Lost In Your Footsteps

Thorn

~Andrew~

"Hey?" I looked over to see Keaton standing stiff in the doorway. His face seemed tight and confused but honestly, I might have felt as confused as he did. I couldn't understand why I felt this heavy sense of betrayal and abandonment since I left Keaton and Sam standing there alone on that stage.

When school ended I walked home without a word. Keaton thought someone took me and called his mom but Mrs.Jones just told him I was ok at the house and made him run some errands since I clearly looked upset. I didn't explain to Mrs.Jones what happened but I did have an anxiety attack when I walked through the door and couldn't stand up for a while.

After about another 20 minutes of trembling, I was able to stand up with Mrs.Jones at my side as she helped me get up the stairs, changed my bandages, and sent me to bed for the night. Her face seemed frustrated but not with me, or Keaton for that matter, as she brought me dinner and spoke with me for a bit, trying to coax what happened out of me.

Now, Keaton was standing in the doorway of the room staring at me and my personal favorite pastime of 'the silent treatment'. 

I turned my head away from him, shifting on the bed to give him my back instead. Behind me, I could hear him walk further into the room with a lengthy sigh but come to a stop at the foot of my temporary bed. I could hear the footboard of the bed protest at Keaton's weight as he leaned against it, silence following. 

"Andrew. What's your deal?" I could feel a light tap on the bed near my feet.

"I don't know what your problem is but you shouldn't have left school without telling me. Do you understand the scare you gave me? You could have been fucking hurt." He asked frustrated. I tensed in irritation at his question. Of fucking course I knew how it felt. If anything I felt it worse than he did considering my anxiety disorder and he has the fucking balls to ask me that question?

"Stop acting like a child Andrew and answer me cause I'm not playing the silent game with you all night." 

"No," I sat up looking him dead in the eyes now. "I didn't need to tell you where the hell I was going, you just need to stop treating me like a fucking kid. I'm not your little shitty kid brother with a nasty attitude that needs your hand in mine to get to where I want to go." I pointed at him, shuffling closer to the end of the bed to jab him in his chest accusingly. 

"You think you were scared? Get the fuck out of my face, you've got to be kidding me." I scoffed, shaking my head and eyeing Keaton up and down. He seemed taken aback by my sudden intrepidity but didn't move.

"Andrew, calm down," His voice lowered soothingly.

"Don't fucking tell me to calm down asshole."

"No Andrew-"

"Stop treating me like a fucking child Keaton! I don't need your help!"

"Andrew I didn't mean to-" I interrupted.

"You didn't but you did and I had a fucking anxiety attack because of it!" 

Keaton chose not to speak again, only walking up to me with a frustrated stature and enveloping me in a crushing hug. I fought and wrangled for a second before a hiccup slipped my lips. My body froze, my hand reaching up from behind Keaton's shoulder to touch my cheek, the skin soaked and hot. 

"You're gonna throw yourself into another anxiety attack so just shut the fuck up for a second." He whispered gently in my ear. His grip on me tightened for a moment only to break so he could sit down on the bed next to me keeping me in a silent embrace. I focused on my breathing, closing my eyes and counting in for 4 out for 4, before nodding my head and tapping Keaton's broad shoulder to silently ask him to let go.