abuse! Violence! My skull is now in two pieces ”
Noah just sighed, glowing eyes fading. “You’ll live. Unfortunately.”
While all the stuff that happened just now, Stephen just stood there.
Silent.
Tired.
Still processing how he had gone from “first day of school” to “kidnapped by a golden retriever and presented to a zoo of personalities.”
He exhaled.
“…Stephen,” he muttered, introducing himself just to put Liam out of his misery.
Liam snapped his fingers.
“SEE?! Stephen! I knew it! Totally could’ve guessed that.”
Noah smacked him again.
Lucas rolled his eyes.
Oliver sighed.
Stephen wondered if it was still possible to go home.
Liam was still rubbing the back of his head, whining under his breath, when the rest of the group collectively turned their attention back to Stephen.
The gloomy, eye-bagged stranger stood there like someone who had accidentally walked into the wrong universe.
Hands in pockets.
Expression unreadable.
Aura: Do not talk to me.
Exactly the type of aura Liam was genetically incapable of respecting.
Oliver pushed up his glasses and leaned forward, squinting.
“So… uh. Stephen, right?” he confirmed.
Stephen gave a small nod.
Lucas, the spiky-haired gremlin, tilted his head.
“Where’d you even find him, Liam?” he asked bluntly. “You drag him in like you picked up a lost cat.”
Liam brightened as if someone had turned on a switch inside his skull.
“Oh! Yeah! Listen— I was just walking in the hallway, minding my own business, and then I saw him.”
He gestured wildly at Stephen.
“Look at the eye bags! I thought it was makeup! Like some goth aesthetic! Isn’t it cool?”
Oliver smacked a hand over his face.
“No. Liam. No, it’s not ‘cool,’ it’s probably sleep deprivation. That’s not a fashion choice.”
Stephen blinked at them, unsure whether to be offended or concerned.
Lucas snorted.
“Bro thought he found an aesthetic Pinterest board.”
Liam ignored the jab and leaned way too close to Stephen’s shoulder—close enough that Noah grabbed the back of his hoodie and yanked him a step backward.
“Personal space,” Noah warned, still holding him like a misbehaving large dog on a leash.
“Okay okay” Liam muttered, adjusting himself. “But like, isn’t he cool-looking? He’s all…” Liam motioned vaguely toward Stephen’s blank stare, “mysterious. Like one of those silent anime guys who say three words per season.”
“…I do speak,” Stephen said flatly.
The boys froze.
Then Oliver whispered, impressed,
“Oh he DOES talk.”
Stephen stared at him.
Oliver flinched like Stephen had shot lasers out of his eyes.
Liam immediately shoved Oliver aside.
“Don’t scare him on his first day!”
“I’m not HE scared ME!” Oliver whisper-yelled back.
Noah sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Please ignore them,” he said to Stephen. “They’re like this every morning. And afternoon. And night.”
Lucas nodded proudly.
“Yeah, we’re a mess.”
Stephen didn’t say it out loud, but his expression clearly translated to:
“I can tell.”
Still, there was something strangely familiar about being surrounded by noise after years of silence—
almost uncomfortable…
almost unwelcome…
yet not entirely unpleasant.
Before he could process that feeling, Liam slapped his hands together.
“ANYWAY! Since Stephen is joining us”
“Wait,” Oliver cut in, horrified. “Joining us? Since when?”
“Since I said so,” Liam declared confidently, as if he were king of the classroom.
Noah flicked the back of Liam’s head again.
“OW DUDE!”
“Stop adopting people without permission.”
Liam was still whining about his throbbing head when Stephen quietly slipped his hands back into his pockets.
The group hadn’t fully realized it yet, but the new boy was studying them
each of their mannerisms, their noise, their strange… warmth.
It was bizarre.
Foreign.
Unsettling.
But not bad.
Oliver was the first to break the mini-silence.
“So, um…” he began awkwardly, glancing between Stephen and the empty desk beside them. “You can sit here. If you want. We don’t bite. Except Liam. Probably.”
“I do NOT bite,” Liam protested loudly.
Lucas scoffed. “Liam, you literally tried to chew through a juice box straw last lunch—”
“That was ONE TIME and the straw was WEAK!”
