“Where is Baekhyun?” Kyungsoo asked as Sehun came down stairs dressed for school.

“He’s not coming with us to school today.” Sehun said, clearly upset by something. Kyungsoo didn’t want to ask and honestly he was a bit relieved. Considering Baekhyun had just found out yesterday about him liking Kai, he feared what Baekhyun would do today, but now he guessed he didn’t have to find out.

“Why?” Kyungsoo asked anyways.

“He didn’t say. But I heard the front door slam last night so someone might have come over.” Sehun said while grabbing his books.

“Did he sleep with someone while we were having a sleep over?” Kyungsoo was surprised. That seemed so wrong to do, even if they were asleep.

Sehun shook his head. “No, I was going to go see what it was, but then I heard someone crying and decided not to bother them.”

“Was it…?” Kyungsoo asked alluding to Baekhyun.

“He wasn’t in bed, so I can only assume so.” Sehun said with a small shrug but Kyungsoo could see that Sehun was clearly bothered. “I don’t know what happened or who he was talking to, but I guess it’s best to just give him some space.”

Just then Baekhyun’s mother, Mrs. Byun, walked in from the kitchen with a smile.  “Hey boys, breakfast?” She asked cordially.

“Sorry Mrs. Byun, but not today. We kind of have to leave and Baekhyun doesn’t feel like going to school today so I think we’re just going to go. Thank you for the offer though, we really do appreciate it.” Sehun said sadly. He loved the breakfast Mrs. Byun always made for them, but it would feel weird to eat breakfast with Baekhyun’s family without Baekhyun. Well, it would be weird to eat witch his mom at least.

“Oh that’s too bad,” She started while turning around, “Did Baekhyun say why he wasn’t going to school?”

“No.” Luhan said lazily, quite ready to leave if they weren’t going to eat anything.

“Oh alright then, you boys have fun!” She said before leaving to reenter the kitchen.

Shortly after she left the boys also took their leave from the Byun household to go to school, clueless on what was about to go down.

Baekhyun lazily got up from bed to walk over to his bookcase. He angrily grabbed the pink notebook sticking out like a sore thumb and frowned. They hadn’t used the burn book in a while, but that was because they added everyone they already wanted.

He smiled a bit after opening the book upon seeing the yearbook pictures of all the guys and the comments under them. Some mean, some vile, and some surprisingly nice. Baekhyun had one more name to add to it today though and the name was none other than Park Chanyeol.

He scowled and opened to one of the last unused pages before grabbing a pen from his desk and jumping on his bed. He started writing immediately to let out his frustration.

“Park Chanyeol…” Baekhyun wrote down, “is a good for nothing . Maybe if he took a second to take his head out of his -”

Before Baekhyun could finish writing Chanyeol’s entry into the journal he head footsteps coming up the stairs. He assumed it was Luhan, Sehun, and Kyungsoo so he continued to write until he heard someone who he didn’t expect.

“Why aren’t you going to school?” Mrs. Byun asked, clearly annoyed.

“Because-” Baekhyun tried to explain, but Mrs. Byun cut him off quickly. She would never have done that had the others been here, but as always she was a completely different person once alone with him.

“Don’t try to explain to me. I told you not to miss school unless it was absolutely necessary.” She scowled. “You don’t look even look sick.”

“Please-”

“Why are you like this? Why can’t you ing be a normal son for me once?” She said with an exaggerated sigh. “Do you know how ing embarrassing it is that my son attends this school for gays? Do you know how ing embarrassing it is that all my friends are bragging about their kids getting all A+’s and you can barely get a ing B in your classes?”

Baekhyun balled his fists. “Since when do you care?”

“Since when do I care?” She asked angrily. “God, you’re such an ungrateful little brat. And why did I hear someone come over last night when I only gave permission for your 3 other friends?”

“That’s none of your business.” Baekhyun deadpanned and regretted it instantly when he felt his Mrs. Byun’s fist come in contact with his face.

“This is my house!” She screamed at him while grabbing his shirt collar. “Don’t you ing forget your place in this house Baekhyun I swear to God, you will regret it.”

“You’re not even my real mom!” Baekhyun shouted back while trying to break free from her grip. “You’re just trying to take her place!”

“Your mom died when you were a ing toddler, get the over it. I’ve met your dad since then and we’re married. Whether you like it or not, I’m in charge of you and you will respect me.” She spit. “Perhaps if you weren’t a spoiled rotten I’d take more pride in acting like your mother.”

There it is again, Baekhyun thought. Another person telling him to just get the over it. Maybe he would just make it him life motto since that seemed to be what everyone wanted him to do...

Ripping Baekhyun from his thoughts, she used all her strength to throw him on the floor, seeing as she had a petite figure before storming out his room and slamming the door shut.

“You better not miss anymore ing school!” She screamed while going back down the stairs.

Baekhyun balled his fists and tried his best not to cry, but he couldn’t hold it in. It only took a few seconds for the first few tears to escape before he was sobbing into his own hands. He slumped against the wall and tried to stop crying, but he couldn’t. Chanyeol was such a ing idiot. He didn’t know Baekhyun and what Baekhyun has had to deal with growing up. All he did was make assumptions about him, just like everyone else.

Chanyeol was right, Baekhyun did have a shell, but he had it for a reason. When Chanyeol experiences what it’s like to have a step-mother who hates everything about you and a father who is hardly ever home to even acknowledge you then maybe he can judge him. He never receives love in an affectionate way so how is he supposed to know how to give it? All his father does is apologize whenever Baekhyun asks to spend time with him and write him a check as an apology.

His father has basically bought his way out of being a father, so how should he know any better? Baekhyun wanted to scream in frustration. Why did his mother have to die? If it wasn’t for that stupid car accident when he was 5 years old she would still be here, and his current devil of a step mother would be gone. Even if his father would still be busy with work, he would at least have a mother who actually loved him.

Deciding he didn’t and couldn’t stay in this house while his step-mother was h