My Best friend

Chapter 9

"So...we should talk about Monday".I said. DJ looks at me, then down at his hands in his lap. He doesn't say anything so I add, "What happened DJ? What's been bothering you lately?". He sighs then looks up at me.

"I can't tell you Kathy. Not yet. You have to just...trust me on this one okay?" He says quietly.

"DJ it doesn't matter what it is. I'll listen and help you with whatever. That's why we're best friends."

He sighs again, "I-I... It's just...Kathy-"

"I'm back!" I hear Nanna yell from the kitchen, interrupting what DJ was about to say. I let out a slightly frustrated breath and stand up, walking out of the room.

I enter the kitchen and see Nanna putting two items on the table and getting a cup of water for DJ. One looks like a box of Tylenol for his fever. But the other is a prescription bottle with little pills in it.

I'm about to go look at it but stop realizing it would be rude. "Oh Kathy, would you take the Tylenol to DJ for me dear?" Nanna asks. I nod and grab the box walking quickly to DJs room. I still need to talk to him. Bit what do I find when I walk in?

The butthead freaking fell asleep! Or he's pretending. Either way I can't talk to him now that Nanna's here. I can tell he wouldn't want to. So I leave a note next to his bed.

DJ, I went home since you fell asleep. We can talk about Monday later.
And we will talk later, mister!
-Kathy

I put the note on his night stand and gathered my stuff. Before I left the room, I pulled the cover more over him. His hair was still sticking to his forehead so I brushed it away. My hand lingered on his head longer than it probably should have. Don't ask why. I don't know.

I say bye to Nanna then head home, wondering why my stomach has a couple butterflies in it.

I get home to find David, James and Matt playing on the PS4 in the living room. My mom is in the kitchen making dinner and my dad is typing on his computer at the kitchen table. My dads a writer, which is why we moved five years ago. He got an offer to write for a city paper. But he missed the small towns paper so we moved back.

I walk past my loud brothers and head upstairs after greeting my parents. I enter my room, drop my bag and flop onto my bed face first. I groan into my pillow and my phone rings. Reluctantly I answer it, seeing that it's Teri.

*(things like phone call will be written with just the diolauge)*

"Hello?"

"Hey Kit-Kat!"

"What do you want Teri? I'm busy doing nothing at the moment."

"Now I that anyway to talk to your partner in crime?"

"Ha-ha. Seriously though, what's up?"

"Just wanted to know how your talk with DJ went."

*insert long explanation here*

"So that's what happened"

"He didn't explain anything?"

"Nope. So I guess I'll just have to interrogate Ryan."

"Or I could."

"No. You'd just scare and/or hurt him."

"No I wou-"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

I hung up and turned off my phone. I know Teri is trying to help and I appreciate it. But me, DJ and Ryan have known each other longer. I don't want Teri involved in the drama that might happen. Cause I'm getting the feeling that something's going to happen.

It's about to go down.

I'm waiting at Ryan's locker on Monday at lunch. DJ is staying home just for today so if I want to talk to Ryan, now is the time. He walks over and smiles upon seeing me.

"Hey Kathy. What's up?" He asks.

"Um, I need to talk to you." I say getting straight to the point. He's seems taken aback but says sure and fallows me into an empty classroom. I close the door and turn to him, arms crossed.

He stares at me for a while with a confused look on his face. He opens his mouth to speak but then I talk first.

"I need you to tell me about what happened last Monday with DJ." I say bluntly. He stands there for a minute, then sighs.

"It's really not for me to tell, Kathy." He answers. Now I'm getting mad.

I say, "Well that's gonna be difficult, seeing as he won't tell me. And you obviously know. So you can tell me.".

He sighs again, "Fine. But I can only tell you a little bit. Not the whole thing.". I nod then sit on one of the desks waiting. He takes a deep breath before he starts.

"After you moved, a few things...uh... well, changed for DJ. He started being a little less himself. Didn't talk to other people as much, didn't make new friends. Then towards the end of sixth grade, something happened. And it changed DJ. For good."

"He stopped talking to his other friends, stopped participating in his classes. He only talked to me and it wasn't that often either. Then seventh grade came around, and it got worse. DJ started to get bullied. Stupid eighth grade jerks. Thought they were so tough, picking on a seventh grader."

As he's talking, I have a look of complete shock on my face.

"They would tease him, push him around, beat him up after school and during lunch sometimes. That's what he was yelling about on Monday. When the bullies would come after him...I would run. As much as I hate to admit it, I would run. Sometimes, they would catch me and make me watch them hurting him."

He closes his eyes and sighs sadly, "And I never helped. Not once. I could never gather up enough courage to fight back. And neither could DJ. It's because of that, he stopped talking to me. I should have fought to keep the friendship though. Especially through eighth grade."

"Why?" I ask.

"Because eighth grade is when he snapped." He says. " The bullying went on through seventh grade and continued in eighth. But the bullies didn't count on him having a growth spurt over Christmas break. Went from 5'4" to 5'7 in two weeks. Crazy. He's taller now, but back then he was still taller than those bullies. But those idiots didn't care. They still wouldn't leave him alone."

"And then, one day, one of 'em said the wrong thing. DJ just lost it. It was like his mind went blank."

I ask, "What happened?".

"He almost killed him.".

I gasp, shocked by this. Obviously.

"See, the guy had a knife in his jacket pocket and DJ took it out. He was on top of the other guy and raised the knife, about to stab him. Then just...stopped. He dropped the knife, got off the guy, then slowly walked away. He was so lucky there were no adults around and no one reported it. Even the guy he beat up was too prideful to admit he lost a fight. After that, people stayed away from DJ. Like he was a monster.".

"I tried to talk to him, but my other friends would keep me away from him. Saying how he was crazy. And stupid younger me just gave up. I wish I hadn't. Now he hates me.".

The bell rings and Ryan sighs and heads to the door. He has his hand on the handle when I ask, "What did the guy say to make DJ do that? And what happened that started it all?". Ryan turns to look at me.

"Only DJ can tell you that. And if he does, well... I pray to God he listens to what you'll have to say.".

Then he opens the door, and walks away. Leaving me more shocked and confused than I have ever been.

'DJ' I thought 'what happened to you?'.

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...
Well...that happened.
It was completely unplanned,but, it happened. I wrote this between 9:30 to 11:24 at night. Guess who's not sleeping because they just gave themselves new ideas for this story? And school tomorrow. Yay. So let me know what you think of the chapter, please vote yada,yada,yada. I'm tired now so...

Until we meet again my friends!
-Sierra😴