“How repulsive! Following me around like this all the time. I told you not to bother with me anymore! I can’t stand the sight of you!” Dark eyes filled with disgust and hate looked at the wet haired male rubbing at his eyes. Droplets of orange juice dripping down his cheeks and off his chin like tears.
The angry looking boy roughly slams the now empty glass on the cafeteria table. The sound catching the attention of the remaining students who had not yet looked over at the teen yelling at the silent one. The glass an empty reminder of the juice that used to fill it, before he had tossed it at the boy who had been following him closely behind.
The sleepy looking boy lifts up the hood to his sweater over his head, pulling at the strings in till it scrunches up and covers his face completely.
“Now you can’t see me,” The sleepy looking boy stated in a plain tone, as if unaffected by the angry boys words and actions. “…I know you don’t really want me to go, and I promised to always be by your side. If my face makes you uncomfortable I can always cover it.”
“We made that promise when we were children! Why stick to it now?! I clearly want you out of my life! Your existence makes me sick!” The angry male spat, raising a hand as if to hit the boy but pauses a moment as if conflicted. He bit his bottom lip, his moment of hesitance gone as he slaps the boy.
The sweater hood did little to cushion the harsh hit, the sleepy boy stumbling back a few steps while raising a hand to cradle his cheek through the fabric. Skin already getting sticky from the juice drying on it.
From this scene alone, who could believe the fact these two had grown up together and were very close friends. Inseparable and cared for each other deeply. Only some years ago did they begin to get distant. Marshall continually pushing the other away with crude words and harsh actions.
No matter what he did however, the sleepy headed boy Neal always followed behind him quietly. Trying to comfort him even as he once went as far as pushing Neal down the stairs.
Everyone wondered what was wrong in Neal’s head. Taking all this abuse only to respond with things like this, was he a masochist?! Whatever the case, everyone stayed clear of this mentally questionable male. Leaving him alone to deal with Marshalls abuse day in and day out.
Marshall stormed off, leaving Neal standing there alone. He pulls off his hood, reaching for a napkin in his sweater pocket to dry and get the juice off his face. It was to late for a simple napkin to get it off. With a heavy sigh he glances in the direction Marshall ran off to before heading out of the cafeteria himself.
His steps are slow and unhurried, eyes in a daze as if he was sleep walking. He heads to the bathroom, taking his time as he washes his face off with a cool stream of water from the bathroom tap. The water came out unevenly, a bit of rusty color to it at first before it soon turns into a clear stream.
A student walks into the bathroom, rushing to reach the toilet. He pauses however upon seeing the student leaned over at the sink with his eyes shut. The water still ran and water droplets dripped down his face, his sweater sleeves and collar a darker grey, suggesting he had been in the middle of washing his face.
The student steps closer and realizes that this boy was fast asleep! How was it he drifted off in the middle of washing his face, was it even possible? That water was in no way warm either.
Reaching over and turning off the tap, he glanced at the sleeping boy before poking his shoulder.
“Dude, you alright there? Do you need to go to the nurses office?” He was concerned, taken by surprise as the sleeping male suddenly opens his eyes and looks straight at him. He had to take a few steps back to calm his startled heart.
He watches with wide eyes as the sleepy male wipes his wet hands on his sweater before giving a small bow of his head in acknowledgement of him.
“I’m alright…thank you for your concern” He spoke this in a lazy yet slightly husky tone, the usual sound of someone’s voice when just waking up from a deep sleep.
He then casually walks out of the bathroom, leaving the student rather confused. He soon forgot about it as his bladder reminds him why he came in here. Quickly he rushes to one of the stalls, leaving the strange moment behind.
–
Buzz Buzz Buzz
“Nnnnnhh who’s calling so late?” Neal groans, reaching out to blindly find his phone on the bed before bringing it to his ear.
“Neal! Hey…I..I just wanted to talk to you a moment, hear your voice one last time…can you come to the school?” The familiar voice is shaky and raw. The sound of wind howling in the background making the words a bit difficult to grasp if one was not focusing hard enough.
“Marshall? Is everything alright?” Neal opens his eyes, instantly more awake as his heart rate increases with his worry.
Marshall has not called him in many years, ever since he started trying to push him away. It was unusual to get this sudden call, and it was clear by the sound of his voice something was very wrong.
“Just come to the school already! Ten minutes. I will only wait for ten minutes.” The line went dead and Neal was quick to pocket his phone in his sweat pants and rush out the door. Not bothering at all to get on his shoes.
The school is more then ten minutes away, but Neal feels he could make it if he ran full speed without stopping for anything on the way.
Sharp stones and a few pieces of broken glass stabbed into the soles of his feet, he ignored it and only ran faster. His breath quick to go uneven, while his thighs begin to ache, unused to being used like this.
