Vulneratis: The Stories of Christian Vanover

exactus

Summer. Late nights turned to early mornings, the sun, pool days, screaming, fighting, bullying. A typical summer. Right?    After finding Jorden in the school. I realized something. He wasn't my friend, he wasn't my enemy. Yet he did something evil something spiteful and for what. Did he hate me? Did he want me to feel bad? How could my "best friend" do something that my worst enemy wouldn't. But yet in still. When I found him in the Karaoke room I sat down in the chair next to him. Him and Grace. I said nothing. Aaliyah came. At this time in the year George had already moved to Texas. This was our group. Jorden the sorry excuse for a best friend, Grace the girl next door and Aaliyah. The only girl who was and wasn't there for me. The last of my once tight knit group sitting in a Karaoke room not talking just looking at one another. Oh how the mighty have fallen.It was summer. Which in my town meant the annual Grand Blanc Fair. Since the third grade Jorden and I had ended up hanging out there mostly because of our parents. This year was different. We could go off by ourselves.    We invited all of our friends to meet up at the fair. To have the "night of our lives" Jorden with his girlfriend Aaliyah for the gazillionth time and his newly acquired friend Ruby and the beautiful brunette Elle. And me just me. That night went exactly as planned. We all met up by the ferris wheel ready to have fun, except me. That night I had found out that my grandma was selling her house. Now I could go into the whole backstory of why this rustic, moldy, crackly house meant so much to my little sixth grade heart. But to make a long story short that house was my safe haven from everything bad in the world. I couldn't be anywhere else that reminded me of my childhood. So when my Grandma sold. I lost that. I lost my only sense of security.That night Grace was supposed to show up but couldn't. Wasn't a big deal to anyone else but me. I wanted her there to apologize. Apologize for what exactly? Apologize for asking her out that last day of sixth grade. That was just who I was to apologize when I didn't need to, to keep my friends. Maybe that's why even after everything I still went to the fair with people that made me want-. That made me feel powerless.We rode everything including the famed "Freak Out" which me having anxiety would never dream of doing. But that night I did. The funny thing about those kind of rides is its like life. You get on you're terrified even though you've seen this ride go a thousand times over you're scared about this one time that you get on. The ride starts and you scream and scream and scream all throughout the ride until it slows than your calm and than its over. You get to decide if your ride is long or short. When I got off of the freak out I was ecstatic I was live. I had forgotten about all of the drama and tension with the group I was with. And I did something I never ever wanted or thought about doing that night. I took out my phone and called Grace. It rang through and rang through. My friends are screaming at me "What're you doing who are you calling?" but I ignored them. And it rang and rang than click. "You-""You have reached the voicemail box of" the robotic woman spoke. She declined. But I didn't give up. I waited for the auto message to play out than left my voicemail. "Look Grace I know this is probably annoying and you're not gonna give me the answer I want but I love you Grace and I love everything about you, you are the perfect girl for me." I said on. "Please call me back" I say clicking off. I rejoined the now annoyed group and checked my phone constantly. It wasn't until they decided to go on the three passenger "Shock Drop" ride that I'd get my answer. They told me to record their reactions to the ride. I went to Snapchat and started to record when her name flashed at the top of my screen.Gracie: Christian! I don't like you! Stop calling me stop texting me about it. I want to be your friend I REPEAT I DON'T LIKE YOU! GOD YOU'RE SO DESPERATE!I don't take time to read the message but finish the recording, when my Dad comes up behind me and tells me I have five minutes. Before looking at the text I join my friends again and say goodbye. We all plan to meet up again but I don't think Jorden's new friend ever wanted that if I was tagging along. I drive home anxious to read her answer giving myself hope that I'd get everything I wanted. That's the thing about hope it breeds eternal misery. You can hope until you're blue in the face but in the end it won't affect the outcome. But we all have hope. Ha.I arrive at my house and burst inside the house plugging in my now dead phone and wait anxiously by it. My smile is from ear to ear and my heart is pounding. See in this book are tons of disappointments, tons of let downs. But that's life right? Was life right? So when my phone blinked on and I read her texts my heart sank but a familiar sink. After being let down over and over again that's what happens. A familiar hurt a familiar pain. But after awhile you get over it, correction after awhile you get tired of it. You're done with being backburned you're done with being unwanted. And that's what happened I didn't cry I didn't text her back something cute or angry. I simply was done. Done with Grace that was. Not done with the beautiful blonde's who's name flashed across my screen. Aaliyah. Damn Aaliyah.It was now the beginning of my summer. I was having the time of my life. Staying up all night, walking at three 'o'clock in the morning, parties everything was great. Great until I realized there were other repercussions to dating the girl of my nightmares. Skylar Munger. I wasn't the only one who fell under the dark dark spell that was Skylar Munger. Damond McAllister. The loud talking mixed boy with the large ears. Don't get me wrong Damond wasn't a bad kid. But he was bad to me. He judged me before even knowing me. The story is that Damond had a weird obsession with Skylar since the fourth grade. Sound familiar? Damond never got over the fact that we dated. He wanted revenge. I guess. That night he texted me. What if I never opened it?
