Quarter Mile

Yellow

CW// alcohol consumption and vomiting

Beck stumbled through the parking lot, desperately trying to get to the dance. He knew in his head that he needed to get to Dakota but his body wasn't cooperating.

He had woken up on the floor of his lounge, empty bottles surrounding him. There were significantly more than before he'd been knocked out and his father was no where in sight. Beck had dragged himself along the carpet, his body aching and his head throbbing, to the kitchen.

He reached for a beer bottle from the fridge and sculled half of the liquid. He had pulled himself up to a sitting position against the cabinets and downed five beers. It was the first time he'd had a drink since the accident, so it hit him like a truck.

As he reached the entrance to the school, his stomach lurched and he had to vomit in the bush beside the stairs. His head was pounding, a mixture of alcohol, loud music and the relentless beating he had just endured.

Once he had recovered, he wiped his mouth and stepped inside, finding his way through the hall to the auditorium.

The first thing he noticed was the song.

Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And everything you do
Yeah, they were all yellow

He shook his head, trying to rid the picture of his father burning Lou's hat from his mind.

He scanned the dance floor, searching for Dakota; the only person he wanted to see in that moment.

I came along
I wrote a song for you
And all the things you do
And it was called Yellow

People were staring and whispering at the poor sight of him as he stumbled through the crowd. He didn't care though, he just wanted to see him.

~

Dakota was having the time of his life. He was so caught up in the moment he had forgotten about Beck. The seven of them, Dakota, Parker, Eli, Harvey, Macey, Luke and Peggy, had been in the middle of the dance floor for two hours. They were bouncing with the crowd and letting the music carry them away.

Your skin, oh yeah, your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
You know, you know I love you so
You know I love you so

Dakota listened to the lyrics and thought of the one person he wanted to see in that moment.

Eli reached out his hand and Dakota took it, twirling on the spot and laughing. It was the most fun he'd had in a long time. He just wished Beck was there.

He had given up checking his phone; there was no point. He wasn't going to hear from Beck and he'd accepted that fact.

As if on cue, a shout could be heard from behind him.

"Aha! Found you!"

Dakota spun around and was mortified by what he saw.

I swam across
I jumped across for you
Oh, what a thing to do
'Cause they were all yellow

"Beck, what the fuck happened to your face?" Dakota said as he reached out a hand and ran his thumb over the cut on his lip. Beck was wearing his black suit, both the jacket and his shirt were unbuttoned, revealing the old scars and fresh bruises on his stomach. His tie hung around his neck, undone, and his shoelaces were untied. "Did he do this to you?"

Beck grabbed Dakota's hand with his and pulled it away from his face.

"Don't worry about my face, Dakota." He slurred his words. "Just dance with me."

Dakota reeled back with shock and confusion. "You're drunk," he said.

I drew a line
I drew a line for you
Oh, what a thing to do
And it was all yellow

"And? Who gives a fuck?" Beck spat, suddenly angered by the thought of his father and his sister and the stupid song that was playing. "I couldn't do this sober anyway."

"Excuse me?" Dakota stepped back but the distance was quickly closed again as Beck stepped forward, his hands reaching up to cup Dakota's face. People were staring, and the sight of Beck had caught their friends attention. It took everything in Parker to not interrupt.

"Dakota baby, you're so much work sometimes. Just let go." Beck leant in, trying to kiss Dakota but he turned his head and moved out of reach. The words stung. He didn't like drunk Beck. Dakota pushed past him, nudging his shoulder out of the way.

"Where the fuck are you going, Dakota?" Beck's voice was loud now. A circle of curious people had formed around the pair. "You're just going to walk away from me like everyone else?"

Your skin, oh yeah, your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
And you know

Dakota spun on his heel, facing Beck again. He threw his hands up in frustration. "When will you understand?" He shouted. "I want you, Beck. I want you on your good days and your bad days. I want you on the days you can't make yourself get out of bed. I want you on the days where you sing at full volume in the car. On the days where you make me want me to rip my hair out and the days where my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. I want you; I will always want you. And I love you. With all of the shattered pieces of my heart, I love you."

Beck spat back, blinded by the drunken rage building inside of him. He wasn't angry at Dakota but the words were coming out as if he was.

"Except you don't Dakota! You don't and you never will. I see the look on your face when you see my body. I saw the look on your face when I walked in here."

"You have got to be fucking joking. You wanna know something Beck? Nothing hurts more than trying your absolute best and still not being good enough." Dakota was crying now. "I poured my heart and soul into you. How the fuck do you not see how much I care about you?" His voice softened. People stared. He didn't care. "I love you, but I don't like you very much right now."

Beck stood with his arms by his sides, making no attempt to comfort Dakota.

For you, I'd bleed myself dry
For you, I'd bleed myself dry

"I need to go now," Beck said softly. "I need to leave. Because if I don't, we're going to ruin each other."

Dakota looked up at the ceiling in an attempt to stop the tears from streaming down his face.

"So that's it then? Did you ever even love me, Beck? Or did you just not want to be alone? It's like you said at the lake: you don't believe in true love." And then, in a quieter voice, "I know you didn't love me. You can't have. Because you don't destroy the people you love."

Beck turned and walked toward the doors of the auditorium. Dakota shouted at his back.

"If you leave this building right now, Beck, don't bother coming back to me."

Beck paused. He didn't turn around, he didn't say anything, he just stood there, staring down at the floor.

Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And all the things you do

And then he continued walking, right out the door; leaving Dakota standing in the middle of the auditorium, hundreds of pairs of eyes directed at him as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Yeah they were all yellow