Derrick + Miles (boyxboy)

FOURTEEN: PERSONAL HELL

MILES

Mom and Dad went to visit Grandma Eve and Grandpa George (my Mom and Uncle Erik's parents) today. I was going to go, but I told them Sean was coming over. I know I agreed to do this interview, but I'm having my doubts. I know it  would be good for me to get it off my chest, but then I thought about how I  would be inviting the whole school into my personal hell. What is a boy to do?

I was sitting up in my room playing Candy Crush Soda on my phone when there was a knock on the door.

MILES: COME IN.

The door opened and Sean came in.

SEAN: WASSUP.

MILES: WASSUP SEAN.

SEAN: JUST GOT UP FROM A NAP. I DECIDED TO SLEEP IN LATE TODAY. I BARELY GET ANY REST.

MILES: I KNOW THE FEELING...AS OF LATE.

SEAN: YOU HAVEN'T BEEN SLEEPING WELL?

MILES: NOT REALLY. EVER TIME I TRY TO GO TO SLEEP I ONLY THINK OF THE BASHING.

SEAN: WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING?

MILES: I DON'T KNOW. YOU KNOW I'VE ALWAYS BEEN THE KIND OF PERSON WHO TAKES MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS.

SEAN: I KNOW, BUT MILES THIS ISN'T ONE OF THOSE TIMES. YOU JUST WENT THROUGH A TRAUMATIC EVENT. YOU AND I BOTH KNOW THAT YOU AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THIS...NOT BY YOURSELF ANYWAY.

MILES: YOU SOUND LIKE DERRICK. ME AND HIM WAS HAVING THIS SAME CONVERSATION JUST YESTERDAY.

SEAN: WE CAN PUT THAT CONVERSATION ON THE BACKBURNER FOR NOW. I CAME OVER TO DO THIS INTERVIEW FOR THE SCHOOL NEWSPAPER.

MILES: I KNOW.

SEAN: DON'T TELL ME YOU'VE CHANGED YOUR MIND?

MILES: NO. MY ONLY PROBLEM IS ONCE IT'S PRINTED AND OUT THERE EVERYONE WILL KNOW ALL MY PERSONAL PAIN. I'D BE INVITING THEM INTO MY PERSONAL HELL SEAN.

SEAN: OK HOW ABOUT THIS...I'LL ONLY PRINT WHAT YOU TELL ME. YOU CAN LEAVE OUT THE STUFF THAT MAKES YOU FEEL ICKY OR SAD OR DEPRESSED. I'M NOT GOING TO PRINT ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA PISS YOU OFF.

MILES: OK. LETS DO THIS.

I told Sean what happened play by play (even though he witnessed most of it). I cringed  thinking about it all. I was living it all over again.

MILES:I'M DONE. I CAN'T GO ANY FURTHER.

SEAN: I HAVE ENOUGH TO WRITE THE ARTICLE.

MILES: THANK GOD.

SEAN: I NOTICED HOW YOU KEPT PAUSING AND STUTTERING.

MILES: THAT'S BECAUSE I WAS  RELIVING THE MOST TRAUMATIC ORDEAL OF MY LIFE. THAT WAS TO BE EXPECTED.

SEAN: YOU'RE DOING A BRAVE THING BY COMING FORWARD AND TELLING THIS STORY. YOU NEVER KNOW. BY TELLING YOUR STORY YOU COULD BE HELPING OTHERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING. YOU COULD BE GIVING A VOICE TO THOSE WHO ARE AFRAID AND ASHAMED.