Magnolia (p.t.v)

Chapter 9.

            I was eavesdropping. I didn't mean to, it just sort of happened. The door was slightly opened, and I was on my way to the bathroom. Mike and Vic's father was back in town from work today and Vivian invited my aunts and I for dinner. It was the first time Mr. Fuentes saw Vic ever since he came back from the ward.

"It's happening again, isn't it?" Mr. Fuentes sighed angrily.

"What's happening?" Vic asked.

"You're wearing those stupid wristbands again and now you've wrecked your face," He rushed.

Vic had gotten in a fight with Craig. Craig started to push Vic around and they started arguing and then it got physical. I never knew why Craig hated Vic so much.

"What happened in the past isn't happening. Besides, there was nothing wrong with how I was there."

"Have you got in with the wrong friends again?" His father asked seriously.

"It's nothing to do with my friends," Vic snapped. "You don't have a clue about them. You've never even met them and you don't even know their names!"

"That isn't my fault!"

"Did you ever consider maybe it isn't my friends that are the problem? That just maybe it's me. This is who I am," Vic replied desperately.

"It isn't who you are!"

"How the fuck would you know?!" Vic growled. "You're always at work. And you know what? I don't even care anymore!" He spat.

"Don't you dare!"

"You don't care. You never have. I could disappear and you wouldn't even notice. You never used to notice!"

"Be quiet!" Mr. Fuentes snarled.

Soon Vic ran out of the bedroom, and his father yelled. "Get back in here, Victor!"

"Fuck you!" He exclaimed.

"Vic..." I murmured. He harshly turned, and I watched as tears fell down his face. He didn't say anything, and he didn't need to. I could see the hurt in his eyes. My stomach dropped, and he wiped the tears quickly running down the stairs.

I heard the front door slam. Rushing downstairs, I bumped into Mike at the first step.

"Woah, easy there cowboy. Where are you heading?" He asked, sipping from a pepsi can.

"Did you not see Vic run out?"

Mike sighed. "Mags, it's the same routine everytime Dad comes home."

"So? You can't just let him leave like that!" I scolded.

"Maggie," He put his hand on my shoulder, "It's better off leaving him alone."

"No!" I attempted to proceed, only to be halted by Mike again.

"Mags."

"Mike, I'm gonna check on him," I shoved his arm out of the way and walked towards the door. When I was outside, I had no idea where to look. I sighed, scratching the back of my head. I heard the door open behind me, and a pepsi-slurping Mike appeared.

"Maggie, he'll probably be at the junkyard at the corner of the next block," Mike informed me.

I smiled towards him, "Thanks, Mikey-Wikey."

"What? Mikey-Wikey? No, leave, shoo."

I chuckled, waving.

              On the way to Vic, I kept seeing the image of him crying. I could see the loneliness in his eyes, it made my stomach hurt. I felt a pang of anxiety sink in, I was worried. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I've felt that way before. Reaching the junkyard, I attempted to search for Vic. The junkyard was huge, and I'm so short it'd take years to find him. The ground was moist and muddy due to the rain fall earlier. Looking at the clouds, it seems like it'd rain again soon. The junkyard smelled like Jaime after gym class. No, wait. Even worse. I walked further, and I began to smell cigarette smoke closer and closer. Bingo. Vic was definitely here. I lingered around, and while I did I noticed the huge amount of vehicles here. Motorcycles, cars, trucks, anything. I approached Vic as I found him sitting on an old beat up couch in a pile of old furniture.

"Vic," I called out to him. He looked up, taking a long drag from the cigarette.

Vic silently murmured out, "Why are you here?"

"I think the important question here is, why are you here?" I replied.

He chuckled, "Spending time with my own kind."

"In this wasteland?"

"It's my only retreat."

I crossed my arms. "Wanna talk?"

"No."

I sighed, sitting besides him, "Then we don't need to talk."

He pursed his lips and slid a Marlboro out of his vest, "Here."

I took it from his fingers. "Thanks." I put it between my lips, then waited as he brought the lighter to my chin. He flicked it, and the flame charred the end as I drew in the fumes. The end of the cigarette began to glow.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, sincerely.

Vic looked at me and sighed. He laid his head back, blowing a cloud of smoke.

"You're the first person to ask me that in a long time," He said, inhaling from the cigarette. That hit me hard. Vic was definitely lonely, and that made me upset.

"I want the truth, Vic."

He laughed, "I'm fine."

Lie.

"You're not."

"Why do you even care?!" He snapped, and I widened my eyes.

"Because I just do," I replied. "You're my friend."

"That's a goddamn lie, nobody cares!" Vic's voice cracked, and he threw the cigarette to the ground in pure anger, stomping on it. "My father, he doesn't even give a fuck! I'm a embarrassment to him! I can't fucking do anything right, I'm such a failure," Vic sniffled, and his hands found its way to his hair. He began to pull his hair, and fell on his knees. He muttered profanities to himself, and grabbed his hair, squirming around. The tears splashed down from Vic's face, and I felt such a deep pain in my chest, I wanted to cry too. I threw my cigarette on the ground as well.

"I know what it's like to feel burned out," I sat on my knees besides him. Breathing heavily, Vic held his ears tightly and rocked himself back and forth. I scooted towards him, placing my hands on his hands.

"Shh, I'm here, I'm here." I brought my thumbs to his cheeks and wiped the tears. "Take deep breaths, okay?"

He blinked profusely towards the ground, letting the remainder of tears spill. My fingers ran through his long hair, attempting to calm him down. I tucked a strand behind his ear.

"I'm not okay," He replied, looking straight at me.

I leaned in towards him, so close I could hear his breathing. Our noses nearly touched and I whispered, "It's okay not to be okay."

"But I want to be okay."

"It takes time, but I promise you it's worth it," I grabbed his hand despite all the butterflies in my stupid stomach and squeezed it tightly. I gave him a look of hope, and all he did was stare with gleaming eyes.

Suddenly, I felt his arms wrap around me and I was introduced to his warmth. The embrace was tight but I felt something I never felt before.

Safe.

Vic leaned his head on my shoulder, and said, "I can't do this alone."

I placed my arms around him and held tighter, "You won't. I'll be there for you."

He murmured into my ear, "Can you chase away the darkness?"

A tear escaped and ran down my cheek.

"I don't know, but I'll try my hardest, Vic. I'm trying."

That's when the thunder crackled, and we were drenched in the pouring rain.

Yet, he still held on.

"Okay."