Tuesday

Seth waited until he heard his father pull out of the driveway before he got out of the bed and slowly made his way to the bathroom. His entire body was sore. Turning on the water he let it heat up before going over to the mirror. First he washed his face, brushed his teeth and got into the shower. Leaning his head against the tile wall he closed his eyes and let the water cascade down his body. He stayed in the shower for nearly an hour before getting out. Towel hanging around his waist and went back to his room. Looking at himself in his closest mirror he frowned. His body was littered with purple and black bruises. After a while he felt himself crying and reached up to wide his face. Glancing over at the clock he saw that it was almost seven so he got dressed and left the house. Pulling his hood over hid head, folded his arms over his chest and walked the fifteenth blocks to school. He got there around seven thirty, just as the warning bell started ringing. Head down he walked the halls before finally getting to his locker but just as he reached it a foot came out and tripped him. He hit the floor with a thud as laughter soon filled the halls. He laid there until it died down before sitting up and saw his history teacher.

"Are you okay Seth?" Asked Kelly.

"Yeah I tripped." Getting to his feet he started to walk off but Kelly stopped him by grabbing his arm. "Ow!" He pulled away and held his arm close to his chest. He saw Kelly about to speak but he cut her off. "I'm fine just leave me alone." He went to the nearest bathroom and locked himself in one of the stalls. Taking off his jacket he glanced down at his bruised arm. "Fuck!" He buried his face in his hands. When he heard the bell ring he didn't budge but when someone knocked on the door his head shot up. He watched the feet walk back and forth but stayed silent. After a while someone knocked on the door. "What?"

"It's me, can you come out." A voice says.

Seth watched as the feet backed away from the door. He put his jacket back on and opened the door. Randy was leaning against the sink, one leg crossed over the other.

Randy looked his once best friend up and down before beginning to talk. "It's been a while huh?"

"Yeah." Seth replied. "Why'd you come over yesterday?"

Randy shrugged. "I just wanted to see if you were okay. I heard about what happened with Bray and the others yesterday. Those guys are nothing but fucking cowards if you ask me." Seth stayed quiet. "How have you been?"

"Okay." Seth lied. "How's football going?"

"It's going good, we gotta game coming up this Saturday." Randy says. "You should come, I think you'll enjoy yourself there."

"I can't." He knew better then to go anywhere without his father knowing about it. "I should go."

"Wait." Randy says stepping in front of him. "Is there something going on that you feel like you can't talk to me about. Because you know that you can tell me anything and it will stay between us."

"There's nothing." Seth says.

"Is there something going on at home?"

"Randy this doesn't concern you so just stay out of it, please." Seth nearly shouts. "The last thing I want is for you to brought into this, just stay away." With that he turned and left the bathroom.

...

After school

Randy was sitting on the bench outside the school. His helmet sitting beside him while his eyes stared off into space. He couldn't stop thinking about his conversation with Seth earlier. He was pulled from his thoughts when someone yelled his name. Looking up his eyes grew wide but before he could react a football smacked him right in the head and he fell backwards off the bench. "What the hell man!" He groaned rubbing his head. "Brooks!"

"It wasn't me it was golden boy Johnny over there!" Phil jogged over to the bench and held out his hand.

"You alright man." Dolph says joining them. "You've been quiet ever since you got in the locker room. What's going on?"

"Nothing I'm just a little distracted." Getting up he grabbed his helmet and put it on. "Come on let's get on the field before coach catches a fit." The group headed back on the field. He still found himself distracted, forgetting plays, not watching the ball and missing tackles.

"Randy, what the hell are you doing out there?!" Brock yelled. Brock use to be a professional football player but a freak accident put him in retirement, permeability. "If you don't get it together I'm benching you for the next three games!"

...

Seth was sitting in the guidance office patiently and nervously waiting for the counselor. He thought it would be useless but he'd do anything to get his teachers off his back. He looked towards the door when it opened and a young man stepped inside. The man looked only a few years older then him. His long hair pulled back in a ponytail. He couldn't look away from him.

Roman smiled when saw Seth. "Hi Seth my name is Roman."

