My Last Hope

8

Warnings:
-Mentions abuse (bruises/wounds)
-Mentions suicide attempt
-Usage alcohol

George's POV

I was sitting in the changing room at PE as I waited for Clay. He was too late today which worried me a little. After I found my sibling, I was scared that anyone would suddenly attempt suicide. They were still in a coma, no one knew if they would ever wake up again.

I was about to stand up as Clay walked in slowly. He was looking at the ground and when he looked up, I got startled by his ashen face along with extremely red eyes.

'Clay, are you okay?' I asked him as I grabbed his shoulder. He winced and pulled away causing me to frown.

'Why did that hurt?'

Clay didn't answer me and sat down on the bench to change into his sports clothes. He pushed his pants down and grabbed his sweats as he tried to hide his legs, but I had already seen what he tried to hide.

'What's that bruise?' I asked.

He shrugged and pulled his sweats on, turning around as he pulled off his shirt.

I turned him back to me since he was trying to hide and it revealed multiple bruises on his back, chest and shoulders. It even seemed like someone hit him with a belt on his stomach. He quickly pulled on his shirt and wanted to walk away, but I grabbed his hand.

No one was in the changing room and I looked him in the eyes.

'Who did that?' I asked him. 'Answer me, please.'

He shrugged and stared at me with lifeless eyes.

'Clay? Are you getting abused?'

'I just fell yesterday,' he whispered. 'I didn't want to participate in PE today but the teacher forced me to.'

'What did you fall from?'

'The stairs.' His voice was really hoarse and he sniffed with his nose as he coughed loudly after that. 'I was texting and walking. Not the best combination.'

'I don't believe that,' I muttered as I looked at him. 'You're so pale. I know something is going on, Clay.'

He didn't answer me and walked to the door.

'Clay, no. Come back. I don't care about the teacher, we can sit here for a little. You're not okay, I don't want to make the same mistake as I did with my sibling. What's wrong, Clay? Please, tell me what's wrong.'

Clay stared in front of him and opened his mouth to say something but then shrugged. 'I'm okay, just didn't sleep well.'

'Clay, I'm not making this mistake again. You're lying, you're not okay. Someone hurt you. Who hurt you? I'm not letting anyone hurt my best friend.'

Clay smiled shortly. 'That's sweet, but I just fell.'

'I know you're lying.'

Clay stood up and sighed softly. 'I just fell,' he whispered.

'But next to that, there's something wrong. You're so pale, you've lost a lot of weight too. Do you have an eating disorder? Are you starving?'

'Not starving,' he mumbled. 'Just not hungry.'

He seemed really tired and I grabbed his hand. 'We aren't going to PE today. You're going to tell the principal that you're sick and then go home.'

Clay nodded slowly and looked at my hand in his. I smiled as his cheeks heated up slightly and then walked with him to the principal. I knocked on the door and she let us in.

'He's sick, he needs to go home.'

The principal looked at Clay and nodded. He looked so bad that she didn't even ask anything anymore.

Five minutes later, I walked with Clay to the exit. He walked slowly and seemed to be sunken in his own thoughts. He didn't hear me, he only stared.

'Bye, Clay,' I said as we stood at the exit.

'Bye,' he muttered as he left without saying anything else. He started walking away, but I didn't trust it so I walked after him on a distance.

I knew it was bad to follow my friend, but he looked so sick that I needed to know if he was actually going home.

I kept following him and my suspicions were true. He didn't go home, he went to the park and sat down on a bench as he grabbed his bag. I saw him open his bag and grab another bag out of it. It took me a while to realise what was happening in front of me, but Clay grabbed a bottle of alcohol.

He opened it like he had done this over a thousand times and started drinking. I didn't know what to do and hoped for him to stop, but once he kept drinking, I had to step in.

I slowly walked closer to him and laid my hand on his shoulder. Clay seemed to get startled really badly and I grabbed the bottle of alcohol out of his hands, sitting down next to him as he stared in front of him.

I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and smiled shortly. 'Why are you drinking?'

He shrugged. 'Not your business,' he mumbled.

'It is now, I'm not letting my best friend drink loads underaged.'

'I'm not drinking loads, I'm just a teenager who likes alcohol sometimes. Literally everyone drinks sometimes.'

'I haven't.'

'Well, a lot of others do. I just like it sometimes. Don't act weird now, I'm not the only teenager who drinks sometimes.'

'Who did you get this from? And why is it in your bag?'

'My dad,' he muttered.

'Clay, I'm bringing you home. Would you like me to stay with you?'

He shrugged. 'I'd rather sleep and my dad doesn't want me to have people over.'

'I've been over more often, right?'

'Yeah, but my grades suck and we have a test tomorrow. He wouldn't be happy with me at all.'

I nodded slowly. 'But I don't want you to drink more, Clay. That stuff isn't for teenagers for a reason.'

'It won't do much if I just drink sometimes.'

'Do you get drunk?'

He shook his head. 'Not really.'

'Not really?'

'Once, but that was an accident,' Clay mumbled. 'No, leave it. It's annoying.'

'Fine,' I muttered.

I brought him home and when I was sure he was inside, I left again to go home. I had so many worries in my head right now that I couldn't stop thinking anymore. What if I was going to lose Clay too?

1063 words

Summary:
George sees loads of bruises on Clay's body, gets very worried and then catches him drinking