There was a definite pounding inside his skull, bringing with it a sense of nausea. Despite the darkness and the peace, it would not go away, until it turn into a bursting noise so loud, it woke him from the fragile state of sleep.

"Davyn, what the hell?"

Freider's furious voice had Davyn opening his eyes. The ceiling that met him was white, not light blue like the on in his room.

"You seriously left a girl in your room?"

Davyn blinked, trying to regain his senses, figure out where he was and why. His mind reeled, trying to go back into the state of numbness.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

Powerful light hit his face and the pounding in his head intensified to the point it made him want to throw up.

"Freider..." It came out like a weak moan.

"I don't want a word out of you which is not a fucking answer!"

"Mr. Grant!"

A short black woman entered the room, dressed in a lab coat and holding a chart. Her reproachful tone and the fact that she immediately pulled the curtains closed made Davyn her biggest fan.

"I told you he has a migraine."

Migraine. The word sounded like a death sentence.

Freider huffed. "Yeah, right."

"Will you please wait outside?" the doctor insisted.

"Fine. But don't fall for his tricks. He has a habit of being overly dramatic." He glared at Davyn. "I'll be waiting outside to take you home."

Davyn nodded automatically as his mind still fought to kick start and make sense of what had happened. In the fraction of a second after Freider closed the door and his words finally registered, everything came crashing back.

His father dying, his mother going insane. Maddie. He'd left Maddie in his house because he'd completely forgotten about her the moment he'd climbed into the ambulance with his mother.

"How are you feeling?" the doctor asked, her tone concerned.

He raised his eyes to her. "How's my mother?"

The woman hesitated and it was all the answer he needed. She seemed to realize that there was no use sugarcoating it, because she heaved a deep sigh.

"When she woke up, she became hysterical again, so we had to sedate her. The shock of what happened seems to have affected her profoundly."

Davyn's head throbbed again. Yes, he could definitely understand that. His very essence seemed to have been drained by his father's death.

There's so much waiting out there for you, kiddo. And you don't have to be scared. I'll guide you all the way.

How, Dad? How will you guide me if you're dead?

He didn't even know what this special fate was supposed to be. It lingered in a promise which was to be fulfilled once he'd turned eighteen. Or so he'd thought.

"Have you ever had migraines before?" The doctor sat on the bed next to him and pulled out a tiny flashlight.

"No. Not even normal headaches."

"It could be stress induced, and I don't blame you. You appear fine otherwise. We drew some blood when you passed out. I'll let you know when the test results are back." She lowered the flashlight and gave him a small smile. "Just take some time for yourself. Here." She put a bottle of pills in his hand. "In case they return."

"Thank you."

"You should go home and try to get some sleep." She hesitated as she looked over her shoulder and towards the door. "Are you... Do you need me to call child services?"

The thought made him huff with laughter. "No, don't worry about it. My brother's a grouchy asshole, but I can handle him."

She nodded and stood from the bed, choosing to believe him and not pry any further. He was lucky he really wasn't lying.

Once the doctor left, he swallowed one of the pills and headed out into the hall. Freider was there, as promised, his jaw locked tightly. Davyn didn't feel like talking, and he stayed silent as well, at least until they got into the car and drove of.

"Seriously, you dumb brat," Freider mumbled.

"I forgot, okay?" Davyn snapped. "I had a lot of other things on my mind." Anger only made his temples throb again, so he forced himself to calm down. "Did you take her home?"

Freider let out a disgusted huff. "I called her parents to come pick her up."

Just great. Exactly what Maddie needed. She'd definitely be pissed. Fortunately, she wasn't his girlfriend, so he couldn't say he cared much if she never wanted to speak to him again.

Freider said nothing else, and the rest of their journey was silent. Once they reached the house, Davyn headed for his room and dropped directly on the bed, without bothering to change his clothes. The clock on the wall ticked loudly. It was just a little past seven in the morning. He'd been out less than two hours.

