The guys were acting strange after soccer practice today and I couldn't help but notice.

After our showers in the locker room, they all kept snickering and laughing at each other over something on Harry's phone.

"What's going on?" I asked Logan as he was stepping into his jeans.

Logan gave me a hesitant look before continuing to put on his clothes. "I don't know, man. Some dumb prank Harry's been working on. It's stupid." Logan shrugged his shirt on.

I gave him a confused look. He was acting weird too.

"Okay, everyone." Harry clapped his hands together gaining everyones attention.

"We're all going to meet back here at 6 pm tonight. No ifs, ands, or buts. This is important." Harry looked over at me specifically. "That means no ditching tonight, got it?"

I looked around me to see everyone looking over at me. Why was I being singled out?

"Yeah, got it." I shrugged.

"Is there a problem here?" A chill ran down my spine at the voice coming in behind me. I watched as everyone resumed what they were doing. I looked behind me to see Derrick, my father, arms crossed behind me looking down at me like the small ant that I am compared to him.

"No, sir." I shook my head.

"If the boys want to go out tonight, you go out tonight. Got it?" He spat through closed teeth.

I tensed my jaw. "I got it, sir."

"Great job today, boys," He called out to the rest of the team as he locked his fist around the back of my neck. "Let's go. I've got to talk to you." He said dragging me out of the changing room.

"What'd I do wrong, Dad?" I cried out, softly.

"Be quiet." He huffed. I know he doesn't like to talk to me in public. Not until we're behind closed doors but I couldn't help it. I was worried. I was trying to be so good, what did I do?

We finally got to the coach's office and he slammed the door behind us. Shoving me into the chair across his desk, he sat on the edge of his desk to look down on me.

I whipped my head back up and breathed deeply. Whatever was going to be coming wasn't going to be good.

"Dad–"

"Shut up." He spat. "My turn to talk, you understand me?" He barked.

"Y-Yes, sir." I nodded. This must be serious since he wasn't waiting until we got home. Maybe I should be thankful we're still at the school.

"Your guidance counselor decided to have a little chat with me today about your grades." He gritted his teeth. "You got a D in science class?"

"I wasn't able to study for that test–"

"Did I tell you to fucking talk?" He yelled in my face. I shut my eyes as tightly as I could. Derrick gripped my face tightly between his fingers, pinching my mouth shut so tightly that I could taste blood. "You worthless little piece of shit. You couldn't handle one goddamn test and what? You want to blame it on me, huh? Because I was drinking?" He spat in my face. I could feel the saliva dripping down my chin and smell the scotch already on his breath which made me want to gag.

"No, sir." I struggled to get out.

"You're so fucking pathetic. You're not getting into college. You know that? No one will take you now. Let's face it." He released his hands from around my face and instead rested them on my shoulders, still forcing me to look at him straight in the eyes.

"You're a dumb piece of shit that couldn't even do the one thing you were supposed to do. What am I going to do with you now?" He said lightly tapping me on the cheek. He suddenly slapped me so hard on the side of my face, I could feel my ears ringing. "I said, what am I going to do with you?" He barked.

"I don't know." I groaned. I was so dizzy from that smack, I had to refocus myself. "I'm a dumb piece of shit."

He let out a laugh. "See? Good. You at least know that much." He said straightening back up.

I went to wipe my face off but he caught my wrist before I could. "No, leave it." He muttered under his breath.

I felt sick.

"I thought we could make something out of you." He sighed. "I thought, your mother left you on this earth when she died for a purpose. So you'd become something great. You can't even keep your grades high enough to keep your soccer scholarship. It's sad. You're sad."

I could feel the pressure building behind my eyes. I hated when he said this stuff about my mother. She died while having me and he acts like it shouldn't affect me. I think about her every day. I think about how much she would've hated to see what he's become.

"You became...nothing." He leaned down over me, squishing and rubbing his spit all over my face with the palm of his hand. "You...are...nothing..." He spat some more spit on my face.

I squeezed my eyes shut as he gripped my hair on the top of my head, forcing me to angle my head up at him as he hovered over top of me.

"Say it." He demanded.

"I'm... nothing." I breathed out. I couldn't hold my tears back any further. I could feel them slipping out along the side of my face and into the sides of my hair.

"Say. It. Again" He whispered. I hated when he got like this.

"I'm nothing," I repeated.

"See?" He said lightly smacking me on the face. I hated how I could feel the hard outline of his dick in his jeans rub against my stomach. I tensed up. "You can be a good boy sometimes. You just need some correction." He rubbed himself side to side.

Please, no. Not today. Please, no.

He breathed in a long breath of air and stood up straight. "Get the fuck out of my office." He said pushing me back in my chair.

I didn't need him to tell me twice. I quickly stammered out of the room, running as fast as I could to the nearest bathroom.

It didn't take long to throw up what was left in my stomach.

I hated him. I hated him so much.

☀️☀️☀️

Considering I was on thin ice with my father, it's safe to say I didn't want to make it worse by not going tonight to meet up with the guys.

Whatever they were planning tonight clearly had something to do with the art showcase thing that was going on tonight since the gymnasium was packed.

My stomach twisted at the thought that this had something to do with Elijah. This night couldn't get any worse.

Walking up to the entrance, I could see the group of my teammates. Joining them at the back, I squeezed in next to Harry. "What's the deal?" I asked.

"The deal, my friend," He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "We're going to end this school year off with a bang. One of the best pranks I've ever done, If I do say so myself."

The boys beside us laughed as if this was the funniest thing.

"Why don't I know about it?" I asked.

Harry's smile dropped as he looked at me. "Honestly? I have a feeling you wouldn't approve."

I looked at him confused. "Why? Harry, what'd you do?" I gulped.

