Indifference (boyxboy)

21. A Word of Advice

Ryan

"Hurry up will ya," I said impatiently to Uncle Jimmy as he was putting some sort of ointment on a cut on my eyebrow.

"Look, if you're gonna cause trouble, I'll keep putting this on all night if I have to."

"I'm not gonna cause trouble alright! I just want to see if he's ok."

"Who is he anyway?" My uncle asked.

"He's just a friend from school."

His eyebrows rose a little.

"Don't look like your type of friend."

I tried my best not to roll my eyes.

"Well he's more of an English project partner really. Don't know what the fuck Nate was doing bringing him here though. I'll fucking rip him apart when I get hold of him."

"Fine. You're done," my uncle said, finally stepping back.

I didn't waste another second in jumping down from the ring and going over to where Elijah was now sitting on a bench, with my father next to him.

"Elijah, are you ok?" I said, running over and crouching next to him.

He took one look at me, then quickly turned away with his eyes squeezed shut.

"Go away, you're scaring him!" my dad barked at me.

I looked back at Elijah in horror. Was he really frightened of me? I mean, I know seeing me in an illegal fighting ring, fighting bare knuckled wasn't exactly the best impression, but Elijah had never been frightened of me. Never.

"Do you want me to go away?" I asked gently.

I didn't want to go away. I wanted to grab hold of him, and check him all over to make sure he wasn't hurt, and then I wanted to take his hand and take him far away from this awful place.

I'd always loved The Pit. It was somewhere to work out my anger, and also a way to get a bit of freedom by earning some money. But right now, seeing it through Elijah's eyes, I was horrified. What must he think?

"Are you ok?" he asked me, instead of answering my question.

"Of course, I'm fine." I said, my fingers tingling in their need to touch him.

He let out a shuddering breath.

"I thought......" he paused while taking more deep breaths. "I thought for a moment that....that he'd killed you."

I couldn't help the snort of laughter that came out.

"It'll take a lot more than that to kill me."

"It's true, he's made of fucking steel this kid," my dad agreed.

Elijah still has his eyes squeezed shut and his head turned away from me.

"I think I need to go home," he said quietly.

"Ok, I'll take you," I said, standing up.

"Urm, no, it's ok, I can go on my own."

I felt my whole body sag.

"I really don't mind," I said trying again.

"It's not that. It's just...... I can't look at you right now."

I felt shame tear through my body. And I wasn't even sure why. All I knew was that I had to make him understand. I couldn't lose him over this.

"I'm so sorry," I said, placing my hand on his knee, no longer able to fight off the urge to touch him. "You should have never been here and I'll kill Nate for doing that to you. But please don't hate me for it. I have my reasons. I know it's not right or normal but-"