"I know." Seth says. "Even though we've never really spoke I've seen you around. You seem pretty young to be a guide counselor." Seth says. "How old are you anyway, twenty?"

"Twenty-one actually." Roman says. "But I graduated with honor, the youngest in my family to earn a bachelors degree, youngest in the state actually."

"So why would you come back to this hellhole known as highshool?"

Roman frowned, memories of his childhood started to cloud his thoughts and he found himself opening up to the younger lad. "Growing up I learned to fend for myself. My parents were junkies, only fixated on their next fix. I juggled school and a night job just to stay out of the house. During my senior year I met this kid, a freshman. He was quiet, got bullied and just never could catch a break. I took extra credit courses after school and that's when I saw him. He was in the boys locker room sitting in the showers. His body covered in bruises and scares. Turns out his old man was beating on him." Roman started playing with his fingers. "We started talking after that, I became someone he confined in, someone he trusted. I tried to get help for but my folks told me to stay out of it, cops kept saying there was nothing they could do, he wouldn't talk to anyone about it. I did everything I could to help him but when he stopped coming to school I knew that something was wrong."

Seth swallowed. "What happened to him?"

"He committed suicide." Roman sighed and sat back in his seat. "That's why I became a guidance counselor. To help those that are too afraid to speak out for themselves."

"What was his name?"

"Evan...he was fifteen." Roman wiped his face, not knowing that he was crying.

Seth was speechless as he wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans.

Roman cleared his throat. "But enough about me, we're here to talk about you. Some of your teachers tell me that you've been having trouble fitting in."

Seth shrugged, wrapping his arms tighter around himself. "What highshool kids don't."

"Okay since this is our first time together why don't we focus on something else." Roman says. "Why don't you tell me some things that you like, that you enjoy doing."

The two of them talked for nearly an hour and Seth found that he was comfortable around the older man.

Afterwards

Seth could hear the rain before he stepped outside the school. Pulling his hoodie tighter over himself he stepped out into the pouring rain and started his fifteen block walk home. He barely made it out of the school parking lot when he heard a car honking behind him, he ignored it and kept walking. The car continued to honk but he kept waking. He turned when the car pulled up next to him and rolled down the window. It was Randy.

"Seth get in the car!" Randy yelled.

"I'm alright!" Seth yelled back.

"Come on dude it's pouring, let me give you a lift home!" He stopped his car when Seth started walking again. "Seth!"

Seth stopped again but kept his eyes on the ground, he really didn't want to walk the fifteen blocks home so he walked over to the passengers side and opened the door but he didn't get in. "Randy I'm going to get your seat all wet."

"Just get in!" Randy yelled sitting back. The ride to Seth's house was quite. Randy had a million questions he wanted to ask Seth but he was afraid that he would upset him if he did so he stayed silent. After a while he pulled up in front of Seth's house just as the rain was dying down and turned off his car.

"Thanks for the ride." He looked around but didn't get out because his dad's car was in the driveway.

Randy frowned at how scared Seth look. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah." He lied. "I'll see you later." He got out and headed to the door. He didn't hear Randy pull away until he got inside, looked out the window and saw him drive off. He turned and scanned the living room to find his dad passed out on the couch, beer bottles and trash everywhere. He knew that he would be the one to be blame for it so he dropped his book bag and silently started to straighten up the livingroom. The last thing he wanted was his father to wake up.

...

When Roman got home he dropped his keys and jacket on the table and flopped down on the couch. He couldn't stop thinking about his session with Seth. He was also surprised with himself because he told him things about his childhood that he hasn't even told Dean yet. He somehow felt a connection with him. He looked towards the door when it opened and Dean walked in. "Hey, did you find anything?"

"Who seriously would hire me with my background." Going to the fridge he grabbed two beers before sitting next to him. "How did it go with the new kid?"

"It was alright." Roman says. "Just thinking about some stuff." His mind drifted back to Seth. He didn't know what but something about Seth reminded him of Evan and not in a good way. He could tell that it was going to be hard to get Seth to open up to him but he was going to try everything to get him too.

...