I'm a lost cause

Noah sat in his room, his body tense, his chest heaving. The words kept echoing in his head: "A lost cause."

Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked around his room, cluttered with the remnants of his sketchbooks and drawings. Torn pages littered the floor, jagged edges like the emotions tearing through him. He had tried to contain his anger, but it was too much.

This wasn't just about Maiya. It was about everything. His parents ignoring him. Henry controlling him. And now even Maiya—the one person who'd shown him some kindness—had used those words

"A lost cause."

He clenched his fists, staring at the floor. His breathing was heavy, and without thinking, he picked up one of his torn sketches and ripped it in half. The sound of paper tearing was almost satisfying, but it didn't ease the pain in his chest.

He threw the crumpled paper across the room, his anger boiling over.

Noah sat on the floor, knees pulled to his chest, staring at the scattered remains of his sketchbooks. His body trembled as he tried to hold himself together, but inside, he felt like he was crumbling.

That's when the door creaked open.

Henry leaned against the frame, his tall frame casting a shadow into the room. His arms were crossed, and there was that same smug, condescending look on his face that Noah had grown to hate.

"Throwing temper tantrums, huh?" Henry said, his voice dripping with mockery.

Noah glanced up at him briefly but quickly turned away. "Can you just go away? Please?"

Henry ignored him, stepping into the room. His eyes scanned the mess on the floor, the torn papers, the broken sketchbooks. He let out a low whistle. "Wow. You really are pathetic. What is this? Your little art therapy session gone wrong?"

Noah's jaw tightened. "I'm not in the mood for this, Henry."

Henry smirked. "Not in the mood, huh? That's rich coming from you. Heard you had some drama at school today. My guys said that Maiya girl—you know, the one I told you to stay away from—yelled at you in front of everyone. That must've been embarrassing."

Noah's fists clenched at the mention of Maiya. "Just leave me alone," he muttered through gritted teeth.

But Henry wasn't done. He stepped closer, towering over Noah. "You didn't listen to me, did you? I told you to stay away from her. I warned you. And now look what's happened. She's turned on you already. What did I say, huh? She's not who you think she is."

Noah's head snapped up, anger flashing in his eyes. "It's all your fault!" he shouted, his voice shaking.

Henry raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"If you hadn't told me to stay away from her, none of this would've happened!" Noah's voice cracked as he stood up, fists clenched at his sides. His whole body was trembling, but he didn't care. "You ruin everything! You think you can just control my life like I'm some kind of puppet!"

Henry's smirk vanished. His expression darkened, his jaw tightening. He stepped forward, closing the gap between them in an instant. "How dare you raise your voice at me?" he growled.

Noah didn't back down this time. "I'm not your punching bag anymore, Henry! You don't get to—"

Before he could finish, Henry grabbed him by the collar, yanking him off his feet. Noah gasped, his hands flying up to Henry's wrists, but he couldn't break free.

"You think you can raise your voice at me because I've been letting you off easy?" Henry snarled, his face inches from Noah's. His voice was low, dangerous, each word laced with venom. "Because I haven't been beating the crap out of you like I used to?"

Noah froze. His body went stiff, his mind flooded with memories he'd tried so hard to suppress. The punches, the kicks, the insults. The pain. The fear. It all came rushing back.

Henry tightened his grip, shaking him slightly. "You're a piece of shit," he spat. "A good-for-nothing waste of oxygen. You're lucky I even let you live in this house."

Noah's legs felt weak, his body trembling under Henry's grip. "Let go," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

But Henry wasn't done. He shoved Noah back against the wall, his grip still firm on his collar. "You really need to learn your place," he hissed.

And then he punched him.

The blow landed square in Noah's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Noah doubled over, gasping for air, his arms wrapping instinctively around his torso. He fell to his knees, groaning in pain.

Henry stood over him, his expression cold and unfeeling. "Remember your place," he said, his voice calm now, almost eerily so.

Noah didn't respond. He couldn't.

Satisfied, Henry turned and walked toward the door. He paused for a moment, glancing back over his shoulder. "You're pathetic, Noah. You always have been, and you always will be."

With that, he walked out, slamming the door behind him.

---

Noah stayed on the floor, his arms still wrapped around his stomach. The pain from the punch was sharp, but it wasn't just physical. His whole body felt heavy, like the weight of everything he'd been holding in was finally crushing him.

Tears streamed down his face as he tried to catch his breath. His mind raced with thoughts he didn't want to think.

He's right. I am a waste of oxygen.

No one cares about me. Not Henry. Not mom. Not dad. Not Maiya.

He sat up slowly, his whole body trembling. He stared at the torn sketches on the floor, the chaos around him mirroring the chaos in his mind.

Maybe it would be better if I wasn't here.

The thought came suddenly, and it scared him. But he couldn't shake it.

No one would even notice if I was gone. They wouldn't care.They'd probably be glad. Mom and dad don't even talk to me unless it's to insult me. Henry treats me like garbage. Maiya probably hates me now.

He got up and stumbled to his bed, his legs weak. He sat down and buried his face in his hands.

I don't want to be here anymore.

But as the thought lingered, another feeling crept in—fear. He didn't want to die. Not really. The idea terrified him. But he didn't know how to keep living like this, either.

He lay down on the bed, pulling the blanket over himself even though he wasn't cold. His mind kept racing, but eventually, exhaustion took over.

As he drifted off to sleep, one thought echoed in his mind:

I'm a lost cause