Bloodshed.

7

Waking up was hell. It felt like my body was being electrocuted. With every pump of my heart a wave of pain came over me. The sun was high in the sky and the smell of eggs came through my nostrils.

I try to sit up when two things stop me. A hand on my shoulder and the cording pain in my abdomen.

"Hey sit tight okay." Alyssa says as she comes into my view.

"What time is it?"

"Half past noon".

"Okay."

"When do you have class?"

"I don't have to go in until 2:10." She nods.

"Are you sure you want to go to school?"

"I have to. I have a game today."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah the national team staff already contacted my AT and cleared me."

"Okay where is it?"

"It's a home game."

"Me and Becky will be there."

"Okay. Also can I get some food?"

"Yeah let me make you a plate." She says walking towards the kitchen allowing me to sit up. She returns a few minutes later and hands me the plate. " so this morning while you were sleeping I did some research on stab wound care and once you eat I'm going to have to check the wound."

"Yeah that's fine. I need to start getting ready." I say as I eat everything on the plate and set the now empty paper plate on the table. "Alright I'm going to swing my legs to the floor and I might need you to help me stand up."

"Okay." Once my feet hit the floor I get them under me as I use my arms to push myself up. Im able to get about halfway up before Alyssa does the rest. She begins to undo the bandages until she sees the wound. "How the fuck do you heal so fast?"

"I don't know. My blood clots very well. It surprised the doctors as well when I got shot."

"Ohh Jaxx is up, he was asking for you."

"Alright I'll head in." I say as I grab one of my jackets  and place it over my shoulders before zipping it up.

I knock on the door and enter. "You killed him didn't you?"

"I'm sorry what?"

"The man who killed TJ you killed him."

"I was going for a walk he remembered me and tried to jump me with his two buddies I acted in self defense"

"You could've fucking died!"

"But I didn't."

"That doesn't matter. You told me you wouldn't go after them."

"And I didn't they came to me."

"He is dating the mayors daughter. They are calling you a serial killer. You will go to fucking prison."

"I tried to not die."

"Look bro. I love you but I have to go. Don't contact me. Just leave me  alone". He says and leaves my apartment.

I feel the anger building inside of me. Just the kind of rage that made all sense fly out the window. I try to get my anger out of control but when I fail to I grab the pack of cigs and head out to the small porch. I sit on a little stool and light up my first cancer stick of the day. Then followed by 4 maybe 6 more. Before heading back inside and showering.

Once clean I change into joggers, my jersey and trainers before packing up my kit bag and having Alyssa bandages my abdomen. I give them the game details and drive to school. My two classes past quickly and I'm changing for my game.

We were playing some shit school who was ranked in the lower 10% of the state. I was really just excited to go on winter break which was starting tomorrow since Christmas is in a week.

The pre match stuff happens and we are run a 4 -1-1-1-1-1-1 formation. As soon as you score you go to the backline on the left side and the line will shift after each goal. I start at striker. Sav plays me the ball and I take on all 11 on the pitch scoring a beautiful banger upper corner against the stunned keeper. We hit the 8 goal requirement to leave early just 25 minutes into the game. Once I scored I asked my coach to sub me out. 

I was thankfully we wore black for our home kits as I was sure my abdomen was bleeding.  The game wrapped up and we all left. I told Becky that I would meet them both at home but had to stop somewhere on the way. They were both suspicious but didn't push.

I got into my car and changed into jeans and a hoodie as I drove to our friend Shawn's place were Jaxx stays if he's not with me. I knock on Shawn's door and wait just out of view from the peephole.

Jaxx opens the door with tear stained cheeks. "Get the fuck out of here. I told you to stay away." He says with a cracking voice.

"I know and normally I would respect that but I can't lose anyone else. I've lost everything but you. Please don't make me lose you."

"Danny I don't think I can lose anyone else either. But unlike me you have a chance to get out of this town and to be something. I don't. I won't be able to live with myself if I knew I was the person that stopped you from accomplishing your dreams. Now go kill it in college and make it to Barca. I'll always be with you HollyWood. Now get out of here before you kill us both." He says shutting the door.

It hurt. I'm not going to try and lie. But I can only lead the horse to water doesn't mean I can make the damn thing drink. I get in my car and drive home.

Arriving home I lock up my car and walk up to my apartment to start winter break. Which would mean a whole lot of doing nothing and waiting for it to end so we can get through senior night. Senior night will be my last game as I have to fly out to Colorado two days later to get everything worked out for college.

I walk in to see the couple heating up leftover. Alyssa just walks towards me wordlessly and lifts up my shirt. The change in her expression tells me all I need to know. "Let me take a look." I mutter as I walk to the bathroom and stand infront of the mirror. I lift my shirt and see the trail of blood seeping through the bandages.

Ripping away the layers of bandages shows the 12 ripped stitches. And the oozing of blood leaking from the open wound. I dig through the cabinets for the sewing kit and get to work patching the reopened laceration.

Once it's stitched closer I remove my shirt and find a new one before heading back out to the kitchen. I contemplate grabbing food but the pain physically and mentally deters me from caving to my need for food.

Wordlessly flopping onto the couch I pull the blanket over my eyes and lay flat hopping for the (sometimes) sweet relief of sleep to take over. Just an hour of nothingness would make her feel better.

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Short.