Behind Closed Hearts

Chapter 7

James grabbed his backpack and bolted from his room and down the stairs before bursting out into the spring sunshine of the school day.

He was going to be extremely early for the bus stop but James didn't care. He just needed to get away. Stumbling down the front porch steps, James fast walked down the front path and down the street. He didn't stop until he reached the end of the road at the intersection where the bus came.

There, he stopped and leaned against the street light, breathing heavy. After a moment, he caught his breath and the pain of his burns started to filter back.

Gingerly, he rolled back his sleeves. He gasped as the itchy material scathed his wounds but he was startled into silence at the appearance of the speckled burns. They were angry red and splatted up his forearms. "Shit." No one could see this.

"Hey James!" Jordan called nearby.

James rolled down his sleeves quickly and turned to him with a forced smile. "Hey, you're here early."

"I saw you rush out of the house, so I decided to come out and join you," he said, walking to his side and straightening bis shoulder bag.

Today, he was wearing a loose-fitting tee with dark jeans. His brown hair was pinned down, once again, with the red hat, "You know that the bus doesn't come for another ten minutes?"

James laughed shortly. "Guess my clock was wrong."

They were silent for a moment as Jordan rocked back and forth in his converse shoes. He bit his lip and kept glancing at him. Soon it became unnerving.

"Need something?" James asked in annoyance.

He stilled and shrugged. "It's a bit warm for long-sleeve," he murmured.

James glared. He was right though. The sun was beating down at them from the cloudless sky and James shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah it is."

"Didn't plan ahead?"

"I don't have many shirts to spare at the moment," James shot back.

They dropped back into silence again but this time they did not recover their conversation.

Thankfully the bus arrived not too long after and James rushed on, determined to sit apart from the guy today. He had enough of his prying. So he sat in a seat in the middle of the bus and Jordan sat in the seat across from him.

Jordan sat with his feet on the seat and his back against the window. From time to time, James would catch him watching him.

"James!" Aleks called excitedly as he appeared on the bus. He immediately swung into James' seat to sit by his brother. "You didn't text me back last night!"

James smiled. "My phone broke."

"What did you do this time?"

"Dropped it off the banister."

Aleks laughed. "How does that always happen?"

James shrugged, hoping to get away from the subject. But then Jordan spoke up, "I heard a lot of yelling at your house last night."

Aleks' smile faded just slightly as he looked between his brother and Jordan. "There was?" he asked.

Quickly, James nodded. "Yeah, well, Lily got sick last night and Nathen was pretty freaked. You know how people get when they don't know what to do?" James looked up at Aleks' identical eyes and knew they were thinking the same thing.

--

James flipped open his Dad's phone, thumbing his way to Mom's number. "I'm going to call them," James told Aleks, turning away from him and their two friends, Dan and Joe, and went to stand by the window.

Outside, the storm was just starting. The trees were whipping violently in the wind and the skies were dark. James' breathing was short as he raised his phone to his ear. It was hard to hear the first ring over the howling wind.

"You shouldn't be by the window," Aleks said worriedly, coming to stand by James.

James put his hand over his left ear and turned away just as the phone rang a second time.

The lawn chairs toppled over in the yard and flipped away to land against the fence. Aleks grabbed at James' arm, holding the phone. "Come on James, we have to take cover." Dan and Joe had already disappeared from the room. "James!"

--

"James."

He blinked rapidly, realizing belatedly that he had been staring at the floor. "Sorry, what?" James asked his brother.

Aleks frowned at him. "I was saying, what's with the long-sleeves?"

"I asked him earlier and he said he has a shortage of clothes." Jordan said from his seat. "But I'm just wondering if James' just some emo kid that cuts himself."

James glared at him. "I wouldn't do that -"

But suddenly Aleks wrenched back James' sleeve. James gasped as the fabric rubbed across his burns until they were exposed to them. "What the hell is that?" Aleks immediately demanded.

James yanked his arm out of Aleks' and tore the sleeve back down. He glared at the both of them, who were staring at him with wide eyes. "God, James," Jordan said quietly. "I didn't actually mean -"

"Shut up. Grease burns, you idiots," James snapped. "I was making fucking bacon."

Jordan paled but didn't say anything.

Luckily, the bus was pulling into the parking lot so James stood abruptly and wedged himself past Aleks. "James," Aleks called after him.

"Fuck off!" James said. He stalked off the bus filled with rage. He would never cut himself.

--

Aleks watched James storm angrily away towards the school. He sighed. It seemed as if a pattern was forming where he daily pissed James off.

He and Jordan took their time getting off the bus. They walked together across the school grounds, both in dismal moods. "I think you should check in on him at his house," Jordan said suddenly.

Aleks looked at him closely and he seemed genuinely concerned. "Why?"

He shrugged and adjusted his bag. "He just seems hurt and depressed. I mean, I barely know him but... I am just getting the vibe."

"James' not depressed," Aleks said forcefully with a frown but he was getting a sinking feeling.

"I just knew a kid who hurt himself because... never mind. Just make sure you give him a ride home today because, by coincidence, I won't be watching soccer practice today. That way, you can see how he's doing at home."

Aleks watched him; he seemed sincere. "Okay, but I guarantee that he's not depressed."