Expulsion gave Liam Barrett a dangerous choice. Needing to transfer for his final year, he'd known immediately where to go. It was a distantly familiar place that'd taken everything from him; had once ruined him so absolutely and twisted his persona...
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Liam somehow managed to hobble into the flat without further injury. As the numbing adrenaline calmed, the pain was sharpening. At least his mind was less foggy, even if he felt mildly tipsy on the wound.
ㅤPain aside, Liam was surprised by Charlie's home. Only a single room, a kitchenette was cramped into the corner, the entire space empty except for a mattress on the floor. It was almost spartan with plain white walls and a well-trodden cream carpet that'd greyed with age. Cold, barren, and bare, it was nothing like Liam's room.
ㅤ"This is homely."
ㅤ"Shut it, dickhead."
ㅤA shine glinted on the windowsill—the only decorative item. A photograph curled against the damp glass, without a frame. Charlie was younger there with two younger girls and a baby. The Bradley genes were strong, all sharing the same dark brown hair.
ㅤ"Siblings?" Liam nosied.
ㅤCharlie was rummaging through the kitchenette cupboards behind him, too distracted to turn around. "Ah, yea... Three younger sisters. They live with their mum."
ㅤLiam forcibly extinguished his curiosity. Having never heard of Charlie's siblings before meant this topic wasn't an appropriate one to pry into—living alone at eighteen suggested hardship enough. Spending time together as more matured adults, it became clearer that Charlie carried more baggage than Liam had ever realised as a child.
ㅤMia might've been right in her contention. Liam was only allowed into Charlie's home through pure chance and Charlie was no doubt hating every moment. Liam knew his home address—something Chris hadn't known after years of friendship.
ㅤThough, Liam couldn't reductively accuse Charlie of being a 'broken' man like Mia had; he was too firm to be called that. Instead, like he'd refused to break, it was as if he'd jammed his pieces back together with glue and it hadn't mattered if they were in the right place or not. Because it seemed Charlie's whole life had been punishment enough for what he'd done to Liam, the idea of revenge gradually felt more wrong.
ㅤNo one was born evil: Liam generally believed that. And, suspecting Charlie's upbringing hadn't been close to the nicest, he would be beating a dead horse.
ㅤCharlie pulled out a battered rucksack from under the sink and held it up for Liam to see.
ㅤ"What's that?"
ㅤCharlie motioned towards the bed. "Medical stuff. I didn't bring you here to snoop. Take your shirt off and lie on the mattress."
ㅤ"Your plans to get me naked are really hitting the extreme now."
ㅤCharlie gave him a straight look. "I would suggest you should try stand-up comedy, but you'd currently be failing at the first hurdle. You're about to tip over. Listen, I don't like you and I don't want you here so stop being difficult."
