The rest of the day dragged on slowly, as did most school days. I enjoyed my mile walk home, appreciating the time alone while I listened to music and just let my mind wander, to good things of course. I fantasized about what my life could be like if I weren't so fucked up. I imagined a future where I was happy, a dream I knew would never come true.

I got home and yet again; I was alone. My parents wouldn't be home from work for a few hours, so I watched YouTube videos on the tv in the living room and did my homework. I was a fairly good student, I didn't like to go out or do things that most normal teenagers did, so I had a lot of time to do homework and study. I was probably the top of my class, but my school didn't release rankings. I took pride in my grades; it was the only thing I had control over it seemed. Every other aspect of my life had been taken from me and was now held hostage to my anxiety and depression. Academics was the one area of my life my mental illness couldn't touch, or I wouldn't let it touch.

When Mom and Dad came home, I instantly started helping Mom with dinner. We talked about my day, I conveniently left out getting beat up by Kyle, and almost getting beat up by Trent. We sat down to eat, and Dad talked about his upcoming business trip. He was going to Germany for a week next month, and a couple of weeks after that he had to go to California. Dad traveled all the time for his job, he was a tech consultant for various pharmaceutical companies. He worked on projects all over the world, and while he typically was able to work from home or the local office for his company, sometimes they needed him to travel to sites. I didn't mind him traveling, not anymore anyway. When I was little it put a lot of strain on Mom, but now that I'm older and mostly self-sufficient, the time he's gone serves as quality mother son bonding time.

"Gray, your father and I were thinking about extending his trip to Germany, and I would join him out there after the first week. It's our 20-year anniversary that week so we thought we could celebrate. But only if you're okay with that!" She quickly added at the end.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I asked. "I think it's great that you guys are taking a vacation together, I'll be fine on my own," I reassured them. Mom smiled gently at me and Dad nodded before going back to his spaghetti. I didn't miss the worried looks Mom kept giving me through the rest of dinner, though. My parents worried about me, a lot. They kind of had reason too. I mean, most kids don't have night terrors every night at 16 years old. Imagine if they knew the real story?

After dinner I headed up to my room to unwind from the day and get ready for bed. Around 10 p.m. I shut out my light and lay in bed, trying to shut off my mind long enough to go to sleep. I managed to get a few hours before waking up from a nightmare. After that I tossed and turned, played Animal Crossing, and scrolled through social media before my alarm rang for me to start my day. I showered, got dressed, did my best to look halfway decent, and then headed downstairs to grab some breakfast before heading out to school.

As I headed to first period, I was so tired I that I wasn't my usual hyperalert self. I was so unaware of my surroundings that I missed Kyle and his crew hanging out at the end of the hallway, waiting for me to walk right into them. As I rounded the corner, I felt that familiar tug on my backpack as I got thrown into the lockers. I cried out as my head collided with the cold metal and just cowered on the floor, waiting for my morning beating.

"Hey queer!" Kyle shouted, kicking me in the stomach. I gasped for air as I tried to brace myself for the hits to come. "Is the crybaby crying again?" Kyle mocked my choked sobs that were barely escaping my lips. I waited for the next kick or punch, but it never came.

"What the fuck is going on here?" A deep, raspy voice asked. For a minute I thought, and hoped, it might be a teacher coming to my rescue.

"Teaching this wuss a lesson," was Kyle's answer, crushing my hopes. Whoever this was would probably join in on my beating too. Instead, I hear the sound of a fist colliding with what could only be Kyle's stupid face.

"If I ever see you so much as look at him again, I swear I'll kill you," there was hatred and anger in his voice. I still hadn't looked to see who it was, but the voice was vaguely familiar. I only dared to look after I heard the sounds of feet running away. I could feel whoever this was kneel down next to me and I brought my hands away from my tear stained face to see Trent Rodriguez. I never got too much into it before, but Trent was your stereotypical bad boy from a teen rom com. Leather jackets, piercings, Doc Martins, smoking, drinking, basically any stereotype you can imagine relating to bad boy types and that is Trent. I mean, right down to his name! Did I also mention that he was gorgeous? Like, really gorgeous? He had these piercing green eyes and dark brown, almost black hair that he wore shaved down on the sides with the longer part at the top slicked back. His ears were slightly stretched, and his nose was pierced, a silver hoop in the right side. His deep olive toned skin has a perfect complexion, and when he smiled his perfectly straight teeth beamed pearly white.

I know what you're all thinking... I totally do not have a crush on Trent Rodriguez. I can appreciate how good looking someone is without crushing on them. Besides, you all remember how he almost killed me yesterday, right? I was so confused as to why this beautiful boy was kneeling down next to me, concern painted across his face.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he held out his hand to try to help me up. I rejected his offer for help and sat up on my own, grabbing my stomach as I did so, wincing in pain. "Here let me help you up," he said as he grabbed my arm to try to pull me up. My breath caught in my throat and I instantly jerked my arm away.

"No!" I shouted and forced myself to stand up on my won. He was startled by my outburst but I didn't care. I just took off running in the direction of my class.

