My 30 Day Challenge

Chapter 16

Day 5: What part of self-harm do you dislike the most?

I woke up to see the usual note on my door from Vic. ‘What part of self-harm do you dislike the most?’ After getting dressed and showering, I went downstairs to see (for once) the whole family there. Mike and Vic were shooting each other glares from opposite sides of the table, seemingly unnoticed by Mr and Mrs Fuentes. I took a seat on the end of the table.

‘Morning, Kellin,’ Vivian said brightly. ‘I was just going to ask you boys what the final plans for this evening were.’

I heard a light thud from under the table and Mike jerked a little as though being kicked. Vic stared at him, and he mumbled something unintelligible.

‘What was that, Mikey?’

‘I don’t really want to go, Mom. Danny’s a tool.’

‘Now, now. I’m sure he’s not, and that both he and I would appreciate you not using that language,’ Vivian responded. ‘Vic, Kellin, are you two still going?’

‘I don’t know yet, I’ll see after school,’ Vic said. Vivian looked at me.

‘I don’t know either,’ I said quietly. I wasn’t about to go if Vic and Mike weren’t.

Vic stood up. ‘Kellin, you finished?’ I nodded. ‘Good. Let’s go.’

As we were walking out, Mike called out. ‘Wait for me?’

‘No,’ Vic responded calmly. He must have been really pissed, because he wasn’t a rude person. Usually. ‘Get the bus.’

Once we were in the car, Vic turned to me and apologised.

‘Sorry, Kellin, I’m just really pissed off with Mike. He swore he’d never see Oli again after what happened, so I told him that if he didn’t want me to tell Mom he’d seen Oli then he wouldn’t go to the party.’

‘What… what happened?’ I asked slowly. I wasn’t sure if this was an okay topic to talk about, but I was desperate to find out.

He sighed. ‘I guess you should know. Just keep in mind that this was a long time ago, alright? About a year ago. Nearly everyone involved, as far as I know, is very different now.

‘Oliver Sykes used to go to school with us. He was in my year at school, and we were friends, but he and Mike were always really close. He moved away when we got into high school, but he kept in contact with us. By this point I’d found Jaime and Tony, and they have been my best friends ever since. We’d go visit him sometimes, Mike and me, a couple of times a month. He apparently got himself mixed up in the wrong type of people at his new school, and started smoking cigarettes and occasionally weed. We didn’t think anything of it, and started dabbling a little ourselves. Mike was always more willing to than I was; I just sort of went along with it because I was bored.

‘Then he started doing heavier drugs. Cocaine, mostly. I don’t know where the hell he got it from, but he did. Started doing crazy stuff while he was high. One time, we came over and he just straight up started trying to beat the shit out of us. I refused to go back after that, but Mike somehow persuaded our mom to take him over there. I didn’t know, but apparently he started letting Mike try some of the shit he was taking. When I found out, I almost went back there just to kill Oliver, but Mike talked me out of it and I made him swear that he would never go back there. For months after that I made sure that either Jaime, Tony or I was with him at all times or was keeping an eye on him, because obviously I didn’t believe that he wouldn’t go back. But he kept his promise, so I let him be.’

I was shocked, to say the least. Vic and Mike had been friends with this guy? And Mike apparently still was! But that didn’t explain what Jack had told me…