I Bleed

Chapter 11 - He's Not Okay

BRADIE’S POV

I had finally gotten home and was in bed about to doze off when I heard someone rip the front door open.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” the voice cursed out loud; it sounded like Andy.

I got up out of my warm bed to my disappointment and decided to see what his problem was. I walked into the lounge room and saw him hitting his head on the door. He better not be hammered.

“Andy, it’s one am, do you mind?” I said walking closer to him.

“Bradie!” he said loudly in relief, “I thought I lost you!”

He picked me up and hugged the life out of me.

“Let me go Andy!” I demanded fighting his grasp, “I can’t breathe.”

He let me go and his excitement face turned to worry.

“Where’s Shaun? You didn’t lose him, did you?!” he shouted searching my face for answers.

“No, he’s home, we got a taxi back,” I explained.

“What? You didn’t even tell me?” he responded his face turning to anger, “I thought I lost you two!”

“Calm down, we were a fair way up the road when Shaun said he wanted to go home,” I replied.

“What were you doing up the road?” he questioned, “you were meant to stay at the party.”

“Shaun just…” I started, I didn’t know what to say. Shaun wouldn’t want me to say anything.

“Shaun just what?” he questioned sounding a little pissed off.

“Felt kinda sick,” I lied.

“You two were drinking, weren’t you?” he responded.

“Just a Cruiser,” I replied.

“I told you not to drink anything,” he sighed, “Bradie, you’re fourteen.”

“Fifteen next month!” I defended myself.

“So? That’s not old enough,” he replied.

“So? You’re not seventeen for two months,” I said, “you’ve still got fourteen months until you’re old enough.”

“Just don’t do it again,” he said as he started to walk to his bedroom.

“Andy?” I stopped him in his tracks, “get laid tonight?”

He just flipped me the finger and continued to his room.

“I didn’t think so,” I laughed.

SHAUN’S POV

I woke up early Sunday morning feeling completely drained. I was so confused as to why, but then I remembered what I did last night. I took more of my life away. I pulled my arms out from under the covers. They were so sore. I examined them, the old cuts over the new ones just made them look horrible. Not that all cuts don’t look horrible, but this gave my skin a really off colour. I touched the damaged skin, it was so rough compared to its usual smooth feel.

At that second mum opened my door and I quickly threw my arms back under the covers. I seem to had lost my hoodie and shirt at some point last night; sometime after my ordeal.

“Sweetheart, what are you doing here?” she questioned, “I thought you were staying at Bradie and Andy’s, I dropped you off.”

That lump made its way to my throat again. Mum’s being so good to me and I guess I feel kind of guilty pretending I’m okay when I’m not.

“Yeah, we had band practice and I decided to come home,” I lied, my voice cracking.

“You look so pale,” she said feeling my forehead, “are you feeling alright?”

“Fine,” I replied.

“You look really upset about something,” she responded sitting next to me on my bed, “did you and Bradie have a fight?”

I know she’s only trying to help, but if she keeps talking to me I’m going to burst out crying.

“No, we’re really good friends,” I said not making eye contact.

“Are you still upset about your father then?” she asked, pushing the hair off my face.

“No,” I answered feeling tears well up in my eyes, “can you please just go.”

“Baby, talk to me,” she went on.

“Just leave, please!” I shouted as I sat up in bed keeping my arms covered.

She gave me sympathetic look as she got up and left.

I probably shouldn’t have done that, she was just trying to help…