Welcome To My Life

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Erik awoke the next morning and slowly got up. His phone lit up.

'I'm here. Get your lazy ass out here now so we can go.'

Charles was exhausted, and so he was still asleep.

Erik swallowed and shook Charles gently, "Hey....I gotta go....."

Charles was up immediately. "I thought we didn't leave until lunch time..."

"My dad's here early," Erik said quietly. Charles clung to Erik, holding onto him tightly. Erik sniffled and held him, "I'm sorry...."

Charles buried his face in Erik's shoulder, breathing deeply. "Do you have your shark?"

Erik felt his throat close up, "Of course....it's the best gift I've ever gotten....."

Charles nodded. "Hold onto it when you're scared... or sad... and pretend it's me, okay?"

"Okay," Erik swallowed hard knowing that if he went to prison, he'd have to abandon the shark. And he really didn't want to.

Charles nodded. "And I'll see you really soon... and we'll get a house together... and we'll be okay... we can help each other..."

Erik felt tears coming again as he held tightly to Charles again, "O-Okay..."

Charles buried his face in Erik's shoulder again. "Don't get in trouble. Don't fight anyone. Just think about me when you're angry or scared or upset."

Erik didn't know how Charles could even get out coherent sentences. He could barely manage to open his mouth. "Ok-Kay...."

Charles held back his tears, and forced a smile. If this was the last time he saw Erik, he might as well leave him with a good image. "I love you."

Erik wiped his eyes quickly and looked back at him, managing a smile as well, "I love you too."

Charles kissed him softly.

Erik kissed him back and swallowed hard, "Goodbye, Charles."

Charles let out a shaky breath. "I'll see you soon..."

"Yea," Erik whispered, slowly moving out of his grip, "See you...."

Charles slowly let go of Erik. He sobbed as soon as the door closed behind Erik. Erik let tears fall all the way to the car. His father glared at him and hit him upside the head. He got a scolding for crying and then they drove off. Erik hoped that Charles would've come out so he could see him once more but he didn't. And he was gone. Charles laid in Erik's bed and held onto his pillow until it was time to leave. Erik was sent to his room and locked in as soon as they got home. He sat quietly on the bed, missing company, for once in his life. Charles didn't really know where to go. He wasn't wanted at his stepfather's.

Things changed relatively quickly for Erik. In just a few days, his father had enough of him being around. And Erik had bothered him enough that jail time for Erik wasn't going to be his final destination. No, he was going to die. He tried to barricade his door, tried to do anything, but the knife wound cut deep. Charles jumped around to different homeless shelters. Of course, he had money, he could go to a hotel, but he wanted to save his money. He could get a nice place for him and Erik. Erik managed to get a call to the hospital. He told them about what happened. They sent people on the way instantly. He texted Charles an address to the hospital. With a simple 'Come'. He wanted to see him one more time.

Charles got the message and ran there. 'What room?'

'Not there. Don't know.'

That was the last text Erik sent before he blacked out in his own home. He hoped they'd get there in time. Charles sat inside, waiting anxiously. It was a day and a half before Erik was deemed stable. The police compared the attacks of Erik and his mother and eventually determined that it hadn't been the teenage son after all. Erik laid in bed, high on painkillers and bandaged up, but alive and breathing. Charles had slept in the waiting room. A nurse woke him and asked why he was there. He immediately asked to be taken to Erik.