Highschool Sweethearts (Boyxboy)

Chapter 38

I followed Lucas into the house. We walked into the living room, where I saw Mrs. Duncan sleeping on the couch, with a book in her hand.

"Xavier's room upstairs, two doors to the left," Lucas whispered to me.

"Thanks." I went upstairs and went to the room where Lucas said it is. I opened the door to see nobody in there. Did Lucas lie to me or did I get the wrong room?

"If you're looking for Xavier, he's in the greenhouse in the backyard."

I turned to see Carson behind me.

"Thanks," I said.

"Do you know why he came home pissed?" he asked.

"I blew up at him," I said.

"Oh fuck. You yelled at him?"

"Yeah, he was being an ass all day and Lucas told me the story. I'm here to apologize to him."

"Okay. Well, he's in a really pissed off mood. Try to take it easy on him."

"Okay." I walked downstairs and went through the back door. I looked at the greenhouse. There's Xavier inside of it, sitting in front of an easel with a paintbrush in his hand.

He looks up and sees me. He got up and walked out of the greenhouse. "Hey," was all he said.

"Hey," I said. "I, uh, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"Oh, Chris, you shouldn't apologize. I was being a jerk."

I know-I guess I'm just apologizing because I'm a nice person."

"Yeah. Just having issues, that's all."

"You mean with what happened with your brother?"

He looked at me with a surprise look on his face.

"Lucas told me today's the day that it happened."

Xavier shook his head. "Of course he would." He walked back into the greenhouse and I followed him.

"Well, Xavier, he was telling me the story because I was curious and-" I stopped when I saw the painting. It's a painting of three people bleeding. Only two of them went to heaven, while the other one stayed behind. I also see there's two cars crashed together.

I turned to Xavier. "Is this supposed to be the car accident?"

"Yep." He put his brush down.

"Well, it's nice."

"'Just nice'. That's all you have to say?"

"Um, no it's just...what do you want me to say?"

"I don't know. I'm only doing this painting because I'm upset."

"Upset because of the accident?"

"Yeah." He sat back down on the stool. "I don't know how I'm going to get over this. Why should I be happy about today?" He put his hands over his face.

I looked down at him. I wish I know what I can say to him, but I can't. I don't know anybody who went through the same thing Xavier did. I looked back at the painting, then I looked back at him.

"Well, Xavier, maybe you should be happy about your brother being alive."

"I know I should, Chris, but it's hard."

"Would you like to tell me what happened that day?" I asked.

"We were planning my party, and my mom got a call from my dad, telling her that Lucas got into an accident. We got all of us into the car, not saying anything. When we got there, that's when I found out. I mean, I was scared that Lucas and his friends were going to die. We haven't gotten any news for a few hours until the doctor came out of the emergency room. I thought for a second that they were going to tell us Lucas died, but then he went over to Lucas's friends parents and told them the bad news. One of the mothers collapsed on the floor, and she had to stay overnight. A few minutes later, the doctor told us Lucas is going to be fine, but they had to cut his leg off." Tears started to come out of his eyes. "I mean, I was happy, but sad at the same time. After that, I didn't give a rats ass about my birthday or anything else."