Murderous Shorts
By Dr FooFoo
Part Seven : Trou
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How can I stand here with you
And not be moved by you?
Would you tell me
How could it be
Any better than this?
- Everything [Lifehouse]
==
Justin awoke with a start and glanced drowsily around his bedroom. His cellphone rang again and he made a soft noise and shifted in his covers, untangling himself. By the third ring, he had managed to get out of bed, and crossed to his desk hastily.
"Hello...?" he mumbled quietly, not wanting to wake up his mother, who, he assumed, was alseep in her own room down the hall.
"Justin..." came the whimpered response. Justin frowned slightly, then recognized the voice and the desperate tone in it.
"Meet me at the Bluff in ten minutes, Richard..." Justin sighed softly and pressed END, then Blinked a few times a searched for his pants and a jacket.
In a few minutes, he was carefully closing his bedroom window and climbing down the all-too-familiar drainpipe.
»«»«
When Justin pulled into the parking lot, he noticed Richard's car wasn't there yet. Glancing at the glowing red numbers on his dashboard, he sighed again at the time blinking back at him.
2:36am
Climbing out of his car, he rubbed his eyes, then entered the old building that had quickly become his and Richard's meeting place.
A few minutes later, headlights shone through the broken windows of the Bluff and lit up the main room. Justin shook his head a little to wake himself up.
A door slammed, and a very distraught-looking Richard shuffled into the room. He looked up and saw Justin waiting for him on the bed in the corner, and sniffled.
"Richard..." Justin said softly, inviting his friend to sit beside him on the old, worn-out bed. Richard took him up on that offer, and plopped down, wiping at his tear-streaked face. He just stared foreward, so Justin got up and made a small fire. By the time he had reseated himself, the fire was blazing, and Richard had managed to stop sniffling.
The two boys sat silently for a long time, just watching the fire. Justin knew to wait for Richard to talk; they'd gone through these steps many times before. Eventually, he did.
"He hit me again..." Richard said quietly, all in one breath, and Justin look up. Richard didn't say anything else, and Justin noticed a small tear drip down his cheek.
Shifting on the bed, Justin reached out a hand to cup Richard's chin, turning his head to study his face carefully. He winced a little when he saw the problem: a blossoming red-blue mark below Richard's left eye. Richard hissed a little when Justin touched it gingerly, but didn't move.
Justin hesitated for a moment, then, without really thinking, he leaned forward and lightly kissed the bruise. Richard froze and Justin pulled back when he realized what he'd done. Richard turned his head to look at Justin, and didn't say anything.
Justin blushed heavily and looked away quickly. "I'm sorry..." he murmured, and bit his lip hard, then closed his eyes.
But Justin was surprised when, instead of the biting comment he'd expected, Richard reached out and hugged onto him tightly.
Justin opened his eyes and looked at the opposite wall. He felt like he was going to implode, he was so embarrassed. But after a few minutes, when Richard didn't toss any insults or pull away, Justin gave into his instincts and carefully wrapped his arms around his friend.