How I Was Saved // Oliver Sykes

Before - I.

I let the water run on my skin, burning me slightly. I scrub at my hair, washing out all of the suds. Nolan pounds on the door, "Hey! Lena, get the fuck out of the shower." I cringe at the sound of his voice, turning off the water. I slip out and grab my towel, opening the door to my ill-tempered boyfriend, Nolan. "You always take like hour long showers. What's wrong with you? You think money grows on trees?" He practically spits the words out of his mouth. "I'm sorry," I mumble, shuffling to my room. He yells something unintelligible and slips into the steamy bathroom, slamming the door behind him. When I hear the water turn on, I close my door, leaning against it. Our relationship is turning into a bad romance. Bickering turns into arguments; arguments turn into physical abuse. I never win those fights. I throw off the stained, yellow towel and get ready quickly, throwing on my makeup. Today, Nolan is taking me to a Bring Me The Horizon concert. I know the inside of the venue will get hot, pressed against all of those bodies, so I pick out a pair of jeans that stop just above my knees and a Bring Me The Horizon T-shirt. My hair hangs loosely at my elbows, a dark brown fading into a dirty blonde. I frown at my reflection and go out into the hallway. Down the stairs, I hear the clatter of plates in the kitchen. "Lena, are you done yet? I'm tired of waiting for you," he yells towards the stairs. I step in the room and say, "I'm ready." He grabs his car keys and gives me a devilish smile.

When we arrive at the venue, it's packed. He slips inside and into the crowd, getting swallowed by the people. I push my way to the front of the stage, hoping I can get a better look at the band. The crowd starts cheering and the lights dim. I look around as the fog begins to fill the stage, making it almost impossible to see. Spot lights pour out onto the stage where the band walks on and the crowd starts to cheer all of their names. Finally, Oli runs up to the mic, screaming, "We're going to fuck this whole show up!" The guitar screeches through the air, the drums following. The bass starts, backing up the beat of the drums. The music flows through the air, wrapping me up in a big blanket of comfort. Then Oli's screams pierce the blanket, making me almost automatically bang my head to the rhythym. I raise my fist, pumping it up and down as I jump to the beat of the song. He makes motions with his hands, as if to seperate the crowd, in which they do. A mosh pit forms, people flailing their arms, head banging, and kicking air, sometimes connecting with a body part. 

Nolan jumps into the pit, punching someone hard in the jaw. I can hear the crack of the bone over the music. He pounces back on the boy, punching him harder in the gut and the head, causing the boy to black out.  I push through the crowd, forcing my way into the pit. I grab Nolan's shoulder yelling, " Stop!" But he just looks at me and slaps me hard across the face. I taste blood in my mouth after he hits me again, this time in the jaw. After another punch to the face, I fall to the ground. He kicks me in the stomach several times before I slip into unconsciousness. The last thing I see is his ugly smirk.

        The beeping won't stop. It's penetrating my ear drums. My dark dreams swirl into white smoke, forcing me awake. I don't open my eyes, but I do listen for another sound. After a while, a door opens and closes. Someone in a seat shifts, causing the chair to moan. A female voice starts in, "You don't have to stay for the whole day, you know." Someone clucks their tongue. "But I want to. It was my show. Anything that happens there is my responsibility." I swear I hear her eyes roll. The woman walks over to the side of my bed, messing with a tube in my arm. "She'll be awake soon," she says before leaving the room. 

       I finally open my eyes, taking in the scenery. A white table holding a vase with red roses in them, white walls, a white floor, and navy blue chairs.  I search for the source of the male voice and directly seated across from me is Oliver Sykes, himself. In my hospital room. I can't speak; can't make him acknowledge that I'm awake. I can barely breathe. My lips tremble as I form the words in my mouth. "O-Oliver..?" I squeak out. His eyes snap to me, widening. "Lena, I'm so sorry," He mutters as he gets up, making his way to my bedside. I need answers. "What happened? Why are you here?" I'm so confused at why this beautiful person is so concerned about me.

           "That scumbag roughed you up pretty badly. You, and a boy named Roy. Of course when we tried to see if he was ok, he walked it off as though nothing had happened." He chuckled softly before saying, "But you, you wouldn't wake up. I drove you here myself. I was so scared that a fan of mine would die because of one of my silly little concerts." He looks ashamed. "It was bound to happen anyway. He's my boyfriend, always yelling at me and sometimes, he gets physical. I just didn't think he would.." My voice trails off. "Thank you, Oliver. But you really don't need to be here. I'm fine by myself," I croak out. He purses his lips and sits on the edge of the hospital bed. "Lena.. I want to be here, I.." He looks directly into my eyes, almost as if he sees something there. His accent is breathtaking, slurring words without meaning to. "Can you tell me about yourself?" He asks sweetly, causing butterflies to form in my stomach.

              "Uhm, well there isn't much to know. Well, my parents kicked me out when I was 17. They said that I was worthless, shouldn't even be alive. I was supposed to be aborted, but obviously it didn't work out. So when they kicked me out, I asked Nolan if I could live with him. I don't know how he became so abusive, but he did.." I look down, afraid to look at him. He doesn't say anything for a while, both of us sitting in silence. Finally he speaks up. "You didn't deserve any of that. You really didn't. A beautiful girl like you, worthless? No." I look up at him. He's already looking into my eyes. He smiles "We can take you in, the band, I mean. We have a very large house with a few extra rooms. You can't live with that bastard anymore." He grabs my hand and holds on lightly. I nod, my smile reaching my eyes. For once, I can be truly happy.

                   "Lena? You in here?" A grouchy voice calls from the other side. He knocks again, harder this time. My mouth hangs open. Nolan.