Life Improvement in Very High Levels {Bastille} [ON HOLD]

9: Big Bad World

Dan looked at Alice and she smiled sweetly, indicating he could talk to her.

- Well, it's that, you know, Dave... - He started fiddling with his shoelaces. - He doesn't know I know, but he was bullied before. As a kid, and even now, as a teenager. He was, and still is a bit just like me, the weird, quiet kid; the guy who doesn't like sports, who doesn't hang out with the popular people nor other guys, who doesn't ask girls out. Who's always with his face hidden behind a large book, or engrossed in playing some instrument or video game or watching a movie, instead of going outside.

''So people picked on him. His classmates were quite mean to him, because he just wouldn't stand up for himself. He's so damn scared of everything... the kids beat him up. Several times. You could see there was something wrong. He'd come home every day with bruises, cuts, black eyes, scars, and he said he had 'just tripped over and fallen down on P.E' or 'someone accidentally threw something in class and it hit me', excuses like that.

''And I was very close to Hannah, his mum, and we were working on a journalism project before I got into music, so I was at their place every day when Dave got home from school. Hannah said she was worried about him, and that he didn't talk about it, always giving lame excuses and avoiding the subject. It got to a point where he was getting her make up to cover all the bruises. We had a talk, and she decided to move out, change his school, and see if it gets better. But we didn't tell him why they were moving out; Hannah just said it was something to do with work, and he didn't make a big deal out of it, gladly.

''And, well, Dave was never the happiest guy on Earth, but he was definitely happier as a kid, even though he was already bullied. I think that, before, they just called him names, and then the beating started. I am pretty sure he is, or at least was, depressed. And I hate seeing him like that because I went through it too and it was hell and I wished I had someone to help me when I went through it, but I didn't; no one helped me, there was nobody there for me. But there is someone for Dave; there are people there to help him. There's me, knowing about what he's going through; there are the guys, to whom I've already talked about this with, and they are really supportive. There's Nick, a great friend, that thankfully agreed to move out too, and come live near him to go to the same school and help him. And now there's you, Alice. I think- he likes you a lot. And maybe if you could just... just stick with him... that'd be wicked. I mean, he's been to hell and back, and he needs a friend, and I feel that Nick... just isn't enough. He isn't comprehensive enough; he doesn't understand the dimension of the problem. The first time I told him about this, he just laughed, saying it was just temporary, and that Dave should hit the kids back; he doesn't understand what it is like, he doesn't understand that it's not that simple. And I'm not saying you know, because you're such a nice girl, I don't think you've been through this-

Dan interrupted himself when he heard a sob coming from Alice's direction. He looked up at her and saw she was with her knees pulled up to her chin, wiping her eyes with the sleeves of her hoodie, trying desperately to stop crying.

- Oh, Alice, darling, I'm so sorry, what-what is it? Was it something I said? I-I'm sorry, I-I just... - He tried to get her to stop crying, but she didn't. He couldn't understand why she just started crying out of the blue; certainly it was something he said, he just couldn't make out what was it. 

He just could think of one thing to do: hug her. 

He awkwardly did it, pulling her head to rest on his chest, and caressed her back, waiting for her to calm down her sobs and tell him what was wrong.

While he waited, he thought everything he had said through. Maybe she was touched by Dave's story? Nah...

Dan thought hard, and then it clicked. 

''I don't think you've been through this.''

---

a/n I'M COMPLETELY STUCK WITH 'THIS IS IT'! I know what i wanna write but i just cant and it sucks ): so sorry, no updates coming your way. 

also, i'm working on some new stories that i just cant seem to stop writing, though i wont post them in the near future.

thanks for the reads, comments and votes, and if you can, keep doing it!