Lovino trailed after his brother as they entered the large building. Feliciano waved and winked to some ladies who blushed and giggled. With a glance after Feliciano, Lovino split up from him to go to his own locker. After collecting his things, he headed to his morning class. Sitting down in his chair with a scowl, he turned to the board. The daily national anthem had just played and students were settling down in their seats as the teacher stood at the front, taking attendance. Hushed whispered invaded his bored surveying of the class. Behind him, a few students were huddled in a tight group. They were quietly talking about someone. He caught a few words and a name. "Feliciano", "Coward", "Gay fag", were some of the things he understood. His teeth clenched as he fought the urge to turn around, slap the students and give them a piece of his mind. But he took Feliciano's word and blocked the student's vulgar insults.
He was heading to his next class when something caught his eye. Words were written sloppily yet rude on Feliciano's locker in permanent marker. "Faggot", "Coward", "Weakling", "Attention whore" and "Slut". Anger seethed in his mind but he just gripped tighter at his binder and stomped away. The day passed by uneventfully and when he and his brother walked home, no one said a thing. Feliciano just trotted upstairs, not even greeting their grandfather, who sat in the kitchen with a worried expression.
Lovino slipped past him and opened the fridge, hoping to find something to eat.
"Lovino, do you know what's bothering Feli?" His nonno asked. A tinge of confusion lit in his old voice.
Lovino shrugged. "I did see some insults written on his locker." He stated, closing the fridge door. He watched as his nonno sighed and shifted in his chair.
"That boy needs to tell me things like this..."
The next day came by and Feliciano seemed more chipper. Though his eyes seemed tired and distant, the corners of his lips were tugged up as he walked to his locker. Lovino lingered in the hallway for a moment before retreating to his own locker. An uneasy feeling of dread hung over him, sending tingles and chills down his spine. He fidgeted all throughout the morning.
After lunch, sudden news spread. Apparently, a body had been found hanging in the gym.
Lovino was mortified to find out it was Feliciano. With his mind numb and his heart aching, he ran to the gym where paramedics surrounded his brother's limp body. He was abruptly stopped by the principal, who hissed at him to get back. He couldn't. "I need to see my brother!" He howled, reaching for him. The paramedics cast pitying glances at him as they loaded Feliciano onto a stretcher. With dejected but solid faces, the medics hauled the stretcher through the gym doors leading outside, disappearing from Lovino's sight.
His legs felt like jelly, his knees threatened to buckle as he stumbled after the principal. The principal led him to his office. Snickers and whispers erupted around the hallway. Lovino blocked them out. His grandfather was called and they rode silently in the car to the hospital. Feliciano was pronounced dead. He had been for quite some time.
With tears streaming down his cheeks, the cold hands of death gripped his shoulders tightly and whispered gentle words in his ears as he grasped the note in his hands.
"Dear everyone,
I'm sorry for existing.
Goodbye."