Behind The Smile

What happened pt 1/////Zeldris/////

I was finishing studying with Elizabeth and Gerharde when Estarossa came in from work. He came up to me and asked "Meli in his room again?"

I nodded. I decided I wasn't going to Gerharde's house because I felt bad about being to busy to talk and play with my baby brother. I was going to ask him to play a game.

Estarossa went into the kitchen to start on dinner. I can cook but not very well and Meliodas gave everyone food poisoning last time we let him cook anything that wasn't toast.

"Let's get some food." I told them and we walked into the kitchen. We were grabbing crisps when Estarossa asked me "where's my small knife?"

"Huh?" I walked up to the knife holder and sure enough, it was missing.

"What's this?" Elizabeth said, picking up a sticky note stuck to the knife holder. "I'm done. -Meliodas." She read out loud.

"Oh no. Don't tell me he's-" Estarossa started to say but I was already running up the stairs. The others ran after me. How could I let this happen?

I burst open the door to Meliodas's room and he was lying on the bed with the bloody knife lying in his limp hand. I looked at him in horror. His arms and thighs were covered with cuts from what looked like self harm. His throat had a cut across it and blood was pouring from his wounds.

I ran to his side and put my hand to his neck. His pulse was there, but only very barely. "No. No. Not again." I said. "Please. Live. Live for me. You have to live." I grabbed his hand.

Elizabeth had tied some sort of cloth around his thighs and her and Gerharde were trying to stop the bleeding by putting pressure on his thighs which were bleeding everywhere. I helped by doing the same to his neck.

Estarossa was on the phone to the ambulance who were almost here. "Hang on. Just  hang on until the ambulance arrives to help you." I whispered.

It seemed like an eternity until the paramedics arrived. When they did they pushed us away. I watched helplessly as they put my brother on a stretcher and took him to the ambulance.

A kind paramedic told us that we were lucky we found him in time. He said that we were very brave to face all that blood like that. He also said we were very smart to have thought to stop the bleeding.

After the paramedics left Estarossa called in sick at work for the week and drove Elizabeth, Gerharde and I to the hospital. We called Elizabeth and Gerharde's parents and explained the situation to their parents in between bouts of sobbing on the way.

We walked pale faced into the hospital and up to the receptionist's desk. "Meliodas Wrattan's room please?" Estarossa asked.

"Room 203. He's in critical condition so no more than five at a time."

We all rushed up to his room and walked in. He was in a hospital gown lying on the bed hooked up to several different things. His wounds were cleaned and dressed and the larger ones like the one on his neck were stitched.

We all sat there trying  to assure each other that he would be okay. Then Elizabeth brought out a black note book. "What's that?" I asked.

"It was on Meliodas's pillow. It had a sticky note stuck to it." She handed me the sticky note. It read 'read. I'm done. -Meliodas.'

"Open it. It may tell us what we want to know." Estarossa said gravely.

Elizabeth opened it with trembling hands. She read out

" Today I started at Liones High School. I messed up. I got embarrassed in front of my entire class, ran out and embarrassed myself more. Then at the bed of the day I got picked on by Ban Underwood, Diane Envergreen and King Slothern. I can tell they hate me already. But the girl Elizabeth Liones is nice."

"This is the next day." Elizabeth said.

" Today Ban and Diane and King stole my lunch and beat me up. I don't know what I did to them and I think I'm the next victim. When I went home I played Titanium with Elizabeth. It's my favourite song. I think we're friends now. I like Gerharde too. "

The next page was sitting with Elizabeth.

" As promised I sat with Elizabeth. We chatted for a while and Zeldris and Gerharde came over too. They are soooo cute together. I bet they like each other. After lunch Elizabeth came and taught my class sign language. Gerharde and I are friends now. Ban threatened me and said if I go near Elizabeth again he'd make my life living hell. He called me refugee scum."

"Just who is this Ban kid and show me him so I know who to kill." Estarossa said. Gerharde nodded grimly.

"Keep reading." I said. I didn't want to hear any more but at the same time I did. Elizabeth nodded and continued.

" I didn't see Elizabeth, Gerharde or Zeldris much at all these past weeks. Even though I didn't see her, Ban and his friends still make my life a living hell.

He took it to the next level today. He beat me up as usual then told me that the reason Mama and Da died was to get away from me. He told me that no one loves me and they'd be happy if I died. I can't take it anymore and playing violin isn't enough. I started cutting. Though I'm pretty good at hiding it so Zeldris and Estarossa won't notice. If they did they'd be mad."

I clenched my fists. "That bastard. I'm going to kill him." I said. Elizabeth was crying and Gerharde leaned against my chest as we huddled in the corner, reading my dying brothers diary and finding out what made him want to die that badly.

" As I suspected I easily his my cuts from Zel and Esse. Today at school we went to an assembly about Danafor. When I saw the pictures I remembered the moment the bomb hit the hospital. My Da's screams, the blood, debris and shrapnel flying everywhere. The wails of the survivors and the dead. I remembered holding Liz, my best friend, as she died in my arms, her last words "Don't worry about me."

I guess that triggered my attack because it just got louder and louder and I begged it to stop. Then I blacked out and woke up at home and knew I'd been injected with the medicine."

"W-was he really there when his parents and best friend died?" Gerharde sniffled. I nodded

"Luckily Elizabeth, Gerharde and Zeldris, we all had a sleep over in my living room. We played all my games but I won most of them. I feel really happy for the first time in ages because Elizabeth fell asleep on top of me. I think I might like her. Oh I almost forgot! Zel and Gerharde confessed and kissed/ made out when they thought I was asleep. When Elizabeth found out she screeched and broke my plate. I'll have to fix that. Gerharde kissed him again when she left. I told Esse when he came home and Zel went bright red."

The next few pages were mainly Meliodas being beat up by Ban and mentally bullied.

Elizabeth gasped. "The date of this one is today!"

" Zel, Esse, Ger, and Ellie seem to be ignoring me like I'm invisible. I've been cutting a lot more often and no one has noticed. Since my attack people call me names in the corridor.

Ban delivered the last blow today. He told me all the usual things about people wishing I was dead and crap. I think it's definitely true since no one talks to me anymore.

Today will hopefully be my last day on Earth. I will do every one a favour and go stay with Liz. Up there with Mama, Da, Liz and one day, hopefully not for another ninety years, Ellie, Ger, Esse and Zel will join too. "