Distant

Nate Hansen

I now groaned as I attempted to walk my way to the freezer to now grab two more ice packs, one for my jaw, and one for my stomach. I was really pissed off now. I hurt myself trying to keep Ashton from being bullied again. And how does he thank me? By punching me in jaw and in the stomach! I was glad he was kinda a scrawny kid though, so it didn’t hurt as much as you’d think.

I lied down on my bed; wincing from the shooting pains at my gut. All I wanted to do now was sleep away the pain, and erase the past week from my memory...

I woke up startled when I heard the front door slam.

“Nathaniel Alan Hansen! Why were you not at school today? I got a call from your high school saying that you were gone? Nate? NATE?!” My mother marched upstairs to my bedroom, and swung the door open. She moved her hand over her mouth.

“Oh my God... What happened to you?! You are all bruised up! We need to call a doctor right away...” She grabbed her phone out of her pocket, and started dialing some numbers.

“No mom...” My voice was scratchy and groggy. “It’s okay. I just want to sleep, please?” She walked over to my bed with a sympathetic smile on her face as she brushed some of my blonde hair that was falling into my eyes.

Her eyes turned worrisome again. “Nate, honey, what happened?” She sat at the foot of my bed.

“Well, I beat up this bully at Ashton’s school today, and” Her smile turned into a frown and her eyebrows told me that she was confused. “Apparently, Ashton didn’t like the favor I did for him, so then he came over and proceeded to beat me up.”

“Something has been into him lately hmm?” She looks pitiful for him. “But you shouldn’t be getting involved in what he can do for himself. You probably made him look weak, and that he couldn’t defend himself.”

“I was just trying to help-“

”I know.” She gave me a smile. “Don’t get into anymore fights, or I will ground you until you die.”

“Well that’s a little extensive don’t you think?”

“I got to keep you in line, boy.” She imitated the sound of a cracking whip, and started laughing. She put her hand over mine, until I felt the fiery pains again, and I winced.

“Can you stretch it?” She examined my hand as I stretched it out, slowly, but I could stretch it. “Well, it’s not broken. Probably sprained. You probably shouldn’t go to school tomorrow either, looking like that.” 

“I don’t look that bad...” I grabbed my phone off of my night stand and opened the front-view camera. I moved my fingers over the multiple bruises on my face. On the left side of my jaw, I could see a purple blob forming, leaving indents of where each knuckle hit my cheek. I also had a smaller one forming over my eye, where Sebastian hit me. “Great.” I let my head fall on to my pillow, as I groaned. 

“Keep icing it, it’ll heal.” She kissed me on the forehead and walked downstairs.

So, I guess this means me and Ashton aren’t friends anymore. I thought to myself. But I shouldn’t be feeling sorry for him anyways, I was helping him. He should have thanked me. I have been there to support him so many times and he doesn’t care. You did what any loyal friend would do.

I tried to force the guilt out of my head, telling myself It’s okay. You did nothing wrong. But nothing was working. The pain of guilt kept stabbing me, telling me that I needed to stop pretending to be his older brother and his protector.