Family | A Nick & Charlie short story |

Oliver Spring, the abused and broken.

NICK: 31 YR OLD
CHARLIE: 29 YR OLD
TORI: 30 YR OLD
MICHAEL: 32 YR OLD
OSCAR: 15 YR OLD
LILY: 11 YR OLD
WILL: 16 YR OLD
OLIVER: 16 YR OLD

TW: Self-harm mentions, abuse

No one's POV:

Oliver Jonathan Spring is a 16 year old boy from Truham Grammar School For Boys. Younger brother of Victoria Annabel Spring and Charles Francis Spring.

Oliver grew up with struggles though.

Charlie, his big brother, suffers from OCD, Anorexia, Depression and Anxiety.

His sister, Tori, suffers from depression.

♡~~♡

Ollie, Oliver, lived with his parents, Jane Spring and Julio Spring, but, in a fit of rage, Jane kicked him out.

Tori, the one who always took care of her brothers instead of their mum, took him in for a short while.

♡~~♡

Oliver used to be a VERY cheery, kind and energetic person, now, as the years have gone by, he's not so much.

His mum, Jane, hasn't helped him either.

She always hoped he wouldn't become like his sibling, due to their illnesses. But, in one way or another, he sort of did.

With Tori injured, Charlie panicking and Nick stressing, what will 16 year old Oliver Spring do to help?

Nick's POV:

What am I going to do!?

Charlie's worrying himself, and I'm stressing out.

"Dad, calm down!!" Oscar pushes me.
"I-"

There's a knock at the door.

"Stay there." I tell them.

I go to the door and open it.

"Nicholas, calm down." Tara hugs me.

Oh, thank god she's here.

"Where's Lily!?"
"In the car, she's staying with me tonight."
"Thank you so much!"

She holds my hands.

"Take care of yourself, please."

I nod.

She kisses my head before walking out to her car, Lily waving at me through the windows.

I wave back at her.

I shut the door and go into the kitchen to get drinks for everyone.

I fill up a few glasses and bring them into the living room.

"Can you two get the guest room sorted?" I ask Oscar and Will.

They nod and make their way upstairs, bringing their glasses of water.

"Ollie..." I look at him.

He's looks ill. Dead, even.

"I'm sorry!" He cries.

I sit beside him and pull him into a hug.

"What for? You've done nothing wrong!"
"I yelled at her."
"Your mum?"
"Mhm."
"Why?"

He pulls away, and for a quick second, I think I see bruises on his arms, but I brush it off.

"She made me quit my football team just before the big match. And I'm striker." He mumbles.
"Why'd she make you quit?"
"She said I can't be like Charlie and Tori. Apparently it was taking up too much study time. Mum's excuse was that Charlie and Tori never studied and were too busy doing other things."
"What!?"
"Sorry."
"Stop that."

He flinches.

What is that monster doing to him.

"Hey...I'm not gonna hurt you. Are you ok?"

He looks at the floor, then to Charlie.

"She hits me..." He mutters under his breath, barley audible.

But I do hear, and by the looks of it, Charlie does too.

"She what!?" Charlie's eyes are full of rage and fear.

Ollie stays silent.

"Oliver. Tell me." He insists.
"She hits me."

My heart stops for a second.

"She...hits you!?" I repeat.

He nods.

"Do you have marks to show?" Charlie asks.
"As proof?" Ollie asks.
"No."

He hesitates, but lifts up his shirt, revealing bruises upon bruises along his ribs, arms, chest, stomach.

"That's not all..." He mumbles.

He unbuttons his jeans and takes them off, his football shorts underneath.

Along his legs, thighs, calves, are covered in bruises and cuts.

"She did that to you!?" I try to stay calm.

He nods again.

Charlie grabs Ollie and brings him into a hug.

"Has dad done anything?" Charlie asks him.
"He doesn't know."

He pulls away.

"What'd you mean he doesn't know!?"
"She only ever does it when he's away."
"That's sick in the head!"
"Yeah."

I look at Ollie and Charlie hugging, a rush of fear running through me as I notice the bandages on his wrists.

"Ollie, can you come with me?" I ask.

He looks up at me, then down at his wrist, and then back at me.

He follows me into the kitchen.

"Ollie, are you ok?" I look at his arms.

He's pulled his sleeves down again.

"My mum makes me hate myself, Nick!" He cries out.

And without hesitation, I'm lifting up his sleeve to reveal a bandage wrapped around his wrist.

"How did you-" He starts, but I stop him.
"Why didn't you tell us? We could've gotten you out of there a lot sooner."
"Sorry."
"Don't apologise for something she done."
"Ok."

♡~~♡

We've spoken to Charlie about Ollie's...well...you know. He knows how to help him, so do I. Charlie offers to bring Ollie to see his Charlie's old therapist, Geoff. Ollie agrees. I tell Ollie that the police will need to get involved. He says ok.

I don't know who will take him, but they sertently won't.

It's either me and Charlie who take him, or Tori and Michael who take him.

Yes, me and Charlie already have 2 children in out house, but Ollie's big brother is literally taking my last name next month.

"Oliver, before you go to bed, who would you choose to stay with?" Charlie asks.
"I don't know."
"What'd you mean?"
"I think I'd like to stay with Tori for a week or more, just to see."
"We can arrange that."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."

Oliver smiles at us.

"Go on up to bed, kiddo. We can talk tomorrow."

He runs up to the guests room, me and Charlie following behind.

"Night, Olls." Charlie flicks the hall light on.
"Night!"
"Get changed and head to bed."
"Mhm!"

I kiss his head and we walk out.

♡~~♡

We and Charlie are cuddled up in bed when thoughts start spiralling in my head.

"How long had he been self-harming?"
"Has he been cleaning it properly?"
"What has he been doing it with?"

Oliver Spring, the abused and broken.

God...