𝐁𝐀𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐓, malakai mitchell

fifteen.

"so we all agree that porn has given us unrealistic ideas about what sex should look like. but is it all bad?" jojo said, standing in front of the chalk board which said 'to porn or not to porn.'

"when you watch as much as ant does." spider pointed out. the table layout had changed now, evie was sat between dusty and spider who had actually not made any creepy jokes to her that day. everyone let out a laugh at what spider said and jojo didn't seem happy.

"very funny." evie kind of drowned out what everyone was saying, head on her hand as the bell finally rang.

evie sat on the grass against a tree, not partaking in the rubbish clean up just sitting and watching people do the compulsory work of cleaning up rubbish. she felt out of body, like her soul was flying away and she was just stuck on earth until her body decomposed.

it was the most emotions she'd felt in a while, since she was fifteen. her head whirled around and nothing felt real. her hands tugged at the sprigs of grass on the floor but it felt like they were just slipping through her fingers.

her skin felt like it was just melting off of her body, like her hair was falling out and she was floating away.

the blonde decided to get up, but it's like she'd forgotten how to use her legs. everything felt numb, she couldn't feel the sun or the harsh breeze on her cheeks the only thing she could register doing was calling her dad.

"dad can you come get me? it's getting bad again."

evie spent three days off school, didn't look at her messages, didn't move out of her bed unless it was to go to the bathroom and she could tell it was really getting bad when she wasn't even eating.

"someone's at the door, it's for you evie." mike called and evie just ignored him, curling up in a ball on her bed watching tiktok.

there was some muttering downstairs and the door closed, evie somewhat happy that mike had sent away the visitor, probably ant again.

someone knocked at the bedroom door, either mike or jessica. "i'm fine, just go away i'm not hungry." she grumbled, rolling over in her covers again.

the door opened and evie looked up to see malakai standing there with timtams and a nervous smile. "hey scary." he greeted softly.

"hi freshie." she muttered and moved up in the bed for him to get in. "why you here?" she asked, sitting up feeling strands of hair touching her face.

"checking on my favourite scary girl. you haven't been in school for three days and you haven't texted me back in four. i was worried about you." he admitted, brushing some hair from evie's face. "you okay?"

"yeah.. yeah i'm just sick." she replied, looking down at her hands.

"your dad said you haven't really been eating so i went to get you some timtams." he held out the packet and evie took them, not opening them and putting them on her bedside table. "talk to me, vi." he asked softly.

"it's just.. it's getting bad again. i just need dad to get my medication and i'll get better again." she replied with a shrug, pulling her knees to her chest. "it's okay malakai, it happens."

"and i want to be there for you." he replied, running a hand through her tangled blonde locks.

"just going to drop jessica home and i'll bring a maccas back!" mike called and the door slammed shut, evie flinching at the sound.

"come." malakai dragged evie out of bed and took her to the bathroom. "i'm gonna run you a bath, right? and then we're gonna go and watch neighbours and then go for a walk." evie sat on the toilet lid whilst malakai ran her bath, knees to her chest as the water filled up the tub.

"i'm sorry." she mumbled.

"hey, don't be sorry." malakai sat on the edge of the bath next to evie and stroked the side of her face with his thumb. "nothing to be sorry about, mental health isn't something you should apologise for vi." he muttered and evie nodded softly, stripping down to get into the bath.

she sat in the water, the bubbles covering her naked body as malakai gently put some water on her hair and began washing it.

"thank you." evie whispered and malakai just pressed a kiss on her wet forehead, running a brush through the wet strands of hair. "you can get in, if you want?" evie offered and sat forward in the tub.

"o-okay yeah.. yeah." malakai stripped off and climbed into the bath, sitting behind evie as she rested her wet back on his torso. "hey." he mumbled and evie tilted her chin up and malakai leaned down and kissed her. "i really like you, evie." he muttered and evie let a smile cover her face.

"i really like you too malakai i'm just.. i'm not in the right space for a relationship right now. please don't be mad at me i'm just—"

"i'd never be mad at you for that." he reassured and evie rested her head back against him, his arms wrapped around her neck as they relaxed together and this was the most at peace evie had felt in a long time.