He gets to the roof a minute late, unbalanced in his feet as he leans against the door to the roof top to get support while he catches his breath.
“Your late”
Neal looks up over at the tall figure standing on the ledge of the school roof. A area the fence had yet to be fixed.
The faint light from the street bellow lit up his figure. Wind blowing his hair and clothing, lifting it up to expose his lower back. A dark, wet liquid dripping down it.
Marshall turns his head to look straight at the out of breath Neal. He notices his feet bare and the worried look in his eyes. Even after all he has done to him, Neal came running to him desperately from a simple drop of a hat.
“Well no matter…your here now. Neal, do you want to know what I have done? Something I have been wanting to do for so long…and finally…finally that disgusting bastard is gone!” A dark laugh sounds in the air, Marshall griping at his face with his hands before bringing them back down to look at them.
Dark and red. So dirty. Marshall rubs at his face with his sleeve, a frown at his lips as he tries to rub it off but only manages to smudge it some more.
Neal noticed the tears running down Marshall’s face, lip trembling as he franticly rubbed.
“So dirty. So dirty. So dirty. SO DIRTY!” He shouts angrily at himself, unknowingly scratching at his skin and giving himself open wounds on his skin. “I’m so dirty..” his voice sounds broken, like a child that has lost all hope.
“DON’T TOUCH ME!” Neal pauses his hand, which had been stretching out to comfort the crying boy. Reluctantly he brings his hand back to his side, looking at Marshall with sad eyes. As if hurt by not being allowed to properly comfort him.
“Why?” A single word, yet many questions in one.
“Because I am dirty! I don’t want you touching me and getting dirty too!!” The words he had been holding in for a long time came out in a broken shout. His voice changing pitch as more tears streamed out like two little water falls from his eyes.
“He touched me, he ruined me. Now his disgusting blood is stuck to my skin and I hate it! He’s gone but it’s like he isn’t, he’s still right here coating my skin in his repulsive scent!” He continued in a angry tone, scratching at his skin on purpose now, thinking maybe this will help to get rid of this horrible feeling.
“Why are you crying?” Marshall’s eyes widen as he notices tears dripping from Neal’s eyes.
“Because you are crying. You are so hurt…I was here but could never find a way to ease your pain. Now you are like this and it hurts me to see you this way. I don’t care what kind of person you are, or how dirty you feel. To me you aren’t dirty, you are my close friend whom I care a lot for. So please don’t keep doing this to yourself, let me get close so I can help you” Neal reaches out his hand, his eyes swelling with his tears.
With one look Marshall knew Neal was being honest. Neal was just that kind of person, wasn’t he? No matter what happens he will see the best part of you. He will do anything he can to protect and keep you happy once he has vowed to do so. Even now when it was clear Marshall has done something very wrong, he still stretched his hand out to comfort him.
This was a person you could always count on, and Marshall felt he was done pushing him away. Maybe it would be alright, that man was gone and Neal was ready to accept him no matter how dirty he was.
Neal looks at Marshall with a smile as he saw him take a step down from the ledge. Relief washing over him as he begins to walk over to pull his friend into a comforting hug.
BANG!!!!!!
Marshall begins to fall backwards, eyes wide in surprise as the pain in his abdomen hits him hard.
Meanwhile Neal watches as his friend begins to fall off of the building, hands outstretched as if trying to grasp onto another’s hand.
“Th-Thats what you get for killing my husband you rotten child!!” The women’s voice was shaky and familiar, a victorious look in her eyes.
Neal paid no mind to her, only registering it was Marshall’s mother as he began to ran towards the ledge.
Then he jumped, his heart pounding as he focused on one thing; grabbing ahold of Marshall’s hand.
Marshall was baffled, not understanding why Neal would do something so stupid. More concerned of Neals stupid choice then the fact his mother shot him.
The only person he ever cared about was Neal anyway.
Neal didn’t really think about how he would be able to save them both once he grabbed Marshall’s hand. All he cares about was grasping it.
He reaches out, fingers almost touching till finally he grasped ahold of Marshall’s hand.
Relief fills him, silently thinking ‘finally‘.
That’s when he realizes his rash actions were truly rash. The ground nearing quickly and nothing at all around him to grab onto.
Suddenly a bright light forms, as if they were falling towards the sun itself bellow them.
Neal tightly grips Marshall’s hand, the other returning the grip with a tight squeeze of his own.
Neal shuts his eyes as the light becomes overwhelmingly bright.
CRUNCH!
–
Neal was not expecting to still be breathing, the thick scent of lavender attacking him as his breathing slowly picks up.
Where was he?
He opens his eyes..
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