Somebody like you (boyxboy)

12. Because of You

Charlie

"Really, Charlie?" he asked tiredly when we got to his room.

"What?" I asked, nonchalantly putting my hands in my pockets.

"She's my cousin! We stay away from friends' family! How can you just sit there, cuddling with my cousin and flirting with that hag? How can you be friends with someone you know that I don't like? You're supposed to be on my side, Charlie!"

"Why, because you have a silly grudge against a perfectly nice woman? You're being childish, Trevor!" Trevor looked at me, and I suddenly remembered that he'd admitted to having a bad temper. There was something in the way he squared his shoulders, pressed his thin lips together until they quivered, and balled his hands into fists that didn't simply show his anger, but made him look powerful, almost like an avenging angel. And for some twisted reason, my heart rate sped up dramatically.

"And how could you talk like that to Jonathan?!" he growled. "He is struggling! And he is the nicest boy I know! How could you? That was a blow beneath the belt, Charlie, and it was completely uncalled for!" Trevor was seething now, barely able to restrain himself.

I looked at him and saw nothing but raw contempt in his eyes.

"They were such cheap insults! I thought you, of all people, should know not to talk like that!"

"Me 'of all people'?" I hissed back through clenched teeth.

"I know what people say to you at school! I know what they think, and I'm beginning to wonder if they're right!"

"Piss off." I walked towards him until we were inches apart, staring down into his eyes, seeing only anger. "Do not talk to me like that."

"Why? Because you don't want me to know the ugly truth? You don't want me to realise how mean you are? You pick on people just to make yourself feel better! I pity you! How sorry for yourself you must feel to say such things to people that are weaker than you! It is the very lowest of the low, and I thought you were better than that, I thought you were different. It seems I was wrong."

He could just as well have hit me in the gut. All the air went out of me and I felt myself grow dizzy and the feeling spread through my body. It was like somebody reached in and took hold of my insides, then twisted.

"You don't know what you're talking about." I went to my side of the bed and undressed, then slipped beneath the covers, away from Trevor's side.

You're wrong, I wanted to yell at him. You're wrong, I am different from them. It was Raymond's fault, and Amanda's, that stupid girl. They had me all riled up, angry. I lost my self-control at the very thought of them and they were never far from my mind. I couldn't tell Trevor any of this though, he wouldn't understand.

I quickly lost all hope of sleep, and sat up instead. I listened to the steady breathing of the boy beside me, and saw how the covers shifted with every rise and fall of his chest.

His dark hair was starting to curl at the tips. It was long enough to grab onto now, perfect for somebody to run their fingers through.

I sighed and shook the thought from my head. Better not steer my mind in that direction. Instead I remembered every time Raymond had chastised me, called me something bad. Or any of the other people at school. They said a lot of bad things. Things that I could ignore, because I didn't care one bit for them.

But Trevor, he couldn't say things like this, could he? Did he actually believe what he said, or was it just because he was angry?

I felt my eyes grow hot, so I turned around and tried to fall asleep again, to think of anything else.

* * *

I'd hoped that a night of good sleep would make Trevor forget his anger from the night before, but I had no such luck.

The fight on Sunday morning was much, much worse.

***

Trouble in paradise! Poor Charlie, I feel so sorry for him, he just doesn't know what he's supposed to do!

Please tell me what you think, and thanks for reading, it makes me very happy!