Speechless (GRETHAN)

Chapter 27: The Madness Under The Silence

Ethan Dolan

Thanksgiving was over and now came the terror. The boredom that every student experienced wasn't any different from mine. It was 'Exam Season'. Make it sound like a sport and it still isn't fun.

Semester exams were never fun. I was laying in bed studying, well I attempted to study Spanish and it's boring. I don't know how Grayson is fluent in this language.

It does make me question myself at times. Am I really dumb? Right up short and sweet answer, I guess I am. Grayson, on the other hand, is really smart. Damn, I miss him. I did, I missed him tons. We were laid off school today since it snowed beyond expectations. Attempting to study would be an excuse. I was majorly distracted. Ever noticed how even the walls can get interesting during studies? Yeah, they do. I was tempted to toss my books aside and play PS. The controller sat by my pillow, eagerly gazing at me as if saying,'Pick me up Ethan! Play with me!' Pun intended.

Ignoring my guilt and completely disregarding my promise to finish the school curriculum, I turned on the game console only to have my phone ring. I leapt on the bed and slid the slider across the screen. The caller happened to be an unknown number.

"Hello?",I spoke once the call connected.

'Tap tap tap...tap tap...tap tap tap.' I recognised that code.

"Come again?",I repeated just to confirm my wavering mind.

'Tap tap tap...tap tap...tap tap tap.'

This wasn't an illusion, this wasn't a drill. It was reality. "I'm on my way Grayson! I'm coming!"

Without wasting a further second, I grabbed my car keys and I hopped in. Backing out the garage, I set off towards Grayson's apartment at top speed. The 'tapping' code was a sign we had come up with when he would be in danger. It wouldn't be used until extreme severity. This was an SOS situation, thus the code.

I blew through major red lights until I pulled up outside his building. Hurriedly locking my car, I ran up the stairs in twos. I dashed down the always dark and empty hallway until I stopped in front of his apartment. I threw open the door like a policeman from NYPD who was on mission to bust a gang of cocaine smugglers.

The room was dark, just as always. The television was off...which wasn't like always. Looks like Nathan isn't home. I bumbled inside only to step on something that crunched under my foot. It knelt down to take a good look and it was glass. It was a shattered whiskey peg. The alcohol had seeped into the rug and its mix with the dirt and dust embedded in the rug itself gave out a terrible stink. Not very far away, by the base of the TV set was a subway sandwich with its filling over the floor. I stepped in further and I founded Grayson sitting in the kitchenette.

He sat on the floor with his knees pushed up to his chest. His head rested on his folded knees and he sobbed in them. "Grayson?",I called out and he looked at me through his nerdy glasses. He steadied himself and a yellow phone fell off his lap. It was the landline that hung on the kitchen wall by the stove. I thought it never worked cause I never heard it ring but I was wrong until Grayson used it today.

"What's happened here?",I mumbled, rendered absolutely confused with what the actual SOS was. Grayson collapsed in my arms while he held me tight. I soothingly ran my fingers through his hair. "Shhh love, I'm here now. Ethan's here, alright?"

It took a while to comfort him but once he was, he slowly pulled away and picked up some scrap from the ground which I later identified as his phone. It was entirely destroyed. The iPhone was missing its display and the back had opened up completely while random components fell out if it. It was needless to say that it couldn't be fixed ever.