Pretty Scars ║DNF

Chapter 18

TW:Mention of self harm

We have been talking for a while now, probably over an hour. He told me absolutely everything about his childhood. I feel like I am meeting a totally different person. The Dream I am talking to right now seems so caring and gentle. He was wrong to think that I wouldn't like the real Dream. The real Dream is more sensitive and honest. He holds a special place in his heart for people that care about him.

It is obviously really hard right now for the poor man to express all of his feelings, but I can't help but love this moment. I feel like I earn his trust now, and that it is only going to grow our friendship stronger. I also can't help but think of the trip. We are leaving in a couple of days and I am sincerely happy to know that we are all going to leave in a more peaceful mindset.

As he is talking about how he got his scars, his voice seems to crack a little and is definitely weaker. I assume it is the worst and most traumatizing part of his childhood. He tells me how awful his parents would treat him, and how he never regretted it the night he ran away.

He smiles as he explains how good of a friend Nick was to him, and how they have always been like brothers. I like that part of Dream that always finds the positive in every situation, even if it is desperate or miserable. I like how he talks slowly, taking time to pronounce every syllable with so much care. It is like he really wants me to understand how he feels.

"And um yeah, I ran away right after that. Nick was the one how took care of me when my wounds were healing and when I had nowhere to go"

We stay silent for a little while, not knowing what to say. I want to tell him how sorry and how much I sympathize with him, but he probably already knows that.

"Do you mind if I see them?" I ask, unsure if I am pushing his boundaries.

He hesitates for a quick second before he sits up straight, looking me in the eyes. I do the same as him. We are now face to face, sitting on both sides of his bed.

He pulls onto the back of his hoodie, taking it off slowly. I can still see he is hesitant, so I give him a warm smile to make him feel comfortable. I don't see much in the dark room, but I can perfectly distinguish the long lines running down his arms. Most of them are pretty big, but some are small and little. Obviously, all of them are just scars and not open wounds anymore, but it feels like he had done them in front of me. It is already hard to hear somebody talk about bad stuff that they went through, but actually seeing them is worse.

I study the skin on his arms, softly. Dream looks away, probably uncomfortable.

"Can I?" I ask, placing my hand near his arms.

He nods quickly, still looking in another direction. I place my hand on top of his arm, sweetly. I trace with my fingers the long lines that cover his skin. He shivers a little under my touch. It makes me smile as I continue to do my job. He finally looks in my direction. His face is slightly red and he looks stressed. I smile back at him before taking off my hand.

"They look beautiful" I say honestly.

If I am being completely honest, I really do think they are. I couldn't imagine him having a normal life. He always looked like the kind of person to have stories to tell. Except, I didn't think they would be this sad.

"Oh come on George" he responds.

I take back his arm in my hand, looking at him straight in the eyes.

"I really mean it Dream"

We stare at each other for a little longer, before he looks down, smiling gently.

"Thank you" he ends up saying. "Nick is going to be so proud of me for actually saying it"

"Why?" I ask, confused.

"Well, you remember that night when we got into a bit of an argument?"

"Um yeah"

"Well, it was because he tried to convince me to be honest with you. Not that I didn't trust you with everything, it's just that it's really hard for me, you know?"

This makes so much sense. They argued because Nick really wants the best for Dream, but he didn't want to open up just yet. He probably felt like Dream telling somebody else than him would make him feel better about it. I feel bad that the two best friends were arguing over me, but the important is that it got sorted out pretty quickly.

"Of course, I understand" I say "I'm really happy you opened up to me and that you trust me. I'm still wondering though, why does it still affect you so much? The way you talk about it makes it seem like you moved on. But, I mean, that one time you went back to that flower place, you looked like you just got out of it."

Dream turns around, slightly bothered by my question. He tries to find the right words to explain everything.

"It is just that every day the desire to have revenge grows bigger" He says, looking at me with a desperate look.

I can clearly understand that it still affects him and that his parents don't live far away from here. They are still out there, somewhere, and they never got in trouble for treating Dream that way. I understand how he can feel, knowing that they can just walk out of this like nothing ever happens. This kind of childhood leaves deep scars, way worse than the physical ones. You never really recover from them.

I have known Dream for a short period of time, but I know he is going to take revenge. He is the most stubborn and determined person I know.

"We can go to the police office before we leave for Greece" I say, trying to support him.

He groans a bit before taking place back on the bed. The tall man lays down, like he is trying to sleep. I try to stand up, since he probably wants me to leave him alone, but I get grabbed by two strong hands.

"What are you doing?" he asks, sleepily.

"Well, I'm letting you sleep".

"Don't be an idiot, George, there is still a storm outside, and it is dark. I'm not letting you leave alone, and I am too tired to drive you back"

His statement throws me off guard, even if I need to agree that he is right. He looks so peaceful, with no shirt on, laying in front of me, almost already asleep.

I lay back down next to him, feeling his warm breath against my neck. I'm a little tense at first, but I end up relaxing at the touch. My eyes are about to close, when I hear his sweet voice again.

"It's Clay"

"What?"

"My real name is Clay"

Wellllll. Thank you guys so so much for all the reads it means a lot!!!

Rosa <3