Damond: You're such a pussy
Christian: How? I barely know you?
Damond: You just are, it's why you let Skylar break up with you.
Christian: Yet she dated me and not you. So who's really winning?
Christian: What's the point of you texting me, just to say shit to me?
Damond: No you're just a pussy, and I don't know why Skylar dated yo fat ass.
Damond: You such a bitch boy
Damond: Nigga do you even got friends?Christian: You're so irrelevant you don't know any of them, if I'm such a pussy than fight me.
Damond: Okay nigga you won't do shit. Meet me tomorrow.
Christian: Meet you where? Meet up to fight? What a bitch move.
Damond: Halo Burger on Hill road, be there.Ah. Halo Burger. The irony. The name of the crappy burger restaurant would soon be a cosmic joke. Why? You're not quite there yet.I was hype I was pumped. But most of all I was confused. I had no idea why this kid hated me so much. He barely knew me. But I guess what he felt for Skylar was stronger than common sense, The funny thing is I felt nothing for Skylar anymore, so what was I fighting for? I was fighting for? I was fighting for my reputation.Ever since I can remember I had always been called the weakest link starting back in elementary school. The previous toothless wonder Jakob Vonlinsowe who now had a mouth full of teeth and ready to ruin them with his now taste for cigarettes and weed and disregard for anyone's feelings, told me that I was. It was a day in fifth grade, When my group was at its highest point before speeding down the rollercoaster of despair. We had all been laughing and talking outside when Jakob punched me in my arm. "What the hell" I say grabbing my arm. "Watch it" I say angrily. "What're you gonna do Christian" he says pushing me, "Really what're you gonna do." he says. "That bulge on your arm isn't any type of muscle it's fat." he says laughing. "Just like your stomach" he says getting our friends to laugh with him. "Just like your entire body" he says punching me again. What could I do when anyone who could help me was staring back at me laughing and making jokes. I did what I learned to do years ago. Join them. I laughed and laughed at the joke that made me who I was. A coward. Than I heard a small voice say. "He may be fat but your skinny as a stick, you don't have any muscle either" she said. Aaliyah, always sticking up for me. Or did she?Damond wasn't wrong, I was a coward. I had never been in a fight in my life. I had no idea what I was walking in to. So I did the only thing I could the one thing I probably shouldn't have done. I told my parents. Since birth you depend on three people your Mom, your Dad, and most importantly yourself. So when I had no idea what to do I went to the only people that would. "What the hell is his problem" my Mom says furiously. "I say beat the kids ass" my Dad speaks arrogantly. "Darrell" my Mom's failing to resist her smile. "Show me the messages Chris"My parents weren't perfect to the naked eye. But to me they were everything good in the world. Which is why I was sitting at the stairs with tears in my eyes hearing them scream at each other. It was days after summer had started and I had just got off of the phone with the beautiful infamous brunette Peyton. "Okay I'm going to sleep goodnight love you" I say with a smile. "Night" she says jokingly. I walk downstairs to get a water bottle when I hear the screaming. This book will show you even the most horrid things that anyone has ever said to me. But those things I heard that night. I never want to be repeated. The normal child would go upstairs. But than it took over like a wave of hate and sadness. Anxiety. Every single unwanted thought came every single thing I knew not to do I did. I burst into my parents room and scream through my wave of shock "What's going on" I say to a now silent room. "Get out Christian" my Father says impatiently. I close the door knowing that it only ignited a fire that wouldn't soon go out. I try to distract myself I grab my phone and I try to Facetime Peyton but soon realize I'm too embarrassed just in case she can hear my screaming parents. I FaceTime Jorden