Collection TSV - One Shots

Prompt 25 - Apart (2 of 2?)

Continuation of "Crawling"

Apart

It was now six months ago when he found his best friend, lying dead on the patio. Six months and two days, Eddy counted that every day. When he realized that Brett would never open his eyes again on that day, something broke inside of him. He screamed, he cried, he went on a rampage. He was out of his mind for days. He blamed Brett, then Ben, whose pills were the end of Brett, and then finally him.

What if's pummeled him to the ground, things he could have done better, things that might have helped Brett, things that could have prevented everything from happening. But alas, the fact still stood that Brett was ripped away from him by his own stupidity. He didn't even want to go to the get-together in the first place! Why did he still go? He hated it there; Brett wasn't there and it was boring. So why; why did he wait for so long to go home? Why was he such an idiot? Why, why, why?

A sob broke through and his whole fame trembled. He was in his bed as always. After the incident he moved back in with his parents and took a year off of school. He needed to get his emotions under control. So far, he hasn't done any of it. He just wept all day, occasionally bursts of anger were the most change of his monotony. It wasn't like his best friend died, but everyone including his family. But then again, he loved Brett so much, was it really a surprise that his death wrecked Eddy too?

If one asked Belle, Eddy's older sister, then no. She was not surprised. She knew her mother was on the verge of flipping Eddy and ripping into him but she knew it wasn't the right way. But their mother was so strict, she just said to Belle that Eddy "Needed to man up and get a grip on himself." Which was most definitely the worst she could say to her poor little brother right now. She heard the sobs and the crying every day. She saw Eddy's puffy eyes and raw voice. Was her mother blind to it? Did she want to rip this family apart? And to her it seems like it.

Because when they were gathered to eat – something her mother also insisted on forcing Eddy to endure – she said the exact words to him.

"Oh come on, he was just a lowly, good for nothing failure! Stop whining and get moving. Tomorrow, I expect you to get up early to look for a job. Forget the music thing. You are going to be a doctor, not a failure like that Yang-kid!"

Belle almost forgot how to breathe. She stared just at her mother, flabbergasted that the woman would say such a thing to her own flesh and blood. But what Eddy did, shocked her most. He just nodded, said "Yes, ma'am" and continued to eat his plain rice.

Their mother huffed, nodding to herself. Belle was so angry she wanted to do something very stupid, like hit her or smash her head in, but she refrained. From that moment on, Dinner was a very tense affair for Belle.

She looked at the retreating form of her little baby brother when it was time to sleep. She wanted to have a long talk with Eddy, but he shot her down with a softly spoken "I'm sorry Belle, but I am tired. Can we do that tomorrow, please?"

The big brown doe eyes were always her weakness so she gave in.

"Tomorrow, promise?"

"Promise."

Then the door closed with a soft click.

The next morning rolled around and Belle knocked on her brothers' door. It was 7am and she wanted to speak with him. She knocked once, twice, thrice.

Then she tried to open the door. It swung open easily. Her baby brother was still in the bed, sleeping, so she sneaked inside and closed the door. Carefully she opened the curtains to let some light inside. When she turned to look at her brother's bed she halted. Something was off. Very off. Belle looked at the relaxed face of Eddy. Slowly she came closer and brushed a few strands of hair from his forehead. The skin she touched was ice cold. Trembling, she looked around and her fingertips slowly brushed over the cold cheek to the neck where she felt for the pulse.

Nothing.

Belle ripped away the blanket and under her baby brother was a puddle of feces and urine; his muscles were completely relaxed. Her sight was blurry when she looked around and the tears were rolling down her face when she found the empty bottle on his nightstand. Months ago, the doctor prescribed sleeping pills for Eddy since he had trouble sleeping.

Belle broke down, hugging herself and cried. But at least, she thought, her baby brother went the same way out as Brett.

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