Ladders

Climb

Emil held Leons hand as they laid on his bed. Leon scrolled through his iPhone 4 and Emil just stared at his ceiling. "You're phone is older than most of my clients" Leon raised an eyebrow and looked over at his friend. "You're one to talk, you have a flip phone. Also stop talking about your clients. When you're out of the brothel and until we can get you out of there it's just us, no talking of the brothel or your clients here" Emil rolled his eyes "we can't avoid reality but I guess if it'll make you happy". Leon nodded "yes it would". Emil closed his eyes as they sat in the morning sunlight that drifted into his room. It was Sunday so Emil had the day off since Mr.Vargas always took Feliciano and Lovino to church. Apparently he was Roman Catholic, but Emil just didn't fathom that his boss believed in any sort of religion because if he did he'd have to know he was going straight to hell. Emil used to love church when his parents were alive. They would go most Sundays to a small protestant church and Emil would go off to the children's center and get to color in church related coloring books while his parents went to the service. The church to the younger boy was warm and welcoming with colored panels with the figures he was taught to love. His parents weren't strict with religion though. He slightly remembered when Lucas came out to the family. His parents said God did not care for who he loved, as long as he was loving and respectful towards his partner. Emil also remembered a time when a bible would sit on his bedside every night. Emil, dear. Remember if you ever feel scared and neither me, your father, or Lucas can help. Just read the Bible and know you have God with you. The memory portrayed a soft almost fading voice of his mother. He barley remembered their faces since Lucas packed most photo albums upstairs since they caused both boys a lot of pain just looking at them. The Bible his mother gave him was also packed with their family photos. Emil guessed they were still in the denial faze of grieving. He sighed quietly and moved his body closer to Leons. Leon looked over and quirked an eyebrow "you alright?" He asked noticing the stressed look on Emil's face. "Just thinking of church and my parents...the last time I saw my parents and was at church during their funeral. Our pastor said he'd always be there for us, but I guess me and Lucas kinda learned to have a hatred towards God". Leon put his phone down and turn on his side so he was facing Emil. "Hey don't think about that stuff, just relax. It's only 7 am and you're already thinking about that? I know I can't make you feel better instantly but I want to know what I can do to help you". Emil looked back to the ceiling and frowned "I don't know how you can help me either, but please just stay here with me". Leon nodded "well you don't just leave your best friend". Emil smiled slightly "well I don't really think I'd ever leave you either". Emil sat up and stretched, he leaned down and grabbed his discarded shirt. "Hey Leon, Gilbert is having a party tonight since his dad is out of town for a conference and I wanted to see if you'll come with me? If not it's cool". Leon shrugged "sure, drama always happens at those parties so I'll come".  Emil smiled "good, I wasn't going to go without you".

