Tell you what, we’re going for a run. In the park.
Let’s see if you’re still awake after that…
Knowing you, it was four. Or more.
Did you sleep tonight?
Hi. You… okay?
Oh. Right. His phone. Ally. He’d totally forgotten to tell her about the short-trip. And then Ric had distracted him and… The truth was, he didn’t remember much about the weekend, but what he did remember made him smile and want to turn around and go back to sleep.
But he couldn’t because there was a worried friend to message and tell her that he was okay. More than okay. The best he’d been in months —
[text] SORRY
[text] We’re okay, I swear.
[text] Just sore. XD And tired.
[text] Talk to you later, okay?
He looks left, then right, then at Rick.
Grins.
“You sure no one saw you?”
“Because I ain’t sharing, not this time.”
During his second year in high school, Nik, along with twelve other boys in his year, were chosen to partake in an experimental Health Class over a course of two days where the instructors each spoke about mental and physical health, sexuality, gender identity and abuse. It was during these lessons that Nik obtained a wider understanding of just what Mikael was subjecting him to, finding that he answered yes to most questions that bordered upon child abuse and it was during these lessons that Nik slowly began to realize that what Mikael was doing was in fact illegal.
With this discovery, Nik’s confidence was temporarily raised, finding that he was capable of confronting Mikael’s actions against him calmly, if not fearlessly and found a logical and well-mannered approach to put Mikael off when he saw the rise of an attack about to take place.
However, one day Mikael chose to take Nik to the Sheriffs Office where he subjected Nik to witnessing just how much pull his father had over the law holders of Mystic Falls. Finding that everyone, not only his father’s colleagues on the force, but the administrators, file boys and secretaries would hang off of Mikaels every word. Nik was forced to watch Mikael flaunt his charisma, how everyone within the office would listen when he spoke and he realized that they would each follow Mikael into a battlefield if he told them to.
Nik’s confidence depleted, and with his fear of what Mikael was capable of renewed, he was returned home by one of the deputies.
“… okay. Well… I think you have nice eyes. When you’re not glaring at me. Don’t like your frown, though. Or anything else about you.”
“Nothing. I don’t like anything about you.”
[text] Sure.
[text] Be safe.
[ten minutes later]
[text] Tell me if you want to go home.
saltzatore 