His body shuddered with exhaustion and he forced himself to close his eyes, aware he needed the sleep. The medicine had kicked in and his head stayed blissfully pain free. But his skin felt clammy and his teeth clattered.

Come on, come on. You need sleep.

The more he was aware that he had to, the harder it became, especially because he had nothing he could safely think about to drift off.

The white walls of the hospital. His mother's pained screams. His father, in the morgue, half of him broken.

Vomit crawled up his throat and he sat up sharply. The moment he did, it subsided, but he still panted and buried his face in his hands. He was covered in cold sweat. The clock on the wall announced it was seven thirty.

No, he couldn't do this. Couldn't let sleep claim him and force him to relive that madness. It was too soon. Much too soon. He needed a distraction. His body was failing, but his mind was a lot more dangerous.

School. He needed to get to school. He still had time if he hurried. So he forced himself out of bed, into the bathroom and took a shower. It didn't help sober him up, but it made him feel less disgusting and washed the smell of the hospital away. He'd take all he could get.

Then, without anything better to do with himself, Davyn headed down to the kitchen to make breakfast. He wasn't sure he could eat, but trying for a familiar scenario seemed to be helping.

He was a little shocked to find Ron already in the kitchen, slouching in one of the chairs and dangling his feet.

"Where's Mom?" he asked the moment Davyn walked in.

He looked small and frail at the kitchen table, his reddish hair more vivid due to his pale face, and the freckles across the bridge of his nose more visible than ever. His cheeks were rough with dried tears.

Davyn cursed inside his head. "She's not feeling well. Where's Freider?"

"He left for work. Said I should get ready for school and take the bus."

Freider was an insensitive asshole. But so was he, because he'd been ready to fuck off to school without giving Ron a second thought.

"Don't worry, I'll take you." And to feel less like an asshole, he pulled out some frozen waffles and shoved them in the toaster.

The silence in the kitchen was deafening, but he had no idea what to say to break it. How was he supposed to comfort Ron when he was two seconds away from throwing up? So instead, he focused on preparing him some breakfast. Ron looked less than impressed when he saw his plate, but didn't comment on it.

Davyn just left him to it and brewed himself a cup of coffee. His hands shook so badly, he almost dropped the mug three times. When he turned back to the table, he realized he couldn't sit, so he just leaned against the counter.

"Why do I have to go to school?" Ron mumbled, playing around with a piece of waffle.

Davyn downed his coffee cup and grimaced. It was more bitter than he remembered and he wasn't a fan of coffee anyway. "I wouldn't make you go, but I can't stay in this house. I need a distraction." Desperately.

"So what?"

"So I can't leave you alone."

"Why not? I'm thirteen!"

Davyn fought not to scoff, not to point out that Ron was so tiny, he looked ten. His growth spur hadn't kicked in yet, and it was a sore subject for him, especially since Davyn was 6 foot 3 and Freider was 6 foot 2 himself. Next to them, he really did look like a baby.

"I don't think you should be alone."

Hell, none of them should. But since Freider had decided losing their parents didn't warrant a day off, Davyn didn't really know what he was supposed to do with Ron. School seemed like the easier option and he sure as hell didn't want to keep thinking about what happened. The image of their father's body still haunted him.

The coffee sloshed around in his stomach, burning its way up his throat. He knew he should eat something, but the thought of anything made him sick.

Ron huffed and dropped the fork as he crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you know anyway?"

Davyn didn't bother answering. "Come on. School can't be worse than this."

"Speak for yourself."

Davyn ignored this, too. "Well, it's either that, or wait for Freider to come home."

Ron bit his lip, for the first time seeming hesitant. Davyn narrowed his eyes, wondering if it was more than dislike that brought out the reaction in his baby brother. Was something going on right under his nose that he hadn't seen? But at the moment, he couldn't deal with it.

"Come on, let's go."

As it turned out, he couldn't deal with school either. He'd thought it would be a distraction, but he couldn't focus on any of his classes. His body was exhausted, his pulse rushed through his veins thanks to the coffee, and his mother's screams rang in his ears like a very persistent white noise.

