Invisible

ANGER NEVER SLEEPS

EVERYONE IS ASLEEP, my eyes focused on the ceiling. Aiden’s eyes are still open, focused on me. I ignore them for a while before turning toward him. He doesn’t seem to care, still gives me the same angry look.

“What’s wrong?” I ask. He doesn’t say anything, turns away from me. I groan as I turn my attention back to the ceiling. This is seriously messed up. I mean, I understand that he feels as though he should have done something… but treating me as if I had anything to do with it?

I close my eyes, try to fall asleep again. Maybe he’ll be better in the morning…

At least, I hope so.

<><><>

I wake up around noon, Anna the only other person in the room. She’s sitting up next to me, reading a magazine. Once she realizes I’m awake, she nudges me, smiles.

“Damn, you sleep a lot,” she says as she puts the magazine down, stands up.

“Where’s Aiden?” I ask as she walks toward his dresser, starts fixing her hair.

“He went to the studio at about five in the morning, hasn’t been back since… I don’t know what’s gotten into him, but you would think putting Jeremy into an ICU would be enough to satisfy him.”

I shake my head. “What’s he doing at the studio?”

“I don’t know. Working out? He was pissed when he woke up, took me about five minutes before I got him to tell me where he was going.”

I start smelling food – eggs, bacon, peppers, onions, cheese… I smile as I shoot up, run downstairs. Ali’s making omelets, setting the table for breakfast.

“Breakfast this late?” I ask as I stand in the doorway. She jumps as she turns toward me.

“Hey, sweetheart,” she says as she turns toward the stove again. I breathe in deeply, exhale.

“After breakfast, can I go to the studio?”

“I’m afraid not. Aiden’s pretty set on staying there all day, and he’s not doing so well.”

“Please, Ali? I really need to talk to him.”

Her mouth is slant as she looks at me, her eyes worried.

“Alright. But I’m warning you, I’ve never seen him like this. I don’t think anything could help him at this point.”

She turns back toward the stove, starts cooking again. I don’t know what else to say to that. I’m just wondering what he really needs help for...

<><><>

Ali let me take her car to the studio. After we all ate, everyone had to leave. Ali said we were going to celebrate my birthday tonight, since yesterday wasn’t too great.

I park the car in front of the studio, make my way into the building. Aiden isn’t in the dance studio, the room completely empty and silent… until I hear violent grunts. My eyes narrow as I walk down the stairs, toward the door on the far side of the room. I’d never opened that door before, Ali telling me only Ethan and Aiden used it. I open the door, realizing it leads to a stairwell. The grunts grow louder as I walk down the stairs, see Aiden in a small room, striking a punching bag that’s hanging from the ceiling.

Ethan was on the wrestling team when he was an undergrad. He and Aiden would always compete, I would hear, and Ethan would mostly win. I never knew this was the place Ethan practiced, nor did I know this is where Ethan and Aiden fought.

I watch him as he keeps punching, his anger shooting out, engulfing the room. I can feel it stabbing at me, trying to poke its way through me. He punches the bag one more time, nearly hard enough to rip it open, before I say anything.

“I don’t get it, Aid,” I say. He jumps, glares at me.

“How long were you standing there?” he asks. I start walking toward him, his eyes growing more aggressive as I approach him.

“Long enough.”

He looks away. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

“But I did.”

“Okay, well you should leave.” He starts punching the bag again, this time harder, angry crashes with his fists.

“I don’t understand why you’re so pissed at me.”

“Because you don’t know when to shut the fuck up.”

I’m silent, and empty stare shot his way. He doesn’t look at me at all, continues what he’s doing. I wait.

“Do you not get that I want you to leave me alone?” he asks angrily, pulling the wraps off of his hands, “What part don’t you get? The part where I told you to leave?”

“Aiden, I’m just trying to—”

“Fuck with me. Yeah, I know, it’s working. Look, mess with Ali and Jack, alright?”

My legs won’t move, eyes won’t stop watching him. He rolls his eyes, stomps past me.

“If you won’t leave, I will.”

“Aiden,” I say as I walk after him. He glares at me.

“Why won’t you just take a fucking hint? Leave me alone, and stay the fuck away from me. Got it?”

Now something’s wrong, a harsh stab to my back. He recedes up the stairs, leaving me alone in the basement. After a few moments, I follow him, walk into the studio.

He’s long gone, no sign that he’s going to come back. Still, I wait for a few more moments, just in case he will, just in case he regrets what he said to me.

He doesn’t, and I’m starting to think I trusted the wrong person.