Tommy ran down the sidewalk, a thick book held over his head that barely did anything to shield the rain that poured down from the sky. There was no rhythm to the rain, and it got to a point where it just irritated Tommy. He rushed past people, trying his best to avoid bumping into them. A powerful gust of wind blew against him, sprinkling cold raindrops on his face. He shivered, knowing he should have brought a real coat with him instead of just a jacket. As soon as he had stepped out of the house that morning and saw the rain, he should have known to grab a coat. However, Tommy didn't want to risk being caught in between one of his parents' absurd and meaningless arguments. He hated to hear their fake kindness to each other when he was with them and dreaded the angry shouts that echoed throughout the house and drifted out the windows.

Tommy quickly descended the steps to the subway, not wanting to miss the train. Everything had gone wrong that day. He felt like he could never catch a break, and he honestly just wanted to give up. After being safely under the underground cover from the subway, Tommy tried to relax. It was a mistake because as soon as he slowed his pace, people tried to push past him. A gruff man shoved past the boy, knocking him down. Tommy's chin struck against the ground, and he bit his tongue. His palms burned as they scraped against the abrasive concrete, and loose papers from Tommy's backpack (that he had forgotten to zip up) fluttered around. No one bothered to help him; instead, just trampling over the papers. "Nononono..." Tommy huffed, trying to collect the papers. Wet and muddy shoe prints littered them, and Tommy couldn't even find them all. He groaned, finally giving up as the train arrived.

Besides his knowledge of his parents' fighting, Tommy also had a harsh day at school. The bullying wasn't anything new, but it was just a dry and harmful joke to him now. Getting pushed and shoved around, punched just for the heck of it, and insulted for reasons he secretly felt he deserved was degrading after a while. It wasn't like he could tell his parents; they'd just blame it on each other and ask him to pick a side, which he despised doing. Speaking of parents, it seemed they had forgotten him- again- at school. Them neglecting him wasn't rare, though. It was actually quite common, only wanting to use him as a tool to win an argument.

The train came, and passengers boarded. With a heavy sigh, Tommy headed to one car that everyone seemed to avoid and settled himself in it. Leaning his head against the cold metal of the train and closing his eyes, Tommy listened as the vehicle started up and raced across the rails. He was grateful that no one was in the same compartment as him. There was no muffled chatter, just the train's noises.

He was alone, but not lonely. He often pondered on those two words, so similar, but so different. The thing about being alone is that it can be a choice to be alone- in fact, Tommy liked to be alone and separate from people. It could be calming but also unnerving, depending on the circumstances. Then there was loneliness. When subject to loneliness, one cannot simply stop being lonely, even if they're surrounded by a million people. Loneliness could choke the life out of anyone, gently coaxing them to a dark room with the idea that being alone as a privilege. Then loneliness would seep poison into them, strangling them and making them writhe on the floor in agony and turmoil. But Tommy would almost always stop before he dove too deep into the two words, not wanting to discourage himself. He would think of different terms and their similarities, but he would stop after the only words that popped into his head were even more disheartening than loneliness.

~~~~~

The train screeched to a stop, startling Tommy awake. Had he been sleeping? Tommy checked his phone to see that it had been at least an hour. He had decided that he wouldn't be going home that day; instead, he would travel around to calm himself. Tommy didn't know where he was going, but he knew he'd get back somehow. It was a Friday, so he wouldn't be missing any school the next day. If he really wanted to, he could get to his friend Tubbo's house to stay the night, but Tommy guessed he'd just get home really late that night or early the next morning. He knew his parents wouldn't notice or even care if he left for good.

Tommy sat up, fixing his fluffy blonde hair as a man drenched with rain in a yellow sweater and a black beanie tugged over his curly brown hair trudged into the same car as Tommy. A guitar case was strapped on the man's back, and he looked tired. Faint dark circles lay beneath his drooping eyes, and he didn't seem to notice the boy in the compartment with him. He fell into a seat parallel to Tommy's, closing his eyes and breathing out a deep sigh. Tommy wasn't sure what to do if he should stay silent or say hello. He didn't end up having to do either, as the man opened his eyes. To his surprise, the man was met with an anxious and scrawny teenager, showing his braces as he awkwardly grinned at the man.

"Hey, there..."