Then there was the wait. For the entire day, he waited. Waited for the principal to call him and let him know that Fredier wanted him back at the hospital, or that he had news about their mother or father's funeral. Maybe even about Bill.

Would Bill even be returning from wherever the hell he was for the funeral? It was fucked up beyond belief that he even had to ask himself that question, but it was justified. Bill seemed to hate the family more than Freider, which was an impressive achievement.

"Family is the most important thing in the world." Sirius said as he danced with their mother in the middle of the living room to some corny love song on the radio. "Love makes the world go round. Most people will scoff, try to deny it, but in truth..." He spun Grace and caught her in his arms, holding her so close. "This is what life is all about. This is happiness."

And Davyn had never doubted it. He was happy. They had a happy family, even with missing Bill and grouchy Freider. They didn't really matter in the greater scheme of things.

Until they suddenly mattered so much, there didn't seem to be any family without them. With Sirius dead and their mother losing her mind and staying in the hospital, Davyn felt like the core of their family had shattered. He and Ron could hardly make up for it, especially when their relationship seemed to hang by a thread.

"You always need to remember to be brave. The rest will come naturally."

More of his father's wise words which seemed to make sense then. Not so much now when he actually needed them.

You're meant for great things, kiddo. Just you wait and see.

Bone splinters, torn flesh, death. Davyn couldn't reconcile the image of the man he knew and loved so much with the destroyed face he had seen in the morgue.

How did it even happen? Sirius had been home and Davyn hadn't heard anyone going out. When had he left and where had he gone in the dead of night? And why?

"Mr. Grant!"

Davyn jerked awake to an entire classroom staring at him. Shit, he was still in school?

"Any particular reason for falling asleep in my class?" Mr. Sanders questioned, his eyebrows raised.

My father died. My mother went insane. I haven't slept all night and I definitely have the beginning of another migraine.

The words spun inside his head, but he just shook his head. "No, sir."

"Then pay attention or you will get detention." And he returned to the blackboard and scribbling more formulas.

Physics. Right, he was in physics. Suddenly, detention didn't sound so bad. He'd be away from home and could probably nap there, but, disappointingly enough, he didn't get to drift off again before the bell rang, announcing the end of class.

He stood, just like everyone else, aware he hadn't taken in a word of the lesson. Normally, he'd be making catch-up plans, but as it was, it didn't seem to matter. Nothing seemed to matter anymore.

He lingered for a moment to avoid the wave of students, most of which were still eying the golden boy who suddenly decided to nap, then headed out himself.

"Davyn."

He froze in mid-step as the teacher decided it was the perfect time for a chat. Maybe he'd be getting detention after all.

"Yes?" He turned towards his desk.

"Is everything alright? You're not the type to fall asleep in my class. You're the type who offers smartass answers."

That was true. He didn't think he'd ever fallen asleep in school before. It contradicted his very specific plan of being the best at everything and making his father proud.

My father died. My mother went insane.

The words swirled inside his head, inside his chest like a vortex of agony, but he couldn't let them out.

"Just a rough night."

Mr. Sanders watched him carefully, as if trying to determine if he was lying. He definitely was, but there was no way for the teacher to pull the truth out.

"Okay, but take care of yourself. You look..."

Crushed? Dead? Confused? Like you're breaking down?

"...exhausted."

Davyn forced his usual cocky grin. "Will do." And he got the hell out of there.

When he finally reached his locker, most of the students had moved towards the exit. It was weird to see the school so empty, since he'd never lingered after hours before. He usually had other things planned for the day, mostly with his father. But now, there was nothing left. His hands shook so badly he couldn't even open the lock. The ticking of the hallway clock seemed to drill into his skull.

Come on. Just drop your books and go. There was news he had to hear from Freider. About his mom, preparations for his dad's funeral, just how the hell they were going to live from then on. Ron... Had Ron gone home yet?

