**Heyheyhey, err'bodeh! Thanks again for reading if you've read this far. It really does mean a lot. c:**
[Kellin's POV]
It had been almost a week since Vic had gotten out of the hospital. He'd luckily made a full recovery, surprising most of the doctors and nurses there. We were also finally on Spring Break, which meant a whole two weeks of stress-free relaxation. And Vic, of course. Since Vic had gotten out of the hospital, I'd gone back to my own home a few times, only to find it completely vacant. All of the furniture, kitchen supplies and just about everything else had been removed. The only things that remained were a few old photos and the discarded contents from my bedroom.
No note had been left, but I figured my father had packed up all his and my mother's things and either sold them for alcohol money or taken them with him to where ever he'd run off to. Vic had practically begged me to live with him and Mike once I told him and, of course, I agreed. I mean, how couldn't I?
As the first day of Spring Break Vic, Tony, Jaime, Mike and I were going to the beach. A little cliché, but it was a nice day and we didn't want to waste it sitting around inside. Quickly, I walked to the bathroom and slipped on my swim trunks and a plain t-shirt. I turned towards the mirror to fix my hair, but I figured it didn't really matter since we'd be swimming, anyway. Something caught my eye, though… Something small and shiny… A single drop of crimson blood sat beside the small blade that lay clearly visible on the bathroom counter. My mind avoided the fact that, whoever's it was, they didn't do a very good job of hiding it and quickly fled to the assumptions of who this thing might belong to. It couldn't possibly be Vic's, right? He was the one who had helped me stop, so it couldn't be. Maybe if I just pretend I didn't see it, I'll forget about it…
Shaking my head, I left the bathroom and switched off the light. I hadn't moved the blade. I joined Vic and Mike downstairs, and they seemed to pick up my worried behaviour.
"Is something wrong, Kells?" Vic came over and asked, snaking his muscular arm around my waist. I shook my head quietly and flashed him a slight smile. Vic shrugged and returned to packing away towels and other beach-related things, and I walked over to Mike and helped him make sandwiches and pack them away into a cooler. We packed in awkward silence until we were finished. Vic slung the beach bags over his shoulder and we all walked out to his car. He shoved the bags in the trunk and we all climbed in, Vic in the driver's seat, myself in the passenger's and Mike in the back like a little kid.
"Why can't I sit up front?" Mike whined to Vic.
"Because, you're the little kid here," Vic replied, Mike returning the comment with a roll of his eyes and a huff. I couldn't help be laugh at the two. Vic started the car and backed out of the driveway. We were supposed to meet Tony and Jaime at the beach.
We were about halfway there, and I could feel Vic's hand reach over and intertwine itself with mine. I smiled and squeezed his hand in mine. It was nice knowing I could do that. Just knowing Vic was there was the best feeling in the world. I honestly don't know what I'd do without him. If it weren't for him, I'd still be self-harming, and I can't ever thank him enough for helping me through that.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the engine cutting off and the slam of Mike's door shutting as he got out of the car. I stepped out and saw Tony practically jump into Mike's arms as he left his own car. Jaime showed up a few minutes later and helped Vic unpack the car.
"Ready to go, guys?" Jaime asked, taking the last of the bags and shutting the trunk. A chorus of "Yeah"s signaled us to move down the wooden-planked pathway and towards the shore. Vic came beside me and grabbed my hand as we stepped onto the soft sand. We walked down to the shore until we found a nice spot to set our stuff down, which is kind of hard to do in the crowded California beaches because of all the tourists. Once we did find a spot, though, we quickly set our stuff down and pulled off our t-shirts; well, everyone except Vic.
"Last one to the water is a loser!" Jaime yelled out and started running down to the water, followed by Mike and Tony.
"Vic, aren't you going swimming?" I asked as Vic plopped down on one of the towels. I sat down beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Vic sighed and rested his head on my shoulder, which didn't exactly answer my question, but I figured something was wrong. But… why? He seemed so happy on the drive over. I nudged him a little and he sat up, looking down at his palms.
"I can't…" he muttered.
"Can't what? Can't swim? Don't worry, I can tea-.."
"No, that's not it…" Vic exhaled a sigh and started to lift up his shirt to reveal his lower abdomen; it was laced with about twenty cuts which looked pretty new. I couldn't help but lift my hands and place them over my mouth in shock as Vic turned away and sat back down. I immediately scooted over to him and pulled him into a tight hug.
"When did you do that?" I asked quietly.
"I dunno. A few days ago… I just felt really bad about scaring you so bad with the car thing, and I know I'm just going to screw this up and I-.."
"Vic! The car accident wasn't your fault!" At this point he had a few tears running down his cheeks. I turned his face towards fine and stared him right in the eyes. "Don't worry, Vic, everything will be alright," I whispered, wrapping my arms around him again.