The Monster’s Real Face

‘Landon was but a boy back then,’ Conor said. ‘He was scared, I could tell. So was I. He said his mother would die of shame if those photos got out.’ Conor turned his gaze to me. ‘You’ve met Grace. You know what she’s like.’ I nodded. Landon’s mother raised him single-handedly. Like a lot of single parents, she pinned all her hopes and dreams on the child, and while she loved Landon in her own way, she also pressured, pushed, and guilt-tripped Landon into working hard. She wouldn’t want anything to spoil her son’s bright future. The scandal, if it broke, would have absolutely destroyed her. ‘Landon begged me not to say anything. He swore me to silence, said I couldn’t tell anyone, not even my father, if I still cared for him at all. I did, so I gave him my word and kept my mouth shut. Shortly after that, my parents moved into the new house. I got transferred to a new school. And I never saw Landon again.’ I remembered the first time I met Conor. He was two years older than me, but half