As night fell the boys snuck out of Emil's bedroom. "Don't you have to work tonight?" Leon as they walked towards Leons car. Emil shook his head "no, I called Mr.Vargas and told him I was puking. He hates it when any of us come in sick so he cancelled my appointments". Leon nodded and got in his car "if only you could do that every night". Emil got in the small car as well "yeah...if only". The drive to Gilbert's house was quick but finding parking took longer as teenagers cars were lined down the block. Once a parking space was found, both teenagers made their way to one of the biggest parties of the year. Lights and music were blaring from the house as they entered. Emil looked on the crowd of drunken high schoolers with amusement. Leon smirked "they are all so getting busted for a MIP tonight or at least a DUI". Emil made his way to the kitchen while pulling Leon along and grabbed the stereotypical red solo cup and filled it with rum and coke. Leon followed suit and soon a stumbling Gilbert came over to the with an arm wrapped around someone who was not Madeline. It was another girl who Emil recognized from band class. Since the school couldn't afford both band and orchestra classes they combined the two. She played violin so did Madeline. She had long brown hair and was dressed in expensive clothing. Emil forgot her name but he sure as hell hope his albino friend wasn't cheating on the girl he loved so much. Gilbert smiled and swung his empty arm around Emil's shoulder. "I'm surprised you came! And you brought your boyfriend too!" He said loudly right in Emil's ear. "Boyfriend? Gil what are you talking about?" Gilbert laughed "oh come on Emi, the whole school knows you both are dating". Emil rolled his eyes "Gil don't call me Emi, and also me and Leon aren't dating". Gil rolled his eyes "Sure you guys aren't" he said. Then the girl attacked to his hip pulled him closer to her "Gilbert come on, let's have fun" she pulled him out of the kitchen away from the two. Leon raised an eyebrow "I thought that chick was dating that Hungarian transfer guy" Emil's eyes widened realizing Gil was cheating on Maddie. "Leon I'll be right back, you can do whatever I just need to go find someone". He rushed out of the kitchen in search of his newer friend. To be honest Emil liked Madeline better than any of his other new friends that Gil has introduced him too including Gilbert himself. She was like his second best friend. She also goes through... "anorexic tendencies" as she calls it and has given Emil tips on how to control his urges. She calls it her 'Stop the Urges to Purges' guide. She taught him a method of using string the measure his body vs what he thought his body looked like. Since she has always been there for him he needed to be here for her. What if she already knows Gil's cheating? What if she doesn't? So many questions raced through Emil's mind as he pushed through the crowd. He pulled out his crappy flip phone and made it the wall of the living room. He tried calling Madeline but he couldn't hear if she picked up or not so he ran outside. "Madeline are you there?" He said not hearing the dial tone any longer. "Y-Yes...you're at Gil's party aren't you?" She said sounding so sad. "Yes I am I just ran out though-" she cut him off with a loud sob "you saw Gil and Anneliese sucking faces didn't you? That's why your calling". She already knew then. "Yes...Maddie I'm so sorry. How'd you find out?" He asked worried how badly this has effected her since she has as almost a fragile mind state as him. "I told him I didn't want to go to his party tonight because I was studying for the SAT, but I finished early and thought I surprise him" she paused as another heart wrenching sob broke from her chest. "Then I walked into the party and saw them making out...oh god Emil my heart hurts so bad. Five years of putting all my love and time into a person just down the drain!". Emil tried calming her down "hey I'll be right there. It's only a ten minute walk from Gil's. Maddie will you be alright in that time?". It went silent "Emil don't come. I've already made up my mind" she said after awhile. Emil started walking as he talked to her towards her house. "Madeline, made your mind up about what?". She responded with a cry and Emil could just hear the pain just from her voice. "Emil, Gil was my one constant in life! My sister is the start of the family, I was the reason my mother was a prostitute, and my father couldn't care less about me...I'm just a waste of money". Emil's pace sped up, he knew he had to keep her on the line for as long as possible. "I care about you, Lovino and Feliciano care about you, your family does love you-" Madeline once again cut him off "no. It's better this way. Goodbye Emil" and then a silent beep took over the line. Emil froze and looked down at his phone. He didn't know what Madeline was going to do but he needed to get there. Emil started sprinting to her house, adrenaline and fear running through his veins. He soon turned a ten minute walked into a six minute run. He saw her house in which he's been to many times to study and only saw what he knew to be the bathroom light on. He ran up to the door and started banging. He heart pounded so loudly he thought it might rip out of his chest. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He felt tears prick his eyes as he felt they were taking to long. A women with brown hair in a bathrobe along with a man with large eyebrows and unruly blonde hair opened the door. Francine a women who he almost looked up to like a mom turned on the porch light and looked shocked to see her daughters crying friend in front of her "Emil, it's so late what are you doing here?" She asked him while pulling him inside. He tried explaining as fast as he could through his heavy breathing and crying. "Gil cheated on Madeline and I called her but then she hung up on me and I think she might make an attempt on her life!". At this point Madeline sister had made her way down the stairs and heard the entire thing. Arthur went pale and raced upstairs with everyone else. Her family check her room first but Emil went straight to the bathroom door. He saw the light poor out from under the door and heard water running. He banged on the door. He knew it only took about three minutes for a person to drown so he started yelling "Maddie?! Open the door! Goddamnit open it". No answer. He felt his heart sink to his his stomach and kept trying to open the locked door. Madeline's sister pushed Emil to the side of the door. "I'll open in" she said a she rammed her shoulder into the door. It pushed the door almost open so she tried again this time the door did open from the brute force and all four ran into the bathroom. All Emil saw was red water everywhere and a dark silhouette under the water of the overfilling bathtub. Then most ear deafening scream erupted from Francine seeing the baby she raised sitting in a tub of her own blood. Arthur quickly moved past everyone and pulled Madeline's body from the water and laid her on the bathroom floor. His face was stained with tears as he looked upon his daughter who's eyes were drifted off and her arms were littered with still bleeding cuts. "Call an ambulance!" He shouted as he wrapped her arms in tight towels and began to try and get the water out of her lungs. Amelia ran out to call 911 and to get away from the sight of her possibly dead sister who was her closet friend. All Emil could do was stare into her eyes and hear the sobs of Francine and Arthur. Oh what the heart can make a person do.