Punchbag - Calum Hood (5sos) Alternate Universe [ON HOLD]

21: cassidy

21: drown - bring me the horizon

-

©assidy

The whole way back from the mall, Rachel was bugging me about how I'd been flirting with Calum. By the time we pulled into the driveway of the house I was pretty sick of her. I unbuckled my seatbelt and slammed the car door shut as she asked me, for the thousandth time, whether Calum and I were dating.

"It's none of your business!" I yelled, frustrated. "Obviously, if he proposes to me, you'll be the first to know," I added sarcastically.

Rachel rolled her eyes and unlocked the door. "I want to know now, Cas."

"Stop whining," I snapped, putting my bags down on the stairs. "and nagging."

"Go and take those upstairs," Rachel gestured towards the bags I'd just put down, and then to her own.

As I trudged upstairs Rachel played the messages on the answerphone. I unpacked the few things I'd bought from the bags and placed them on my bed, before taking the remaining things that were Rachel's and shoving them in the doorway of her room. I then thudded down the stairs, stopping in my tracks when I saw the look on Rachel's face.

"What?"

She pressed play on the answer machine and we stood in silence as I listened to the voice of my mother echo through the hall.

"It's only me. I just wanted to say how happy I am that you're coming home, Cassidy, and I also wanted to inform you that I've enrolled you in a school to finish your exams. I know I'm dead set against public education but Joe really persuaded me to consider enrolling you in his school so I did. I'll see you soon, love you."

The line went dead and Rachel stared at me intently, waiting to see my reaction.

"I don't want to go to school. I especially don't want to go to school with Joe," I whispered.

"Cassidy," Rachel said reproachfully. "Cas, ple-"

But she didn't get chance to finish because I ran out of the front door, slamming it behind me. I ran and kept on running, and I didn't realise where I was going until I found myself at the local convenience store. I had a five pound note in my bra (yes, I'm one of those girls) so I stocked up on a couple of chocolate bars and an energy drink. Then I started my trek to the skate park, arriving when the sun was just beginning to set, so it wasn't even dark.

I climbed up the ramp, like I always did, and tried to concentrate on watching the stars. But my mind was buzzing and nothing was stopping me thinking about my fucking step brother.

About a quarter of an hour later Michael came through the gate and when he spotted me he climbed up and joined me on the ramp.

"What's up?" he asked, taking a sip from the can of lager in his hand. He offered me some but I shook my head.

"Thinking," I replied.

"About what?"

I sighed. "My stepbrother."

"Why, what's wrong with your stepbrother?" Michael seemed curious.

"Everything," I muttered bitterly.

"Do you...want to talk about it?"

I nodded slowly and sighed. "From the beginning?"

"If you don't mind."

"I remember the first time I met him and how happy I was that he was the same age as me. We all had a meal at Pizza Hut: Rachel, Julia, Joe, mum, Daren and me, and it started off well. So well that we decided we wanted to live with mum and Daren and see my dad once a month, which probably broke his heart because we were his whole life. Then when we all moved in together me and Joe had to share a room, because we were pre-pubescent 12 year olds and the youngest in the family.

Joe hated us sharing a room which lead to him hating me. He used to blast his music really loud so I wouldn't go in, sometimes even lock me out. Rachel started 'experimenting' with underage drinking because the schools in the area where my mum lives aren't exactly the best, so neither were her influences, which is probably why she's so anti-school now. Julia left and I moved into her room but that's when Joe really started being horrible to me. We were left home alone a lot and he used to make sure I had no friends at school, so I became home schooled.

Then, one time, he hit me. I told him I wasn't going to clean his room for him and he got so angry and whacked me on the head and I got a bruise. I told mum but she said it was normal sibling behaviour.

He used to do it all the time and mum and Daren never batted an eyelid until one day, when we were about 13 or 14, he came home with one of his friend's lighters and burned me. I told dad and he decided it would be best for us to be as far away from Joe as possible." I looked at him nervously. "Please don't tell anyone, I've never told anyone before."

Michael looked at me. "Fucking hell."

"And now I've got to live with him again," I whispered. "I know everyone thinks that I should forgive and forget but he made my life a misery, Michael. I know I'm being bitter but... what if he hasn't changed?"

Michael hugged me. "You're not being bitter. My parents knocked me around occasionally, slaps and stuff, and I never want to see their pathetic faces again. I just can't believe... he burned you? What kind of sick person does that?"

"I have a scar," I mumbled, pulling my shirt up to reveal the discolouration on my hip from where he'd held the flame to my skin for too long.

"Oh, Cas."

"Are you sleeping here?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah," he said sheepishly.

"Can I join you?"

Michael smiled. "It would be my honour."

-

I KNOW ITS SHORT AND I HAVENT UPDATED IN [patrick stump voice] CENTURIES BUT SCHOOL TOOK OVER MY LIFE I HAD FUCKING SPANISH ORAL DIDNT I AND I FORGOT ABOUT IT DIDNT I

so yh im v v v sorry and i will try 2 be more update-y for u all aND THANK YOU FOR 2.5(ish)k I LOVE YOU ALL ASSFKSKDJD SKJEKD DKEKWKWK

the new soundtrack to my life is bea miller's cover of smells like teen spirit it's constantly playing in my head bless

ily byeee

-cx