Broken Like Me

[ Part Seven ]

Sal's POV

I don't remember falling asleep on the bathroom floor, but when I was shook awake, that's where I was. Larry stood above me.

"Sal? What the hell? Why are you sleeping on the bathroom floor?"

"I..don't know? I sat down to talk to..." I looked under the stall, and the familiar pair of sneakers were gone. "...someone. And I just have just fell asleep." I stood up, brushing off my pants.

"I told Travis to leave you alone. So. If you were planning on talking to him, you don't have to anymore." Larry smiled, proud of himself.

"What? What the fuck, Larry? I told you to leave him alone." I pushed past him, walking out the bathroom door. He followed close behind me.

"I'm trying to help you, Sally!" I tried to keep walking, but he grabbed my arm and turned me around. "Will you stop?! Just listen to me!"

"I don't want to hear what you have to say. I think Travis is a good guy in a bad situation. That's my opinion. Your not gonna change that. I want to be friends with him, okay?? Can you just let it go?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"You know what? Fine. Whatever Sal. Your feelings are the most important, right? Maybe I don't want you hanging around Travis because he gave me hell for the last couple years too. But okay. I get it. You have to be his fucking savior or whatever. Go ahead." Larry walked away, and I didn't bother chasing after him. There wasn't any point. Neither of us were changing eachothers minds. I did feel bad for making him feel like that, but still, I couldn't bring my self to follow him. Instead, I set my sights in finding Travis.

I had the boys schedule memorized (not because I'm a stalker, but so I could avoid him taunting me after my classes). He wasn't in the class he should be in, and I knew he wasn't at home. So where else could he be?

I decided I would ditch the rest of the day, once again setting all my priorities on finding Travis. I began walking to the apartments, not really knowing where to go. I scanned the area around me as I went, eventually seeing what I was hoping too. A very lonely looking boy wearing my clothes. He was sat at the swing of an empty park, and I made my way over to him. "Hey Travis..."

He didn't even look up at me. Not so much as a nod to acknowledge my existence.

I sat down in the wood chips next to him. "I'm sorry for what Larry said, okay? It isn't true, and I don't feel that way. He's just protective over me. And he doesn't know you like I do. He still thinks your the same big bad bully." Travis's head sunk lower. "But I don't." I placed a hand gently on his knee. "Why don't you come back home with me, okay?"

His voice sounded horse and shaky when he did speak. "He was right."

"What?"

"Your friend was right. About one thing, at least. I don't deserve you as a friend." I could see the tears finally spill over his eyes. "I was an asshole to you for so long. I deserve to be alone."

"Hey-" I held his bruised cheeks gently in my hands. "No one deserves to be alone." And for reasons I absolutely cannot explain, I moved up my mask, leaned in, and kissed Travis Phelps.

Travis' POV

After the bathroom incident, I just walked right out of school. I don't think I could bear to sit through any classes without having a complete mental breakdown. But I couldn't go home either. So I walked to the park by Sally's house, the only place I could think of that was safe for me to go.

As I sat on the swing, I felt like I was the only person in the entire world. I don't think I could have felt more alone. Everything Larry said was true and more. I'm a fuck up, and no one is ever really gonna want to be friends with me. And if Sally wasn't tricking me, I'd be really was trying to be my friend after all I did to him, than I sure as hell didn't deserve him.

Speak of the devil, I could see him coming towards me. Did he really cut class just to find me? Probably not.

"Hey Travis..."

I couldn't bring my self to look at him. I'd definitely start crying.

He sat down in the wood chips next to me, looking up at me with his stupid beautiful eye. "I'm sorry for what Larry said, okay? It isn't true, and I don't feel that way. He's just protective over me. And he doesn't know you like I do. He still thinks your the same big bad bully." Ouch. I know he was being nice but it still hurt to think that he ever saw me like that. I think he noticed the impact of his words, and he was quick to add on, "But I don't." He put his hand on my knee, and I felt like I was going to explode. "Why don't you come back home with me, okay?"

I couldn't. I didn't want to burden him over and over with all my issues. And what did I give him in return? Nothing. "He was right."

"What?" His voice was so quiet and innocent.

"Your friend was right. About one thing, at least. I don't deserve you as a friend." I couldn't stop myself from crying at this point. God, I cried so much this week I was surprised I even had anything left in me. "I was an asshole to you for so long. I deserve to be alone."

"Hey-" His hands were at my cheeks, and I could held but lean into them. I didn't know  what the hell I did that made him want to help me, but I was glad I did it. "No one deserves to be alone." I saw him pull up his mask. And suddenly, Sal Fisher's lips met mine.