Chapter Text
“ SOMEONE CARES ,
EVEN IF YOU DON’T KNOW ,
YOU’RE IMPORTANT TO SOMEONE . “
terror .
<3
The Harts family seemed perfect: happy, healthy, loving, caring, etc..
Nobody would have guessed what it's like to actually be a part of the family, everyone just assumes that all is well and that each of them are kind, enjoyable, loving people. Henry Hart was loved by basically anybody who lived and breathed. Even the people who act as if they deeply hated him, love him, they are just jealous of all the attention one teen-boy can get by simply existing. So Henry’s admirers expected his family to all be like him. Piper Hart, Henry’s little sister. She's the embodiment of a bratty, ungrateful, child. She would get angry if even just one person disagreed with her, especially Henry. Though she was great at acting like she was the sweetest little girl the world had ever had the fortune to have breathing upon this planet.
Jake and Kris Hart, the most cherished couple in Swellview. Everyone would say that they loved one another deeply, believing that their love was genuine and beautiful, wanting the same for themselves.
None of them will believe the truth. The truth that their marriage is loveless; a hollow shell of what would be an example of true love. Neither Jake or Kris know what it's like to be truly in love, never understanding what people meant when they said that relationships are meaningful and important. To them relationships are a waste of time and space.
Henry and Piper were a product of the both of them being pressured by their parents to have children, neither knowing how to take care of the two. Henry’s childhood was spent taking care of his little sister since the age of three, taking away his childhood, maturing faster than he ever needed to. Nobody could understand what the boy went through, having to raise another human being all on his own, doing everything that a parent was supposed to be doing.
Doesn’t matter how desperately Henry wanted to tell someone, anyone, about his home life, he just couldn’t. any time the words were about to leave his mouth it was like his mouth suddenly became a desert, body becoming entirely frozen. No one should know what happens at home. It's not like he was being abused; being abused means that people would care about you once they learn what you’re going through.
They could act as if they did care even a bit, but Henry knows what they’re actually thinking: he’s weak, pathetic, idiotic, and useless.
Wishing that he didn’t think this way, but he's seemingly been this way ever since he was just mere seconds old. It scared Henry of the possibilities of his mind. Having the power to think and believe anything that could be thought of terrified him.
“Henry Hart! Are you paying any attention to what I'm saying?” a voice boomed in the boy's ear, removing him from his thoughts.
Rapidly looking around the room, noticing the menacing faces drilling into his dark brown eyes, all of them looking at him. Realizing where he was; he picked his head up from atop the desk and sat up correctly inside the seat that's connected to said desk. Looking right into the person who yelled at him in the eyes, - Ms. Shapen - his teacher. She frightened Henry quite a bit, always yelling, spontaneous mood swings, crazy, and just an odd individual in general.
Just like Jasper.
“Um, yea- I was listening,” it almost sounded like he was asking a question back, not fully understanding what was asked of him in the first place, going off of what he believed to be what was said.
“Well then, what did I just ask the class?”
A smug smile formed across Ms. Shapen’s mouth, finding the chance to embarrass Henry quite amusing, the boy that everyone loves can mess up too. Though instead of embarrassing him, she frightens him. The said smile reminded him of Drex when he had attempted to kill him multiple times. Even just the thought of Drex causes a panic attack to rise inside of him.
Swiftly standing up from his desk, running out from the classroom and into a run-downed boys bathroom, not caring at that moment if he had seemed crazy. Slamming the bathroom stall door closed. Sitting on the dirty, disgusting, uncleaned floor. Wrapping his hands over atop his ears, almost as an attempt to get rid of the voices swarming his brain. Every thought is replaced by the menacing face of Drex.
The day Henry found out about Ray’s first sidekick, when he had first attempted to fight Drex, being spanked, almost dying multiple times, the most terrifying thing is knowing that he is still alive. Drex is in the Mancave. He could suddenly become alive any day and kill Henry, not that he wouldn’t enjoy that, but he doesn’t want the crazy-ex-sidekick of his boss to be the one responsible for his death.
That's his responsibility.
“Hen! Are you in here?!” a voice urgently said, running into the bathroom in such a rush it was concerning.
Almost as an instinct to hearing the voice he called out that he was in the stall; the voice had become a comfort for him, just hearing it brings him joy. Not understanding as to why. Nobody else had this power over him like they did, it was extremely confusing, not being able to talk to others about this because they wouldn’t understand.
“Henry, can you open the door?” they asked much calmer than when they had firstly entered the bathroom. Sounding more like they were trying to convince themself that Henry was okay rather than Henry himself.
Carefully standing up from the filthy floor, not removing his hands away from his ears, scared of having to face Drex. only then noticing the salty wet tears streaming down his face. He must have looked like such a mess, not wanting the person to see him like this. They couldn’t; having to act and seem perfect to everybody. Thinking about how he’ll need to convince Ray to use the memory erasure machine on everyone that saw him today, which won’t be that difficult, his boss will find any excuse to use the machine.
