1.1 | daunting medleys

thirty-one | sheer mess

i made revisions to chapter three. you'll have to read that to understand the end of this chapter.

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Tabitha was afraid.

When Tabitha knocked on the door of the Saunders home, she felt like she was going to throw up. Wren opened the door, and quickly ushered her in. Tabitha walked in, hearing a yell and the crash of glass. She flinched when she heard it and turned to Wren with wide eyes.

Her eyes were reddened, and her tears hurt Tabitha. "That's him. I've tried to talk to him but he won't listen. I don't want him to hurt himself. You can go up to his room. It's the first on the right. I don't know what his father said to him. I don't know." She hugged herself, and went into the kitchen. Tabitha went up the stairs, and knocked on the door.

"Please go away mum."

Tabitha smiled ruefully, her fists rapping on the door. "It's me, Tabitha." There was silence, and then Oliver opened the door. Tabitha's mouth fell open at the sheer mess that he was. His bright grey eyes were rimmed with red, and the bags under his eyes were sunken. His face was wet with tears.

"What are you doing here?" Oliver's voice was hoarse, and thick. Tabitha's hands shook, and she used the sleeve of her shirt to wipe his tears. His eyes filled with moisture again, and she cleaned it. His face was impassive, yet his eyes held more sadness than the entire galaxy could hold.

"Your mum called. Said you weren't okay, and I'm here for you, for whatever you need." She'd barely said before Oliver hugged her, his arms wound tightly around her waist. He cried into her shoulder, and it broke the remnants of her hearts. Each sound was throaty, and he seemed to choke on his tears. Tabitha wrapped her arms around him, and let him cry into her shoulder. They stood in the doorstep of his room, and she let him vent, let him remove every bit of sadness that lingered in him.

Tabitha caressed his back with his palm, and his tears ceased slowly. When he pulled away, she cleaned his face with the sleeve of her sweater.

"My room's a mess," He said, moving from her view and gesturing into his bedroom. "I..."

"Then I can help you clean up." She said, her eyes scanning over the mess, and cringing. Then her eyes caught the crack in the mirror, the bloodied, almost destroyed mirror that sat in the hallway beside them. Tabitha looked at him, and saw him trying to hide his fists behind his back. She caught it, and held it so she would see it properly.

It was bloodied, and had glass shards imbedded in it. His knuckles had turned purple from bruising. It felt like she was the one who was hurt. Tears welled in her eyes, and her head was bowed away from his bright, yet, red rimmed eyes as Tabitha used her finger to touch the area around the injury.

"Do you have a first aid kit in your room? Or should I go ask your mum for one?" She asked, her finger brushing blood.

"I've got one in my bathroom, in the cupboard under the sink." He closed his eyes, before opening them again, to reveal guilt and heartbreak. "You'll have to be careful. There's glass on the floor."

Tabitha nodded. "It's fine. I've still got my shoes on." Then she walked in, the entire room was in a mess. His bedsheets were scattered on the floor, his curtains had thrown on the floor and the items on his dresser had been chucked on the floor in a fit of anger. Glass crunched under her sneakers as she walked into his bathroom. There was discoloration on the wall, and she knew that it was from the mirror that sat outside.

She wiped her tears and picked it up, before going to meet Oliver that sat on his bed, his head bowed between his hands. Tabitha pulled his hands off, not before wiping the rogue tear that slipped out. Tabitha sat beside him, and opened the first aid kit. She searched for tweezers, rubbing alcohol and bandages, and brought it out.