Stay for Me (Hold Me Close Prequel)

Chapter Five: Nightfall

Self Harm Warning

-=Evan=-

It was probably two hours before anything happened after my assailants left me high and dry. But my saving grace came. A familiar feline teacher came outside to head to his car, stopping dead in his tracks when he came upon me.

"Evan!" He yelled in shock, dropping his work bag and running over to me.

"Hey Mr. Picano." I croaked out, breaking the seal of dry blood that covered my lips.

"What the hell happened?!" He asked in a panicking voice, putting both of his hands on his temple and kneeling down next to me. I tried to sit myself up, but as I tried to put weight on my arms I fell back over.

"Ow." I said, my entire body feeling like one big bruise. Mr. P helped sit-no-lean me up against the side of the school's brick wall, also inspecting a couple rather nasty looking gashes on my face and arms.

"Evan. What happened." He said in a somewhat more calm voice, deep concern in it still.

"I was just walking back from-" the memory of Sam made me pause, I had completely forgotten until just now.

"From what?" He asked, wishing for me to continue my story.

"Coming from meeting-someone. I was going to get inside and go to practice but I was met by a bunch of furs who started attacking me." Most of that was true I guess. "And I couldn't get a good look at them. It was going so fast and also, this." I said, pointing to my left eye which was swollen to the point where I wasn't even going to bother attempting to open it.

"Well, we need to get you cleaned up, come on let's get you back inside." He said. I raised a paw signalling for him to wait a second. I could feel the cough coming from the bottom of my lungs and I braced myself for it, although that didn't help because when it came my whole body ached.

"Ow." I groaned.

"Oh Jeez Evan." Mr. P said, looking down at the ball of blood and mucus I had managed to hack up. He helped me stand up, and I didn't need help to be moveable now because I had regained some mobility. He unlocked a side exit to the school a few meters down and brought me inside, where I headed over to the closesf bathroom to get myself cleaned up. Mr. P waited outside as I used a combination of cheap paper towels, lukewarm water, and also the pink fluid the school called soap to clean the blood out of my fur.

A few minutes later I looked myself over in the mirror to see that I still looked like shit, but I no longer had dried and caked brown blood in my fur. Determining that I was as set as I could be to leave, I walked back outside of the bathroom.

"Ready to go?" Mr. Picano asked.

"Go where?" I asked.

"Home, duh." He said laughing. Understanding what he was implying, I replied.

"Oh no, don't worry about it Mr. P, seriously, I'll be fine." I said.

"Nope, c'mon, I'm taking you home." He said, pulling his car keys out of his pocket.

"Are you sure?" I asked insecurely.

"Yes Evan. And don't feel like you are inconveniencing me in any way eitger, I have to drive your direction anyways to get home." He reassured me. That is awfully nice of him, I don't really want to have to walk that far anyways...

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Ooh, unique personality.

-=Mr. Picano=-

I was still in a minor form of shock because of the whole situation with Evan. But I knew that he lived really far away from the school, and there is no way that I am letting him walk that far, especially after what he has gone through. I still find it kind of weird that he didn't even manage to catch a glimpse of who beat him up, is he hiding something? I don't know though.

We both exited the front doors and trodded through the parking lot and over to my car, both of us hopping in and before we knew it I had already reached his house. I could see all of the shades drawn.

"See? Much easier than walking, now isn't it." I said, leaning back in my seat as Evan got out of my car.

"Yeah, thank you so much Mr. P, you're a life saver." He replied graciously.

"No problem, see you tomorrow."

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-=Evan=-

Mr. Picano has to be my favorite fur on this planet. Nicest guy ever. I walked inside quietly, and was blessed with the sounds of snoring coming from the living room right around the corner. Hm, he must have just been tired.

I walked upstairs as quiet as a ninja so as to not awaken the beast (my father). But now emotions of sadness filled my heart. This was my life, still stuck in the same Fod damn cycle of pain sleep and some dull numb moments in between to fill in the gaps. Memories of nostalgia from everything was just so much better flashed in my mind, soon phasing over to the pain inflicted upon me by so many other furs. I grabbed the small box under my mattress, going into the bathroom and opening it. Inside was an assortment of items I had collected for moments just like this, when the pain was just too much. Unbearable. Powerful.

A straight blade knife I had gotten as a Christmas gift so many years back was the first of the items that I grabben. Bext I removed some alcohol wipes. I unsheathed the blade, my last name, Black, engraved into the hilt. I pressed the cold steel to my skin, pushing through the fur. I dragged it along my arm, the stinging pain and sight of blood doing its trick and distracting me from the endless pool of my thoughts. After I was satisfied with the wounds I had caused, I cleaned them up with the wipes. I don't know which one I liked better, the pain of the damage being done or the searing burn of the alcohol entering my blood.

I tightly wrapped my arm in bandage to apply pressure, assuming that I would have to pass it off as another "injury from attack" tomorrow in school. I placed the box back under my bed and crawled under my covers, stripping down to nothing. I wonder how dad will react tomorrow when he finds out...

-=Evan's Dream=-

"The little prick kept distracting her during the storm, because he can't ever listen and always pays attention to this. Fucking. Thing." My dad took my phone from the table in front of me. "...my wife is DEAD!!" He shouted, smashing my phone on the ground.

"Evan what the fuck?!" My Aunt asked, yelling insults into my face. I grabbed my ears and curled up into a ball.

"N-none of that is t-true at-t all..." But no one was listening.