"ETHAN, LET YOUR ASS HERE NOW !" Pop's voice raised in the house. 

I don't want to go there, bit I knat that if I don't, Pop might rip my head off. The door creak, the house is now silent. I anticipate what's coming for me. With hesitant steps, I walk slowly to the living room, where Pop is sitting in the old green armchair, waiting for me, beer in hand.

"Well, ya little shit. I've been busy recently. But to mah surprise, ya and ya little sister were not here in the middle of a night" Pop was drunk, intoxicated by his hatred, his accent becomes more present the more he drinks. It was the same as Dad. This was the proof that you can't piss him off. Or at least, not more than he already is. "Would ya care to explain yarself."

I try to find the correct words, but my long answer makes Pop stand up, smashing the half-full bottle against the wall. Startled by this, I moved as far away from the wall as possible, but it was then that I felt a warm drop run down my cheek. My hand caresses the spot to reveal a trail of blood.  A piece of glass had strayed from its trajectory to land on my face. But it must have been miniature, because I don't know where it went nor did I see it coming.

Pop, stepped toward me. I try to step back to avoid him, but with each step, Pop gets closer until my back touches the still-wet wall. He lift his hand and I hide my face in my arm, but Pop grabbed it and put it away. Pop touch my cheek and wipe out the dripping blood. 

An almost perverted smile appears on his damaged lips. My legs tremble, my gaze wanders and my heart races. The room is like a cage. I can't breathe properly. My head spins as Pop grabs my jaw.

"You scared, shithead? like you should be." He brings his face close to mine "You need to learn to respect me, I've been too nice to the both of you. I'll have to make it up to you." as the words escaped his mouth, Pop hits me in the stomach, almost making me throw up breakfast.

I drop to the floor on my knees, tears froming up in my eyes. I hope Lucy is still sleeping. I am scared of what could happen to her. I thought Pop finished but suddenly, he gives me a huge kick in the ribs, and he doesn't stop at the first one. I cough suddenly, tears escaping. I have to be quiet, Lucy will hear.

Nice, today is a big day for the football team. It's the semi-final, our last chance to go to the final next week. 

Hopefully, Pop stops finally bored. To go in the kitchen. 

This is my only chance to escape. 

-ಬ-

We won. Finals, here we are. Despite my bruised ribs, I could help the team to the victory.

Now in the locker room, I have to be careful. Noone can see my chest. They already saw the black eye. My teammates, think that I go into fight for fun, and it's better this way. I don't care about their gossip, the truth is way worse than that. I take my time and for them to finish. I took out the bottom and the equipement. The conversion doesn't really interest me but if I join, they'll be less suspitious. 

"As always, I invite all of you guys to my house. Tonight we get drunk to congratulate ouselves and after tomorrow will be the day we bring back home the cup." Their voices raised in the locker room. Hapiness and cheerful feelingi radiated in the room, making me forget about this morning's events. After the long minutes, the guys decided to leave, Victor glancing in my direction before following. 

-ಬ-

The loud music was a nice symphony in my ears, some tequila in my system. I feel safe and light. This is perfect. Klara and Charles accompanied me and are noow dansing full pace with me. My head starts to spin and my heart beats with the music. How I love this feeling. Here, washing my pain in the arms of the party, right after a nice victory.

"I'll be back, I'm going to the kitchen." I try to say. Bit I don't think either of my friends heard me because they did not look at me. Anyway, it's not like I'm never coming back. Besides, I'm sure they won't even notice I'm gone.

I stagger through the crowd, trying to remember where the kitchen is. What is this mania for big houses? I really don't know how they manage not to get lost.

Suddenly, someone grab me by the arm and  drags me into a bedroom, the door now locked. I look and the person to realise who it is. But this person kiss me before I could speak. I really needed it. His warmth is finally reassuring me, his lips traveling between my lips to my neck. 

"I missed you so much, babe." His husky voice gives me butterflies in the stomach. 

"Me too, Victor." I look at him but his brow furrows, his eyes darkening. 

"What happened to your cheek, love ?" 

I avoid his gaze mumbling a nothing under my breath. He gently grabs my chin, making me look into his pitied eyes. 

I hate it, that look in his eyes. Pity is for the weak, and I certainly don't want him looking at me like that. He must not worry about me. 

"Is it him again ?" Victor asks. 

I shake my head but he insists.

"I sais nothing happened, It was during the match. Stop overreacting." My shaky voice startled him, making step away for a second.

"You know you can talk to me if something is bothering you." His comforting gaze isn't all that comforting.

"Did you see how I scored earlier?" I try to change the subject.

 "Yes, darling, I saw." He kisses my cheek quickly to stare into my eyes.

"What do you say we stay here, just the two of us. I don't feel like going back to the party," I say, pushing him onto the edge of the red bed. 

With Victor now seated, he pulls me onto his lap to settle me in. I wrap my arms around his neck and his arms end up around my waist, holding me tight. This pressure reassures me. Oh, how I'd love to stay like this for eternity. He's my moon, my star and my life. I can't live without him. Like the night depends on the moon. And the day on the sun. The room is silent despite the deafening noise of our teammates. I don't even know how they'd react if they saw us like this, intertwined, our hearts racing. It's true that we were almost discovered last time. But we managed to escape through the window.

But a loud voice made us jump to our feet. 

"Ethan ? Are you in there ?" 

Klara's high-pitched voice echoes in the corridor. In a wave of panic, Victor hides in the bathroom connected to the bedroom. Fortunately, just as he closes the door, Klara suddenly enters without knocking. 

"Ah there you are !" Her drunken state worries me. She is not herself, the worse part would be to drag her back home on my back. 

"Are you okay Klara ?" I ask. She wave her hand at me mumbling a perfect, I think. 

"Actually, I have something to tell you." She said, shyly. 

"Alright, but first let's go in the car, you need to come home."

Klara step out first while i look behind me, Victor blowing me a kiss through the door he slightly open. 

"I love you." I mouthed, his smile spreading across his face. 

-ಬ-

Klara was silent during the way. Charles didn't come with us as he lives next door, preferring me to take Klara home quickly.

"Here we are. Safely back home." I turn my head toward her, smiling through my teeth.

She unbuckles her belt and hesitantly reaches for the jaguar's door handle. Then she turns, trying to say something. But it's as if words fails her. 

"I. I have something to say, and it's really hard to get it all off my system, but I need to tell you now. For as long as we've each other, we were always friends, really good friends, and I really appreciate all the things you've done for me as all the things I did for you. It normal because of our friendship. But I don't really know how you would react nor if you feel the same but..." she twiddles her fingers nervously, chewing her words, not really catching her breath between sentences. She drops them absurdly quickly.

"Klara, calm down, just, don't beat around the bush and tell me what's bothering you." I try to reassure her. 

But the responce was unexpected. It took me a few seconds to realize what was happening: she was kissing me.

I gently pushed her, but I think I was too brutal because tears formed in her eyes. 

"Klara... I" I couldn't finish my sentence that Klara stormed out of the car without looking back, rushing in her house by aggressively closing the door.