The Way She Is

Chapter 18 ~ When You're Broken and Alone

Chapter 18 ~ When You're Broken and Alone

No one's P.O.V

The sun skimmed the tips of the hills in the distance as it slowly made it's ascent into the cloudless sky. It had been predicted to be a good and generally sunny day. Birds had begun to perch in the trees of every park London had, singing their melodic tunes which carried with the light breeze up and away, natures alarm clock if you wish. Calling people to get up and commence their busy days. It was just like every other morning for the past two months; happiness and sunshine.

But ... Not for everyone. 

As the wind carried the cacophony of bird song up through the air, it drifted gently between houses and apartments, slipping in through open windows to work its magic as an alarm. But one such window in a particular block of apartments was tightly closed.

Had been for a while. 

The boy who lived there took refuge inside his home, which was up until recently, shared with his best friend and lover. A lot had happened running up to the day everything changed for him, but somehow, he'd not seen them. Cast a blind eye to it all, intentionally or otherwise.

On that particular morning however, there came a knock at his front door. Raising his head off of his pillow, his tired, brown eyes blinking back tears which seemingly never went away, he heard but not really listened to the steady and constant rhythm of the knock. 

He knew who it was. 

Only one person he knew could turn something as simple and boring as a knock on your front door into an oddly wonderful piece of music. 

Sighing, he swung his legs out of the bed and pushed himself into a standing position before shuffling to his bedroom door and into the living room. 

The rhythmic drumming on the door continued.

Tap ... tap tap tap ... tap tap .... tap ... 

"Dan, come on! We know you're in there, Jesus Christ, you haven't left for two months!" Peej's voice attacked Dan's ears as slowly, his eyes scanned the living room he'd stepped into. It was a complete mess; old coffee mugs filled the small table, countless bottles of wine and vodka lay forgotten, and on the sofa, several pieces of screwed up paper littered it's surface.

"Dan, please! Listen, mate, obviously we were as distraught as you were, we were all his friends. But instead of getting through it together, you shut yourself away and stopped speaking ... To anyone! Open up, we need to help you." Chris' voice, although vaguely muffled by the door, swam into Dan's ears, causing him to glance up from the bomb-site and toward the door.

Just when he was about to turn back to his bedroom, to collapse back into his bed, he felt something in the pocket of his skinny jeans, putting a small amount of pressure on his leg. Without even thinking, he dug his hand in and fished it out, his heart sinking like a dilapidated ship far out at sea as he caught sight of the all too familiar crumpled letter.

His eyes trailed on it for a while before his fingers attempted to unfurl the ball, and smooth the page. He'd long since memorised every word, so really, he needn't have bothered carefully flattening it out. Despite this however, his eyes welled with tears and his eyes latched onto the messily scrawled black ink on it's surface ...

"Dan,

If you're crying even before reading this, I'd stop now and come back to it when you're not.

Just a warning. 

Okay, first thing's first; 

Don't morn my death, there really is little point and besides, you have your own life to get on with, I wouldn't want to be a hindrance even after I'm gone.