"Take Me To Church" - Hosier

Chapter Fifthteen

Travis was determined. He weaseled his way toward Sal and Larry. He needed to talk to Sal, Ashley put her trust in him. "Hey uh Sal?"

Sal whipped around excited. "Hey Trav!"

"Do you mind walking home with me today?" Travis asked. Larry glanced at him seemingly knowing why.

"Uh." Sal glanced at Larry who nodded. "Sure!"

Travis smiled and him and Sal started walking. It was quiet at first, Travis didn't know what to say. He was trying to find a good way to start the conversation. "So, uh." He started. "I talked to Ashley earlier."

"Trav, ya know they go by Ash, right?" Sal said.

"Oh." Travis responded. "I didn't know."

Sal eyes drifted toward the ground. "Ya talked to them? What about?" He cleared is throat.

"Uh I apologized." Travis said. "But that's not why I brought it up." Sal sighed. "She told me about how it's the anniversary of your mom's death."

Sal picked his nails. "That wasn't her place." He hissed.

Travis stopped walking. "No. But can you blame her? She's worried Sal." Sal scoffed. "Sal don't be mad at them. They just wants to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine." Sal stopped walking. "It's just kind of hard to sleep is all." Travis moved toward Sal.

"Do you wanna talk about?" Travis asked.

Sal took a shaky breath. "Shouldn't you get home?" He changed the subject. "Your dad might-"

"Sal." Travis said, sitting down on the silver of side walk. "My dad always gets home after me. Plus even if he didn't I can just say I was talking to teacher." He pulled Sal down toward him. "Now come on. Talk to me."

Sal sat next to Travis picking his nails. "I have- I have night terrors. I'm taking medication for it but it doesn't help that much." He played with his braid. "Exspisically right now. Uh tomorrow is the anniversary and I just- it's hard." He could feel the knot in his throat building.

"Tomorrow?" Travis asked. Sal nodded. "Hey look at me." Sal turned his head toward and locked eyes with Travis. "This is a really hard time for you, and me, Larry, Ash, Todd, that Neil guy, everyone is gonna be doing everything we can to make you feel better." Sal felt the skin he was picking at start to bleed. "But that doesn't meant you have to feel better. You don't have to just magically be happy. You're gonna be sad. We're just here to make you less sad."

Sal's eye became glossy. "It's been so long though Travis. I should be over it now, don't you think?"

Travis grabbed his shoulders. "Sal no. That was the most traumatic moment of your life. You lost your mom during it. Don't put a time limit on when you should get over it."

"I just- I miss her so much. My dad seems to be over it. Why can't I be over it?" Sal asked, tears falling from his eyes. "I fucking hate feeling like this."

Travis gave Sal a mournful look. "Sal, why wouldn't you be sad? You miss her. That's good."

Sal balled his fist. "It's not just that." He leaned against Travis. "it's the dreams. The dreams are so fucking horrifying."

"Would it help if was there?" Travis asked. "Or Larry or someone just not being alone. Do you think that would help?"

Sal gripped onto his shirt. "Uh, maybe I don't know."

Travis nodded. "Okay I'll come over tonight and tomorrow, after that I'll talk to Ash and see who can come."

Sal shook his head. "No that's not necessary-"

Travis covered his mouth. "Sal let me help." He sighed. "Let Ash help." Sal looked away. "Please. Let us help you this time."

Sal pulled his hand away from his face. "Fine."

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Sal adjusted the strings on his guitar. Once they were to his to his liking he drummed out a melody and then played it on his guitar and then repeated it.

He continued this process until he was interuppted by a knock on his window.  Sal whipped around to see the infamous Travis Phelps. "Travis- you could have used the door." Sal said pulling him in glancing at the ladder that followed behind him.

"I didn't want to talk to Larry." Travis said with a shrug. He made his way to the bed. Sal rolled his eyes and went back to his guitar. He went back to the tapping, then playing method, being watch carefully by Travis. "You're good."

Sal smiled. "I'm just practicing some random tunes."

"Still better than me." Travis said.

"Larry taught me." Sal said.

Travis checked his phone. "It's like 11." Sal shrugged. "Sal you have to sleep tonight."

"But-" Sal sighed. "I don't wanna close my eyes and see it. I just don't think I could handle it."

Travis stretched out his arms and motioned for Sal to come toward him. Sal slowly put his guitar away and laid against Travis' arm. Travis reached his hands to the back of Sal's makes carefully unclipping both straps.

"Let me turn the off the light." Sal said getting up. He turned off the light and turned away from Travis to take out his glass(which his dad yelled at him from sleeping with it in so much). He carefully laid back on to Travis' arm. He put something on his the TV hoping the noise would help control his dream.

Travis wrapped his other arm around Sal encasing him into a hug. "I'm gonna be right here a night." Travis reassured.

Sal gripped his shirt. "God you better mean that."

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Sal woke up in a cold sweat, tears spilling down his check. He knotted his hands in his hair and started frantically breathing.

Travis woke up from Sal's sudden movement and turned on the lamp, next to his bed. He carefully rubbed Sal back. "Breathe. Sal breathe." Sal grabbed onto Travis' shirt. "Hey it's okay."

Sal finally got his composure. He leaned against Travis, which caused Travis to hiss in pain. Sal jumped away and looked at him. "Travis." He said sternly. "What happened?"

Travis sighed. "Uh my dad when he got home was in a bad mood. He just started kicking. Uh. That's why I was so late."

Sal looked at him with a pitiful look. "Trav. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Cause this isn't about me. It's about you." Travis said.

Sal  shook his head, lifting Travis' shirt to see the new set of bruises. "Let me get you some ice-"

Travis grabbed his wrist. "Sal please." Travis pulled him back onto the bed. "I'm okay. I swear. Let me help you this once." Sal looked at him. "Please."

"Okay." He said quietly.