BLOODY TEARS
Chapter Three: Fingers Crossed
"You've got to eat something," X-Ray said, "You didn't have any breakfast."
Squid shrugged, "I'm not hungry," he muttered.
X-Ray eyed him suspiciously, "You've been digging all day, you must be
hungry."
Squid shrugged again.
D-Tent were all watching him now but Squid was looking down at his food,
pushing it around with his fork but not actually eating any.
"You'll get sick," warned Caveman.
Again, Squid shrugged. He stood up to leave but X-Ray pulled him back down.
"Hey!"
"You're not leaving this table until you've eaten something."
Squid glowered at him. The mere smell of the food was nausiating. He felt
dirty enough as it was without putting that crap they called food into his
body.
He wished that they could go back to before the rest of D-Tent had found
out his dirty little secret, back to when no one would have cared about
whether he ate or not. He wasn't used to caring of any kind and now it
seemed dangerous to let anyone see the real him on the inside.
He took a small bite of something brown that tasted like cardboard.
"That's not enough Squid, and you know it."
"You're not my mother, why should you care if I eat or not?" Then Squid
remembered that his mother had never cared about whether he ate.
"Oh Squid, cut the crap!" Armpit cried, slamming his hands down on the
table. Squid flinched.
"D-Tent sticks together. We're not gonna let you kill yourself! So just eat
your dinner and quit frikkin' moaning about it!"
"Pit, shut up!" Zigzag growled, "Just leave him alone!"
"He thinks he's so special!" Armpit put on a high pitched whiny voice,
"Look at me, look at me! My mum's a drunk and my dad's a rapist-"
"Shut up! Squid screamed. Everyone in the room went quiet. "Just shut up,"
he muttered, "I'll eat my frikkin' dinner."
Armpit and Zigzag sat down. Zigzag had his arms crossed, sitting at Squids
side like a body guard.
Squid ate quickly, wanting to get away from the table and the stares of the
others as fast as possible.
Zigzag got up to follow him out but Squid turned his back on him, "I want
to be alone for a while," he murmered.
"Should I go after him?" he asked X-Ray, watching Squid leave.
X-Ray shook his head, "Nah, just let him work some things out by himself."
***
Squid wandered over to the showers. Once checking that no one was there, he
knelt down and threw up. He was conscious of the need to rid himself of the
dirty food he'd been forced to eat. He found a shower token in the pocket
of his dusty orange work uniform and used it, letting the cold water wash
away the evidence. He sat in the corner of the shower for some time, hands
clamped over his ears, eyes shut. When he opened them again the sky was
darker and Magnet was kneeling in front of him.
"Hey man, we've been looking all over for you! What you been doing?"
"Nothin'," Squid mumbled.
Magnet bit his lip, "Squid... I don't know... I mean, I could never
understand what you're going through...but... you know I'm here for you,
right?"
Squid looked at him for a moment, surprised at Magnets unexpected show of
friendship, then he nodded.
"Thanks."
Magnet reached out a hand to help Squid up, Squid took it.
They walked towards D-Tent, then Magnet stopped.
"Squid..."
"Yeah?"
"Squid... you wouldn't... you wouldn't try to kill yourself again... would
you?"
Squid looked down at the ground, "C'mon," he said, "Lets go back to the
tent, I'm tired."
"Squid, please," Magnet begged.
Squid froze. He'd never heard Magnet beg before, in fact, he was pretty
sure that no one had heard Magnet beg before. He bit his lip.
"OK."
"Promise?"
Squid crossed his fingers behind his back, "Promise."
Chapter Three: Fingers Crossed
"You've got to eat something," X-Ray said, "You didn't have any breakfast."
Squid shrugged, "I'm not hungry," he muttered.
X-Ray eyed him suspiciously, "You've been digging all day, you must be
hungry."
Squid shrugged again.
D-Tent were all watching him now but Squid was looking down at his food,
pushing it around with his fork but not actually eating any.
"You'll get sick," warned Caveman.
Again, Squid shrugged. He stood up to leave but X-Ray pulled him back down.
"Hey!"
"You're not leaving this table until you've eaten something."
Squid glowered at him. The mere smell of the food was nausiating. He felt
dirty enough as it was without putting that crap they called food into his
body.
He wished that they could go back to before the rest of D-Tent had found
out his dirty little secret, back to when no one would have cared about
whether he ate or not. He wasn't used to caring of any kind and now it
seemed dangerous to let anyone see the real him on the inside.
He took a small bite of something brown that tasted like cardboard.
"That's not enough Squid, and you know it."
"You're not my mother, why should you care if I eat or not?" Then Squid
remembered that his mother had never cared about whether he ate.
"Oh Squid, cut the crap!" Armpit cried, slamming his hands down on the
table. Squid flinched.
"D-Tent sticks together. We're not gonna let you kill yourself! So just eat
your dinner and quit frikkin' moaning about it!"
"Pit, shut up!" Zigzag growled, "Just leave him alone!"
"He thinks he's so special!" Armpit put on a high pitched whiny voice,
"Look at me, look at me! My mum's a drunk and my dad's a rapist-"
"Shut up! Squid screamed. Everyone in the room went quiet. "Just shut up,"
he muttered, "I'll eat my frikkin' dinner."
Armpit and Zigzag sat down. Zigzag had his arms crossed, sitting at Squids
side like a body guard.
Squid ate quickly, wanting to get away from the table and the stares of the
others as fast as possible.
Zigzag got up to follow him out but Squid turned his back on him, "I want
to be alone for a while," he murmered.
"Should I go after him?" he asked X-Ray, watching Squid leave.
X-Ray shook his head, "Nah, just let him work some things out by himself."
***
Squid wandered over to the showers. Once checking that no one was there, he
knelt down and threw up. He was conscious of the need to rid himself of the
dirty food he'd been forced to eat. He found a shower token in the pocket
of his dusty orange work uniform and used it, letting the cold water wash
away the evidence. He sat in the corner of the shower for some time, hands
clamped over his ears, eyes shut. When he opened them again the sky was
darker and Magnet was kneeling in front of him.
"Hey man, we've been looking all over for you! What you been doing?"
"Nothin'," Squid mumbled.
Magnet bit his lip, "Squid... I don't know... I mean, I could never
understand what you're going through...but... you know I'm here for you,
right?"
Squid looked at him for a moment, surprised at Magnets unexpected show of
friendship, then he nodded.
"Thanks."
Magnet reached out a hand to help Squid up, Squid took it.
They walked towards D-Tent, then Magnet stopped.
"Squid..."
"Yeah?"
"Squid... you wouldn't... you wouldn't try to kill yourself again... would
you?"
Squid looked down at the ground, "C'mon," he said, "Lets go back to the
tent, I'm tired."
"Squid, please," Magnet begged.
Squid froze. He'd never heard Magnet beg before, in fact, he was pretty
sure that no one had heard Magnet beg before. He bit his lip.
"OK."
"Promise?"
Squid crossed his fingers behind his back, "Promise."