Stephen exhaled slowly.
He didn’t smile he rarely did but something in his expression softened by a millimetre.
Almost invisible, but there.
He walked over and sat down in the empty seat.
And that was when the boys realized something.
Not spoken aloud, but shared through a collective spark in their eyes:
They liked him.
Not because he was quiet or mysterious or cool-looking.
But because something about Stephen felt… important.
Like destiny had dragged him into their orbit.
Liam leaned back in his chair with a grin.
“See? He fits right in.”
Noah raised an eyebrow.
“He literally sat down. That’s not ‘fitting in.’”
“It is in my heart,” Liam argued defensively.
Lucas rolled his eyes so hard it was nearly audible.
“I swear, your brain is just two golden retriever puppies clapping.”
“Thank you,” Liam said proudly.
“That… wasn’t a compliment,” Lucas deadpanned.
Before the argument could escalate into another comedic disaster, the classroom door slid open with a sharp thunk.
Everyone straightened instinctively.
“Alright, settle down!” their homeroom teacher announced as she stepped in, dropping a stack of files on her desk. “We’re starting the year with seating plans and introductions.”
Oliver whispered, horrified,
“Oh god, not introductions—”
Lucas gagged dramatically.
“Kill me.”
Liam elbowed Stephen gently.
“Don’t worry, buddy. If you freeze up, I’ll do your intro for you.”
Noah’s hand shot out immediately.
“NO. Absolutely not.”
“But—”
“No.”
Liam deflated.
Stephen watched this exchange with quiet disbelief.
For years, he had lived inside an emotional vacuum.
Inside his own detached world.
Now, suddenly, he was sitting next to chaos incarnate.
It was too loud.
Too warm.
Too much.
The round of introductions dragged on for what felt like an eternity.
Each student stood, said their name, a hobby, something forgettable
and sat back down.
Stephen barely listened.
He said his name when it was his turn.
Nothing extra.
Nothing emotional.
Just “Stephen Hale.”
Then he sat down again and resumed staring at the desk like the wood grain was more interesting than humanity.
Eventually, the teacher clapped her hands.
“Alright, that’s enough for today. You’ll all have plenty of time to get to know each other this year. For now, open your textbooks to page--
But the boys beside Stephen weren’t listening.
Liam leaned over, whispering way too loudly,
“Guys, important announcement.”
Oliver groaned.
“We’re in class-”
“Shh, this is life-changing,” Liam insisted.
Lucas scoffed.
“This better not be about your weird energy drink collection.”
“No! It’s about US.”
Liam puffed up proudly.
“Our group.”
Noah narrowed his eyes.
“What did you do now?”
“Nothing!” Liam whisper-yelled.
He gestured dramatically at Stephen.
“We have a New Member now, Sooo I was thinking-.”
Stephen’s eyebrow twitched.
Barely.
Almost invisible.
“Oh my god,” Oliver muttered under his breath.
Lucas rolled his eyes but smirked.
“Fine, blondie. What now?”
Liam’s face lit up.
“We should totally have a sleepover!”
Oliver froze.
Lucas paused mid-smirk.
Noah slowly turned his head.
“…A sleepover?” Noah repeated.
“Yeah,” Liam whispered excitedly. “To bond! To welcome Stephen! To start high school as a united squad-”
“You sound like a cult leader,” Oliver muttered.
“We aren’t a cult,” Liam hissed back, “we’re a Family.”
“You’re making it worse,” Lucas said.
Noah rubbed his face.
“Aside from the fact that you’re insane--why a sleepover?”
Liam grinned.
“Because it’s perfect! School just started. No homework yet. My house is great. We can play games, pet my dawg. Eat junk. Talk about life. Maybe summon a demon--”
“LIAM.”
All three boys hissed at him at once.
“Sorry! Just kidding! …Mostly.”
Finally, all their eyes slid over to Stephen.
He was staring straight ahead, face unreadable, posture tense like he wanted to disappear into the chair.
No emotion.
No interest.
No reaction.
Liam leaned in.
“So, Stephen,” he whispered, “you in?”
Stephen turned his head just slightly.
His eyes were cold.
Blank.
