A Boy Shouldn't Feel This Way

Chapter 4 // Unwelcomed

•Sal's POV•

At the apartment, Dad had still been gone. He's never around anymore. Larry had come up to the apartment to check on me, and he was here now. He was around more than my own dad. We were playing Clumpy together now. "Fuuuuuck!! I hate this game!" Larry screamed and threw the controlled as he died in the game. I couldn't help but laugh. "You hungry? We have food in the fridge." There was still the same amount of food as Dad had left. I barely ate. "No thanks, little dude. My mom made food before I came over." I couldn't blame him. Lisa's cooking was amazing. Larry pointed to something on my dresser. "Dude, you have a glass eye?" "You didn't know?" I picked up a glass eye off my dresser, the red one. It matched my jeans. Carefully, I took out my glass eye and put in the red one. "Woah, that's fuckin' sick dude!" Larry had officially been the first person to think my glass eye had been cool. Larry had also been the only person I was comfortable to take my mask off with. I never even took it off with my dad, then again, he was barely around. Then I heard a knock on the door. Quickly, I put on my mask to answer the door. "Um, hey Sal. Do you mind if I stay over for a bit? My parents are..um.. arguing." It was Travis. I knew Larry hated Travis. "Um..now isn't the best time-" "I'm sorry I just- I don't have anywhere else to go." He looked as if he could cry again, and I swear his black eye had gotten worse. "Yeah, it's fine you can stay." "Wait, is your eye red?" He had been staring at my glass eye. "Yeah, It's a glass eye, actually." I wasn't sure I'd wanted Travis to know, he'd probably think it was weird. But we were friends now, so it should be fine. "That's pretty cool." "Sal? You okay?" Larry had came up behind me to see what had been taking so long. "Why the fuck are you here?" I could tell Larry had been upset. "Sorry. I should, um, go." Travis' eyes had started watering. "No, Travis, it's okay you can stay!" "No! He can't fucking stay! Sal what's wrong with you? He hates you! He beat you up every single day!" To be fair, Larry was right. But I was over all that now. "Larry he's my.. friend now! He can stay if he needs to! And if you don't like it then just go!" Honestly, I kind of regret yelling at Larry. But I knew Larry wouldn't actually leave..right? "Fine. I'll go then. Have fun with that fucking prick." Larry had left the apartment rather quickly. So maybe he would actually leave. I'll apologize later though, Travis was my main concern now. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come over." "No, it's okay Travis. Don't worry about Larry. He's just-" Before I could finish Larry had come back, and immediately punched Travis. "Larry what the fuck?" I pulled Travis inside my apartment and locked the door on Larry. Travis' nose had started bleeding. "Travis are you okay? Stay here, I'm gonna go get some tissues." After a few minutes, I came back with some rubbing alcohol and some tissues to wipe up the blood. "I'm sorry about Larry. I don't know why he hit you, you didn't do anything. This might hurt." As I put the rubbing alcohol on his nose, he flinched. "I'm okay, I'm okay. Thanks, Sally Face." He smiled, rubbing his nose. "Are you hungry? We have food." "Um..sure. I haven't eaten today." I went to the fridge and got out some kind of lasagna Dad made before he left. While Travis was eating, the door knocked again. "Go away, Larry!" A voice I hadn't recognized had responded instead of who I thought had been Larry. "It's Kenneth Phelps. Travis' dad." He said through the door, and I immediately looked at Travis, who got up and went into hiding.

• Travis' POV •

"What the fuck is wrong with you, woman?!" I heard my drunken father scream at mother. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again, I promise-!" Father started throwing things, glass bottles, plates, anything he could find. Several bottles had broken as they landed on mother, cutting into her skin. Father had noticed me watching. "What do you want, fag?!" He started throwing things at me too. When nothing hit me, he came up to me and punched me, causing my black eye to get even worse. I ran up to my room and locked the door. I didn't know where to go. Then I remembered Sal was my friend now. I could go to him, right? I opened my window and jumped, landing on my feet. I wasn't sure how long the walk was to the appartments, but after a few minuted I managed to get there. I wasn't sure which room was his, though. "Excuse me, Mr. Addison? Do you know which room Sal's in?" The slot in Mr. Addisons door lifted up. "Room 402. Are you Sal's friend? I've never seen you around before." "Ah..yeah, I'm Sal's friend..anyways, thank you, Mr. Addison." I went into the elevator and pressed the "4" button. I found apartment 402 and knocked on the door. About a minute later the door opened. "Um, hey Sal. Do you mind if I stay over for a bit? My parents are..um..arguing." I didn't want to make it seem like my dad hurt us. The less people who knew, the better. "Um.. Now isn't the best time-" "I'm sorry I just- I don't have anywhere else to go." I felt like I could cry, remembering how mother had been bleeding, and crying on the floor. "Yeah, it's fine you can stay." I had noticed one of his eyes changed color. "Wait, is your eye red?" "Yeah, it's a glass eye, actually" I never knew he had a glass eye. It looked so..real. "That's pretty cool." Someone had came behind Sal. "Sal? You okay?" It was Larry. He hated me. I never should've came here. "Why the fuck are you here?" "Sorry. I should, um, go." I could feel my eyes water. I couldn't cry, not in front of Larry. "No, Travis, it's okay you can stay!" Sal had called out.  "No! He can't fucking stay! Sal what's wrong with you? He hates you! He beat you up every single day!" He wasn't wrong. He didn't even deserve it. I was such a bitch to him, and now I'm coming to him for help? I should just go. "Larry he's my.. friend now! He can stay if he needs to! And if you don't like it then just go!" Sal was really defending me..? Maybe we really were friends. Maybe he did forgive me. "Fine. I'll go then. Have fun with that fucking prick." Larry pushed pass me and left. He was still there though. He was facing away from the apartment, his fists balled. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come over." "No, it's okay Travis. Don't worry about Larry. He's just-" Before Sal could finish, Larry turned around. His fist collided with my face, breaking my nose. "Larry, what the fuck?" Sal pulled me by my arm into the apartment and locked the door on Larry. "Travis are you okay? Stay here, I'm gonna go get some tissues." After a few minutes, Sal came back with some rubbing alcohol and some tissues. "I'm sorry about Larry. I don't know why he hit you, you didn't do anything. This might hurt." When Sal put the rubbing alcohol on my nose, I flinched. It really burned. "I'm okay, I'm okay. Thanks, Sally Face." I rubbed my nose, making sure there was no more blood.  "Are you hungry? We have food." "Um..sure. I haven't eaten today." Sal went to the fridge and got out something from the fridge, that I thought was lasagna. While I was eating, the door knocked again. "Go away, Larry!" Sal screamed through the door. A voice I knew all too well responded. "It's Kenneth Phelps. Travis' dad." Immediately, I panicked and hid as Sal answered the door.

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Word Count: 1388