corrupted lungs | d.w #Wattys2016

s e v e n

//unedited//

The dark had settled over the world outside, and I was bored, spinning from side to side on my swivel chair. With my parents out of the house, it was always so quiet, even if I played music. The both of them brought a special energy to the house that couldn't be found anywhere else- that's what I missed most about them.

I sighed and stood up from my seat and walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. The ingredients were still laying on the counter, waiting for me. I put a pan filled with water on the stove and turned the heat on. I started preparing the rest of the dinner as I waited for the pan to become warm enough.

The snow was still falling from the sky outside and my winter jacket was already hanging in the hall. It felt crazy, to have to start using it in October already. But the temperature had dropped low enough for me to know that I'd freeze my ass off otherwise.

Once I was done with the preparations, the water was hot enough that it'd started boiling, so I threw in the pasta and started to set the table while I was waiting. My phone suddenly started buzzing in my pocket and I slipped it out. Sarah's name was glowing over the screen.

"Hello?" I spoke softly as I accepted her call and I could hear her panting on the other line.

"May I come home to yours?" She asked me and I wanted to ask why, but she seemed so stressed and I guessed it probably wasn't the time to ask questions.

I nodded to myself as I replied, "Sure. The door's open."

Not five minutes later, a shaking Sarah was sitting next to me by the dining table, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The snow had melted in her hair and small drips of water was running down her face.

"What happened?" I asked her carefully, hands in my lap.

"My parents ruin every-fucking-thing," she muttered and wiped the drips of melted snow away from her skin with her sleeve. "We had a great time, especially Dylan." She let out a sigh.

"But of course they had to start fighting in the middle of it all." She said and I could see the tears forming in her eyes. I felt so sad for her, and for her brother Dylan. Apparently their parents had been arguing a lot lately and it often escalated to big feuds.

"Me and Dylan both left. I don't even think they noticed. He told me he was going somewhere to get himself together." She looked down. "It just hurts me that he couldn't even spend his 20th birthday at home, free from their stupid discussions."

I got up from my seat and walked over to her. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, hugging her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Sarah." I said quietly and she squeezed me back, resting her head against my shoulder. We stayed like that for a while, just holding on to each other without saying anything. I then heard her stomach growl and pulled back.

"You hungry?" I wondered and a little smile cracked through her sad face as she nodded.

I smiled a bit, before walking over to the stove. I grabbed a plate for her and added some of the newly cooked food onto it. I walked back to the table and placed it in front of her, handing her cutlery as well. She immediately shoved a fork full of pasta carbonara into her mouth and sighed.

"This is great," she said once she'd chewed it down. "Thank you, Gabs." She said and I smiled, before adding some food for myself. I sat back down next to my friend and started eating.

"Gabe came by," I told her, trying to get her mind on something else than her parents.

Sarah's head whipped up. "He did? Like, did he come inside? What did you two do?" She asked excitedly, wiggling her eyebrows a bit and her eyes shining bright. I giggled.

"Nah, I was out getting my bicycle into the garage and he walked by." I shrugged. "We chatted a bit and he helped me to close the garage gate. He's so tall."

"I know, he's like a giraffe." She said, and I bursted out laughing. She did too.

We sat there for a while, laughing and choking on our food while continuing to talk about Gabe, the tall giraffe.
I was glad, because she seemed much more relieved and relaxed- I just hoped her brother was too. But our happy mood was ruined when her phone rang. It was her mother. Sarah just stared at her phone, eyes blank, not saying anything and not picking up.

"I can talk to her, if you want to." I offered quietly, and she nodded.

"Please."

I took the phone out of her hands and got up from my seat to get out of the room. I slid my finger over the screen and held the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Who's this? Where's Sarah? Oh my god.." Her voice was a mix of stress, anger and worry.

"This is Sarah's friend, uh, Gabrielle. Sarah's at my place. We've eaten some food and she's okay." I muttered and fiddled with the end of my shirt.

"Thank god that she's alright! We've been so worried!" Her mother exclaimed. "Could I get your address? I need to come and get her." She said, and I hesitated. I didn't know how Sarah would feel about this, but I wasn't the type of person who'd talk back at someone's parent- or any grown up, for that matter. I was a wimp.

I gave her my address and she thanked me, before hanging up. I released a nervous breath as I walked back to Sarah. She didn't look at me, just stared at her hands in her lap. Her leg was nervously bouncing up and down, and I felt bad.

"What did she say?" She finally asked, and I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Uh, she's.. S-she's coming to pick you up." I stuttered out and looked down.

Sarah didn't look surprise, just raised her head a little to look at me. "Okay." She said and I sat next to her again.

"It will be okay. I promise." I said to her and grabbed her hand. She looked at me and gave me a weak smile, before placing her head in the crook of my neck. My heart was aching for her sake, because I'd never seen her so sad, so unhopeful and in so much pain.

She was always the girl with the glittering brown eyes, the laugh that could make anyone smile and always had the right things to say. But now, she seemed like a completely different person. Like someone had drained the happiness and energy from her. I leaned my head against hers and squeezed her hand. I wanted to make her feel better, but right now, I don't think there was anything I could do.
She just needed comfort, and that's what I would give her.

A car suddenly honked outside, and I opened my eyes that I sometime had closed. I didn't know how long time had passed, but it must've been a while. I looked down at Sarah, who released a loud sigh and who slowly pulled back from me to stand up. I followed her action and walked with her to the front door. She pushed it open and was met by her mother who stood outside of a blood red Honda, before turning back to me.

She threw her arms around me and I embraced her in a tight hug. I told her to give me a call when she got the chance and she nodded, before her mother yelled at her. We pulled away from each other and she walked off. I stood in the doorway and watched as they drove off, feeling kind of empty inside.

I didn't move. I just stared out on the now empty street and silently prayed that she'd be okay. A door suddenly opened from somewhere on the street and my gaze automatically turned to Dallon's house. Surprisingly enough, it was someone walking out of his two-stories house. The person was dressed in a hoodie with the hood covering their face and a pair of black skinny jeans. I didn't see their face until they were stood under the streetlight.

It was Dallon. He silently lit a cigarette and drove it to his mouth. I didn't know he smoked. Maybe that's why he disappeared from class. He hadn't spotted me yet and it was probably better that way. I didn't want him to think I was some sort of creep. But instead of turning around and walking back into my own house, my legs decided to walk over the street, over to Dallon.

I wasn't fully aware of what I was doing. It was like I'd drifted off to somewhere else, and I didn't come back to reality before I suddenly stood in front of the tall boy, staring him right in the eyes.

Oh.