Exhausted.
“…No.”
Liam’s soul left his body.
Oliver snorted.
Lucas bit his tongue to hold back a laugh.
Noah nodded like this outcome was predictable.
But Liam…
Liam looked like a kicked puppy.
He recovered quickly, though, determination reigniting in his eyes.
“That’s okay,” he whispered fiercely.
“We’ll convince you.”
Stephen stared at him.
Liam beamed.
Stephen faced forward ignoring Liam.
Lunch break finally arrived, and the classroom emptied quickly, desks scraping and chatter fading until only Stephen and the four boys remained.
Liam leaned against Stephen’s desk, a casual grin tugging at his lips.
“So… since we’re all sitting together now, uh- we were planning something.”
Before he could continue, Noah walked up behind him and flicked the back of his head.
Liam hissed under his breath. “Oww--seriously?” T-T
“You’re acting like you adopted him,” Noah said calmly.
Stephen wasn’t sure if he was supposed to react or just how to basically.
Lucas, lounging on a nearby chair, pointed at Liam.
“I’m still amazed you dragged him here without asking.”
Oliver nodded like he was analysing evidence in a crime case.
“He really does that with every interesting-looking person he sees.”
Liam groaned softly and rubbed his neck.
“I said I’m sorry…”
Stephen surprised himself by speaking.
“…It’s fine I guess.”
Liam straightened a bit at that, a small relieved smile appearing.
Not loud. Not dramatic. Just… gentle.
Lucas clapped his hands lightly.
“Anyway. Sleepover. We need to settle whose house.”
Oliver perked up.
“My place is available. Wi-Fi works. No chaos.”
Noah folded his arms.
“Better than Liam’s place.”
Liam frowned. “What’s wrong with my place?”
Lucas raised his hand.
“Your dog hates me.”
Oliver added, “And your dad tried to lecture us on ‘the power of wheatgrass.’”
Noah finished it off:
“And your sister nearly shaved Lucas’s hair as a prank.”
Liam sighed in defeat.
“…Fair enough.”
Oliver looked at Stephen, adjusting his glasses.
“So If you’re free, you can join. No pressure.”
Lucas pointed at him again.
“Yeah. Come if you feel like it. Or don’t. Your call.”
Liam glanced at Stephen, expression softer than before.
“It’d be nice if you came. That’s all.”
Noah nodded once, not forcing anything.
“We’re not dragging you this time.”
Stephen looked at all four of them.
This was… strange.
Unexpected.
And unfamiliar warmth pressed uncomfortably against the walls he’d built.
“…I’ll think about it,” he said quietly.
Liam’s smile widened-- not loud, not explosive, just bright enough to feel real.
The final bell rang, releasing the students into the hallways like a shaken soda can.
Everyone rushed out, chattering, laughing, comparing schedules.
Stephen packed up quietly, the movement smooth and practiced, like someone who’d learned not to draw attention to himself.
Liam was waiting beside his desk leaning casually, hands in pockets, energy warm but not overwhelming.
“So…” Liam began, tilting his head slightly, “can I get your number?”
Stephen looked at him, expression unreadable.
“…Why?”
“Group chat.” Liam said it as if it were the most natural reason in the world.
From a row behind them, Oliver sighed.
“He’s going to add you even if you say no.”
“I am not that impulsive,” Liam muttered.
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
“You added that dude who sneezed next to you at lunch.”
“That was sympathy!” Liam insisted.
Noah simply stepped forward and flicked the back of Liam’s head.
Liam winced but didn’t complain.
Stephen hesitated a moment, but eventually nodded.
“…Fine.”
Relief softened Liam’s face.
He handed over his phone without any dramatic flourish.
Stephen typed in his number.
The moment the device returned to Liam’s hands, Liam was already tapping rapidly.
A second later, Stephen’s phone buzzed in his pocket.
Oliver didn’t even look up.
“He added you.”
Lucas leaned closer to Liam.
“You sent a sticker already? Seriously?”
“It was a greeting sticker,” Liam said defensively.
Noah shook his head in quiet resignation.
Stephen pulled out his phone.
Notifications flooded the screen:
Disaster Club: 9 new messages
Liam had indeed sent a sticker.
