No Need to Sleep Living in a Dream (Boy × Boy) ✔

CHAPTER 24: The exorcism of Paul

Evan Cooper

"I can give you lovebirds a ride home, if you don't fancy walking." Kingston offered. It was already 3 am by then and Junior was dozing off while leaning his head on Evan's shoulder.

"It's time to go home." Evan murmured and nudged Junior's arm gently. Junior groaned drowsily, but opened his eyes.

Before they left, they hugged everyone. Even though most of these people had been strangers to Evan at the beginning of the evening, by the small hours they knew none of them could ever forget the time they had spent together. Hopefully they would remember it for the good things: getting to know each other before Damien barged in, chatting in the kitchen and whistling when Evan kissed Junior in front of everyone.

Junior was still smiling when they closed the front door behind them and he was still smiling when they drove back to Evan's home. He was still smiling when they watched Kingston driving off with Chase.

And then he ran.

"Junior, what —" Evan started, but instead of wasting time talking, he sprinted after Junior. Junior had a head start, so he had already opened the rusty gate and was running across the yard, when Evan made it to the street. Then Evan was in the yard and Junior had made it to the porch.

"Fuck you!" Junior yelled and kicked the wooden railing Paul had once smacked his face in. "Fuck you!" He continued and kicked a jar which was impersonating an ashtray. It crashed to the ground, the butts spreading all around.

"It wasn't my fault I was born!" Junior shouted, kicking the front door. "It wasn't my fault you started drinking!" Another kick.

"Junior —" Evan breathed, having absolutely no idea what he was supposed to do. His heart was hammering inside his chest, and he couldn't fathom the sudden change in Junior's mood.

"It wasn't my fault mom got sick!" Junior screamed, not even noticing Evan's presence. "It wasn't my fault you didn't take her to see a doctor — you did that, you piece of shit!"

"I didn't deserve to be beaten up or yelled at!" Junior's voice was hoarse from all the shouting. "I didn't ruin your life, you ruined mine!" And he continued kicking everything that got on his way and punched the deteriorating planking of the walls.

"Fuck you!" Another punch. "Fuck you!" Another kick. "Fuck —" Junior began, his fist on its way to a window.

"Don't, you'll get hurt." Evan quickly seized Junior's hand, stopping it before he managed to break the glass.

"Fuck you." Junior snarled at the house, while Evan hugged him tightly from behind. Junior tried to struggle free. "Fuck you." He said again. He didn't struggle as much anymore. "Fuck you." This time it was just a whisper. He stopped struggling.

"You fucking pathetic excuse of a human. Fuck you, dad." And then Junior started crying. Not quietly like all the previous times. Just like when he had been yelling all those lies he had been forced to believe, he was crying the pain off his chest — loud like he wanted Paul to hear him.

Junior slumped to sit on the porch, taking Evan down with him. He cried and cried, his sobs holding more suffering than Evan had ever heard before. Evan was scared and at a loss what to do, when he held Junior tightly in his arms.

They sat there for a long, long while. It was already starting to dawn and the air felt humid, carrying the scent of forget-me-nots. The house next door, on the right side of Junior's, had its porch light on and someone was peeking at them by the front door. She had likely heard the yells and loud sobbing, but it was all the same to Evan. Junior was all he cared about.