Baby Fat

forty-seven

Even after Bradley thought he left his problems behind in Michigan, they still haunted him. They lurked around every corner and in every nightmare. Running away didn't solve anything, he know realizes. Leaving his father behind didn't make him stop cheating. Escaping to Paris with his mother didn't mean she still wasn't the same bitch she was in Michigan.

Nothing really changed. Especially now that both his parents are home and there's a silent war raging on. It's odd because Bradley has seen his parents fight. He's heard the screaming and the shattering of glass. He's never seen his parents go days with silence filling their dinner table. There are no petty remarks and passive aggressive notes all over the house.

"The library is closing, Bradley," the librarian says in a sweet voice. She smiles down at him.

Bradley gives a tight smile back before stuffing his papers into his book and shutting it. He sighs. He walks to his car and tosses his backpack into the passengers seat. He sits in the drivers seat with his hands on the steering wheel.

He doesn't want to go home. There's not much to go home to. Two parents who don't speak because they're too busy fucking other people. A sister who's not home because she's overworking herself because her ex-fiance ruined her.

The sound of a slap rings through his car. Over. And. Over. By the time it's gone silent in his car his hands are burning. There are tears streaming down his face, dripping into his lap. How is this happening?

Bradley looks at the clock on his phone. He still has time to see Corrie. Corrie should be the last person he talks to. He's going to drag his bullshit to the boy who gets frailer everyday. It doesn't seem to make sense. But, nothing ever really does with them. Not really.

He drives to the rehab center feeling rather numb inside. He doesn't remember parking the car or walking to the doors or going inside. He's snapped back into life when the security guard gruffly tells him that they're going to Corrie's private room in the new ward.

The Dan Coats ward. Bradley frowns unintentionally.

"Here. Door open." The security guard drops Bradley off and then walks back towards the lobby.

Bradley steps in and sees Corrie lying on his bed staring up at the ceiling. "Hey."

Corrie doesn't even sit up. His eyes never stray from the ceiling. "Hi."

"How are you?" Bradley walks into the new room. He immediately notices the lack of sharp items. The wardrobe his simply a plastic clothes rack, the bed side table is made of plastic which is a shabby excuse for the one he previously had. The room is a sad skeleton of the one he used to live in.

Still, Corrie doesn't make an effort to sit up. "Do you want to hear the truth or something that will make you feel better about yourself? I'm sure I can find an answer for you."

Bradley winces at Corrie's harsh tone. He takes a seat in the chair across from the bed. "I guess whatever you're up to."

There's a pause. Corrie takes a few seconds to think before he sits up in his bed. He rolls his neck. "I've been better. You?"

More silence fills the room. "Same here." Bradley shrugs his shoulders.

"There's something wrong with you," Corrie purses his lips.

For a moment Bradley's afraid Corrie's going to call him out on his weight. That moment full of complete and utter panic almost kills him. His heart beats so fast he can feel the thumping in his forehead. A thin layer of sweat covers him.

Corrie bites his lip. "Have you told your parents about their affairs yet?"

What puzzles Bradley the most is the fact that the amount of space between them, physically and emotionally, has been big enough to fit thirty semis lined up front to back, yet Corrie still knows Bradley. At one point in his friendship with Corrie, Bradley was convinced that he knew more about Corrie than Corrie did about him. Yet, a simple question can change all of that.

"I haven't." Bradley slumps in his chair.

"You should."

Bradley rolls his eyes. "That's really helpful."

Corrie shrugs his shoulders. "I mean there's not much else I can say. I can't make you tell them. I doubt that all my begging and reasoning will be enough to make you do it. It wasn't for him, so I don't know why it would be for you."

Bradley stares at the ceiling. "I'm not him, you know."

"Actions speak louder than words." Corrie looks him dead in the eye. Bradley shivers.

The look on Corrie's face says it all.

"I've apologized over and over Corrie. You can't keep being passive aggressive about the choice I made. Yeah, it fucked you over. Well, guess what, we're both still just as fucked. So you need to either forgive me or you need to tell me to leave. We can't keep going in circles." Bradley takes a deep breath.

Corrie looks at him with a snarl on his face. It's really the first time in a long time that Bradley's seen anything other than tiredness and sadness cross over Corrie's face.

"If I'm not mad at you then I don't have anywhere else to channel my emotions towards. He's not coming back here. I can't yell at him. I can't tell him how much I fucking hate him. And I most certainly can't tell him how much I miss him. So, I need to be angry with you." Corrie huffs. Bradley can see his glassy eyes.

"So, write him a letter. Tell me what happened. Don't keep this shit bottled inside and then unleash it onto me. It's not fair to either one of us."

Corrie bites his lip. After a minute or two he says, "Tell you parents about the affair. Start with you mom."

Bradley quirks his right eyebrow.

"It's a good thing you're already sitting," Corrie comments with a faint smile. "Because this one's going to knock you over."

"I highly doubt that," Bradley rolls his eyes but still smiles back. It doesn't hurt to do. It feels so natural.

"Well, Ophelia—the girl who's screwing your father while simultaneously being engaged to mine—is pregnant." Corrie smirks at Bradley's face, mouth hanging wide open as his mind searches for a response.

"Wha—who's is it?" Bradley's not sure what else to ask. He just can't be dealing with this too. Why is this happening?

If life never surprised you, people would never fail to do so.

"Isn't that the million dollar question, B?"

__________

☒ - unedited

Questions of the chapter: Corrie mentions that Bradley and "him" (in reference to Devon) are similar. Is it true? If it isn't, why do you think Corrie believes it is? If it is, what makes them similar?

Please tell me if you see any mistakes, I'm the queen of typos.

I could really use some comments and votes if you guys wouldn't mind. Thank you! Predict what you think will happen!

Life update:
- swim season is officially over. it's been a long four months guys. i know...
- next update...soon hopefully...

Notes:
- i love you if you're still here. thank you for sticking around.
- ready "elysian" by me if you want to see other stuff i'm writing currently

Thank you.

— dreamfloats