Here is the sequel to Lies and Promises! Hope you like it! I will try and keep the updates coming.
This is written in first person and it switches point of views. (Probably only between Paul and Gary) This is different than my other one but it is for a reason. I think that to write about the kind of grief and recover that I want to write about, I want to be able to get directly into the character's head.
Enjoy!
Chapter One:
Paul:
I couldn't stop staring at the clock, the date flashed in the corner of the screen.
One year…..
It had been on year since I was hurt. One year and it didn't hurt any fricken less. I covered my face with my hands, trying to shield myself from the world. Of course, no one else knew I wasn't feeling better. I had been going to therapy every week.
I had gotten good at lying.
I was told that if I talked about it, I would feel better. Like hell I was going to do that…. I was trying my best to forget it.
Gary was a huge help, he didn't push me to do anything, neither talking nor touching me in any way I was not perfectly ok with. I had been living with his family now for a few months. School had just started…. Tenth grade… yay.
I was top of the class again, Torterra and me still the best team, no one had any reason not to believe that I haven't recovered.
You don't just recover from something like that.
I rolled over in bed. My hands move to clutch my stomach tightly, sighing, I get up. It's only three in the morning… I shouldn't be up yet. I get my clothes out of the dresser. I still wear long sleeves…. Haven't brought myself to even allow my neck to show yet.
Dressing in jeans and a turtle neck, I head to the bedroom door, leaning out of the doorway, glancing down the hall towards Gary and his parents room. No lights are on. I grab Torterra's pokeball before heading downstairs.
Gary:
I sat in bed, unable to sleep. I knew what day it was and wanted nothing more than to run into Paul's room, hug him and never let go, tell him that none of it meant anything.
But it did, to him at least. I think he's recovering ok but you can never know with Paul, he's a good liar. He won't talk about what happened…. The therapist says he has to.
I tried bringing it up last week, he glared at me and simply said, "I don't want to talk about IT."
That's what he called everything to do with the situation now. IT. His therapist, Katie says that it isn't healthy but I'm not going to be the one to tell him to stop, he just started getting back to his old self, happier than his old self actually. Then again, can't tell with him…..
I sigh, getting up. I throw on a robe and open the door to my room, heading down the hallway to Paul's. I open the door slowly, expecting him to either be curled up asleep or quietly waiting for morning.
He's not in the room. I go inside, looking around frantically for him. He's not there. If he has a panic attack while he's alone…..
I run down the stairs, there is no lights on. I am about to go get my parents when I notice some movement outside. I open the door and sprint outside. Paul is sitting by Torterra, his hand stroking the pokemon as he talked to it. I stand, my hands across my chest, glaring at him.
Paul:
I hear the slam of a door and I turn around swiftly. I flush and look down at my feet. Gary.
"What are you doing?" he asks grumpily. I don't answer, just play with my hands. He worries about me a lot, I know that. I look up at him, trying come up with an answer.
"I couldn't sleep."
He sighs and sits down next to me, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me against him. The cold wind makes me shiver and he opens his robe and allows me in, leaning back against Torterra, he strokes my hair softly.
"You ok? I know what day it is…." I play with his thin shirt quietly, ignoring the question. I hate to lie to him directly…. I curl into his robe, allowing his warmth to fill my body. "We should go back inside Paul…." He reaches out and returns Torterra for me, standing up and lifting me up with him. He is bigger and stronger then I am, making it easy for him to pick me up completely.
I wrap my arms around his waist to stay up, not wanting for him to put me down. This is not a sexual gesture, we hadn't done anything past really kissing and touching with our clothes on. I was to scared to take another step.
"Why don't you sleep with me tonight?" he says. This is something that I only do when I absouletely can't sleep. It is not that I don't trust him, just that I am to nervous to do it regulary. It does however help me sleep when I can't.
I nod, squeezing his neck with my arms. He carries me up the stairs and into his room, laying me down on the bed. He leaves for a moment and comes back with my pajamas.
"Put them back on, I'll turn around." He says casually. Sighing, I do as he says, trying not to look at my own body. I still have…. Scars and marks from my… experience last year.
"I'm done. You can turn around."
He does and gets me to lay down on the bed before joining me. He pulls the covers up and wraps his arm around my waist. I snuggle up against him, my eyes closing. I feel his hand come up to my face, lifting my chin.
He makes eye contact with me, his grip firm but gentle. He leans forward and kisses me softly, pulling back, he smiles at me comfortingly. "I love you, what happened last year doesn't change that." he give me a little shake, "You know that right? Answer me Paul."
I nod before trying to pull away. He holds on tightly, his eyes looking dead at me. He sighs and releases me, pulling me to him again.
"Good night," he whispers. I reply by curling into his shoulder.
I spend the rest of the night in a sort of daze, neither asleep, or conscious.
