Bleed Like Me (Sequel to 'A Taste For Suicidal'), chapter 2
"Joey!" Jakob cheered.
He ran up and gave me a hug. I winced. When he had released me I sat down next to my mom. Never had I been so embarrassed, never had I been smothered with so many kisses. I guess she missed me.
My father pulled up a chair and sat across from us. We were eating out at some odd little restaurant that I can't quite recall the name of. The food was delicious, I know that much for sure.
We waited for the others for about, say, five more minutes. The Wrights showed up fashionably late with the Pritchards close behind. I had a sneaking suspicion that Tre had challenged Mike to a race. It sounded like something he would do.
"Joseph." Mike said with a nod of the head.
I greeted him in the same matter. Then he handed me a wrapped gift. I held it in my hands, looking it over, and set down on the table. Gifts for this occasion didn't peak my interest.
Everyone settled down and got seated, myself between Frankito and Estelle. Estelle's eyes followed my wrists every time I moved them. She seemed awed and scared at the same time. I noticed that Frankito had chosen to wear a long-sleeve shirt, perhaps not wanting the same thing to happen to him.
It took awhile to place our orders, seeing as we had such a large group. Not to mention Tre was naturally an asshole and enjoyed taking his time. He must've changed his order six times before we could finally eat. It kind of pissed me off. I wasn't really in the mood to put up with his shit.
"So what's the home like?" Frankito whispered, handing his menu back to our waitress. "Is it like the movies?"
"No. Everyone there is normal. Just... A little troubled, that's all." I responded.
"Oh... So, have you... You know." he said.
"Tried to earlier today." I sighed. "My room-mate wouldn't let me."
"Room-mate?" he repeated.
"Yeah, I have three of them. Keith, Melodie, and Kindra. Oh, and Kindra's sister is hot!" I told him.
My mother raised her eyebrow. "What are you two talking about?" she asked.
"Nothin'..."
I chose not to continue the conversation. Instead I waited patiently for my food, talking loosely to those who addressed me. My father barely said a word. I caught his eye once and he turned away. He looked ashamed. Was he ashamed of me...?
Suddenly I wasn't all that hungry. When my food came I took a bite or two and pushed it away. I didn't say anything to anyone else as I waited for them to finish. There were no words to speak.
The minutes flew by and soon it was already time for me to head back to the home. I said my goodbyes, grabbed the gift Mike had given me and followed my dad out to the car. The ride back was dead silent.
***
"Hey Rockstar, where you been?" Bailey asked. She had been waiting for me out front.
"Out to lunch with my family." I said, walking with her inside.
"How cute." she chuckled.
To my surprise she grabbed my hand. The hair on the back of my neck raised. My ears grew hot. I tugged away in panic, putting the gift Mike had given me into the hand she had previously held.
"What's that?" she asked, unmoved.
"Oh, uh... Something Mike gave me." I replied.
"Really, what is it?" she questioned.
"I don't know." I said.
"Well why don't you open it and find out?"
I shrugged and the two of us walked back to my dorm. No one else was there. I sat down on my bed, she followed my lead. Then I carefully started to open the gift. Having no clue what to expect, I was shocked.
It turned out to be a single blade with a note attached to it. The note was written in his print and it read;
Cutting wrists and leaving home
Crying tears from a pain not shown
Quickly losing your mental health
And countless battles with yourself
As all the others snicker
The blood bleeds thicker
The blade hand shakes
The blood seeps out
You hurt yourself to get past your self doubt
But it won't last
It never lasts
Will you give in
And let the demons win
If you will give in
Put this blade to your skin
Feel the release
As you realize
It won't last
It never lasts
He ran up and gave me a hug. I winced. When he had released me I sat down next to my mom. Never had I been so embarrassed, never had I been smothered with so many kisses. I guess she missed me.
My father pulled up a chair and sat across from us. We were eating out at some odd little restaurant that I can't quite recall the name of. The food was delicious, I know that much for sure.
We waited for the others for about, say, five more minutes. The Wrights showed up fashionably late with the Pritchards close behind. I had a sneaking suspicion that Tre had challenged Mike to a race. It sounded like something he would do.
"Joseph." Mike said with a nod of the head.
I greeted him in the same matter. Then he handed me a wrapped gift. I held it in my hands, looking it over, and set down on the table. Gifts for this occasion didn't peak my interest.
Everyone settled down and got seated, myself between Frankito and Estelle. Estelle's eyes followed my wrists every time I moved them. She seemed awed and scared at the same time. I noticed that Frankito had chosen to wear a long-sleeve shirt, perhaps not wanting the same thing to happen to him.
It took awhile to place our orders, seeing as we had such a large group. Not to mention Tre was naturally an asshole and enjoyed taking his time. He must've changed his order six times before we could finally eat. It kind of pissed me off. I wasn't really in the mood to put up with his shit.
"So what's the home like?" Frankito whispered, handing his menu back to our waitress. "Is it like the movies?"
"No. Everyone there is normal. Just... A little troubled, that's all." I responded.
"Oh... So, have you... You know." he said.
"Tried to earlier today." I sighed. "My room-mate wouldn't let me."
"Room-mate?" he repeated.
"Yeah, I have three of them. Keith, Melodie, and Kindra. Oh, and Kindra's sister is hot!" I told him.
My mother raised her eyebrow. "What are you two talking about?" she asked.
"Nothin'..."
I chose not to continue the conversation. Instead I waited patiently for my food, talking loosely to those who addressed me. My father barely said a word. I caught his eye once and he turned away. He looked ashamed. Was he ashamed of me...?
Suddenly I wasn't all that hungry. When my food came I took a bite or two and pushed it away. I didn't say anything to anyone else as I waited for them to finish. There were no words to speak.
The minutes flew by and soon it was already time for me to head back to the home. I said my goodbyes, grabbed the gift Mike had given me and followed my dad out to the car. The ride back was dead silent.
***
"Hey Rockstar, where you been?" Bailey asked. She had been waiting for me out front.
"Out to lunch with my family." I said, walking with her inside.
"How cute." she chuckled.
To my surprise she grabbed my hand. The hair on the back of my neck raised. My ears grew hot. I tugged away in panic, putting the gift Mike had given me into the hand she had previously held.
"What's that?" she asked, unmoved.
"Oh, uh... Something Mike gave me." I replied.
"Really, what is it?" she questioned.
"I don't know." I said.
"Well why don't you open it and find out?"
I shrugged and the two of us walked back to my dorm. No one else was there. I sat down on my bed, she followed my lead. Then I carefully started to open the gift. Having no clue what to expect, I was shocked.
It turned out to be a single blade with a note attached to it. The note was written in his print and it read;
Cutting wrists and leaving home
Crying tears from a pain not shown
Quickly losing your mental health
And countless battles with yourself
As all the others snicker
The blood bleeds thicker
The blade hand shakes
The blood seeps out
You hurt yourself to get past your self doubt
But it won't last
It never lasts
Will you give in
And let the demons win
If you will give in
Put this blade to your skin
Feel the release
As you realize
It won't last
It never lasts
