Chapter 3: Light and Shadow

 

 

Om had insisted on taking Mick home himself. It turned out that they lived not very far apart, so they just shared a cab home.

 

"Are you sure you don't know who did this to you? And why?" Om insisted.

 

Mick knew exactly why, but he didn't say anything. He had no idea who the culprit was, and what good would it have done to tell Om? It would just make his life more unbearable. If only he had a chance to confront his bully, show whoever he was that he hadn't sought out attention from anyone on purpose, maybe they'd stop.

 

"P'Om, could you...please not tell anyone what happened? I don't want anyone to worry."

 

Om sighed. "Fine, well, let me give you my Line id and my number. If anything like this ever happens to you again I want you to come straight to me. Promise me."

 

Mick smiled, and nodded. Well, there was a silver lining to all this, at least, he thought.

 

They pulled up in front of the block of apartments he shared with his mom and sister. His parents had divorced when he was six and he only saw his dad rarely as he now had another family off in Rayong. At least he still paid for the house and tuition for all his kids.

 

"P'Om, thanks- thanks for everything," Mick said shyly, as he opened the door.

 

"Get out of here," Om said gruffly. "You're letting the mosquitoes in."

 

"Oh I'm sorry!" Mick closed the cab door behind him and gave a wai. As the taxi pulled away, the window rolled down and Om stuck his head out. "Take care of yourself! And be careful from now on!" He yelled.

 

And for the second time today, Mick felt like he was walking on air.

 

***

 

Mick caught a bit of flak from his mom for coming home so late and almost missing dinner, but he didn't tell her or his sister why. He merely said he was getting extra lessons for the French horn, and that a senior was helping him with that.

 

His mom in particular was very protective of him, and had cried nonstop when he came back with a black eye one day in his previous school. She'd raised so much hell with his dad until he agreed to move Mick to Friday College despite its exorbitant fees. There was absolutely no way he was going to tell her it was happening again.

 

He'd have confided to his sister but she was four years older than he, and was sitting for her college entrance exams soon. So that was out of the question. All Mick could do was to keep his head down and hope that whoever it was had gotten his revenge out of his system.

 

Mick showered and changed and did his homework before he started his battered old laptop (a hand-me-down from his sister, like so many other things). It was his nightly ritual to check Facebook and youtube for the latest music videos from his favorite singers and bands.

 

He frowned, there was a new friend request on FB. He hadn't had one in months. Most of the people on his friends list were his cousins, or his classmates and not that many of them, even.

 

Om TheMagnificent wants to be your friend. Accept?

 

Mick covered his mouth before he could squeal in delight and wake everyone up. And it wasn't just FB. Om had added him on every social network he was on, Instagram, Twitter, Line. He spent a good few hours being a stalker, going though Om's pictures and envying his life.

 

Om was funny, and popular. There were literally hundreds of pictures of him in some goofy pose or the other, always surrounded by his friends and bandmates. Music was such a huge part of his life, and it showed. Mick went through his list of favorite music and noted with a little disappointment that none of their music styles matched, except some ska. He even tried to watch a Deftones music video but had hurriedly closed it when it got to the "! ! !" part. It just wasn't his thing. 

 

"Mick? Why aren't you sleeping yet?" His mom called outside the door. Mick slammed shut his laptop. 

 

"I'm sleeping soon!" He called.

 

"Is it safe to open the door?"

 

Mick rolled his eyes and yanked open the door to his room. "I'm not doing anything, Ma!"

 

"I'm just asking," Mick's mom said primly. "You're fifteen already, so I'm just respecting your space."

 

By checking on me every fifteen minutes?! Mick thought with some irritation. "Really Ma, I was just listening to some music."

 

"I know, I know, maybe we should have a little talk about what sites are appropriate..."

 

"Oh my god Ma! I'm going to brush my teeth!" Mick fled to the bathroom, his ears burning. The last thing he needed today was The Talk. Mick loved his mom dearly, but she worked in advertising so she tended to approach the whole parenting thing very...creatively. Anyway Mick knew all about the birds and the bees and even if he didn't, the surreptitious packet of condoms he'd found on his bedside table the night of his fifteenth birthday told him that his mom was more than ready to educate him. He brushed his teeth furiously, as if trying to erase that delightful memory. 

 

Thankfully his mom was nowhere in sight as he made his way to the bedroom. He stared sadly at the cracked screen of his phone as it glowed in the dark. He wondered if he should send a message to Om, to thank him for sending him home. And for the hug. 

