🇪🇸 / [ 🇬🇧 ]
The noises of a party reaching its end came out of the werehouse on the outskirts of town. Near it, on the hood of a car, a boy sat with his knees tucked to his chest, staring at the night sky. A taller boy, with dark copper hair, came out of the building with wobbly steps. He was wearing an identical jacket.
"Yannyyy, dude, what are you doing? Let's go inside," he spoke with a smile, slurring his words.
The boy didn't look at him, just rubbed his jawline where a bruise had started forming.
"No," he barely whispered. He didn't even turn when the redhead sat next to him and stayed stargazing too.
Neither of them spoke for a moment, the redhead lit up a cigarette and offered it, but the boy still wouldn't look at him.
"C'mon, you know how he gets when he's drunk. He flies off the handle sometimes."
"I'm tired of this," he answered sharply.
The redhead sighed a cloud of smoke. "Please don't get started. Don't tell me you're gonna get like this cause of one time—"
"But it's not ONE time, Alan!" he exploded. "It's all the times that already happened and all the times that will happen and you will all keep saying that's just the way it is, cause it's all a big joke to him and I'm the one who fucks it up," his voice cracked at the end, "and it's always my fault!"
"Woah, why are you yelling at me?" He flinched at his tone. "I didn't do anything." He tried to grab his hand but the boy recoiled.
"That's why, cause you never do anything!" he managed to say before the lump in his throat completely broke the last word.
There was an awkward silence in which the only thing that could be heard was the screaming of the drunk people inside the building and the boy's labored breathing. The redhead switched his gaze from one scene to the other, looking for a way out.
"And what do you want me to do?" He sounded more hurt than annoyed.
"... Something, anything, just," he ran a hand through his hair, his voice lower, "you could take my side for once."
"That's rich coming from you." He took another drag from the cigarette. "Not like you ever come to my defense when Ceci and Nadia make comments."
"That's different."
"Oh yeah, let's hear it, tell me how that's different," he said with clear sarcasm. "Rules are always different for you."
"I've already explained it a thousand times. Ceci doesn't listen to me." He sighed heavily. "And Nadia doesn't do that to bother you, it's just how she sounds."
"I don't control Kevin either, that's just how he is. And honestly I think he doesn't give two shits about you, it always bothers him when I bring this up."
He laughed bitterly. "That's the problem."
"The problem," he pointed at him with the two fingers holding the cigarette, "is you. You're the only person who has a problem with him."
The boy stared back in disbelief. "He's the one that has a problem with only me!"
"And why do you think that is?"
"I-I don't know, you could ask him, you're his best friend after all." He threw his hands up in exasperation. "Cause I can't do this anymore."
"I'm also tired of playing peacemaker between the two of you."
"That's not what I meant."
"Sure, let me handle it." He shook his head. "C'mon. Let's go back inside and pretend nothing happened."
"That's exactly what I don't want," said the boy getting down from the hood. "I'm going home."
The redhead frowned. "But I don't wanna leave yet, I was having a good time for once."
"I wasn't gonna ask you to drive me back." He'd just made a couple steps before the redhead grabbed him by the wrist.
"And what am I supposed to tell the rest, huh? You know what they say about you, and I just have to stand there playing the fool. Why do you always put me in these situations?"
"I know but..." He barely tried to free himself, staring at the ground. "Alan. Please. I just don't want to be here. Let me go and... that's it."
"See, it's easy for you to just fuck off, but when I say the same thing, you're the good guy for convincing me to stay." He started raising his voice, a ball of anguish and anger unspooling with each phrase. "I try my best to stand your stupid friends who keep shitting on me and you can't even give me one peaceful night? If it wasn't for me, would you even care for the group? When we're fine you always pull something like this. Do you want me to be miserable? Cause you only care about someone if they need you."
The boy finally shook his arm loose and stepped back.
"I said. I'm leaving." He was shaking and his voice was barely audible below the noise of the party.
He started walking towards the town.
"Really, Yanny, you're gonna do this to me?!" he screamed after it became clear he wouldn't stop. "Well sure, go, do whatever the fuck you want!"
He didn't turn around, just put his hands in the jacket pockets and kept walking with his head down.