Oliver sent a polite “Hello Stephen :)”
Lucas sent “who dis” despite knowing exactly who.
Noah sent nothing at all.
Stephen turned off the screen without responding.
“Anyway,” Lucas said, stretching, “sleepover. Oliver’s house. You coming?”
Liam looked at Stephen again, more hopeful than excited.
“It would be… nice if you joined.”
Noah’s tone remained steady.
“No pressure.”
Oliver added, “Only if you feel comfortable.”
Stephen took in their expressions all different, but oddly genuine in their own ways.
“…I’ll think about it,” he said.
Liam’s smile returned, small but bright.
Stephen left the school building feeling more tired than he expected for a first day. The moment the final bell rang, everyone scattered some staying back to chat, some running off like the gates were about to close forever.
Stephen just wanted to go home.
Liam had finally stopped pestering him at the gate (after adding him to the group chat without asking), and Ava had waved goodbye before being dragged away by her sister. The whole ordeal left Stephen’s head buzzing.
He adjusted the strap of his bag and started walking down the familiar route.
Nothing dramatic, just… quiet.
A normal end to a very abnormal first day.
He kicked a small pebble on the road, watching it bounce forward.
New school, new people, new group chat he didn't ask for.
He sighed.
The neighbourhood around him was the same as always kids cycling, someone watering plants, a dog barking at absolutely nothing. The evening air felt warm, lazily drifting past him.
Really, the only thing bothering him was the thought of opening his phone later and seeing fifty unread messages from Liam alone.
Stephen dragged a hand over his face.
“Great,” he muttered to himself, “I’m never getting peace again.”
He kept walking, the sky slowly turning orange as he headed home.
Just a boy with a heavy schoolbag, a heavier head, and a group chat he wasn’t mentally prepared for.
By the time Stephen reached his house, the streetlights were flickering on. He unlocked the door quietly, hoping to slip in without making it obvious he’d had… a day.
No luck.
His mom peeked from the kitchen the second she heard the door.
“Stephen? You’re home? How was-”
“It was fine,” he cut in quickly, taking off his shoes without meeting her eyes.
She didn’t look convinced.
She hadn’t looked convinced for weeks.
Stephen walked past her with the vague confidence of someone hoping not to be questioned again. His mom followed him with her eyes, biting the inside of her cheek the way she always did when she was worried.
“You should eat something,” she tried.
“I will. Later,” Stephen muttered, heading straight to his room.
He closed the door gently—not slamming, not rude—just closed enough to say please don’t try again.
Inside, he dropped his bag on the floor and collapsed on the bed.
His phone buzzed immediately.
Liam (48 messages)
Group Chat (126 messages)
Stephen stared at the notifications like they were personally attacking him.
“…Why.”
He tossed the phone aside and lay on his back. The ceiling fan hummed lazily. Everything was normal. The house was normal. His room was normal.
But his chest wasn’t.
That familiar, crawling tension started slipping in.
Low at first, like a cold finger tracing his spine.
He turned his head to look at the clock on his wall.
10:31 PM.
A slow exhale left him.
Still time.
But not enough to feel safe.
He sat up, rubbing his hands together. His palms were already slightly damp. It happened every night — like his body remembered something his brain didn’t want to relive.
He tried to distract himself. Homework? No. Music? Didn’t help.
Liam’s texts? Definitely not touching those.
10:49 PM.
His leg bounced rapidly without him noticing.
Every night at 12 AM, the nightmares, they came like a clockwork.
Like a rule.
He glanced at his door. His mom was probably still awake, probably pacing, probably pretending she wasn’t waiting for him to ask for help he never asked for.
He swallowed hard.
11:03 PM.
His breathing got shallow.
He hated this part the most the waiting.
The knowing he couldn’t stop it.
The knowing it was coming anyway.
He curled his fingers into the blanket.
11:27 PM.
His pulse sped up.
“Just get through it,” he whispered to himself.
He stared at the ceiling.
11:59 PM.
The room felt too still.
He didn’t move.
He didn’t breathe louder than necessary.
Everything waited.
And so did he.
The clock ticked closer to twelve.
To be continue…
(chapter end)