but to no response followed by the one person in the world I thought I could count on. Aaliyah. "Please answer" I say sniffling. "Please, please" I say repeatedly. She answers. "Aaliyah alot is going on right now I need you I need your help" I say frantic. "Aaliyah?" I say loudly. She cuts in. "I can't talk I'm in a car right now. Bye Queer" she says hanging up. Sadly her location was not in a car. But in the comfort of her living room. I go to Grace, the now president of the fictional "I Hate Christian Fan Club". No answer but followed by a series of angry texts which just end up sitting there. The screams get louder and my heart beats faster and faster, I have every single thought go through my mind and out and than a new flashes in. I scream manically into my pillow, not wanting to alarm my sisters. I felt so like the only person on Earth. Why was no one there? What was going to happen? Than suddenly in the midst of my spinning. I feel like I can float, fly even. Only one thought drags me back down to Earth. I go into my contacts list and scroll up to the first contact on my list as if she is my life support. And I click her picture-less name and hesitate to hit the FaceTime button. I breathe in slowly and out even slower as if trying not to breathe underwater. I jam my finger on the icon. The FaceTime ringtone rings and rings and than her face appears. "Hey Christian" she says sweetly. "Hey Aleena" I say trying to hide my now cracking voice, "What's up" she says noticing the now prominent tears on my face. "Christian".
The conversation between Aleena and I was the one thing that really helped me. It calmed me down. That night ended with two things. My parents had really been fine the entire time and ended up going to get some trashy food. And I had a new found bully. Myself."So he wants to fight you over....what?" Aaliyah says confused. "Yea" I say shyly. "I honestly don't know why" I say lying. Though Damond wanted to fight me over an ex, I didn't want Aaliyah to know. I loved Grace and Jorden had established that he had feelings for Aaliyah. But I couldn't help it. She was my friend who I'd grown to love. Maybe a little too much. 'Okay I gotta go" she says lying. Aaliyah normally hung up at random times now. Maybe she just got tired of me after awhile. Maybe that's what everyone did.That entire night everyone had heard about the fight that was going to happen the next day. Texts flooded my phone but only one came to surface. Rumor had spread the Damond wasn't the only one meeting at Halo Burger. His supposed "best-friend" Jayden Lewin was also to make an appearance in the "fight". But let's not forget. I had no experience in fighting, even if it was Damond alone. But now I had double that, against someone that I had yet to even meet, Welcome to Summer sixteen kids.My night consisted of FaceTime calls and texts from random people who told me Damond had no shot against me, but to beware of Jayden. It was horrible. Why was I even going to go? What did I have to prove? I started to question myself. Just as I was about to call it off with Damond. The unfamiliar name popped across my screen as a FaceTime call. Jakob VonLinsowe.Contrary to popular belief Jakob and I had more in common than some of my closest friends. Aside from the well underage smoking and drinking, I saw a kid who needed help. He came from a broken home literally and figuratively. The summer before sixth grade, we were at the top of our game."Okay so what's the plot" I ask the screen that read "paused" " Hold on texting Amaya" he said uninterested. "Who's Amaya?" I ask with a furrowed brow" "You know Anna?" He says assertively. "Your ex Anna?" I ask in a know it all sort of tone. "Yea, her little sister. Too bad I don't date sisters" he says jokingly. "Wait little?" I ask. "Jake how old is she?" I ask concerned. "Well if we're going into sixth she's going into fifth" he says as if connecting dots himself. "That's disgusting" I say "Leave that poor girl alone" my voice echoes. "I'm just kidding, let's get back to this" he says coming back to the screen. "Okay, so main characters?" I say smiling.
