Curls and Dreads (Slowburn BxB)

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Tbh, Idk where im going w this story anymore. I'm probably gonna rewrite this anyway.
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Mateo hadn't come to school for a week. No one had seen or heard from him, not even his friends. Apparently, his disappearance didn't bring much worry because he always did this at least once a year.

Mateo is a problematic and a very hard to understand person. He was a troubled child, as most adults in his life would say. They didn't know the half of it.

When people looked at him, all they could see was his father. The nasty man he was. Mateo didn't like his father much. He hated him, really. He resented his father for his anger and alcoholism he passed on to him. Mateo didn't wanna be like his father, but he didn't have to say what events led to how he is now.

A year or two earlier, Mateo drowned out all of his thoughts with alcohol. He could barely bear the weight of the world, so he turned to alcohol for help. The small voice in his head always screamed for him not to do that, but he did it anyway.

When a situation became too much to bear, he'd drink. When he felt lonely, he'd drink. When the world was too little to bear, he'd drink. Every outcome, no matter what happened, he'd drink. Alcohol was a safe haven for him. For a while, he couldn't function without alcohol in his system.

That's what addiction does to you. It wraps you in a blanket you don't understand has malicious intent. It fucks with your brain chemistry and makes you think it helps when all it does is make things worse. It'll rope you in and lock you in a cage like a bird.

"C'mon Mateo. Mamá is worried." Evon knocked on the wooden door. "What is going on with you?"

On the other side of the door was Mateo. He was sitting on his floor, drinking a bottle of vodka he mixed with leftover tequila. Which is what he'd done for the past week. He'd drink until he passed out. He would wake up and get something to eat before his brother woke up, and then he'd lock himself back in his room.

"Nothing." Mateo replied, half-hearted. He took another long swig from the bottle and rested his head back against the cold wall.

"You've been in here all week. Do you want me to break down this damn door?" Evon banged on the door and violently twisted the knob.

Mateo just mindlessly stared at the door. Not caring to respond. Well, more of that, he couldn't think of a response.

"Mateo, I swear to God!" Evon banged on the door again, though this time it was more violent.

It reminded Mateo of the way his father used to get angry at him. The way the older man's hatred was so clear yet so blurry.

"I'm good, Evon." Mateo muttered. He closed his eyes and focused on the sudden throb in his head. He wanted it to stop. He wanted everything to stop.

"Open the door, Mateo. Now."

Mateo sighed and shoved the bottle under his bed. He stood up, unlocked the door, and opened it. He left the door open, inviting Evon inside, and went to lay down on his bed. Mateo stumbled slightly, doing this. It didn't go unnoticed by Evon.

Evon turned on the room light. He leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms. "What's going on?"

"Nun." Mateo said lowly. He was laid on his bed facing the wall so Evon couldn't see his face. "Just tired."

"You're a damn liar." Evon said harshly. "Turn around."

Mateo froze for a moment. "No."

"Turn the fuck around before I make you." Evon threatened.

Mateo didn't reply to his threat. It's not that he didn't hear him. He just thought he wouldn't do it.

"I've had enough of your shit." He walked over and yanked Mateo up by his hoodie. "You were better, Mateo." Evon looked straight into Mateo's bloodshot eyes.

Mateo pushed himself out of Evon's grip and fell hard into his nightstand. "Keep.." He paused, stood up, and leaned against the wall. "Your fucking hands off me."

The throbbing in Mateo's head started to hurt more as Evon spoke, he could barely hear what he was saying his vision was blurry and he felt like he was going to pass out any second.

"Mateo, do you hear me?" Evon asked. "Mateo, are you okay?"

"I'm fi..." Mateo passed out, fell forward into Evon's arms, and started to seize.