Malediction

6 - Keep Away

Rummaging through the medical kit, Danny pulled out an assortment of items with his right hand, his left hand pressed tightly against my arm.
Silence made the air awkward, his closeness making it overwhelmingly uncomfortable.

There was something different about being with Danny in such a private space. Something about it that made me more edgy than I had ever been.
A part of me thought back to the rumours, worried something terrible would happen whilst I was alone with an infamous Newscot, but I brushed them off, I couldn't give in to the gossip.

"This is going to hurt" Danny advised, removing the towel from my arm, using his other to lightly clean the area, wiping away blood with a burn.

I bit into my lip, forcing back a hiss as I looked away, distancing myself from the pain.

"Sorry" He mumbled, sliding the soft gauze over my raw skin.
Silence strained between us, strangling me as Danny carefully cleaned my arm, his eyes down on the cut.

I cleared my throat and finally spoke, although it came out in a whisper "Don't be too tough on your brother, if it's any consolation he tried his best to ignore me just like you do"

Danny sighed, unsurprised

"He's young, he doesn't understand how serious it is" He cryptically mumbled back

"If it means anything to you, to your family, I don't really believe in what everyone says"

"Maybe you should" He snapped, his fingers pulling butterfly stitches over my wound, closing the small gap

I forced myself not to react as shocked as I actually was. I was attempting to befriend him, and here he was shooting me down with purposeful fear

"Does it not make you happy seeing your brother happy? Making friends, moulding into normal life the way he should?"

"No, it actually doesn't" He sighed, beginning to wrap a bandage around my arm "not when you know what's at stake, he knows he can't have those things"

"It can't be that bad" I began "I know families that struggle with alcoholism, drug use, crime, it's a lot more common than you think"

He suddenly gave a brazen scoff, finding something that I had said slightly amusing

"What?" I questioned, burning holes into his face with my eyes, studying his features closely

"You don't understand a thing about our family" He grumbled, layering my bandage, carefully avoiding touching my skin

"Explain it to me then" I tried

He shook his head "You and your brother have a problem with boundaries, so let me make it clear" His eyes drifted up to my face, his eyes meeting mine in a rare move "It isn't safe to be around my brother, or me, it puts you both in danger, so if you value his life, and your own, you'll keep away, understand?"

For a few seconds, he held a tight gaze on mine, forcefully conveying the warning. And while I should have taken it seriously, and a small part of me did, I didn't entirely feel the fear I know I should have. Instead I felt sympathy for him, sadness, what the hell were his parents telling them, doing to them?

It no longer felt like a want to know, but a need to know. No one deserved to feel as though they didn't deserve friends, or to fit into what should have been an ordinary life. What William could have potentially done was not Danny's fault and it definitely wasn't Andy's. I saw how happy Andy was when he was with Luke, the idea of burning that down created a sting in my chest, for the both of them.
I had encouraged Luke to befriend this boy out of kindness, now Danny was attempting to destroy it based on something that could likely be fixed with social intervention. Something in my brain flickered, and now, I was more determined than ever to push back against what Danny had said.