The school bell rang, a harsh, metallic sound that echoed through the crowded hallway.
Leo shouldered his backpack, the weight of it feeling insignificant compared to the heavy secret sitting in his chest.
He moved with the flow of students, a blank face in a sea of chatter and laughter.
“Leo! Hey, Leo!”
He turned.
It was Maya.
His childhood friend.
They’d lived on the same street since they were five.
She had bright, curious eyes and hair she was always trying to tame into a ponytail.
She fell into step beside him, her smile easy and familiar.
“Good morning,” Leo said, forcing a small, tight smile.
It felt like a lie on his face.
“Good morning to you,” Maya chirped, then her smile faded as she studied him.
“Hey… what happened with you? You look… I don’t know. Sad today. Or spaced out. Something.”
Leo’s stomach tightened.
Could she see it?
Could she see the guilt, the shame, the dark thrill stamped on his soul?
He looked away, focusing on the scuffed linoleum floor.
“Nothing. Just tired,” he mumbled, the same excuse he’d given his mom.
Maya wasn’t convinced.
She nudged his shoulder with hers.
“Come on. We’ve known each other forever. It’s more than tired. You’ve got that look. The ‘my-dog-died-or-I-failed-a-test’ look. Which is it?”
“It’s nothing, Maya. Really.” He tried to sound final, but his voice was weak.
They reached his locker.
He spun the combination, his movements robotic.
28-14-7.
Click.
The door swung open.
Maya leaned against the next locker, watching him.
“Is it your mom?” she asked, her voice dropping to a more serious tone.
Leo froze, a textbook half-pulled from his locker.
His heart hammered against his ribs.
“What about my mom?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
“I don’t know. You two live alone, right? It must be hard sometimes. I’ve never even met her, you know. You never bring friends over.” Maya said it casually, but it was an observation she’d held for years.
Leo shoved the textbook into his backpack.
The mention of his mom, of his home, sent a jolt through him.
The image of her sleeping, of her peaceful face while he… He slammed the locker shut, the sound louder than he intended.
A few students glanced over.
“Sorry,” he muttered.
“It’s okay,” Maya said softly.
She was looking at him with real concern now.
“Look, if something’s going on at home… you can talk to me. My parents are therapists, remember? I’ve heard everything. Well, not everything-everything, but you know what I mean.”
Leo finally met her eyes.
Maya’s gaze was clear, honest, and full of innocent friendship.
It was like looking into the sun after being in a dark room.
It hurt.
He thought about telling her.
Not the truth, never the truth.
But maybe he could say he was worried about his mom.
That things felt strange.
That he felt strange.
But the words stuck in his throat.
How could he voice any of it without the real horror leaking out?
“It’s just… it’s just me,” he finally said, his voice hollow.
“I’m in my head too much. Don’t worry about it.”
Maya sighed, accepting his deflection for now.
“Alright. But the offer stands. And seriously, you should let me meet your mom one day. I bet she’s nice. She raised you, after all.”
A wave of nausea hit Leo.
She raised you.
Yes.
She had.
She had fed him, clothed him, loved him.
And what had he done?
He managed a weak nod.
“Yeah. Maybe someday.”
The warning bell rang, signaling one minute to class.
“Gotta go,” Maya said, giving him one last, worried look.
“Chemistry awaits. Try to smile, okay? It might help.”
She turned and disappeared into the stream of students.
Leo stood alone by his locker.
The noise of the hallway faded into a dull roar in his ears.
Maya’s kindness felt like an accusation.
Her normal world of school, friends, and concerned parents was a universe away from the silent, charged atmosphere of his home, from the memory of his mother’s warmth, from the secret that was now a part of him.
He had thought the act would satisfy the hunger.
But as he walked to class, the empty feeling in his gut told him it had only made it worse.
He had taken something, and now he had to live with it.
And he had to face her again tonight.