 

Mick fell back onto his bed, hugging his pillow in glee. He'd never been so close to another guy before, and it felt so good. Even though it was all-too-brief, it had cheered him up immensely. Mick felt the spot on his head where Om had rested his chin, feeling like the biggest dork in the world.

 

He grabbed his phone and spent a good fifteen minutes typing and re-typing all sorts of thank you notes, wondering if he should include stickers, or smileys or nothing. In the end, he felt a simple "Thanks for today" would be enough, considering Om wasn't the type of guy who'd appreciate useless fluff. 

 

He stared at the message, mentally willing it to be read and answered. After a few eye-watering minutes where he dared not even blink or breathe, he had to admit maybe Om was asleep already or wasn't checking his messages. Mick put the phone next to his bed and sighed. 

 

It was a tiring day but his mind was too excited to sleep. He'd fought yet another faceless monster, but this time he had a knight in shining armor to the rescue. Mick smiled again at the thought of Om's warm arms encircling him, and his fingers strayed of their own accord to the waistband of his pajamas...

 

His phone buzzed. Mick pounced on it, his heart beating. Yes! It was Om!

 

"GO TO SLEEP." Was all it said, followed by a sticker of Brown (the bear mascot for Line) holding a toy bunny by its ears.

 

Mick stifled a giggle, and obediently put the phone down. His dreams that night were filled with shadows, but also light- from a tall guy with buzz-cut hair.

 

*** 

 

The next day was a Saturday, and yet another band practice day, this time on the field. His mom had insisted he bring along sunblock, though of course he never used it. Mick had hopes that he'd get a tan so he wouldn't blush so easily - or rather, it wouldn't be so obvious - but no such luck. His fair skin just turned red as a lobster until the senior guys would pull him off the field, alarmed.

 

His heart skipped several beats when he saw Om, but the senior just nodded without expression when Mick greeted him, the same to any other junior who did so. Mick tried hard not to let his disappointment show. He’d texted Om with a cheery Brown sticker of a bear waking up from bed, but had received no reply. 

 

Mick went through the motions, slightly sullenly. He knew he shouldn’t be expecting special treatment - in fact he’d been fighting hard for that - but would it kill Om to give him one smile? 

 

Per came over with a bottle of water for Mick during break. “Hey, no hard feelings about yesterday, right?” the older boy grinned, showing his braces.

 

Mick eyed him warily, before accepting the bottle. “Thanks, p’,” he said, wondering if it was Per who had locked him in the toilet. It sure didn’t sound like him though, and he just couldn’t imagine the sunny 10th grader doing such a thing. 

 

“I liked the joke, actually,” Mick said shyly. “I can’t wait to try it on my juniors next year.”

 

“That’s the spirit!” Per laughed and slapped Mick on the shoulder, causing him to choke on his water.

 

“Oh , better not let Film see that!” Per looked around for the senior who was thankfully conferring with the other members.

 

“P’Per, what did Film say…about me?” Mick summoned up the courage to ask.

 

“Oh…you don’t know?” Per looked stunned. Mick shook his head silently in confusion.

 

“Er…in that case…maybe it’s better you don’t know, heh,” Per said. “Don’t worry it’s nothing serious.”

 

Mick just nodded. He squinted at Om in the hot morning sun. The tall senior was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans, but still managed to look cool and hot at the same time, Mick couldn’t explain it. He wished he had his height, so many clothes would fit then. It was embarrassing to shop at the children’s department when one was already fifteen and a half. 

 

Om caught Mick looking at him, and the boy would have blushed even further if not for the sun already reddening his cheeks. Om gave him an almost-imperceptible wink before turning back to talking to Film.

 

Did he really just do that?! Mick bit his lip. Omg omg omg. He stared at the ground, hiding his grin from everyone. 

 

The session ended at about 11am, and as everyone prepared to go home, Om came up to Mick. "What are you doing later?" He asked in a low voice.

 

"Me?!" Mick squeaked.

 

"No, I'm asking your invisible friend. Yes, you!" Om said exasperatedly. 

 

"M-my moms picking me up later," Mick said. "But I can tell her to come later..."

 

"Good. I'm taking you out," Om said with some satisfaction.

 

"Out?" Mick asked dumbfoundedly, his voice squeaking an octave higher. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

 

"Shhh do you want the whole world to know? Film would throw a fit if he found out," Om said, looking around.

 

Why was the whole world afraid of Film?! Mick was dying to know now. "Okay, but where are we going, p'?" He said in a loud whisper.

 

Om's answering smile sent shivers down Mick's spine. 

 

"You'll see."