exmptfromsanity (exmptfromsanity) wrote in qaf_drabbles, @ 2008-03-18 01:13:00 |
|
|||
Where do you go when you absolutely can’t stay at home any longer? Brian tries to think of a place as he slips out through the back door of the garage. He’s pretty sure his ribs are bruised, and his eye is going to be swollen shut by morning.
He’d go to Michael’s but Deb banned him over a week ago when they caused some kind of trouble that was apparently unforgivable.
He wanders and eventually his feet lead him to the Novotny house despite Deb’s threats. With so few friends who know about this he doesn’t have many options.
II.
“Michael.”
His sides are protesting from his climb onto the porch roof, but it’s the only way to get to Michael’s room without the possibility of Deb hearing him. Fuck, who’s he kidding, she hears everything. He knocks on the window again,
“Mikey!”
The window opens, “Fuck, what are you doing? My mom’s gonna kill you.”
“Better her than my dad,” Brian replies, climbing in through the window.
Michael tenses when he sees the bruises. Brian tugs off his shirt and jeans and crawls into Michael’s bed. Michael is quiet for a moment before climbing into bed next to him.
III.
When Brian wakes up the sun is shining through the window and he starts. Fuck, he is supposed to be in school. He rolls over to wake Michael, but the movement makes him dizzy.
“Quit moving around so much. You’re just going to make it worse.”
He squeezes his eyes shut, relaxing. Deb.
“Michael?” he asks.
“He’s at school, begged me to call you in.” She places a cold compress over his eye. “I hope you realize how good a friend you have.”
“I do,” he replies quietly.
“Then it’d be nice of you to keep him out of trouble.”
IV.
He is sitting at the kitchen table crunching on an apple when Michael comes in the door that afternoon. Michael stares for a moment before sitting down and placing a few heavy books in front of him.
“You didn’t miss much.”
“I never do.”
Michael opens his book and the two of them sit quietly for a moment.
“Are you okay?”
Brian shrugs, “I’ll live.”
Quiet settles over them again and both start working on chemistry homework. When the door closes behind Deb who is headed off to work Brian speaks again.
“Michael.” He says quietly.
Michael looks up.
“Thanks.”