Whispering Pages

Save me

"The next morning, Ethan was awakened by loud knocking, followed by his dad bursting into his room and knocking over his desk. He found Ethan and Haley in bed together and was absolutely furious."

"Ethan, what the hell is this? Who's this slut you have in my house?" Ethan, angered by his dad's choice of words, replied, "She's not a slut, Dad. Her name is Haley." His dad shot back, "I'll call her whatever I want in my house. Speaking of which, why don't you get out, little slut?"

Ethan's dad, his face flushed with anger, took a step closer to Ethan. "You think you can tell me how to talk in my own house?" he growled.

Ethan stood his ground, his voice steady but filled with determination. "Yes, Dad. I do. Respect isn't optional, and Haley deserves it."

Haley, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke up, her voice trembling slightly but firm. "Mr, I'm not here to cause trouble. Ethan is my friend, and I just wanted to spend some time with him. I don't mean any disrespect."

Ethan's dad glared at her, but something in Haley calm demeanor seemed to give him pause. He turned back to Ethan, his expression hard. "You better watch yourself, Ethan. This is my house, and my rules."

Ethan took a deep breath, knowing this was a turning point, Ethan turned to Haley, ignoring his dad's outburst for a moment. "I'll walk you home, Haley. Let's get out of here," he said, his voice calm but determined.

Ethan's dad, his face now a deep shade of red, clenched his fists. "You're not going anywhere," he snarled.

Before Ethan could react, his dad's fist flew through the air, landing a hard punch on Ethan's eye.

Ethan staggered back, clutching his face. Haley gasped, rushing to his side. "Ethan, are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

Ethan winced, feeling the bruise already starting to form. "I'm fine, Haley," he said, trying to sound brave despite the pain.

Hailey turned to Ethan's dad, her eyes blazing with anger. "How could you do that to your own son?" she demanded.

Ethan's dad, breathing heavily, seemed to realize what he had done. His expression softened slightly, but the damage was already done. Ethan looked at Haley, his resolve even stronger now. "We need to go," he said firmly.

Hailey quickly responded with an "ok" and dashed into Ethan's restroom to get changed. Meanwhile, Ethan's dad announced he was heading to the bar and left the house.

Ethan, feeling a mix of emotions, sat on his bed, tears streaming down his face as he waited for Haley to finish changing. The room felt heavy with the weight of the situation.

As Haley emerged from the restroom, she saw Ethan crying on the bed. Without a word, she walked over and wrapped him in a warm hug, silently comforting him. She understood his pain without needing to ask.

After a moment, Haley gently pulled away and looked at Ethan with understanding in her eyes. "I'll see myself out, Ethan. Thank you for the wonderful night," she said softly. "I can see you have a lot going on, and I don't want to get too caught up in it. I'll text you, okay?"

The room fell quiet as Haley made her way to the door, leaving Ethan to his thoughts and emotions.

He watched Haley through his bedroom window as she walked home across the street. Once she was out of sight, the frustration and anger took over. Ethan started throwing things around his room, destroying it in a fit of rage. The sound of crashing objects filled the room as he let his emotions out.

Soon after, Ethan pulled his journal out and began writing. The act of putting his thoughts and feelings on paper provided a small measure of relief, helping him process the whirlwind of emotions inside him.

Ethan opened his journal and began to write:

*Journal Entry.*

*This morning was a rollercoaster. Haley stayed over, and for a moment, everything felt perfect waking up next to her. But then, the weight of everything I'm dealing with crashed down on me. I couldn't hide it, and she saw right through me.

When she hugged me, it was like she understood without me saying a word. But when she left, it felt like the last bit of control I had slipped away. Watching her walk home through the window, I felt so helpless and angry. I let that anger take over and destroyed my room.

Now, I'm sitting here, surrounded by the mess I made, trying to make sense of it all. I don't want to drag Hailey into my chaos, but I hate feeling so alone. I need to figure this out before I lose myself along with everything that matters.*

Ethan's journal snapped shut, the sound echoing in the sudden silence. He bolted from his window, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs. The hallway stretched before him, each footstep a thunderclap in the unnerving quiet of the house. He burst into his dad's room, desperation driving him towards the bathroom.

Flinging open the medicine cabinet, he frantically searched through the bottles and boxes. His hands trembled as he pushed aside old prescriptions and half-used toiletries. Finally, at the back of the shelf, he found what he was looking for: a bottle of antidepressants his dad used to take when his mom died.

He stared at the bottle, his thoughts a chaotic mix of fear, hope, and despair. He knew he shouldn't, but the weight of his emotions felt unbearable. As he stood there, clutching the bottle, he felt the tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to spill over.