Band-Aids On Bruises

Frustration

Just wanted to say Wattpad might have broken on me for a second so uh, if it came up saying there is two new chapters, there's not. Okay, you may continue.

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[Two Weeks Later]

Dustin Barre is, what some would call, broken.

Not broken the way a game might break, or a car might, but broken like a mirror shattered into a million tiny pieces that are now lying on the floor waiting to be picked up and put back together. Except there's nobody to put him together. Not anymore.

If Dustin's a mirror that's laying in tiny pieces on the floor, the pieces are too sharp to even touch. Lightly pressing one would result in a deep wound where ever you touched it. I found that out the hard way.

It's so infuriating. Seeing Dustin like this, all alone and in pain, and not being able to do anything. Not because I don't know how, but because he just won't let me.

I could have, should have done something earlier, instead of trying to act like everything was fine.

The first sign was Dustin ignoring all of my texts and calls. I was stupid, and thought it was because he was angry at me or uncomfortable with me for saying my feelings.

The second was much more obvious. Dustin completely stopped talking at school. Not just with the teachers and acquaintances, but with everybody. Me, Wasd, Oort and anybody else he had a connection with. He would even smile or show any emotions, only nod, shrug, or shake his head if we asked him anything. That was Monday.

Tuesday, he didn't even sit with me, or anyone else, at lunch. In fact, nobody knew were he was. He just disappeared. I never saw him at our lockers, but when I did see him occasionally in the halls he avoided me and kept his eyes locked on the floor. He also made sure that he was as far away from me in every class we shared.

I was so stupid, I thought it was because of me. I didn't even stop to think about how he could be processing everything in his mind.

Wednesday, he was late for every class. I also was told that his work effort had dropped majorly in only a few days, giving him low grades and bad marks. I knew all this because every one of his teachers came up to me and asked me if he was okay, knowing that I was one of his closest friends.

Thursday, I went over to his house to talk to him. When I got there though, his parents told me that he was out and that he had not been at home very much for the past couple of days. They had always assumed he was at my place. I didn't have the guts to tell his parents that Dustin probably hated me now, so I lied saying that he had been coming over a bit.

Friday, I chased Dustin around the school. Whenever I saw him I ran after him and yelled, as quietly as possible, for him to stop and talk to me. Instead of staying one place at lunch, I explored every nook and cranny of the school. I did find him, at the back of the school, outside, behind a dumpster, and literally had to chase him down. I grabbed his arm, but he kept squirming to get away from me.

"Please Dustin. Please. Why? What's wrong? Is it me?" I begged but he still said nothing. His face was scrunched up in pain as he struggled. I kept begging him to talk to me until a fist connected with my jaw. I fell to the ground and looked up to see Dustin sprinting away.

I was so angry, and couldn't stop the words that poured out of my mouth. "Fine!" I yelled after him "I do so much for you and all I get in return is pain, hatred and secrets! I can find someone else! Someone who won't break my heart and run away from everything in fear! You-you coward!"