We're broken people // twenty one pilots

Chapter 1

A/N: Hi guys, so I just wanted to warn you again that this story has a general trigger warning for self harm, depression, mentions of suicide etc.. throughout so please read with caution because even though there may not be an actual warning within the chapter, there may be something that could affect you. I will put an extra trigger warning at the beginning of each chapter if something specifically triggering happens (description of self harm etc..) but please please please don't read this if you know you will be triggered, I don't want my story to be the cause of you harming yourself or risking your life. I know some people may say that I just shouldn't include possibly triggering content but it is one of the main plot points of the story. It (hopefully) makes it a bit more interesting to read and helps you guys to connect with the characters, and gives you an insight into how they're feeling and behaving. Plus it is also similar to what I am/was going through and how I am feeling, I feel that writing is the way I can express that.
Sorry again if this triggers any of you
stay strong, stay alive |-/

(tw: description of self-harm)
Leah's POV

Click.

I smile triumphantly as the screw in the pencil sharpener comes loose and the razor sharp blade falls out and into my hand. I've been trying to undo it for the past 15 minutes.

I hold the piece of shiny metal between my thumb and forefinger, studying it intently. How can such a small item be so important to me?
I roll up the sleeve of my over-sized jumper and let my eyes drift over the marks on my arm.

3 months and 17 days since the first little red line appeared on my skin. Now there are more than I can count, some faded and barely visible, others new and red, reminding me of the last time I did this- only yesterday.

I take a deep breath and sigh. I know this is wrong, I know I shouldn't be doing it. Yeah, I'm messed up, but Ive got used to being a failure and a disappointment.

I scan my skin for a fairly clean area and extend my elbow, holding my arm out in front of me. I bring the corner of the blade down on to my skin so it's titled at an angle and quickly drag it across. A sharp, burning sensation shoots through my arm but I ignore it as I make another mark, and another, and another.

Eventually I stop. Staring at the numerous bloody cuts on my skin. For a moment I'm mesmerised, but then I'm snapped out of my thoughts when I hear a sudden knock on my door.

Crap

"Leah? You ok in there?" My brother, Josh, asks.

"Yeah, Im fine" I say, shoving the parts of the pencil sharpener into my bedside draw and grabbing a tissue to soak up the blood on my arm.

I hadn't been expecting anyone to come and check on me, if I had known, I would have waited until I was sure that nobody would be around.

I grab the first book that I see and sit on my bed- my back leaning on the head-board and my legs crossed in front of me, trying to look as casual as possible.

"Can I come in?" He asks in his gentle voice.

"Um yeah, sure" I reply whilst hastily scanning the room for any signs of what I had been doing mere seconds before.

The door handle turns and I rip open the book to a random page, pretending to be concentrating on the jumble of black shapes in front of me.

I glance at my arm- my arm! I quickly shove the sleeve down, praying to god that my brother hadn't just seen that.
Had he? Did I pull it down in time?

I look up to see his hazel brown eyes staring at me from my doorway, a look of confusion crosses my brother's face.

I can feel my heart pounding in my chest and I try not to look guilty as fuck so I just stare down at the page again- hoping hoping hoping he won't question me.