Chapter 2 Silence

• Beta's POV
• It was a typical morning at our house, but everything felt wrong. The air was thick with unspoken words and awkward silence. My mother, Martha, sat at the kitchen table, her eyes glued to her phone, scrolling mindlessly. I sat across from her, staring at the half-eaten bowl of cereal in front of me.
• “Are you even going to eat that, or are you just going to sit there, staring at it like it’s a puzzle?” Her voice broke the silence, sharp and impatient.
• I didn’t look up. I just pushed the spoon around in the bowl, my mind far away.
• “Beta,” she called again, her tone sharper. “Are you listening to me?”
• Finally, I met her gaze. “I’m not hungry, Mom,” I said, my voice flat, the words feeling heavy in my chest. But it wasn’t just the cereal. It was everything. The memories from that night, the forest, the wolves, my father. I couldn’t shake it off, but I had no one to talk to. Not her. She was never someone I could confide in.
• She sighed, rolling her eyes. “You’re growing up to be such a bore, you know that?”
• I didn’t respond. I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder.
• "Where are you going now?" she asked, still not looking up from her phone.
• "School," I muttered, no warmth in my voice.
• "Right. Have a good day," she said absentmindedly, as if she didn’t care whether I left or stayed.
• I paused at the door for a second, glancing back at her. But it was a fleeting moment. I was used to it. Used to her indifference. I shut the door behind me with a soft click, stepping into the cold morning air.
• The Classroom
• The classroom was noisy, filled with the chatter of my classmates, but I was detached, sitting at the back of the room. They were all lost in their own worlds, talking about their weekend plans or the latest gossip, things that felt so distant to me.
• “Hey, Beta, you good?” Sam, one of the more outgoing guys in class, called out to me, his voice cheerful.
• I looked up, surprised someone had noticed my mood. “Yeah. Just tired,” I muttered, trying to brush it off.
• Sam didn’t buy it. “You sure? You’ve been off lately. Like, more than usual.”
• I didn’t know how to explain it, what was really eating at me. How could I tell him about that night in the woods? So I just nodded.
• "Alright then," Sam said, his tone saying he wasn’t convinced, but he let it go. He turned back to the rest of the class, his attention drifting.
• The First Period
• The bell rang, signaling the start of the first period. Mr. Carker, the teacher, walked in, his usual cheery attitude masking something forced in his voice.
• “Alright, class,” Mr. Carker said, scribbling something on the board. “Today, we’re diving into history, but first, who is excited about the upcoming field trip?”
• There was a murmur of excitement around the room. I didn’t care. I wasn’t excited about anything anymore.
• “Beta!” Mr. Carker’s voice cut through my thoughts. “What about you? Looking forward to the trip?”
• The class turned to look at me, and I felt the heat rise to my face. I forced a smile, the kind I’d practiced in front of the mirror. “Sure,” I said, the word tasted bitter in my mouth.
• Mr. Carker gave me a thumbs-up. “Good to hear. I like to see some enthusiasm in my students!”
• I couldn’t help but wonder if I was fooling anyone, or was I the only one who knew the truth?
• The Hallway After Class
• The bell rang, loud and sharp, signaling the end of class, but I couldn’t shake the heaviness in my chest. The weight of the day pressed down on me like a ton of bricks.
• My mind was still stuck on this morning, the look in my mother’s eyes, her coldness,
• I grabbed my books from my locker and shoved them into my bag, desperate to get out of this place, away from everyone. I couldn’t take it anymore.
• “Yo, Beta, wait up!”
• I froze,
• I slammed the locker door shut with more force than I meant to, irritation flooding through me. “What is it now?”
• Sam jogged up to me, his face full of concern. “You okay, man?” He hesitated, like he wasn’t sure if he should press. “You’ve been kind of... distant. Not your usual self, you know?”
• I clenched my jaw, trying to push the feeling in my chest down. The truth felt suffocating, pressing against my ribs. I couldn’t talk to him about it. Not about my mother. Not about that night. “I’m fine, alright? Just... a lot on my mind.”
• “Alright, whatever.” He shrugged, his voice still laced with worry. “Just know you’ve got me here, okay?”
• I hesitated, my throat tight. The words almost came out, but I swallowed them down. I wasn’t going to break in front of him. “Thanks,” I muttered, the words barely escaping my lips.
• Without waiting for his response, I turned and walked off, my feet moving on autopilot. I didn’t look back.