Xavier had a criminal record as colourful as the bruises on his face. He had built a less-than impressive reputation for himself from fights and drug misuse to rape allegations. The townsfolk knew to stay clear of him and his family. Including kind...
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Macaroni cheese clung to the end of my fork as I watched The Vampire Diaries. It was warming my belly and filling my soul with simple happiness. Kraft dinner, Coca Cola, Damon Salvatore, what more could you want?
Ask and you shall receive.
There was a knock at my door which was unusual for nine in the evening when my dad was working nights. Instantly my mind went to dark places. What if someone came to tell me that he's hurt or worse, passed away? I threw the blanket off me and took myself to the door with a racing heart, praying it wasn't Deputy Murphy.
"Who's there?" I asked nervously.
"Xavier" the voice replied.
Xavier? I unbolted the door and unhooked the chain, opening it wide and setting my eyes on his quivering body. He didn't lie, it was him. Just not in the usual form I expected him to be in.
His caramel brown hair could've used a brush through, his posture was bent, leaning against my door frame for support. His eyes looked exhausted, dark circles and bags sitting beneath. His skin had small beads of sweat like he had ran here and his whole body trembled in an uncontrollable way. To vaguely put it, Xavier looked like hell.
"I'm four days clean." He informed me with a jittery stammer. "I'm not good company right now but I don't want to be alone. If I'm alone right now I'm gonna shoot up or snort blow."
There was a moment, I hesitated, he hesitated. That awkward silence which gets in the way of our conversations fell upon us like a thick blanket. Of course I wanted to help him but my father had told me not to let him in the house when he's not here. Then there's the simple matter of sexual assault charges against him and with my history, did I really want to chance it?
Was he really capable of the crime that he's been accused of? Was I in danger being alone with him?
"My dad is at work, I'm not supposed to have boys in the house when he's at work." Not entirely a lie. Good, we're doing well so far Lia. "You'll have to hide in my bedroom and sneak off tomorrow morning." And ergo, my stupidity.
Xavier looked at the house behind me, for the first time since turning up on my doorstep he seemed to realise himself and he shook his head.
"I don't wanna come into your house. I don't wanna be alone with you. I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking, we're not even friends. It's weird that I showed up here, right? It's just that... you're kinda the only one I told and you live close by. I'm sorry. Forget I came here, see ya Lilia."
He swivelled his heel, my porch light flickering on and casting a glow on the back of his black windbreaker. I couldn't let him leave, not when he just told me he was going to relapse if he was left alone.
"Wait." I called out to him. "Let me just go grab some stuff, hold on." I disappeared back into the house, grabbed a blanket, two forks and my TV dinner. When I returned to him he was standing awkwardly on my porch. "We can sit on the porch swing." I pointed to the little swing surrounded by twinkling solar lights and took a seat, patting the cushion next to me.
