Leah and Trent

Chapter Eight

September 9 2016 - Friday

~

Harry

(Song: Home by Three Days Grace)

It was around 11 at night when Xavier entered the house. It was abnormal but only because he usually stayed out every Friday night until Saturday morning. What wasn't abnormal was that he was sloppy drunk. He had stormed into the house yelling about the d***heads at the bar and how he was batter than them. Whenever he got like that, I always tried to stay in my room. There was no point in intervening because he loved to argue, both when he was drunk and when he was sober. But when he was drunk he was a bit more. . .stupid.

I sat in my room, with headphones on, playing my guitar when Xavier banged on my door. I tried to tune out the loud thuds, but it was savagely beating on my eardrums. My hands gripped on the neck and the body of my guitar, until I heard the door begin to crack under his fists.

"Go away!"

"Open the door."

"I'm not opening the door."

"Open the door!"

"What do you want?"

"You to open the door." I walked over to the door and stood with my shoulder pressed against it.

"You do not want me to open this door."

"F***, Harry. If you don't open the d*** door, I'll-"

"What?!. . .I think you should go to your room."

"Who the h*** do you think you are, you little s***?" He started pounding on the door repeatedly, and I backed away as it pulsated. The blows kept getting louder and louder, until it sounded like a small bomb went off. The pounding suddenly stopped and I stepped forward to put my ear against the strained wood. I didn't hear anything, not even a single breath. I quickly unlocked my door and turned the knob. Xavier forced the door open and reached out to grab me. I rushed to grab his arms and pressed them to his sides. I forced him back into the hallway and pinned him against the wall.

"Get your hands off," He said twisting and struggling to get free. I looked over his rusty face and peered into his red eyes. I couldn't help but think that I was looking into some type of mirror. A mirror that told the future. I dropped my grip from his arms and backed away from him.

"I'm leaving," I said turning my back to him.

"Like h*** you are." I went back into my room and threw a couple of things into a backpack.

~

Harry

"Hey, can I crash at your place?"

"Sorry, bro. Now's not really a good time. . .You know how my parents are," Carl said over the phone. I was walking around the nearly desolate night of the neighborhood trying to think of a place to stay. The very last option on my list was sleeping on a park bench. "What about Trent's house?"

"You know how he is," I said.

"Yeah, the boy has the focus of a fish."

"He can't be bothered with anything but his own s***."

"Nasty. What about Jessie?"

"Her mother is The Hulk."

"Valentine?"

"I don't. . .I guess. But I don't have her number."

"I'll give it to you."

"Why do you have it?"

"Isn't it obvious," he said chuckling.

"Whatever, man." Carl gave me the number, but then he started going on and on about some show he was watching. I couldn't get him to stop, so I just hung up on him. I wasn't completely sure about calling Valentine. We weren't friends. We just kind of knew each other, hung out with the same people. But I was sure that she wasn't all that fond of me.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Harry. Sorry that I'm calling so late, but I. . .I kind of need a place to stay."

"Really?"

"Just for tonight."

"Sure."

". . .Will your parents be cool with it?"

"Yeah. Do you need my address?" She gave me her address. Thankfully, it wasn't far away from where I already was, my legs were getting tired of moving around aimlessly. A little over thirty minute walk, and I was in front of her apartment building.

I felt uncomfortable standing in front of her door, but I knocked anyway. I silenced all the uneasy thoughts and sucked it up because no matter what I wasn't going to sleep on a park bench again. A man opened the door and he grinned at me.

"Hello, you must be Harry."

"Yeah- Yes. Yes, I am."

"No need to be nervous. Come on in." He stepped aside, opening the door wide, and held out his arm. I slowly walked in and looked around. Their apartment was covered in various artwork and plants. The furniture was different colors and the rug was a crazy pattern. "My name is Knight."

"Knight?" I turned to the man, and he held out his hand, so I shook it.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you."

"What about this?" I turned toward Valentine's voice. She was holding what looked like a folded up comforter. "Oh, Harry. Hi," She said putting a smile on her face.

"Hi."

"I hope the couch is okay. We don't have a guest bedroom," Knight said.

"It's great. Thanks."

"Great. Well, I'm going to go catch some Z's. Good night." Knight walked pass me and toward the hallway. He kissed the top of Valentine's head as he passed her.

"I hope this is fine," Valentine said walking over to me. She handed me the comforter.

"It's fine." She smiled, and I noticed that her smile looked a lot like her father's. I placed the comforter on the couch and put my backpack next to it. "I know this is a bit bizarre, but I just needed to get outta the house," I said.

"It's fine. You don't need to explain it to me." It was quiet for an unpleasantly long second, until Valentine giggled and started fidgeting with her hands. "Okay then, good night, I guess." She turned around and started walking towards the hallway. "Oh," She said quickly turning back on her heels. "The bathroom is the first door on the right." She smiled. "Good night."

"Night." She turned and walked towards her room. Meeting Valentine's father and seeing where she lived explained a lot of things about her. It was odd being there, like I was out of place. But looking at that couch made me feel so relieved that I wanted to instantly pass out and not think about anything.

(Song: Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden)