Hollow Woods ✔

Tears

I woke up to Dean talking to someone downstairs, was Rhydian still here? I grabbed my phone to check the time, it was later on in the afternoon. I threw my phone on the floor making a loud crash as it hit a pile of stuff and everything came crashing down. The boys surly heard it because the next thing I knew both of them were standing at my door looking down at me.

"Come on Ex, you can't just make a sound like that." Dean worried way too much and I think that's why I saw him as a brother and not a friend. I groaned, hangovers are the worst but what led to them was amazing. "Don't tell me..." Dean's voice trailed off, damn, he knows me too well.

He could sense that I was drunk, well, hungover. "Rhydian, search her room for any sort of food or drinks." As if he were a robot, Rhydian did what Dean told him. I shot out of my bed, only to fall onto the floor.

"No! Come on, this isn't fair. He can't be going through my stuff!" I whined and pouted up at Dean.

"Fine then, I'll search too." Dean began to search along with his new pal. He knew that I drank but at times I was even better at what I did when drunk. "I understand that drinking somehow makes you focus better but drinking to fall asleep! Come on Ex, you're better than this."

"Wait, she drinks? A nerd like her actually touches alcohol?" Rhydian used the wrong words at the wrong time. When I was drunk not only did I focus better but I also hit way harder.

I stood to my feet and took my fist straight into hit gut. He let out a small grunt of pain but glared down at me, almost in amusement.

"Don't be calling me all this shit when you don't even know me. You can't label something unless you know what it is." I glared back at him, daring him to try and challenge me. He stood up straight and in his hand was my vodka bottle. "You shit!" I spat out, trying to reach my bottle but this assface was too tall. I wouldn't be able to get it back. He smirked as to say ' I won.' He handed the bottle off to Dean and he stormed off with it. "Dean wait! I'm going to need that in a bit, remember?" I called out and he stopped in his tracks and turned around.

"Fine, but this time you're sharing with both of us." We smiled at each other in amusement.

"Deal!" I say, taking the bottle from his hand. "But first some breakfast." We all raced downstairs.

Holy shit that smell! Waffles! After about ten minutes of talking and eating, we all head back upstairs to change first. Dean let Rhydian borrow some sweatpants and a t-shirt. I picked out some shorts and a hoodie that just barely covered my ass.

After I changed I unlocked my door, letting the boys come in. I, as always, sat on my desk chair and the boys sat on my bed.

"So, Rhydian, what exactly did you see happen in these alleyways?" I was prepared to listen, not yet typing out possibilities.

After maybe an hour of listening to him talk, I stuck out my hand, letting Dean know to hand over the bottle. He did and I did the same as last night, I chugged as much as I could and began to type.

"How can she take that without needing water? I've had this stuff before and always need some water to help wash it down." Rhydian stared at me in shock. I, a so called nerd, just chugged down more than a shot worth of vodka without needing any water.

"She has many talents, and drinking is one of them. Just sit back and let her do her work." Dean grabbed the bottle from my desk and handed it over to Rhydian, silently asking if he wanted any.

Rhydian took a second and then took the bottle from Dean, he did his best to try and drink more than me. He got close but I knew he wouldn't be able to do it, I'm someone who got used to the burning sensation in my throat from a very young age, I guess it came naturally to me. After nearly getting to tears, Dean took the bottle from Rhydian and took a swig himself.

"Don't drink it all. Dean, you know how hard it is for me to get my hands on this brand of vodka of all things." I didn't look away from my screen but they both got quiet, knowing that I was serious. To be honest, I was surprised that Rhydian hadn't asked me where I got the vodka from.

"You're only like 17, where and how did you get this?" Well fuck, I spoke too soon. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone as long as you get me a bottle next time, I'll even pay you." I was beginning to get annoyed with him. Leave me alone, I'm trying to focus!

I stood up and walked over to grab the bottle from Dean's hand then sat back down in my chair.

"Out!" I spat, getting annoyed by Rhydian's constant remarks. "Get out and I'll tell you when you can enter once I'm done." I waited until I heard my door close behind them.

I picked up the bottle to my lips, chugging down every last drop.

After about an hour alone with my thoughts, I began to have bad thoughts. I picked up the glass bottle and hit it against the edge of my desk, shattering it to sharp pieces. Picking up leftover glass from the bottle I placed it on my thigh and dragged it across, pushing the sharp edge into my skin.

I didn't even realize that Dean and Rhydian burst through my door until Dean was right in front of me, gently taking the glass from my bloody hand. I could tell that he was angry with me but he didn't let that control him.

"Help me pick this up." Dean told Rhydian, he just looked at me, silently trying to figure me out. He saw a tear roll down my face and he began helping Dean pick up the glass shards.

Just sitting

I can't do shit

I'm useless

As I felt more tears pouring down my face I turned away, he couldn't see me like this, but he already did. The boys didn't leave my sight for even a second, Rhydian stayed with me while Dean went around the house collecting things to clean my cut.

Rhydian stayed over again, something about not feeling too good. Dean made sure that I slept with my door open and he kept his open as well.

At around two in the morning I felt my bed dip as someone sat on the edge.

"How are you feeling?"

"I've been better. What are you doing up this early?" I looked over at Rhydian and gave him a questioning look.

"I know it's not the time, but..." He took a pause, debating if he should really ask his question. "What happened to you? Why are you constantly feeling sick? And why do you cut yourself?" I couldn't believe that the biggest assface of the school was concerned about me. I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

I sit up, facing him. "I was five when my parents died, making me an orphan along with becoming homeless." I took a pause, trying to hold back tears from all these memories. "I was five when I got kidnapped and raped at 12. I was forced to make deals for them. They forced me to drink various things and they would burn my throat when I did something they didn't like." I stared off into the distance, remembering everything they did to me. "They abused me everyday. One day I ran away, they never found me after because I disappeared into a new town that was miles away. I turned 18 and bought a house and anything else I would need. I signed myself up to attend school. That's it, from there you know the rest."

I could feel the tears begin to roll down my face as I looked out the window, wondering how the moon lived in constant darkness.