A sinister smile crossed his face as he looked at the inside of the gym.

"Oh shit, it's starting." Harry smiled rushing inside.

The rest of the boys followed suit. I looked around but didn't see Logan. If he didn't have to be here, why did I? I remembered my father. My stomach started feeling sick again.

I shook off the feeling and followed them into the crowd.

The gym was decorated so nicely. If we were here under any under pretense, I would've really enjoyed this time. Our school was really talented and so many of our classmates really had promise.

My stomach twisted at the sight of the back of Elijah's head. He looked...really good in his black-on-black suit.

His hair was parted and slicked back much like my own. Of course, he still had his light curls that danced their way down around his face and over his eyebrows.

I gulped. If something was to happen to him tonight...I don't know how we'd come back from that.

We were getting closer to the middle at this point. I saw Harry and the boys hovering around his phone. I squeezed my way through to stand beside Harry.

"Who's Tristan?" I asked, looking down at his phone. I could see he was in a conversation with Elijah. Why?

"Oh, this is going to be so good." Harry laughed. I looked up to see Elijah chatting to the group. He looked so nervous looking around at all of us. I listened to his words and felt a deep pain. He never spoke to me about his mother much when he was younger. I know she left him at a young age but that was about it. This was obviously a very vulnerable piece of art for him to share.

I licked my lips. Whatever was about to happen, it wasn't going to be good.

Suddenly, my breathing stopped. My eyes connected to Elijah and it was like time stood still.

I could see panic rush over his face and I wanted at that very moment to jump out and save him.

What was going through his head?

"Harry, what did you do?" I muttered.

And just like that, the partition to the rest of the expose came down, and there in front of us were photocopies of pictures of Elijah.

Some of them were of his top off, showing off his pecs and abs. Some of them were of him laying in bed, biting his lip. But it was the naked photos that made my stomach drop. He clearly just out of the shower. His hair was all wet, steam filling the room. My eyes drifted down to see him gripping his– oh, dear god. His Dad is probably here. Everyone is here.

A burst of laughter from the guys beside me echoed through the gym.

"Mrs.Templeton, what is this!?" One of the older professors who clearly doesn't go to our school called out. Quickly, I watched as Elijah sprung into action tearing down all the pictures around us.

"This was clearly a prank played on Elijah. Please, I ask everyone to avert your eyes and head to the other art segments or you can head to the cafeteria for refreshments served. This part of the exhibit is over." She called out.

There were a few lingering eyes but for the most part, everyone started heading back.

I looked beside me to see Harry snapping pictures beside me.

"You're a fucking dick." I gritted my teeth.

"Excuse me?" He snapped his head towards me.

I felt my heart speed up. He could tell my Dad what I said. This isn't good.

"That's what I thought." He smiled.

I looked over back at Elijah who was frantically tearing the photos down. Tears streaming down his cheeks. I hated the sight of this.

Without thinking, I tore Harry's arm back.

"Delete the fucking pictures." I barked at his face. I was much taller than him. He was a small man and I could beat him a million times over. I wasn't scared of him. Not about this.

"Make me." He pushed me back. I tore the phone out of his hand and smashed it on the ground. "YOU IDIOT! You're going to have to pay me back for that!"

"I don't care!" I pushed him back until his back hit the partition.

Mrs.Templeton rushed over to us spreading us apart. "Boys! Boys! This isn't helping." She yelled.

I looked back over to Elijah who burst through the gym doors at the back. I pushed past anyone in my way to race after him.

"Elijah! Wait!"

"Get the fuck away from me!" He yelled behind him.

He ran through the hallways but as a runner, I caught up to him easily.

"Come on." I pulled him into the washroom nearest to us. He clearly wasn't thinking straight because he let me.

"Fuck! Fuck! They ruined everything." He cried out, hitting the wall over and over again.

"Elijah, I know this is bad but–"

"You don't know fuck all, and don't pretend that you do." He spat. I tried to push down how much that hurt, especially coming from him.

"That was bad. I get that much." I muttered, stepping closer.

He ran his hands through his hair, dropping to his knees. "Art professors came out to see me. I've been working on this forever and all of it is ruined because of what? Because of dickheads who couldn't just leave me the fuck alone." He rubbed his hands in his palms.

"Elijah, what can I do?" I breathed.

I wanted so badly to help. I don't know why but I feel at fault for this whole thing. The soccer team wouldn't have such a fixation on Elijah if it wasn't for me being protective over him. I just know it.

He looked up at me and leaned his head on the wall.

"I want you to leave me the fuck alone. I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to see you. I want you out of my life. Do you understand me?" He bit at me, clenching his jaw.

"You don't mean that." I sniffed. Pain coursed through my veins. Here he goes again putting a wall between us that doesn't need to be there.

"I do. I really do. You're a coward. And you're not my friend." He crossed his arms over his knees and buried his face into his arms.

I took a deep breath in, taking in his words.

"Fuck you." I breathed out, storming out of the bathroom.

☀️

Authors Note: 

Fuck. It really sucks how everything happened. 

Do you think Tobias is in the wrong? Do you agree that Elijah should be upset with him? 

Also, how would you feel in his scenario? What a breach of privacy. Mortifying! I'd SUE! 

PS, I'm going to be uploading every single day until this book is completed. I currently am almost finished and I'm sort of using this as a beta reader type of situation so I want to hear allllll the feedback :) Let me know how the pacing is and how you're finding the character development. Basically, tell me EVERYTHING because this book is my baby and I really want it to be the best it can be!

PPS. Read "Catch Me If You Can" if you like a lighter, fluffier, romance! It's sooooo adorable. Highly recommend if you like this vibe but a light read. Basically, just read everything I write - PLEASE! READ BOTH ;) hahaha