Drown (Set For Rewrite)

Part 1

All credit to CLStone for characters and Academy, especially Sang and the Toma Team.

This is Sang and the Tomas only

I got the idea from Academy Insider by shayschielser on Wattpad, she's fully aware of this production ;)

Please comment any thoughts or concerns as they come!!!

Water filled my lungs, I choked, fighting the hand that held me under.

"You WHORE you think you can lie to me? Again, and again you lie! All you do is lie! Where were you this afternoon?" She pulled me from the water. Black dotted my vision, my brain still catching up with what was happening. My knees hit the floor as she threw me from her, something shattered, than her hand was in my hair once more, pulling me up then thrusting me to my knees, shards of glass cutting, digging, and I was still drowning, chocking on the water I struggled to cough up. More glass broke, pain raced through my back, but I was still drowning, always drowning....

I shot up in bed, grasping for air and clawing at my throat. I could still feel the water in my throat, the glass biting into my skin. Years since she had died of cancer, one year since I'd left home, and still she haunted me. I struggled up, gasping, knowing that only one thing would bring me out of the pain and the memories. I fell to my knees on the bathroom floor, my vision spotting as I struggled for breath. I could feel her hand in my hair, the water, the glass, the sound of her screaming.... Whore. Tramp. Can't keep you legs closed. Liar. Only the last one was true. I lied. I hid my problems from the world. But not for the reasons she'd always thought, only to protect those around me and keep from being a burden. Her words assaulted me as I groped a hand into the tub, ripping up the sleeve on my arm with the other. I found it.

One slice, her voice faded. Another, my breathing eased. Again, and I could count the tiles on the floor. Once more, and it was gone, the fear fading, the dream but a memory as everything around me came into focus and sound returned. I grabbed a towel, dropping the razor back in the tub, pressing down on the cuts to staunch the bleedings. It didn't usually take that long. It had been weeks since I'd had to cut, months since I'd had to do more than one.... I scooted back on my butt until I hit the wall, dropping my head back to rest against it while I waited for the bleeding to stop. Was this an omen for how my new job would be?

Over the last year I'd worked at a club, but the owners were back in town and the worker I'd been filling in for was going to be starting this week and I'd been bumped to on call, which wasn't enough to cover the apartment I lived in. The same week I'd found out about that, I'd learned that my floor mates were back in town from their year long expedition from wherever the hell they were, the landlord said they traveled a lot for work. I'd been so lucky to have this floor to myself, no one to hear me scream or thrash around when I did sleep or hear my music late at night as I tried to avoid them. Now I'd have to be quieter.... Maybe it was time to get a keyboard, so I could plug headphones in. Or maybe I'd be lucky and they'd love classical music and my playing wouldn't disturb their sleep.

Pounding on my door brought me out of my musings and I jolted upright, cursing a blue streak as I scrambled to my feet. Who the hell would be hear at this hour? Catching a glimpse of my clock, I saw it was eight in the morning-damn it I should have set an alarm! I should have been up and out looking for a job by now! Pounding resumed on the door. I pulled the towel away to see blood still oozing from the deepest cut, my shirt sleeve ripped enough that you could see the many scars surrounding the fresh marks. No one would care anyway. I wrapped the towel tighter and held it behind my back, approaching the door.

"Come on come on come on!" A voice murmured as he pounded harder and faster. A light, playful voice that sounded desperate. I peaked through the peephole, seeing a man about a head taller than me in rumpled pants he looked to have slept in, with rumpled brown hair and.... He was shirtless. His chest was broad and tan, defined in a way that said he wasn't a stranger to workouts but didn't over due it like some muscle bound body builder, more like a swimmer, slim and defined. His pounding started to shake my door more, and I called that I was coming, watching as he dropped his hand in relief. I couldn't see his eyes yet.

"Yes? Is everything okay? Do you need me to call someone?" I opened the door, worried that it was an emergency, forgetting about the towel still wrapped around my arm but catching it just in time behind the door before it hit the ground. A bloody towel would certainly catch someones attention....

"Coffee. Please please please tell me you have coffee!" He clasped his hands under his chin, dropping to his knees dramatically, his bright eyes capturing me as tears filled them, his lip pouting. His eyes were different colors-one bright blue, one bright green, filled with a joy and a happiness I hadn't seen.... In a long, long time.

"Ummm...." I didn't know what to do. Was there a scenario for how this was supposed to play out? What did one say to men on their knees begging for a staple such as coffee? "I just woke up...."

"Coffee beans? Grounds? My brothers and I got in late last night and someone forgot the in the truck which is at the office, please tell me that you have something?" He feel on his but on his heals, dropping his hands to his lap as his stunning eyes pleaded with me.

"Uh... I guess.... I might-"

"Oh thank heavens! Blessed day!" He jumped up, slipping passed me into my small, bare apartment with a wide smile, looking around for the presumed coffee. To say I was in shock was an understatement.

"Uh-this way?" I left the door open, fully intending to send the crazy man boy on his way as quickly as possible. I glanced to my arm, putting the bloody part of my towel between my arm and stomach, hiding it from view while he wasn't looking then leading the way to the kitchen, picking up a bag to poor some coffee beans in. I had an expresso maker and grinder, one of the few indulgences I had, so bought beans instead of grounds for a better, stronger flavor. It was awkward one handed, and I huffed, frustrated, feeling his eyes on me and his joy ebb as he truly studied me. I wanted to look up, but it was to early for snark and I didn't want to see his pity.

"Why thank you much!" He said with a wide smile, his eyes still sparkling, when I finally managed to hand it to him. He finished zipping it shut, then something seemed to catch his eye and he reached out-I flinched away from him automatically and he froze. "You all right?"

"Peachy!" I pasted on a bright smile, stepping toward the door and holding it open for him, crossing my other arm over the one still held to my stomach.

"You sure? I have some med training and can take a look at your arm for you."

"Nope, I'm good and golden. Enjoy your coffee." I kept the smile on my face as he stepped out the door, nodding his good morning and going two doors down to his own apartment.

I closed the door, sagging against it after I latched it once more. Somehow, I knew something had changed, and I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, at least not yet.