Fears To Face

∞ Chapter 57 ∞

Kayley

The sun was warming my back as I walked through the streets filled with stores after school. I had just bought a new shirt for warm days just like these. On my way back to my car, something caught my eye. I looked up and saw Reece sitting on a bench. He wore a beige shirt with black stripes and a black jacket without sleeves. His head was arched up at the sun with eyes closed, but his mouth hung sad; his piercing glistening in the sun. I walked over and fell down beside him. "Yo."

He looked down at me. "Hi." The lack of his usual cheerfulness was clear and I knew immediately why he was concerned.

"You're worried, huh? About Sam. Did he tell you my parents know now?" He nodded, not happy. "Reece, he did that for you, you know."

"Yeah, I know and that's the problem." He ran a hand through his hair. "He pretty much uses me as his living diary these days. Probably because I've been in the same situation. And I love that, I mean, this is so much better than being shut out, but it makes me crazy as well. He's at that party right now and I just can't get it out of my head. I keep thinking that maybe they'll try something else or they're gonna call him out in front of everyone and it's driving me insane." He stopped, took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second. Then he turned to me. "How is he with everything that's going on? The incident and your parents? I know what he thinks, but how is he in the house?"

I grimaced. "Still depressed. He doesn't smile anymore and he's even more quiet than normally. Yesterday he didn't come out of his room at all. Not that I blame him for keeping to himself, but I don't like it." Reece nodded slowly as I bit my lip. "He doesn't want to report it to the police. He thinks that will only make things worse, but this can't go on like this. I'm worried about him, Reece."

He frowned. "It's not unnecessary to be. They're going further with him than they ever did with me. Way too far."

"Tell me what I can do to make it better. I want to help him."

"I'm afraid that this has went on too far already. I think he does need to go to the police. And your parents have to get involved in what happened too." Reece gazed across the street. I'd never seen him sit so still.

I sighed. "I know. Can you help me convince him? He's stubborn."

He smiled. "Yeah, I'll try. No promises though. He called me his father already." He shook his head with a humourless smile.

"Yeah, I know. I was there. He didn't mean it, though. It's just that he doesn't like to be told anything. But you figured that out quite soon, huh?" He smiled and nodded. I reached out and squeezed his hand. "It will be alright. He just has to get through his. I can make sure he calls you when he's home, if you like that."

He looked down at me and smiled. "Very tempting, but no. I don't want him to think I'm some jealous jerk with rules he has to obey."

I grinned. "He won't think that, but I get your point." Then something popped into my mind. "Reece, what did you mean, that's it's a problem he told my parents for you? I thought it was quite sweet, actually."

Grimacing, he sighed. "It is sweet. It's just that I feel guilty for the way he is feeling now. If I hadn't pressured him that I didn't want to pretend, he wouldn't feel so down right now."

"Reece, he had to tell them at one point," I argued.

"Yeah, but he already is going through so much right now and I only made it worse."

"Listen. If it makes you feel better, he also did it for himself. He said it wasn't fair to either of you." He glanced at me, then smiled. I looked around. "I have to go, though. I'll see you around? Even at our place is possible now," I nudged him. A shy smile played on his lips.