Somebody like you (boyxboy)

17. Don't You Cry for Me

Friday

Charlie

I barely recognised the boy in the mirror. His shoulders slumped, his skin was grey and his hair hung loosely down, like it was too tired to poke out in every direction, like it used to. Thinking about it, it was hard to understand why the teachers hadn't done anything yet. I looked like I'd been in too deep for weeks.

I took a swig of the bottle of gin I hid under the bed, just because it felt good to sink deeper into this ridiculous situation, as long as it was by my own choice. So I took another one for good measure. Then I stepped into the hallway as the warmth spread through me. I slipped a gum into my mouth so the alcohol wouldn't be noticeable on my breath.

I attended class, but had other and more important things on my mind. It wasn't like I needed to listen anyway, the teachers were simply repeating things they'd said many times before. When school was over I slipped out, careful to stay away from Raymond and anyone who would tell him that I left.

***

Trevor

"Have you seen Charlie?!" Raymond was panting as he grabbed me by the shoulders frantically.

"How many times do I have to tell you that we're not friends anymore? I don't know what he's doing, for god's sake! And let me go, can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" He had actually run onto the football field in the middle of practice to get hold of me. I was so sick of him at this point, every time I saw him I couldn't help but picture Charlie and the horrible, absent look in his eyes.

"Have you seen him?!"

"No! Jesus, Raymond, leave it!"

"Blast it..." Raymond mumbled. "Blast it all to hell..." He ran his fingers through his hair with wide, scared eyes.

"Hey!" Matt yelled. "What's going on?" He gave Raymond a worried look. "What is this?" Raymond looked at him, and it was like a silent conversation passed between them. One that I wasn't part of, that I couldn't possibly understand. "He's probably in the forest, don't you think?" Matt said with a comforting hand on Raymond's shoulder.

"Sorry for barging in on your practice," Raymond said with his eyes down, and looked more like a boy than I'd ever seen him. "I'll see you later," he said to Matt and took off jogging.

"What are you looking at, ladies? Three laps, now!"

After practice we all went up to the dorms, but stood outside and talked for a while as the weather was surprisingly comfortable. And that was when Raymond came back.

"Let me go! I can walk for myself, stop treating me like I'm a child!" Charlie whined as the brothers emerged around the corner of the building. Everyone stopped talking and stared at the two boys. Charlie's arm was over Raymond's shoulder, and it looked like he leaned almost all his weight on him. Raymond was reeling from the effort of walking straight - Charlie was completely out of it. He stumbled and looked like he barely remembered how to put one foot in front of the other. Then they came into the light, and exclamations of surprise went through the team.

Charlie's entire left side was swollen and blue. Blood was dripping from his mouth, and yet - a silly smile played on his lips.

"Well this is awkward. What lie will you tell now, brother?" Charlie chuckled, but it ended in unhealthy sounding coughs.

"If any one of you breathe a word of this, I will personally make sure that you're expelled," Raymond said through clenched teeth, and struggled past us into the building. It didn't take long for our little chat to break up, and everybody went to their respective dorms.

"No, no I threw the first punch," Charlie said with a goofy grin when I entered the room. He was sitting on his bed and Raymond was in front of him, washing the blood away with a wet towel.

"How much did you have after they left you there?"

"Pfft... I don't know, half the bottle?" Charlie chuckled. Ice radiated off Raymond's every feature and action and the very pointed way he did not look at me, made it just as clear that it was directed at me too. I couldn't help myself though. I went over to stand beside him, and got the first good look at Charlie's face.

"Oh my god!" I exclaimed and sat down beside him, sideways on the bed, without thinking twice. I reached out to touch his face, but Raymond slapped my hand away.

"Are you feeling sorry for me yet, Trevor Jaxon?" Charlie asked, and the playful smile had completely left his face. "Are you seeing me yet, Trevor Jaxon?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" I breathed.

"It might be his way to apologise," Raymond said.

"It's my way of telling you to go to hell."

"What happened to you?"

"I walked into a tree! What do you think happened?!" he growled angrily.

"What happened, Charlie?"

"Why do you ask? Don't tell me you care!"

"I don't care!" Charlie hissed in pain as Raymond dabbed a little too forcefully on the bruise on his face. His eyes watered.

"Be careful! And Trevor, get away from me, I'd rather not see your face."

"Just tell me what happened!"

"Somebody beat me half unconscious. I dulled my pain with 40%." The look in Charlies eyes became distant and his hand went to his face. "Oh my god." He grimaced.

"Idiot boy," Raymond hissed and went to put the towel under cold water. The pain Charlie must have started to feel, for the first time, was so strong that he teared up properly.

"Oh, my god," he moaned again, and his eyelids fluttered shut. Something inside me twisted, and I just wanted to reach out and comfort him, but something in his posture told me that would be a bad idea.

***

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