Last Year Chapter 8

Last Year - Chapter 8

The week following the grey Monday began with a Daniel who still wore the cage like an open wound, but also with a spark of rebellion that had not been entirely extinguished. The physical pain and humiliation from the previous weekend had left him exhausted, but not broken. He decided that, although he could not remove the cage (the key was still with Santiago), he would at least try to regain some control over his own mind and behavior at school.

Monday

He arrived at school with his uniform impeccable: a perfectly ironed white shirt, grey pants with subtle blue and white lines, and a well-knotted tie (the tie that Santiago had turned into a symbol of humiliation since Sunday, because every time he adjusted it, he felt like he was putting on an invisible collar). He walked more rigidly than usual due to the constant rubbing of the metal, but he kept his head high and avoided looking directly at Santiago when he saw him in the courtyard.

Santiago approached him during recess, but this time he did not corner him against the lockers or speak to him in a low, threatening tone. Instead, he discreetly handed him a bottle of water and murmured:

"You look tired, puppy. Drink. I don't want you to faint in class and complicate my day."

Daniel took the bottle without saying anything, but he did not thank him. He took a sip and walked away without looking back. Santiago just smiled sideways and let him go. There were no humiliating messages during the first hour. Just a simple:

*“Behave yourself today. I'm busy with the football team after classes.”*

For the first time in days, Daniel felt a small sense of relief. Santiago did not appear in the bathroom or force him to do anything during the day. This gave him space to breathe... and to get angry with himself for feeling relief at the absence of his tormentor.

In the afternoon, when he arrived home, his mother looked at him with concern as she prepared dinner.

"Son, are you okay? You've had dark circles under your eyes since the weekend. Did something happen at school?"

Daniel forced a smile.

"I'm just studying a lot, mom. Exams are coming up."

She did not insist, but she put a hand on his forehead like when he was little.

"Take care of yourself, okay? If you need to talk..."

He nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. He could not tell her anything. No one could know.

Tuesday

Santiago was still "busy". Extra training, student council meetings, outings with his popular friends. Daniel received only two messages throughout the day:

*“How's my little cage? Send me a quick photo.”*

*“Good boy. Keep it up.”*

Daniel obeyed and sent the photo (in the school bathroom, with his heart racing), but he did not respond with words. He just sent the image and deleted the conversation. There were no additional orders. No...