The End of Summer

Chapter 32- 'I was more lost than a priest at a red light district.'

A/N: Thank you to randomthingsbyme for the amazing banner! that is pretty close to how i imagined his mask to look like, only a lot more melted looking. Definetly that creepy ass smile though! 

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Even as Bradley stood in front of us, it didn’t all click into place.

Some of it made sense. He was doing this for his father, our babysitter and neighbour. Was it because of what Alex had said Roger did to him?

But then, if it was about that then it still made no sense. No one knew about what Roger had done until Bradley, formally Melt Face, forced him to tell everyone.

“Bradley?” Archie said in disbelief, blinking a few times to actually make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him.

Bradley smiled “Hello Archie my boy, It’s been a long time hey?”

It had been a long time. I haven’t seen Bradley in years. When Roger died, he was put into a foster home because he had no other family he could go and live with. Well, he did have a couple of Uncles but I think none of them wanted the responsibility of looking after a thirteen year old kid.

We never really kept in contact. We used to be so close when we were younger but bear in mind when he moved away; Archie and I were nine years old. How the hell were we meant to keep in contact with someone who was miles and miles away?

Even Alex was only thirteen, and he had problems of his own so I think keeping contact with the son of his tormentor was the last thing on his mind. I began to wonder if Alex ever felt bitter towards Bradley. Obviously back then, before Bradley turned into a psychotic murderer, Bradley had done nothing wrong. It was his father who made Alex’s life hell, but could he help feeling some sort of resentment towards Bradley?

Hell, did he feel resentment towards Archie and I because we weren't being put through what he was?

It was sad questions to think about, but I think on some level he felt things like that as hard as he tried not to.

Bradley hadn't changed that much. He had blossomed into his looks, his hair was longer than how he had it when he was a kid but other than that and the fact he had shot up to a good six feet in height, he still had the same face of the kid we used to hang about with for all those years.

Which is what made accepting the fact that it was him who had done this so much harder.

“You did all this?” Archie still sounded stunned, I think it was hitting him a lot harder because they were friends. They were best friends growing up.

Bradley cocked his head, shaking his hand “Sort of, had a little help.”

Archie was still shaking his head, not believing what his head and eyes were telling him. I glanced at Alex, and for the first time in what felt like hours he had a reaction to something. He was mirroring Archie’s expression, taking his attention off of the Rubik’s cube finally and looking over at the boy who had played a lot of extra attention to him throughout this whole thing.

He took a couple of steps forward, almost having to look closer to make sure what he was seeing was real. By this point he was standing in front of both me and Archie.

“You did this?” Alex asked “You did this to us?”

Bradley shook his head, his face turning angry “No, I did this to you! All of them…” Bradley gestured towards Archie and I, I guess meaning the others that had hopped into the Harry mobile and driven off to freedom as well “…They were collateral damage. All of the bodies hanging about the school, it was all collateral damage. I wanted you. Just you.”