New Beginnings (Charlie Bartlett Fanfic Starring Robert Downey Jr.)

Chapter 38 - Trying to Help You

Sydney tried, for hours, to reach Nathan and worry began rearing its head. Finally unable to ignore the anxiety overpowering her thoughts, she took a drive by the school and saw Nathan's car in the parking lot. Frowning, she jogged up the front steps of the building and caught the janitor locking up the building.

"Pretty late, Sydney," he said with a smile. Pete was a sweet, older gentleman who didn't mind cleaning up after the teenaged masses. Sydney always spoke to him when he came to her room at the end of the day to empty her trashcan.

"I know, Pete, sorry. I left some paperwork in my room and it slipped my mind until just a little while ago."

"Happens more often than you'd think. Building's almost empty, door'll be locked behind you, okay?

"Thank you, I'll just be a few minutes."

"I'm all finished up. Do you want me to wait and walk you out?"

Sydney smiled. "Oh, I don't want to hold you up. Thank you, Pete. Have a good night."

"You too." Pete walked out the door and that was that.

She now knew that Nathan was the only other soul in the building, and she couldn't help but dread in what state she him. She ran down the hall to his room, finding the door closed. The only light she through the frosted window was from his desk lamp. She tried to open the door, but it was locked. She knocked. "Nathan?" Nothing. "Nathan? Please open up." She heard a slight groan and she panicked. "Baby, please," she begged.

Heavy footsteps approached the door. It unlocked, then opened slowly. Nathan looked at his lover through red-rimmed eyes. He looked terrible and he wished he could have asked her to leave. "I'm a fucking wreck," he confessed. He opened the door wider to let her in.

Sydney looked around the room and felt her stomach turn. It was completely trashed. "What...did you do?"

"I had a really bad day." He leaned against his desk and put his head in his hands. "He wouldn't listen to me at all...wouldn't call you in...believed every word that fucker told him because he's the school's golden boy and I'm the fuck up." He looked up at Sydney. "You're going to leave me when I go to the board, and Susan..." He got up and paced.

Sydney walked toward him, but he put his hands up, wanting her to stop. She ignored this. "Nathan, whatever happened today, I'll fix it tomorrow."

"You can't! Sedgewick's had it in for me since day one and he knows..." He stopped and Sydney didn't press about what he'd just omitted. Understanding the fragile state he was in, she got close enough to take him into her arms and held him.

"He was scaring me, Nathan, and physically hurting me. If you wouldn't have gotten to me when you did anything could have happened." She ran her fingers through his hair, trying to soothe him. "That's my story, as well as the truth, and they won't be able to argue the bruises."

Nathan stiffened. "What?"

Sydney pulled back and rolled up her sleeve. In place of the red marks that were there earlier that day were angry purple welts. "As far as I'm concerned, he shouldn't be in this school."

Nathan gazed at the injury, his head clearing. "Syd..."

"Please tell me nothing else happened here."

He understood and swallowed hard. "I swear, that's why I stayed here. I was too scared to leave...too tempted."

"I told you to call me."

"I couldn't there's..." He began to clean up the room, Sydney helping him. "I told you there were things, other than my drinking, that I'm not proud of. Going to the board will let those things out."