Unraveling the Bandages

" Clare, What the hell is that?, Eli exclaimed anxiously. "Ugh n-nothing," she stuttered quickly pulling down her sleeve. "Clare!," he growled. "I scraped myself on my kitchen drawer, silly me," she spit out nervously, avoiding eye contact. " Please don't lie to me, are you cutting yourself?" Her bright blue orbs shot up to his concerned face and he knew the answer. "Why?," he exclaimed angrily as he popped up from the bed pacing the room as he tugged on his dark shaggy hair.

Clare couldn't answer so she just watched him crumble beneath her eyes. " Clare, this isn't you," he said looking her straight into the eyes that already gave away to much." It's my parents, we're supposed to be one big happy family….but we bought into the same thing everyone here did. A nice house, a big family, and a good reputation. But we're not happy, anyone could see that we're not," she whispered gently raising her head in the direction of Eli's gaze. He looked pissed. Infuriated. Mad. His emerald eyes were now black and I knew where this was headed.

"I need some air," I said softly as I exited the room to head outside. As soon as I made it outside I heard the door slam behind me. " How could you hurt yourself like this?," he exclaimed as the moon shone on him allowing me to see the anger in his face. "Your messed Clare," he deadpanned as he got into Morty and drove off. She couldn't help but sob at her realization at how right he was. She went inside to her warm empty house and slouched up the stairs to her bathroom. She went into her bathroom and opened up the cabinet. She knew what she was doing, but she wasn't aware of the emotional stage is was going to put her in. She sliced her delicate skin and watched how the blood oozed down her arm in clots. She cleaned up her mess and entered her room. Memories flooded her mind of what just happened and she decided to take a walk.

Eli's POV

I wrestled with my sheets as I fought to go to sleep. "You're messed Clare." The words blocked my mind. She wouldn't understand. I used to cut myself. Everyone used to be so worried about me all the time. And then after counseling and a lot of trips the hospital, I stopped. No one understood., they thought they were just helping, but they were just making it worst. Everyone knew it, even I knew it, I killed Julia. And then I started cutting and the pain stopped and I was finally in control of something. Until one day, I couldn't take it anymore and cut very deep in my skin, trying to get rid of more pain. I remember crying and then slipping into a cold black world. After almost dying I woke up to a whole new world of opportunities. I hated who I was. And I promised myself to never go back to that Eli. My flashbacks were interrupted as my mind remembered the way she just stood there hopelessly as screamed at her." I have to go find her," he thought as he put his shirt on and grabbed his keys.

Clare's POV

I walked to the picnic bench where Eli and I first met and sat down remembering the warm feelings we had at the time. My daydream was suddenly ruined with the familiar voice screaming my name. I looked behind me seeing Eli coming towards me. I quickly got up and started walking. He grabbed my hand and spun me so that I was now facing him. " Clare, I'm so sorry, it's just the same thing happened with Julia and it brought a lot of memories back, he said softly as he came closer to her trying to wrap his arms around her. "Don't Eli, just don't," she said annoyingly as she repeatedly weakly punched him to try and push him away from her. He just held her tighter and she stopped fighting and started to sob. He showed her the scars on his arms. She looked up at him, who was now crying as she traced her fingers over the scars. She lifted up her sleeve and he rubbed her scars in a soothing pattern. They continued this as he told her his story. She didn't have to say anything. Her eyes did all the talking. He started sobbing and she wrapped her arms around him, as he buried his face in their embrace. They held hands and their scars fit perfectly together. "Please don't leave me Eli," she cried. I'm not going anywhere," he said soothingly as he kissed her tear droplet away.