Underground

45

Estelle
"Stay over there, there's broken glass here." August calls.
He looks sad, like horrifically sad.
I frown. "Are you alright?"
"I'm okay, a little hungry." He fake smiles.
I look down at the pieces of glass on the floor.
"Who was that lady?" I ask.
"My birth mom." He says.
"Was she here for September?" I ask, kicking off my shoes.
He bends down to pick up the glass.
"Wait, I'll help." I say.
"No, I don't want you getting hurt." He says, ushering me away from the glass.
I scoff and walk over to help.
In silence, we clean up the glass, well, until he grabs my hand.
"I need you to tell me you love me." He says.
"I do." I say, wide eyed. "Are you okay?"
"Say it." He says, his voice wavering. "Please."
"Aug, I love you." I say, setting the glass on the coffee table.
"Are you lying?" He asks, looking up at me.
I shake my head, reaching over to cup his cheek.
He rips out of my reach, grabbing the glass. "Better throw this away." He stands and walks to the kitchen.
"Aug." I follow him. "What's up?"
"The ceiling?" He asks.
I shake my head. "Are you okay?"
"I'm great." He lies.
"You're not great." I correct. "You seem sad."
"I'm not sad, E." He turns away from me.
"Now you're shutting me out." I point out.
"I'm not shutting you out." He says.
"You did this when Atlas died." I say.
Atlas had been hit by a truck a month prior and deemed unfixable by the vets.
"Atlas was my dog, you have to get sad when your dog dies." August says.
"You shut me out, and you slept on the couch." I say.
"What does that have to do with anything?" He asks.
I cross my arms. "You wouldn't touch me for a week."
"We've got my little brother's party to plan, so lets do that." He says, walking out of the room.
***
September was elated when he walked inside and saw everyone.
I hug him tightly. "Happy birthday!"
He squeezes me back. "You too."
"What?" I ask.
"Oh, I meant thank you." He laughs, pulling away.
"No problem!" I smile.
He walks away to greet the other guests.
"Hey, E?" Annaliesee asks from the kitchen.
I walk over. "Yeah?"
"Logan burnt the chicken." She mutters.
"I did not!" Logan yells from behind her.
"Anyway, If we serve it, it'll be dry and tasteless and that's not very fun." Annaliesee bites her lip anxiously.
"We'll figure something out, what about the cake?" I ask, trying to peer over her shoulder.
"It tastes delicious!" Logan says. "We have to decorate it now!"
"Okay, good luck." I say, turning around.
"Hey, E." Annaliesee says softly.
I turn my head to look at her.
"Don't stress out too much, everything's going to be great." She says.
I nod slightly, walking away.
***
"Thanks for coming!" I yell out the door to Ned, the last guest remaining.
September was already in bed, probably on his phone.
I creep up there to check on him.
He repainted his room blue when he moved in, and had a basic photo gallery on his wall. The gallery would only grow from the Polaroids from the Polaroid camera Ned and Melissa got him.
"Hey." He says.
I smile. "Just checking up."
"Thanks for the party." He says, setting his phone on th nightstand. "It was a blast."
"You're a man now, you deserve a party fit for one."
"Y'know, you sound proper British sometimes." September starts.
"Elaborate." I command.
"Most of the time you speak with American slang and a British accent, but sometimes you sound like a British person." He explains.
"Thanks?" I say, questioningly.
"Anyway, night."
"Goodnight September." I say, giving a small wave. I walk out of September's room and into August's and mine.
I reach behind my back and unzip my dress, grabbing clothes from the closet. "Are you still shutting me out?" I call down the hallway.
No reply.
August hadn't even spared me a glance at the party, but he plastered on a fake smile for September.
I sigh and walk into the bathroom, changing into a large tee-shirt that hung over my shorts.
The bedroom is an unsettling quiet until August walks in, still quiet as a cat.
"Are you going to speak to me now?" I ask softly, almost like a plead.
He grabs a pair pf sweatpants from the closet and walks into the bathroom.
A few moments later when he walks out, he is still silent.
"I'm your girlfriend, Aug. I have been for almost a year, I know you have emotions, and I know how you express them." I say, trailing off when he flinches. "Did I say something wrong?"
He spares me a look, eyes hurt, mouth twisted to a frown.
"Please speak to me." I walk forward, and grab his hand.
"I'm not like my dad." He says softly. "I refuse to be."
"What's wrong with Scott?" I ask.
"Not that dad." He says. "The one in prison."
"Oh." I say softly. "Why would you be like him?"
"His blood flows through me, and I can't do anything about it." August sighs. "I don't ever want to hurt you."
"You're not going to hurt me." I squeeze his hand.
He jerks away, stumbling backward. "I-I-I don't want to ever lay a harmful hand on you."
"You'd never do that." I say.
"He said that he wouldn't ever hit my mom, and then she was pregnant." He shakes his head.
"Auggie." I say. "Violent actions aren't hereditary."
He looks down at me. "I don't want to lose you."
"You're not going to lose me." I say softly.
Then, a rare tear fell from his eye.
I hug him close, holding him even while pained sobs rack through his body.
"I-I'm sorry." He apologizes, holding me at arm's length.
"Don't apologize." I say soothingly. "Everyone cries, even if it hurts."