Dedicated to panda9941 for being so loyal to me and always voting for/commenting on and reading my stories. I love you.
~
Demi didn't say anything. Not because she didn't want to but because she didn't know what to say. She was shocked but I expected that. I know if someone just sprung that kind of thing on me, I'd be taken back a bit too. She stood there, staring at the permanent marks that littered my wrist not peeling her eyes away from them once.
I stood there, allowing the girl to take in everything. It wasn't until I heard a sniffle that I realized she had tears rolling down her face but still, I stayed as I was, unsure what to do myself.
"Why?" Her voice cracked.
I pulled the sleeve on my arm back down and spun around, walking towards my bed. "It doesn't matter anymore. The past is the past. I learnt from it and all I'm saying is that it gets better. I'm living proof." I smiled although I knew she couldn't see me as my back was faced towards her. "Go have fun, Demi. You deserve it."
She didn't say a word. I watched as she wiped a few tears away, careful enough not to smudge her make up.
"It will get better eventually." She told me, although I was sure she was trying to reassure herself rather than me.
Before I could answer her, the dorm door shut and she was out of sight.
Out of sight, out of mind. I would no longer spend my time focusing so much on Demi. She needed help and I was going to be there for her if she come to me. But the girl was consuming my every thought causing me to flunk in classes and I couldn't waste any more of my time. I didn't study so hard just to fail in law. I needed to get through this without any distractions.
~
I groaned as the loud noise of a slamming door woke me up.
"Selena." I heard Demi slur.
"Demi, not tonight. Go to sleep."
"No, Selena. It's bad." She hiccuped before whispering. "It's really bad."
Annoyed I sat upright. "What's bad, Demi?"
"Blood. So much blood." She slurred as her body fell into my bed.
I whined as the heavy weight on my legs wouldn't let up. It took me a few seconds to register what she had said. Blood. What fucking blood?
"Demi. What blood?" I was panicking.
I was answered with a mumble.
"Demi! What blood!" I was now yelling.
"Mine."
Before I could even open my mouth to say anything she cut me off. "I need more blood."
On instinct, I pulled out my legs from underneath the intoxicated girl before turning on the light and kneeling on the ground in front of her.
I lifted her up, causing her to sit on my bed.
"Who did this to you?" I whispered as I scanned my eyes over the deep self inflicted wounds on her wrist.
She once again didn't speak. She just stared at me. I look into her eyes. They were emotionless. Nothing but dark orbs staring straight through my soul.
"Say something." I choked out.
"Sel." She sobbed.
That's it. Fight the demons. Come back to me, please.
I cleansed her wounds and bandaged them up but my heart broke every time she cried out in pain.
She fell into me. Her body smashing against mine. Her body shook as her breathing became unsteady.
"Breathe, baby." I whispered into her ear.
She tried. But her unsteady breathing stayed that way.
"Come on, Dems. Copy my breathing." I instructed her as I took slow, deep breaths.
She eventually caught on and her breathing slowed down, still unsteady but steady enough.
We lay there, sprawled out on the floor.
I played with her hair, stroking it lightly as her head was pressed against my chest and my heart was pounding.
Her breathing became even more steady and I knew she had fallen asleep. My heavy eyes followed shortly after her. I was unable to move and unable to stop the sleepiness from washing over my body.
~
I woke up the next day in the same position that I fell asleep. With Demi's body draped over me and I didn't mind it at all.
My neck was stiff and my back sore because of the cold hard floor but all that mattered to me was that the girl laying with her head on my chest right now was okay. I knew that she was only ever okay when she was asleep so I laid there and let her continue to dream. I knew how it felt waking up every day, wanting to fall asleep because your dreams are better than reality and there was no way I was going to ruin that for her. Not now. Not ever.
It was the weekend, so I had all the time in the world to just lay here and let Demi stay as far away from her demons that she could. I felt so protective over her but I didn't know why. All I knew is that she was a lost soul. She needed love and she needed to be cared for.
~
Demi woke up and grabbed her head immediately, screaming in pain.
"Hop up. I'll get you something for that." I said sitting up.
"I don't need your help, Selena." She spat.
"Too bad. I am going to help you."
I didn't know it at the time but I wasn't going to be able to help her. No one would be able to help her. Not even herself.
She groaned loudly and stretched, wincing in pain as the wounds on her left wrist split open.
"Did I?" She questioned and I already knew what the rest of the sentence was going to be.
I nodded and pursed my lips into a straight line.
"Why are there bandages? Why was I laying on you? Why are we on the floor? Oh my god my head hurts."
I couldn't help but let out a muffled chuckle.
"I cleaned you up. You fell asleep on me. I fell asleep straight after you. You drank too much." I closed one eye trying to figure out if I had missed a question.
"Fucking hell. When can this all be over?" She mumbled more to herself than me.
I gulped. I knew what she meant. I could feel my throat contrict as tears threatened to spill over the brim of my eyes. "When can what be over?"
"My life."
