A Silent Cry

Chapter Seven: Guilt Ridden

A/N: Sorry this took so long. I was super busy.

Russ stared at the ceiling in his room. Cry was found in an alleyway by some guy named Felix Kjellberg. He didn't know who that was or why he found Cry. He was sorry for the both of them. He was sorry that some random boy had to be brought in for questioning, he was sorry when he found out how injured Cry was. He was just sorry. There was no reason for him to have lied. There was no threat that could have been made for him to turn his back on his best friend.

Yet there was.

All the students held a fear for Keith Watts, but no one was held up to such a pressure as Russ and Minx were. The last witnesses. Russ never knew there was dirt on Minx that someone else would have. Minx was an enigma; a shadow in every dark corner. It seemed a bit unlikely that people knew more than her name. But Keith did. Keith held it over her head until she begged for mercy. Russ had no idea Minx could be broken like that. She was always painted as some sort of a suave trickster. But Russ also didn't know he could be broken like that either.

Scott's ringtone made Russ jump. He grabbed his phone and checked the text.

Jund: You gonna be at the hospital?

Russ stared at it a moment before responding.

Jund: Snake and I will be waiting for you

Russ rubbed his face with both of his hands. This was a mess. How could he do something that led to this? He began to wonder if Minx felt this same guilt. It was heavy and full of regret. It was almost like an emotional version of trying to lift your legs out of water when your shoes and pants are soaked. His thoughts wandered over to his earliest years of friendship with Cry. They've known each other almost their whole lives; it just made Russ feel all the more guilty.

~~~

Cry and Russ met Snake and Scott in second grade. They were a rather odd pair at the time. Scott would often insist that he didn't know Snake, and Snake spoke even less than he does now. They caught the interest of Cry and Russ by how they were introduced. It was only about a week into the school year and all the kids were out at recess. Cry and Russ began racing each other to see who could make it to the top of the slide first. Russ won. While Cry was pouting about, they spotted a boy yelling at another boy. This peaked their interests, so they slid down the slide to see who they were.

"Can you stop following me around?! I don't wanna be with you!"

Russ and Cry exchanged a glance. The other boy didn't say anything, only stared. The boy who yelled crossed his arms and turned away. He saw Cry and Russ and walked over to them. "Do you mind if I hang out with you guys? That weirdo over there doesn't want to leave me alone."

That's how their friendship started. Cry and Russ accepted Snake into their small group as well. It took a long time for them to get Snake and Scott to see eye-to-eye, but the two became almost inseparable. Neither Cry nor Russ ever mentioned it to Scott, but Snake had privately thanked them a few years after. He was glad that they were there to speak his mind while he was too shy to do it.

~~~

Russ stepped out of his mother's car and gazed up at the hospital. "I'll call you when I need a ride." He glanced back. His mother had a worried frown tugging at her lips, but she brought up a smile that Russ could see right through.

"Alright, honey," it sounded like she wanted to say more, but her mouth stayed shut. She gave a more convincing smile. "I love you."

"Love you too."

Snake and Scott were waiting when Russ got inside. Their solemn expressions made his heart drop. They didn't say much as they all went up to Cry's room and Russ was thankful for that. He didn't know if he would be able to provide small talk. As they approached the door to Cry's room, dread began to form in the pit of Russ's stomach. He was about to see the consequences of his actions and he wasn't sure if he would be able to handle it.

Cry turned his head toward them when they walked through the door. He gave them a small smile but kept quiet. Russ frowned deeply. From what could be seen, Cry had a bruise on his cheek and a split lip. Russ knew the damages were deeper than that. He knew Cry's ribs were bruised, he knew one of them had been broken, he knew Cry's esophagus had been scorched with violent vomiting, and he knew Snake and Scott had no knowledge of that. He stayed behind while the two walked up to talk with Cry.

Russ merely observed as Scott attempted to have a conversation with Cry, who only nodded and smiled as his responses. Russ could only assume that Snake and Scott were getting a bad feeling with Cry's lack of speaking. Scott's voice became quieter and Snake stared at the ground. Then, to the surprise of them all, Russ croaked out, "Say something." It was small and pitiful, but Russ couldn't help it. The guilt was eating him alive and he couldn't bare it.

Cry frowned at him while Snake and Scott looked at Cry almost expectantly. He sighed and closed his eyes. "I..."It sounded almost like a raspy whisper. "R-R...u..." He took in a sharp, gulp of air as if he needed to catch his breath.

Scott looked pained, Snake turned away, and Russ didn't dare believe it. He was in complete denial that this was something he indirectly caused. It just couldn't be possible. How could he do this? Cry is his best friend. This wasn't right. Russ's eyes began to water and his throat burned. Before his tears could spill, he bolted out the door. Scott tried to call him back, but it just made him run faster. He became lost. He took too many turns and his eyes blurred behind his glasses. He looked behind him to see if someone was coming after him. There wasn't anyone. He quickly scanned the hall until his eyes landed on a particular room.

Russ hurried over to the restroom and locked himself in one of the stalls. He leaned against the door. The guilt caught up to him faster than his breath did.