Raucous laughter reached him and he froze. A large group of boys strode down the mostly empty hallway, loud and obnoxious. One of them pushed a boy with his shoulder as he passed, knocking him against the lockers. He whimpered, but said nothing.

Davyn gritted his teeth and returned to his own locker, finally getting it open and shoving his books inside. He knew who they were, their leader was famous. Their supposed supreme leader even more so. And yet, so far, he'd avoided them because he'd never hung back after class when they emerged like carrion vultures.

They stopped at the end of the row of lockers, surrounding a lone blonde girl wearing a pair of jean overalls over a green turtleneck. They sniggered and muttered, elbowing each other as if sharing a joke.

"I told you once, I told you a million times." The girl's voice rose over their chatter. "Get lost."

"You're behind on your payments," one of the other boys said, giving her a light shove. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to you, now, would you, pretty?" The whole group let out laughs, as if the situation was funny.

Davyn half turned, narrowing his eyes. He didn't know the girl, but it didn't matter. Something rose inside him, as if all his frustration and helplessness had finally found an outlet.

She slapped away the next hand that reached out towards her. This earned her a new shove which pushed her against her locker.

"Hey!" Davyn slammed the door of his locker shut. "Are you lost?"

The group turned towards him. The girl took the opportunity to sneak between them and hightail it out of there. One of them stepped forward, a calculated look in his dark eyes. Nicholas Harkin. Too dumb to pass his classes, too rich to get kicked out. But his supposed academic prowess had always come second to his real career choice. Being an extorting bully. He seemed to wrongly consider that Davyn was no trouble because he grinned and he and his mates sauntered over.

"Well, well. Fresh meat."

Davyn didn't move as they approached him, Harkin stopping a couple of inches away, getting right in his face. In a manner of speaking since he was half a head shorter.

"Have something to say to me?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Davyn clenched his fists, fighting the impulse to hit the heel of his palm against Harkin's throat and trap every pathetic word in. It would be so easy to leave him whirling on the floor in agony. But he shouldn't do it, shouldn't unload his grief on that slime ball, because in the end, he'd be the one getting in trouble. A lecture from Freider was the last thing he wanted.

"Yes. Go fuck yourself and leave people alone," he said and turned back to his locker.

"You got an awful big mouth on you, kid," Harkin said, the threat obvious in his voice.

A hand clasped his shoulder. Davyn turned, grabbed the wrist and twisted hard, loosening the grip. The boy who'd grabbed him winced, his elbow at an angle that forced him to bend his knees to avoid breaking his bones.

"I mean it," he said between his teeth. "And people include me as well, Harkin." He pushed the guy away and he bumped into his friends.

Another guy broke away from the group, fist already poised to strike. Davyn took a step forward and slammed his palm in the guy's sternum. He stumbled back, sucking air through his teeth, and rubbing his chest.

The bullies looked at each other, probably wondering if they should gang up on him. Their plans were thwarted by the appearance of two of the teachers making their way towards them.

"This isn't over," Harkin said through gritted teeth. "Snitch Gravel will hear about you, and you won't like it."

"Looking forward to it," he retorted.

Harkin's dark eyes narrowed, but with a jerk of his head, he indicated that they should go and the group followed him, like the bunch of cowardly rats they were.

The teachers slowed their pace as they reached Davyn, but seemed to decide there was no use stopping since everything seemed fine. He watched them go, resenting the shit out of them. They all knew about Harkin, about this silly Snitch Gravel who was running the bullying and extortion circle in the school, and they did nothing.

Davyn picked up his backpack and headed for the parking lot. He hadn't cared much about this before, and he honestly didn't care now. But if Snitch Gravel would be coming for him, he'd be sure he regretted it.

After all, those idiots had no idea just how dangerous he could be.

♣️♣️♣️

It's the aftermath and it's not pretty. Of course, not much time has passed and Davyn is definitely over dramatic, but the Grant family has sort of gone up in smoke.

We also get to meet some delightful new characters and see Davyn in action. There is also family drama and its definitely not going to be the last of it.

Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to vote and comment for support.