One Last Shot [boyxboy]

Chapter Six

Chapter Six (Anthony)

My chest hurt, even after Seth dropped me off at my house.

I just gave him a quick goodbye and got out of his car, going into my house and slamming the door shut. I hadn't meant to do it angrily, or maybe I did? I didn't care. I waited until Seth had pulled away from my house, probably wondering why I didn't stay to chat. I didn't really want to chat.

I had the strongest feeling that if I got to talking to this guy more and more, I'd end up really falling in love with him and only end up getting kicked in the face.

Been there, done that. Came back with postcards.

Right now, the only thing I really wanted more than anything was a bottle of beer. To sit alone in front of my television like I did every day of my life and pretend that life wasn't a pile of crap trying to suffocate me. It was just fine. I was just fine on my own. I'd done it for as long as I could remember and I was fine with that.

At least, that's what I kept telling myself. It was getting harder and harder to convince myself that everything was okay. A little voice in my head told me that none of this was okay. Drinking yourself drunk wasn't safe. Sitting alone and lying to yourself wasn't okay. Trying to tell yourself that everything was going to go back to normal, when normal wasn't okay at all, none of it was okay.

I forced those thoughts out of my head as I went to my room to grab some money. I came back downstairs and went out to my car, getting in and cranking up the heat. I backed out of the driveway and drove over to the grocery store, intent to grab a six pack and come home to relax.

Right, relax. That's all I was gonna do was relax.

I pulled into the parking lot and got out, slamming my door shut and shoving my keys in my pocket as I came inside, relieved to feel the warmth from inside compared to the bitter cold outside. I heard people mumbling about more snow as I passed by, making me frown. Just what I needed. My heating bill to sky rocket.

But it's not like it mattered.

For some reason, it didn't matter how much I turned up the heat in my house, it always managed to be cold somehow.

I walked up and down the aisles, mostly to keep myself warm and to get my mind off of things I really shouldn't be thinking of. I approached one of the fridges, reaching in and taking out a six pack of beer, frowning at it. I hadn't had one of these in a day. While most people would think that as not much of a shocker, well, most people hadn't met me.

I took a step back, then winced as I bumped into someone. I whirled to snap at them, then froze to see Vic standing there. He stared at me, his eyes wide. The look on his face questioned the fact that I was still alive. Then his eyes dropped to the six pack in my hands and his expression twisted up.

"Shopping?" He asked me. I curled my lip, ready to snarl at him that it was really none of his business. I didn't want to talk to him. At the same time, that was the whole reason he didn't talk to me anymore, and the fact that I jumped him, but it came from the fact that I was always angry. I let my expression relax, but I didn't put the beer away.

"Bored." I answered him. Vic hesitated, glancing up and down the aisle before looking back at me.

"Uh... How're you doing lately?" He asked. I shifted uncomfortably. Why was he making small talk with me? I jumped him, painfully might I add. The fact that he could look at me without curling his lip was a shocker. Ace and Rick took every chance they could to give me dirty looks, like they wished I would just drop dead right there in the street.

"G-Good," I cleared my throat, trying not to sound pathetic before I continued, "Fine. The kids are on break at school, so I get time to myself." Vic nodded, biting his lower lip before he looked at me.