High School Me (DNF)

Chapter 37

George pov

"Well, yes, that's the plan, to come fly out to you. If you're alright with it, of course. But I really need you to say yes..."

Why?

"What do you mean, why?"

I rolled my eyes, becoming irritated by his density.

Why do you NEED to come over, dumbass

"Well, I don't know if you remember your last birthday when I said that I was dealing with my parents, but needless to say, it got bad. I haven't been communicating with you on what's been going on in my personal life, and I didnt exactly want to. I didn't want to worry and stress you out more. You seemed so broken." Clay takes a moment, sniffling and, I assume, crying softly.

"My dad became abusive. He would hit me and my sister. You know she was older than me and she moved out two years ago. I was so hurt by it and by the fact that you weren't here anymore that I started shoplifting with some people out here. Nick, Alex, and Karl abandoned me, telling me that as long as this was happening, they wanted nothing to do with me, especially seeing as they are really focused on their futures right now.

"My mom found out about it and she said that she would send me to a private school that was a lot more strict.

"Money is tight and she wanted me staying with one of my old friends so that they could keep an eye on me... she couldnt send me to one out here. She could only find one in Brighton. She told me to call you and told me that if I didnt tell you what had been happening, she'd out me to the school and to you.

"Please, George... my dad... I can't live with his bullshit anymore... I know he would never hurt Mom but with this going on, I can't be sure she wouldn't start to hurt me, mentally or physically.

"Please... please say yes... I need you... I've needed you... for so... long."

I can hear Clay break down into sobs and I wish I could be there to comfort him, or at least say something.

Now I was there, standing in front of Clay while he broke. 

Tears fell down my face in quick succession. Each tear being quick to follow their predecessors. 

I collapsed beside Clay, hugging him tightly from behind as his body shook with more sobs than I'd ever seen fall from his lips. 

It hurt me, physically. It rendered me weak, I was wounded. 

I shut my eyes, burying my face into my boyfriend's back, apologizing silently to him. 

I didnt know. 

I didnt know. 

I didn't know. 

And I was sorry for not knowing. 

I was sorry for not knowing. 

I got up from my spot behind Clay, running past my little sister who sat horrified at the scene in front of her. There were tears streaming down her face and she had her arms tucked into her small chest as she peered around the room with fright. 

I ran out of the room and down the hall I'd just walked down, into a bathroom at the end of the corridor. 

I sat up against the door of it, pulling a hair tie out of my pocket, thwacking it on my arms until they were numb and red. 

I sat in there, gasping for breath, wishing that the tears that sat in my eyes stubbornly would escape and roll down my face in some form of relief. 

I shut my eyes, squeezing them as memories of my depression came rushing back.