The Sight of Sound

Chapter 3-Clean-Up Op

Hi guys! This chapter introduces Bailey's crush, Nathan, and by the way, next chapter will see you meet Bailey's dad, Paul. MATURE CONTENT WARNING, but anyway, enjoy! :-)

Nathan's Perspective

"FUCK!" was my first thought as I walked into that disgusting bathroom, as I'd been instructed to. I saw Bailey passed out on the floor and thought back to Daniel's spiteful words.

"Go, you're revolting boyfriend is crying in the bathroom," Oh I wish. I could protect him properly if he were my boyfriend. People can be so judgemental; especially my dad. All because of my bitch of a stepmother whispering suggestively in his gullible ears. I tried to be Prince Charming first, knowing it wouldn't work. I checked no-one was around and placed a tentative kiss on his lips. To my immense surprise... nothing had changed. At least I had fulfilled my personal wish. It was then that I noticed the arms. His blazer was pulled down but I saw the red stained razor and pulled the sleeve up. His forearm was a wild zigzag of scars, new and old. "Shit! My poor angel what did they do to you?" His shirt was untucked and I saw his thin, anorexic stomach. It was an army barracks of scars, all competing for the most bizarre and exotic tale and telling their war stories. I'd not known about the stomach cuts before today and it set me off. Soon tears snaked their way down my face. I couldn't bare it and the sight made me physically sick. I started to lightly tap his face "Come on Bailey, you need to wake up,"; then harder. He spluttered and the inside of his mouth was stained with red patches. I laid him in the recovery position and thanked my lucky stars when he stirred. But that only cleared the way for more problems and dilemmas when his broken glasses fell from the inside of his blazer, where'd they'd been hugged tightly to his body. When he was semi-conscious I started the process I had done too many times before-retrieved alcohol hand wash and some tissues from my pocket (so gay cliché, right) and dabbed the cuts to try and get rid of any infections he'd already picked up and start the cuts on their healing process. He flinched a little and his eyes mirrored my heart, i.e. they fluttered. "Bailey! Bailey can hear me?" I said with a touch too much ecstasy in my voice to be subtle.

"Ah, it stings."

"Oh, sweetie I know it does. Please, tell me what happened; who did this?"

"I- I don't... I can't remember too much. It definitely involved O-ollie and Daniel."

It was always those cunts. I wanted to kill them and engulf Bailey with affection in equal parts but I needed to stay alive to protect Joe, the moon to my sun, and if I did either of those things I didn't see that happening. My thoughts were interrupted by Joe.

"Please, Nathan, don't do anything, I wouldn't want you getting hurt for me. It might be easy seeing as Daniel is your next door neighbour, but seriously don't. After all I'm just a crazy piece of trash. I'm not worth it."

"NO!" I screamed, my voice hoarse and throat pained "You will NEVER say that about yourself, in front of me, anyone or even on your own, because that is not even 0.1% true. I can't bear for that thought to even flicker across the deepest section of your brain, because I...I-" I love you. But the last two words of my emotional breakdown were greedily snatched from my lips by the bell marking the end of 5th period. Had an hour really passed?

"Come on, Bailando; let's get you home and safe now," using my personal, affectionate nickname for him. It means dancing in Spanish. He aasumes it's because our first lesson he sat next to me in, it was what we were learning. Plus it sounds like his name. That's my cover,  the real reason is he sets my heart to a crazy speeding beat whenever I see him.

"I can't make the walk, I'm too faint to. Don't even mention trying to carry me home. I know you can, but your reputation would shatter in a matter of seconds."

"I'll call my auntie. It's her day off today, she lives two minutes down the road, handily, in your direction and is willing to help. She's very kind." That was all true but I was leaving out the crucial detail: my aunt was a closet lesbian, stuck with our homophobic family like me, and the only one who knew about my crush on Joe and had been wanting to meet him for ages...

Sorry that was a long one. Hope you enjoyed it though. Goodbye beautiful readers.