Realizing that he needs to remove his hands away from his ears to open the stall door. Steadily moving his hands toward the door lock, the door swinging wide open to reveal: Jasper. Upon studying his face, Henry notes that he is crying as well, though not knowing as to why.
Jasper swung towards the weeping boy, wrapping him in a deathly tight hug, suffocating him. The sudden physical contact panicked Henry, but quickly accepted the hug and leaned into it. Placing his head in between the crook of Jasper’s neck, letting all his emotions go at that specific moment. Every negative emotion, feeling, and thought pouring out. Not being able to stop until every last drop of negativity that's been piling up on him is poured out, doesn’t matter how long it’ll take.
Through all the crying, screaming, snot, and punching, Jasper never left his side. Staying there until he knew that his Henry was indeed okay.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” Jasper asked, wiping the last remaining tears off of the now whimpering boy's reddened face.
Henry froze up. He couldn’t lie to his best friend, it would make him feel terrible, but he took an oath, one where he’ll be fired if anyone finds out about his real job. Having to think of a good enough lie turned out to be quite difficult. Not having to ever lie in his life, but always believing that it couldn’t be that hard to think of one, which is probably why all his excuses to get to work sucks.
“My parents have high expectations for me and if Ms. Shapen called them to tell them that I wasn’t paying attention in class I would get in trouble. I don’t know why I freaked out so much though, it's not like they’ll yell at me or anything.”
Jasper looked at his best friend with sympathy, there had to be a reason why he freaked out like that, just getting in trouble because you weren’t paying attention couldn’t cause that. Especially if they won’t yell at him or anything. But he chose to not pressure Henry to tell him anymore then he already did, knowing that it must’ve been hard to say something with how raw his voice probably was after all that crying.
Removing his head from Jasper's neck, looking up at him, noticing that the curly haired boy was no longer crying; tear stains were the only thing that remained remnants of when he was. This brought tears to the brown eyes of Henry Hart, never once imagining that he would make his Jasper Dunlop cry. Loosening his grip around the taller one, putting his arms back to his sides. Immediately regretting his decision, missing the warmth radiating from him, somehow always seeming joyful even in depressing moments.
That's what Henry liked most about Jasper. He had the ability to bring happiness to anybody, no matter who or what, just his existence can bring a smile to anybody's face. Never seeing his best friend sad, somehow always has a smile across his dumb loveable face. But it seemed as though nobody else agreed. People insult and bully him every day, even the teachers don’t treat him equally, acting as if he was just a punching bag to release all their anger on. Forgetting that jasper is a person as well with feelings, beliefs, and thoughts. All Henry wants to do is punch everybody who invalidates his best friend.
It angered him to a degree that he never thought that he could get.
Realizing that it must’ve been a long time since the both of them had moved from this bathroom, Jasper grabbed his phone from his pocket to check what time it was. It had been nearly two hours. As of right now they should be at lunch, meaning that they skipped two classes. It's not like they just skipped because they didn’t want to go to class, though that's what everyone probably thought.
“Do you want to go to lunch? Or do you just want to stay here for a little while?”
Henry’s eyes widened, had it really been that long? Now he’ll definitely get in trouble when he gets home. Not paying attention would've gotten him in enough trouble, but now the punishment will be even worse than it originally was going to be. Skipping class was a big thing for Kris and Jake Hart; they acted as if it was the equivalent of murder.
He considered Jasper's offer to stay in the bathroom for a little longer, though knowing that a little would turn into them skipping the rest of the day, somehow every time they talk it turns into hours. Nobody would be able to bother them anyways, no one goes inside this bathroom. Well besides to either skip or make out with their partner, but everybody forgets about it anyways.
“We can go to lunch.”
Jasper and Henry sat either side of their friend: Charlotte Page. They’re the brainy one of the trio, always being right with whatever they’re talking about, having the best grades, and most importantly figuring out that Henry was Kid Danger. As of right now they have an unreadable face, anger and confusion being the only evident emotions that the both of them could read.
“Where were you guys?! The last time I saw you two was when you both ran out of second period!”
The boys looked at each other, both not knowing what to reply with to Charlotte's question. Henry not wanting to tell them what happened after he ran out of the classroom, Jasper not knowing if Henry is comfortable with Charlotte knowing, so they both stayed quiet for a few minutes.
“You guys don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to. I can feel the awkwardness radiating from the both of you.”
Charlotte said after a few unbearably uncomfortable minutes, taking notice of how awkward it had gotten between their best friends after they asked where they went. Just assuming that it was a personal thing for the pair and they weren’t going to force them to tell them.
Henry laid his head down on the cafeteria table; everything that's already happened today has made him exhausted. Forgetting all about the fact that his parents definitely know that he skipped two classes.
But for right now he feels a sense of peace wash over him. Knowing that his best friends surround him, nobody or anything is bothering him, nothing is needed of him.
Beep beep beep