Age is Our Only Enemy

Healing

 I rolled over, resting my head on the pillow beside me. Then the events of the other day came back to me, along with pain in my arms. That's when I  noticed that the pillow was warm. I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly. I looked around me to find I was in Mark's guest bedroom, and the pillow wasn't a pillow at all, it was Mark.
        I sat up, looking down at my hands. "I'm sorry." I said quietly. "Umm, I guess you know."
        Even though I wasn't looking at him, I could tell he was nodding. "Why would you try to kill yourself? I know your parents said all those horrible things, but none of them were true."
        "They weren't?"
        "Of course they weren't! I can't even believe anyone would think that about you." He said. I looked up at him, my eyes filling with tears again. He leaned across the bed and wrapped his arms around me. I buried my face in his chest and let myself cry. He didn't say anything, just held me and let me get it out. When I finished crying, he pulled back enough so I could see his face. "I have your bag right here by the bed, I would like you to stay with me. This could be your room, and I could take care of you."
        I don't need to be taken care of." I said. "I'm not a child."
        "And I'm not your father. I meant we could be roommates." He ran his thumb across my arm, telling me why I needed a roommate in the first place. He had wrapped the part of my arm I cut in a bandage, and the bleeding as long since stopped, but my arms still hurt a little bit.
        "How did you know where to find me?" I asked.
        "I didn't know, I just did."
        "Why do you care if I die?"
        He gave me a sad look, "Because I do care. You might not have had people care before, but now you do. I'm going to stay with you till I'm sure you won't hurt yourself again." He still had his thumb run over my forearm.
        "And then you'll leave." I stated.
        "And then I'll still stay." He corrected.
        I looked up at him again and let myself relax in his arms. "I'm sorry." I repeated.
        "It wasn't your fault." He looked me in the eye when he said that. "Now, are you still tired?" When I shook my head no, he got up and turned around, helping me up too. "Then let's order some pizza!" He declared, sounding excited. I laughed and his smile widened. "Laughing. That's the first step of healing." He said, then reached out his hand.
        If it was anyone else, I would have declined and walk ahead of them, but it was Mark. The first person to care. So I grabbed his hand and let myself be taken care of for once. 
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        Mark guided me to the couch. "Sit and wait here while I go get the movie." He said.
        "We're watching a movie?" 
        "What else could we do?" Mark said. I was confused till I looked at the time. It was almost midnight. 
        "How long was I asleep?"
        "A little over two days." He replied. I felt my eyes widen, but he was digging through a closet, so he didn't notice. "Here it is!" He declared, holding up the movie Frozen.
        "Frozen?" I said.
        "I thought you liked this movie." 
        "I do, but how would you know that." Then it occurred to me what happen. "You looked through what songs I had on my IPod, didn't you?"
        He gave me a smirk that told me that is exactly what happen. "We aren't actually watching Frozen, unless you want to later, but another movie soundtrack you had was Pitch Perfect." He held up the movie when he said the name. He stuck it into the DVD player and started the movie.
        "Do you even like this movie?" I asked him when He sat beside me.
        He shrugged. "It's not bad."
        The doorbell rang, causing me to jump. Mark chuckled, "Pizza's here." He went to the door, paid for the pizza, then returned to the couch with the box. He opened it to reveal pepperoni pizza, still hot and looking delicious. "I wasn't sure what kind you like." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.
        "This is fine." I reassured him, taking a big bite out of a piece. "Since I'm your roommate now, do I have to pay rent?" 
        He pretended to think about it, "I guess not, but I will make you go to school, and have already signed you up for high school in August." He said. I groaned, which made him laugh again.
        We spent the rest of the night watching movies, eating pizza, and having fun. I still wasn't sure why he cared about me, not that I was complaining. I still had a crush on him, but maybe I should try to hide that little fact. He still was eleven years older then me. But when I was around him, I didn't feel so lonely and numb. I felt like half of myself has returned to me. I felt whole. Even though I wasn't sure if I could trust him to keep his promise, I had to try.
        Maybe I could be healed for once instead of hurt.