Jakob may have been the douchey guy who did way too much for his age, but he was more than just the goofy, "smoking weed before fourth grade" guy that everyone thought they knew. He could write. And so could I. So that summer we attempted to work on a story. The story seemed to be a cry for help. Coming from the life that he did it was understandable. He wanted to write a story about a boy who ran away and built his own house in the woods. With the help of his friend. Who knew that, that was his actual plan.I answer the FaceTime call annoyed. Jakob never called anymore and majorely distanced himself from our group. Anytime we did speak it was mostly insults. So why would he be calling?"Hey?" I answer the phone as if it a question. "Hey Chris, okay so you're fighting someone?" he says concerned. "Yes?" I say still confused. "Don't" he replies boldly. "You will lose, you've never fought anyone before" he says boastfully. Maybe it was because I took things too serious or my everyday intuition but I took that as an insult what maybe he was just looking out for me. Maybe. "Screw you" I say annoyed "Ya know just because you think your all badass, doesn't actually make you that way, and if you want to fight to I'm one hundred percent down" I say angrily. "Chris" he says laughing. I hang up before he gets a chance to finish.The fight was going to happen. And now I had a reason to. I was done being the kid who was the weaker guy, I was more than just the fat-friend that my friends had constantly reminded me I was. If he wanted a fight he was going to get a one. Awkwardly enough my parents drove me to the fight. We lived directly down the street but I guess it was further than I thought. The car-ride was like radio silence until I changed the station. "What do I do?" I ask softly. My simple question set off a bomb of answers ranging from Dad Jokes to caring Mom statements, but one answer struck me through my parents shared laughs. "Kick his ass".We pulled into the burger parking lot like it was our final destination for life. Butterflies floated in my stomach as if trying to fight for me. My mom whipped into the last parking spot in the first row and got out with me surprisingly enough. My Dad too. I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly before opening the car door. I open my eyes and swing it open with the force of the angriest child ever. I look to the left, than to the right and proceed inside the restaurant in search of the monkey eared kid. I walk back outside and announce loudly. "He's not here" to my angry parents.The funniest part of the whole ordeal was the ending. He didn't show up, than lied and said I hadn't been there. Ah. Another good thing was I'd proven myself. I didn't actually fight the kid but maybe I scared him enough for him not to show up. When I got home I FaceTimed the one person who I wanted to impress the most. Aaliyah."Hey can you talk?" I say innocently "Sure but about what" she says annoyed. This is the way Aaliyah and I had been. She was the most amazing person in my life but I was the person at the bottom of her list. Not that I knew all about the new Aaliyah but I figured out she wanted to reinvent herself. She had a new found attitude. And a knack for insults but I always felt I got the worst end of it. "Fucking queer what do you have to talk about?" She says rushing me off of the phone. "I almost got into a fight" I say desperately grabbing her attention. "Bull" she says eyes wide. Maybe that's why she was my friend. Just to know stuff about me. But I loved her for it. Maybe a little too much as I previously stated. I realized I had a crush on her. But she was my bestfriends girlfriend what could I do? Aaliyah didn't believe me about the fight until I sent her a video of it. She still didn't believe I was tough. No one really did even after the fight that was supposed to change everything. Most anticlimactic moment ever. To get over Aaliyah and Grace and now the new frenemy Skylar I decided to find someone else. But someone was already looking at me. Taylor Kolasisnski. Yes I can't pronounce it either. I didn't want her thinking I was weak, so I made a huge mistake. I joined the football team.