XXIII- boys don't cry

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"I've messed it all up"

Dana sat on the couch next to her mom who was for once at home for her to vent to. She felt like a little kid again, crying into her mother's shoulders while she patted her back. The smell of her lavender perfume aided her pain, the familiar scent making her feel safe.

"You haven't honey" She comforted "It might seem like it but things will work out"

"He hates me" Dana whispered, eyes full of tears.

Her mother let out a soft laugh knowing the boy just as much as her daughter from watching them grow up together.

"He could never hate you Dana, sure he might be mad and upset for a while but you both have a special bond and he's always going to be there for you and in your life in some way" She explained.

She had watched the pair have silly little fallouts over the years and knew this would pass over eventually as well, they had too much history for him to just cut her out completely.

"I hope so" Dana sniffled.

She looked up at her mom, she had dark circles under her eyes and she looked more tired than ever. She was skinner too, Dana could feel how much more bony her arms had gotten and her concern only grew.

"Mom?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"I'm fine Dana" She replied already knowing what she was going to ask.

"But-"

"How about we both get some sleep? I think we need it" Her mother smiled.

Dana didn't want to argue with anyone else tonight so she nodded her head and followed her mom upstairs like a child who had been told they were up past their bedtime. She gave her one more hug and her mom planted a kiss on her cheek before they parted their ways into their respective rooms.

She had half expected Billy to be waiting on the edge of her bed begging to explain his case and plead for forgiveness but thankfully he had listened to her for once and was nowhere to be seen.

She felt torn and lost and completely stuck in the middle with damage at either side. She had hurt Steve and been hurt by him also, she had felt betrayed by Billy but still cared about him. She didn't know what to do about either of them.

She let her head hit the pillow deciding to push away her troubles for the night and get some rest, tomorrow she could do damage control instead.

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One. Two. Three. Repeat.

Billy lifted the bar up and down focusing on the weights suppressing the feelings swirling in his stomach more and more with each rep.

He had spent the majority of his morning distracting himself with his workout so his mind didn't trail onto the details of last night and how hurt Dana looked while telling him to stay away from her.

He wasn't sure how to fix it or if he even could, Dana seemed pretty set on icing him out for what he had done. He knew it would've caught up to him eventually but he figured by then she would have already moved on from Steve by then.

His hands dropped the bar on the carpet, the sweat making it too slippy for him to keep a good grip.

"Fuck!" He shouted.

He pushed his damp hair out his face and sat down on his workout bench annoyed that his attempt of a distraction was clearly not working.

Max poked her head out of her bedroom wondering why Billy seemed so off today. He had come home early the night before, something that she noticed as unusual as he never made it home before midnight especially on a saturday night.

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