Harley

Butterflies

Alex slumped into bed, plugged his earphones in and blasted Neck Deep into his ears. His parents were arguing again - this time, worse than usual. He was used to the usual shouting and screaming but not the throwing of domestic objects. He went downstairs and walked into to the kitchen.
'MUM' he screamed. She was holding a broken bottle to his dads neck.
'Go back to your room Alex! I don't want to see your face for the rest of the night!' She yelled back. He ran upstairs and called the police, the operator told him to stay on the phone so they knew nothing happened to him.
5 minutes before the police arrived, his mum came upstairs and started shouting abuse at him, calling him a "good-for-nothing freeloader" and an "attention seeker", stating he was unwanted and all this was his fault.
When the police arrived, they took him out of the home and placed him with his aunt Lisa and arrested the mum and dad for multiple accounts domestic abuse and drug use.
He couldn't eat that night and stayed silent, his aunt understood how he felt and didn't pressure him into eating or talking. He didn't go to school the next day and stayed in his room. Thursday came around and he went into school, only to be tormented by his peers and pressured into talking by the school psych. He hated it.
That Thursday night he spoke to his aunt.
"Am I really unwanted?" He asked, choking on the word his mother had burned into his mind.
"Of course not Alex, I wouldn't have chosen to take you in if you weren't" she said reassuringly.
"But the kids at school say that you're doing this out of pity and that I should've done a better job killing myself" he exclaimed through tears. Lisa hugged him tightly and whispered "I love you Alex, ignore what they say and, as much as I hate to say it, your parents weren't fit to be given such a spectacular young man like you".
That night, he stayed up all night talking online. He was a member of a Facebook group for alternative kids and had met a girl called Harley. He thought she had it all, she was gorgeous with bright blue hair, winged eyeliner and snakebite piercings. She was funny and smart, perfect in his eyes.
'So how did you get into this music?' She texted.
He didn't know how to respond, did he lie and say he was always into it, he had a brother who turned him onto it from a young age? Or did he tell her the truth and say it gave him a sense of belonging because he felt so alone?
'My parents and brothers were always listening to it around me from a young age' he replied, hoping she'd believe him. There was no reason why she shouldn't.
'Oh cool! I'm exactly the same, my big sister used to hand me down all her old band merch and stuff like that x'. A kiss at the end of the message, he felt a tingling sensation in his stomach.
'I've gotta go as I've got a maths test tomorrow but I'll message you when I'm free. Goodnight, sleep well x' he replied. That night, for the first time in a few years, he went to sleep with a smile.