BOYS OF SUBURBIA [boy x boy] [Wattys 2018]

✗ THIRTY-SEVEN ✗

With Denise regularly fueling her narcotics problem (and Sebastian wasn't judging as he has a narcotics problem himself), it was safe to say that every time they met seeing Arissa became twenty times more awkward than it was before- naturally.

Arissa kept her distance and he hated how when it came to unrequited love between friends, he suffered by losing that quality piece of friendship. He knew he couldn't blame Arissa. If he was in her position, it was natural to distance yourself to limit any more chances of getting hurt.

Niko and Denise walked off to the other corner of the room to talk and Sebastian had no problem with Niko and Denise going off on their own as Sebastian wholeheartedly know that Niko had no romantic interests in Denise other than the fact that he was mostly flirting with her and deceiving her in order to get her to buy more drugs and keep her hook onto the addiction that was crumbling her youth, which was just as terrible as it sounds.

"Those pills you gave me were amazing," Denise was saying as Sebastian stood close with Niko in Denise's bedroom, which smelled like pot and jasmine candles. "By the way,  I'm thinking about going for this underground rave my mates been telling me about next week? You-"

"Supply you?" Niko's teeth appeared like a shark's, smelling the money already like how it would smell blood. "Sure, no problem."

Denise's smile didn't waver but her eyes darkened with clouded mischief as she put a hand on his. Her carrot-coloured hair seemed to glisten devil red as her gaze landed on Sebastian and Sebastian struck up a smile, a smile which she returned but unlike the goodnatured expression Sebastian had in his, Denise's smile was full of saccharine and wicked sweetness, like she was hiding cyanide behind honey. Denise reminded him of those nasty high school girls, who was a pretty picture to look at from a distance but up close, she was an ugly, poisonous snake with the innate ability to be one of the cruelest person Sebastian had ever known. At the same time, girls like Denise were excruciatingly insecure too. They put all this pressure on themselves to maintain that air of perfection, that air of popularity and untouchable femininity causing them to worry and fret over all the small details, all the loose ends in the tight knot they had entwined. He knew girls like Denise had five thousand layers below their glossy facades and behind all that Gucci, champagne and cocaine, there was just a fifteen year old fighting for relevance.

That was why Sebastian saw a glimmer of something akin to doubt in those crystal clear eyes for the fraction of a second until she broke their stare. She ran a hand down her red curls, coiling a ruby strand on her French manicured nails. "I'll tell my mates to text you the location, okay?"

-

Sebastian head home after some pot and smoking a whole packet of cigarettes with Niko in a public 7/11 restroom (which was just as disgusting as it sounded) was slightly dizzy. He wasn't high, just slightly buzzed and smelling of nicotine, when the front door shut and he heard yelling emitting from the kitchen.

"-failing grades and I'm just thinking that maybe we should spend some money on tuition classes-"

"Like hell I would spend any money on that ungrateful bitch," spat Greg, whose bloodshot eyes indicated the level of drunkenness, "She's always like this- I already spent money on her fuckin' food, her bloody school and she's bloody failin'-"

"Then we should do something about it!" persisted her mother, near tears, "I'll start working again and you can just lay off on the gambling with the boys-"

SMACK!

Greg's hand came out of nowhere and landed on Sebastian's mother face, which earned her a large red handprint on her cheek, leaving it red and raw. A gasp choked out of his throat but it went unheard as her mother started to sob and Greg began to grumble about she was weak and she should shut up as he stalked off into the darkness of his hallway, going towards his bedroom. It was confirmed with a loud slam of the door. Sebastian flinched.

Sebastian stepped into the dim lighting of the kitchen. His converse slapped across the linoleum floor, punctuating each hollow sob of his mother's cries. Shakily, his mother looked up and the weeping stopped but her eyes rimmed red and her cheek was still red. "Sebash-Sebastian? I thought...you were at Niko's house."

"Change of plans." He stopped. He hoped he didn't smell too indicative of smoke and weed. "Mom, why- you can't let him do this to you."

His mother sniffed and rubbed her wet cheeks, "It- it doesn't matter, Sebastian. Just a little slap. Don't worry about it. Go to sleep."

"Mom-"

"Please."

Sebastian stared deep in his mother's eyes. They were still red but they were pleading with him for him to let it go. "Fine," he hesitated, "But if lays his hand on you anymore-"

"I know," his mother whispered softly. "Just go to sleep and don't worry about me."

"Okay," Sebastian said but he didn't meant it. There needs to be a way to get rid of his father- for the safety of his mother. Because one day, a slap won't just be a slap anymore.

It could be a punch. With a chair. Or a knife.

And before he knew it, he would be standing over the body of his own mother. 

-

no MOTHERS WERE HARM IN THE MAKING OF THIS

SONG OF THE UPDATE: HOLD ME DOWN BY TOBY RANDALL

dedicated to grammatically