falling from the stars

ch 3

(billies pov)

I lied on my bed, staring out the window of my tiny room, whole body aching after the fight Mike and I had. At home, I'm not afraid of him. I fight back. Obviously since I'm a weakling, I don't get very far, and Mike beats me to a pulp. I swear he gets off on seeing me cry. I just wish we could be brothers again. I miss him sometimes.

(mikes pov)

God, my hand burned from where my fist hit Billie's jaw. He's so boney. Sometimes I feel bad for the little guy. After all, he is my best friend.

(third person pov)

As Billie lied pondering about the world, Mike sat in his room thinking. He wasn't so sure he liked beating up Billie anymore. He was getting so... small. Smaller than he was before. Mike started to panick as he realized that he'd been causing Billie to hurt himself, which broke his heart. Muscles tensing in protective anger, he stormed into Billie's room. Billie yelped when he saw Mike, not quite recovered from the abuse from 10 minutes ago. Mike saw pure fear in Billie's eyes. It only broke him further. He huffed and left the room, leaving Billie completely confused.

(mikes pov)

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" I don't understand what is suddenly happening to me. I'm a tough guy. I don't care about fags like Billie. But I love him. What the hell?

Out of anger, I started chucking my belongings around my room. I didn't care if Billie heard. If he walked in, I'd just punch him in the face. Or would I? Goddammit!

I plopped down on my bed, and I started to cry. I haven't cried since the funeral, and I had only cried then because I didn't like seeing Billie so broken. Tears flowed endlessly down my stubbly chin, and my whole face was red. God, am I pathetic.

(billies pov)

Well. That was odd. Why did he look so stressed? Maybe he came in to relieve it on me, as usual, I thought. But why didn't he? I decided to blow it off. It didn't matter much to me, as long as I'm not cowering on the floor again. I stared at my ceiling, spacing out again. I floated along in my thoughts, drifting off to sleep when I heard some loud bangs. I got up instantly, thinking maybe mom came home early. When I stepped out of my door, I realized the noises weren't coming from downstairs, but rather down the hallway. I tiptoed my way down there, finally stopping at the source of the noise. Mike's room. By then, the noise had been replaced with an even weirder noise: Crying. Was Mike Pritchard, lead player of the Pinole Valley High School football team...crying? With a brave breath, I pushed open the door.

(mikes pov)

I can't believe how much of a wimp I am, letting my emotions out like this. What is wrong with me? Suddenly, I felt a pair of surprisingly strong arms envelop me in a... hug? There was only one person home so it must be.. I gasped.

Billie.