Finding out a little bit 0.1*

The following day, Oliver was absent from school. I reached out to him through text, but received no response. Concerned, I decided to visit his house and inquire about his whereabouts from the Canadian woman I encountered there. However, she informed me that Oliver was not at home.

However, as I glanced upwards, I noticed that the light in his room was still on. With curiosity piqued, I patiently waited for the woman to close the door, and observed some movement behind the curtains. Just as I was about to leave, my phone suddenly buzzed, indicating a text message from Oliver. Intrigued, I retrieved my phone and discovered that he had messaged me.

Upon returning home, I eagerly began reading his text. He apologized, referring to me and explained that he was unable to meet for our study session due to his father's imminent arrival home, which prevented him from texting me.

Despite receiving this message, I still wanted to inquire about the events that occurred on the day I last visited Oliver's house. With this in mind, I typed a message to him, asking, "Oliver, what happened after I left that day?"

However, I received no reply, which heightened my worry. Memories of the bruise I had noticed on that day, along with the encounter where he had cornered me, and his father's threatening behavior, flooded my mind. The contrasting attitudes Oliver displayed at school, at home, and with me were perplexing and strange. Nevertheless, I was determined to uncover the truth.

Therefore, I texted him once again, requesting a meeting at the park near my house. After preparing myself, I headed to the park alone and settled down for a few hours. As darkness began to descend, I contemplated leaving, but something compelled me to stay. When Oliver walked towards me, he was completely covered. He had baggy clothes, a hat, and a mask on. However, I still managed to recognize him.

He quietly sat down next to me, and I smiled at him. Unfortunately, he did not smile back, not even a slight smile. I let out a sigh and said, "Thank you for coming, even though it was very difficult." He didn't utter a word, just looked down at the floor while pulling down his mask.

I continued, "But I wanted to make sure you were alright... And ask about your dad, he doesn't seems like a man in his right mind. And the woman in your house, she appears to be indifferent to what goes on at your house. Is she your mother?"

That's when Oliver became filled with rage and spoke harshly, "NO! SHE'S NOT MY MOTHER. SHE'S A WITCH. A WOMAN WHO ONLY STICKS AROUND MY FATHER FOR MONEY! SHE DOESN'T EVEN COME CLOSE TO WHAT MY MOTHER WAS LIKE." I was shocked.

Oliver had tears in his eyes, his body was shaking lividly as his cheeks were red from his outburst. In that moment, I couldn't hold back any longer, so I hugged him. His hat fell on the bench as I ran my hand through his locks of hair.

He looked at me and asked, "What are you doing, Shorty?" I smiled and replied, "You need a hug, so I'm giving you one. I care about you, and I'm here if you need someone to lean on." He hugged me back and started crying even harder. "You're the first person who actually cares about my well-being, without judging me for what I seem like. Please, never leave me Shorty."

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***