Aiden's PoV

"Volleyball?" Aiden repeated as the rest of his classmates talked among themselves. "You'll be fine.." Jesse said beside him, but Aiden noticed that the other boy was looking at all his very obvious scars.

His most recent ones.

Aiden was upset yesterday and drew lines all over his arms, not knowing that overnight... it would become more obvious on his pale skin. Aiden self consciously covered his arms, but that was no use. Jesse, his best friend, had already noticed them the minute they had changed into their gym clothes.

"Four and counting." Jesse said, looking at Aiden's arms. "Stop..." the other boy huffed, trying to tell Jesse to leave him alone for a second. It seemed that Jesse liked to tease Aiden... but at the wrong times. But Jesse was his only close friend. So Aiden had to stick with him. Even if it meant smiling even when he didn't find the joke funny.

"Hey guys- whoa... what happened to-." Aiden glanced up and turned red from embarrassment. Petra stood in front of the two boys, looking right at Aiden's angry red scars. "Sorry.." Aiden mumbled, knowing that Petra hated it whenever he started to cut himself.

She sighed. "How many times have I told you?" she asked, folding her arms as Aiden tried to cover his arms again.

He had two long vertical lines across his arm and a mess of repeated lines all the way down to his elbow. It seemed that his recent scars had opened his old wounds... what irony. Aiden blinked when Petra snapped her fingers in front of him, making him snap out of his daydream.

"We're playing volleyball today, remember? Now. Come on." she said, holding out a hand. Aiden looked around and saw that no one was looking. He hated attention. And cutting himself was a bad move on his part, since that seemed to draw even more attention from others.

And volleyball? On his scars? Seriously? Aiden bit his lip, knowing that he knew he should've seen it coming. It was going to be a pain.

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Aiden rubbed his arms painfully, feeling them burning. Great... he knew he should've sat out of gym that day. But he didn't care... he deserved the pain anyway. He rubbed his nose, which was still stinging from where the ball had hit him.

Suddenly, his teacher was walking around the gymnasium, expecting everyone's arms to check if they were using the proper technique. Oh crud... Aiden looked down at his arms. Scarred and red. He couldn't show it to his teacher. She would call him out on it... or even call his parents..

Aiden braced himself when his teacher walked around to him, and she stopped when she saw his arms. But to Aiden's surprise and relief... she went along and showed Aiden how to hold a volleyball properly, without giving his arms a second glance.

Did... did she not care?

Aiden sighed and saw Jesse looking at him sadly. "I told you so." he mouthed, making Aiden frown harder and turn away. Didn't they all care that he was hurting? Physically and mentally?

No... Aiden pushed away his thoughts. He had to think of something else.

But what?

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"So you understand why I have to talk to you... right?" their gym teacher said, standing in front of Jesse, Aiden and Petra. The three of them nodded, not making eye contact with her as she sighed.

"Okay... maybe you don't trust me. But we'll... who do you guys trust?" she looked at Petra, waiting for an answer. The redhead frowned harder. "I... trust my dad."

Their teacher nodded, and turned to Jesse. "You?"

"Umm... I trust my dog more than anyone else to be honest." He said hopefully, shrugging at their teacher. She smiled a little and turned to Aiden, who immediately panicked. He hated being in the limelight.

"I..." Aiden looked down at his hands, which were clenched. I trust no one except for Lukas... but I cant tell anyone that. "I trust my friends." Aiden said instead. "No matter how far."

"Well, that was a little deep... but if you need to talk, I'm always here." she said, picking up her things and making her way out of the gym, leaving the trio alone.

Aiden immediately relaxed and turned to his friends "-didn't know you cut." Jesse said to Petra, who scowled at him.

"Of course I do, pea brain." she muttered, folding her arms. But none of theirs looked as bad as Aiden's one... but he didn't speak.

Instead.. he picked up his bag and headed to the double doors, wanting some time alone.

-End