your body is a weapon → brad simpson | ✓

nineteen

The next day, I tell my dad that I don't want to go to school. Considering last night's events, he understood and rang up to let the school know I wasn't going to be in today.

"I've got to go to work today but I'll let you know when I'm on my way home," he tells me as I sit in the kitchen, eating my breakfast. "Stay here, okay? I don't want you running into anymore trouble."

"I'll stay here, don't worry."

He leaves soon enough and I'm left home alone in this lonely house. Sometimes I wish that I had a sibling that I could hang out with and play on the game console with or make cakes, or something fun.

Growing up, I had Aiden to hang out with and do fun stuff with. Even though he's a couple of years older than me, he still acted like someone my age. We met through our parents so we only had each other to entertain when they were busy talking about business things and mortgages.

Sometimes Aiden would give me a piggy back up the stairs and then we'd slide down in sleeping bags. It would hurt my back but it was great fun in the moment. Or we would make cupcakes and end up having a food fight in his kitchen which only made his housemaid unhappy.

It was sometimes after first period would have started when I receive a text from Brad, asking me where I am. I tell him I'm at home and that I'll see him tomorrow.

I was still a bit skeptic over the fact that Brad looked like the attacker last night. I didn't want to believe that he would kill someone but I didn't want to second guess him. Maybe I could ask him about it and it would put my mind at ease.

I get a shower and change into some jeans and a plain shirt before lounging on my sofa lazily. I was flicking through the channels on the tv, noticing that the local news channels covered the stabbing last night.

"The police linked last night's stabbing with the attack on Friday," the news lady reports and I tilt my head. There was an attack on Friday night? "The increase of crime has made the local council believe it might be best if there's a curfew for all people under eighteen, in hope to provide them the safest community they can offer. Their main goal is to find out who is behind the stabbings, although it is suspected it's part of the gang's revolt in Birmingham."

When someone rings my doorbell, I sigh and look at the time. It was almost eleven in the morning, I didn't understand why anyone would want to contact me or my dad since we're both meant to be out today.

I twist the key in the door lock and open the door to reveal Brad standing there with a bag full of sweets and chocolate.

I frown, looking up at him. "You're meant to be at school."

"So are you," he says. "Can I come in? It's cold out here." I nod slowly, stepping to the side. I close and lock the door while he takes his shoes and jacket off before he turns to me again. "I brought some stuff for you to eat and cheer you up."

"You didn't have to," I tut, tilting my head as Brad hands me the bag. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I'm making sure that you're okay," he tells me and follows me into the lounge. We sit down on the sofa and I put the bag full of snacks down on the coffee table, switching over the news channel.

"I'm fine, you really shouldn't have skipped school for me," I say. "I only took the day off because I was tired and I didn't feel like interacting with anyone after what happened last night."

"Well, as your friend," he says, pulling me close to him so that I'm cuddling him at his side. "It's my duty to make sure that you're fine, and accompany you while you're alone."

"And since I'm your friend, it's my duty to make sure that you're at school getting an education," I scold him. "It's bad enough you're always late to class, but you're skipping an entire day just to comfort me. Do I need to remind you that you're already having to retake this school year because you were suspended during exam season last year?"

"You sound like my mum," he rolls his eyes and I let out a sigh. I've never met his mum, I assumed he moved out and that's why he lives with his three friends. "Stop complaining about me being here and put a movie on or something."

It's my turn to roll my eyes at him as I move from his side and grab the tv remote, changing over to Netflix to put something on.

He goes to grab a bowl from my kitchen to put the sweets in and to grab us both a drink while I set it all up. He dumps the bowl on the coffee table when he's back.

"How are you feeling, though?" He asks once I'm sat down beside him again, sipping on my water.

"I'm fine, I wasn't the one who got stabbed," I shrug, rubbing my index finger over the rim of the glass as I look down. "I just stood there while a random guy got jumped, I should've done something else."

"What did you do?"

"I rang 999, and they told me that the authorities were coming," I shrug, glancing back up at him. "When they heard the sirens, they ran and left the man for dead. He was getting attacked and I just stood there."

Brad shakes his head, "You did what most people would do. Don't bring yourself down about it."

"I could've helped him, Brad," I sigh, disappointed in myself. "I hesitated even calling the police, in case the people heard me talking and hurt me. Thats so selfish of me."

"I'm sure they wouldn't have hurt you," Brad assures me, tilting his head at me. "But you didn't need to help. You had the choice of calling the police or completely ignoring the situation and leaving. You were smart, I'll give you that."

"What would you have done in that situation?" I ask curiously, glancing up at him.

"I wouldn't have called the police," Brad shrugs, looking at the tv and I narrow my eyes, surprised. "I wouldn't have helped, either. The guy probably deserved it."

I roll my eyes, "You don't know that, and neither do I. Besides, no one deserves to die like that."

"What if he hurt someone?" Brad questions, looking back down at me. "What if he had done horrible things to people? The world got rid of a terrible person."

"Well, if he's terrible, then he should be in prison, not dead," I shake my head. "You don't understand, Brad, you weren't there. He couldn't defend himself against the attackers, he had no chance of surviving."

Brad gives me a double take before standing up, "I'm gonna go to the bathroom." I don't get chance to tell him where it is before he exits the room, pulling out his phone.

The way Brad defended the people that killed the man made me curious. He sounded like he knew more about it than I did, and maybe it wasn't a coincidence that one of the attackers looked like Brad. He couldn't have possibly been there last night.

He wanted to hang out with me after school, he couldn't have been anywhere but at home because he doesn't have plans.

But it made sense. He was justifying those people, he looked like one of them and he knew about what happened before it had even hit the news headlines. There was a stabbing on Friday, too, and he suddenly had to leave because his boss rang him. It couldn't be a coincidence.

Brad arrives back five minutes later, running his hand through his hair. I nervously smile at him. Brad couldn't be a murderer, I couldn't believe it.

Edited.