Masked By Madness

7. If I suffer

Grayson slowly opened his eyes to blurred and foggy vision. A bandage was tight around his forehead. His whole body was drowning under the depth of his pain and he hardly had control over his eyes. Sweat dotted his brow as a fever took its course in him. The heavy quilt tucked around him didn't help at all and he glanced around. An IV had been entered into his wrist and dripped methodically.

He wanted to get up and rid himself of the bandages and blanket. The minutes passed at an agonizingly slow rate, but as they did, his control gradually returned. He rolled over to the edge of the bed and groaned as he pushed himself up to sit.

It was then that he spotted his father leaning against the wide panning window sill, arms crossed and eyes balls of fire. Mrs. Charlotte ghosted her hands over Grayson's forehead. Her other hand rested on her chest and her face was scrunched up with worry.

Grayson didn't want her near him. He hated the sight of her. How she could so easily conjure a caring expression. He moved faster than his body liked and smacked away her hand.

"Grayson?" she asked in a low, clearly upset voice.

She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed down, tried to make him lay again. Grayson's father moved away from the window. His arms remained crossed.

"Why do you insist on making our lives miserable, boy?" he growled.

"Why? Oh, I don't know, maybe it's because you don't let me do what I want to! If I want to slit my wrists and die, you'd try and stop me! Don't fucking stop me!" Grayson yelled, and with every breath, his lungs burned.

"What did you say?!" His father lurched closer, a fist raised, but Charlotte bolted up before he could deal the blow.

"Wait, please! Let's talk about this later," she grabbed his arms and touched his face.

"No, woman! Let me talk to him!" Charlotte lowered her head slightly and clutched his chest as he shouted at Grayson. "Tell me! Tell me, when have I ever stopped you? You always did what you wanted! You almost hurt a child in your last school but I protected you! You killed our neighbour's cat but I saved you again! You've done everything possible to humiliate me even when I save your ass every goddamn time! Now you're cutting yourself?! This has gone on long enough!"

Grayson smirked. He gave a glance to his so-called mother and ripped the bandages and IVs from his body. No one tried to stop him as he leapt from the bed and thundered out of the room.

William picked up a glass and threw it on the door as it closed behind Grayson. Shattered shards snapped back and stung the two parent's skin.

"I can't handle this!" he cried out, almost in tears.

Charlotte looked at her feet and patted his shoulder.

***

It was almost 7:30 and Jane was, as usual, late for school. Her fat tabby kitten was lying on her blanket. The whole room was a mess and she was lying upside down not caring about the shit consequences of being late again.

Her digital alarm blared continuously, but without a care in the world, she fell back to sleep. Lance stood outside her house waiting for her to come out, but he knew that she was still sleeping. He banged on the door as hard as he could.

Then he called her phone which she groggily answered.

"Wake up!" he shouted through the phone.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming!" she said, rubbing gunk from her eyes.

She stumbled into the bathroom and stared at her disgruntled bed face. Short, curly ginger hair sticking out in every which way, a pointed nose and long face, and big blue, startling eyes. All on a heart shaped face.