"Hey, wait up!" He shouted and ran down the hall after me. "I'm sorry if I upset you, I was only trying to help." He was right on my heels by this point and I could feel a panic attack coming on.

"P-please back away," I stuttered as I bent over with my hands on my knees to try to steady my breathing.

"Jesus, do you need to go the nurse? Counseling? I don't particularly like it there, but I can take you," he rattled off every resource in school he knew that could help someone clearly in crisis.

"I'm f-fine." My breathing was returning to normal as he had taken a few steps away from me.

"What's your name, kid?" He asked with a smile.

"G-Grayson Daniels," I muttered.

"Nice to meet you Grayson, I'm Trent Ro-"

"I know," I cut him off, rolling my eyes because of course I know who he is.

"Right, I kind of have a reputation don't I," he laughed. "Well look, if Kyle and his goons give you any more trouble, just come let me know, okay? It's not cool for them to pick on you like that."

"Th-thanks," I stuttered. "And thanks for saving me," I gave him a weak smile to show my appreciation.

"Anytime. Hey, would you wanna-" he started to ask me something but was cut off by the bell.

"I have to g-go," I said and turned to walk into the classroom we had been standing outside of. What was he going to ask? I mean, not that it matters. I could never let myself get involved with someone like Trent anyway. He was dangerous, the last think I needed was danger.

"Are you okay, Grayson?" Ms. Reynolds, my biology teacher asked. She was a sweet woman, maybe in her mid-twenties and she was always looking out for me. I think she could tell I was a walking crisis and was trying to help me out. I honestly did appreciate it and she was one of my favorite teachers, I also really liked science too.

"Y-yeah, thanks Ms. Reynolds." I lied. She didn't quite buy it but also didn't press the situation, which I was grateful for. I just headed to my seat in the back of the classroom and opened my notebook, ready for the distraction of the school day.

I made it through my morning without any more incidents. I spent most of my day in a daze thinking about Trent. I was so confused as to why someone like him would want to talk to someone like me. Why did he defend me? I figured he would be shouting homophobic slurs right along with them. He also seemed genuinely interested in making sure I was okay too; I just couldn't figure it out. This had to be part of a prank or something.

"Hey Gray!" Nat said as she sat down next to me in the cafeteria. Nat was one of the only people who didn't make me panic. I had known her basically since we were born. Our moms work together and were pregnant at the same time, so they vowed that we would be best friends. I think they were also hoping we'd get married someday. My gayness kind of killed that dream though.

"Hi Nat," I half smiled as she sat down.

"What's wrong? Did Kyle beat you up again?" Nat was probably the only other person who knew about Kyle bullying me. I was too afraid to tell anyone, I tried once in seventh grade, but Kyle's parents were on the school board, so no one believed me. Since then I kept my mouth shut. I just had to make it through these next three years, and I never had to see him again.

"He tried to."

"What do you mean tried?" She looked at me with a confused look on her face.

"Trent Rodriguez stopped him?" I said as more of a question than a statement.

"What?"

"Yeah, Kyle punched me and then his boys were about to kick the crap out of me, but Trent stepped in before they could. Then he tried to have this whole conversation with me, it was so bizarre."

"What kind of practical joke is he pulling?"

"I don't know, but I don't intend to find out."

When the day was finally over, I grabbed my stuff and made my way out of school. I was so relieved to go home after this weird ass day. I almost made it out of the building when I felt a tug on my backpack, déjà vu much?

"I don't see your boyfriend around to save you now faggot!" Kyle spat as he shoved me against a locker.

"P-please leave me a-alone," I begged as he punched me. His friends joined in and I couldn't do anything other than cry and hyperventilate as each blow hit me.

"Kyle, someone's coming!" One of his friends, who I'm assuming was supposed to keep watch shouted. They all let me go and ran off down the hall. The teacher that was heading down the hall didn't notice me curled up in a ball next to the lockers. Of course he didn't. I was invisible at this school. I could barely talk to anyone without stuttering, Nat was my only friend. No one knew I existed except for Kyle and his crew. Once the teacher passed, I forced myself up off the floor. When I tried to take a step, a pain shot up my right leg and I nearly fell over again. I put my hand against the lockers to steady myself and then began to slowly limp out of school. This walk was going to suck.

I limped down the stairs and began my mile walk home, wincing every time my right foot touched the ground. I scanned the parking lot to make sure I wasn't being followed, the last thing I needed was to be beat up, for the third time. I didn't see Kyle's car in the student lot, he drove a Mercedes Benz G-Wagon, the only kid in the school who owned one. It tended to stick out like a sore thumb. I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized it was gone and that made limping home a little bit easier.

I did, however, notice that Trent was still here, standing outside of his black Ford F-150. We made eye contact and I instantly looked away and tried to walk faster, which was proving impossible on my possibly broken ankle. "Grayson!" Trent's voice yelled after me. I kept walking, pretending I didn't hear him, but a moment later his truck pulled up alongside me. "Grayson, please, let me help you," he pleaded as I continued to limp along.

"G-go away!"

"Grayson, you're limping. Please just let me drive you home at least?" He asked.

"You're l-lucky my ankle really h-hurts," I grumbled at him as I limped over to the truck.