I'm With You

4

TW's:
-Mentions fight between parents
-Eating disorder behaviour
-Mentions alcohol usage
-Overexercising

Clay's POV

I woke up too late for school the next morning and ran down the stairs as I immediately realised what happened again.

Yesterday evening, my parents had a big fight, but that wasn't something that unusual. However, this time I heard glass shattering and my dad almost cried. He came upstairs around twelve at night and went to sleep in our spare room as my mother stayed downstairs for a long time.

I didn't sleep until she came upstairs when it was midnight, she was struggling to walk up the stairs which made me realise what happened. She drank again and I hated her for it.

I looked around in the living room, seeing the glass still laying down on the floor and an empty bottle of wine next to that. With a deep sigh I walked to the kitchen to grab myself three organic apples, one banana and some grapes.

I ate one of the apples and put the others in my lunch box as I saw my dad slowly walking into the room. He was pale and had a sad look in his eyes as he looked at me.

'Are you okay?' I asked. 'I heard what happened yesterday.'

'I'm okay, thank you for caring. I bought you an egg, do you want it?' he said with a yawn.

'Is it organic? Aren't there way too many unhealthy nutrients in that?'

'No, it doesn't have dairy, gluten or carbs and I bought organic ones.'

I nodded slowly and grabbed the egg, looking at the package to check and make sure it wasn't too unhealthy. 'Okay, thanks,' I said once I was sure it was okay. I wasn't sure I wanted to eat it, but I took it with me anyway.

'Clay, you've been really obsessed with eating lately. I don't know if this is completely normal anymore.'

I shrugged. 'I'm going to the gym after school. Probably from three to six. I might be a bit later for dinner since I usually go for four hours.'

'Have you been trying to lose weight?'

I shook my head. 'I haven't, I'm fine with how I look.'

'But your eating behaviour is really obsessive.'

I shrugged. 'I like staying fit and exercising helps me to forget about all the shit happening at home here.'

'I'm sorry, Clay. I really want you to feel happy here at home. I know I messed up in the past, but please forgive me for what I've done.'

'It's not you,' I muttered. 'I know you're trying now, but mom isn't at all.'

'Clay, have you actually forgiven me? I know I got fired and-.'

'Dad, you did amazing and you quit drinking even though mom is constantly drinking. I'm proud of you.'

'I regret ever getting addicted while having a child.'

I rolled my eyes since I was annoyed with my mother. 'It's mom's fault, she got you to drink.'

'But-.'

'It's fine, dad. I'm too late for school because I overslept after I fell asleep around three. I really have to go now.'

'I will bring you today, I want to be a good dad.'

'You're a good dad, you don't have to prove yourself to me anymore.'

'I want to bring you, I will buy dinner tonight too. I will buy organic potatoes, beans and organic meat?'

'I don't really want to eat meat.'

'And if it's completely organic? I can look for fish for you, is that okay?'

'I'm not sure I want to eat that.'

'I will buy something and make a tasty meal with it, okay? Do you have your bag? I'm going to bring you.'

'But you're really tired, dad.'

'You're tired too, get your bags.'

I smiled at him and grabbed my bag as I walked to my dad's car. I sat down in the front seat next to the steering wheel as my dad sat down next to me, starting the car. We just drove to my school in silence and I said goodbye to my dad once we arrived there.

I walked inside as a dizzy feeling overtook my body. I froze and grabbed the first thing I had close to me which appeared to be the shoulder of some random girl. She looked at me and grabbed my shoulders. 'Are you okay?'

I nodded slowly.

'You're really pale, sit down. Do you have something with sugar with you?'

I shook my head. 'I'm fine, thanks,' I said with a smile. 'I'm going to Sapnap.'

'Okay,' the girl said with a smile. 'I hope you're okay.'

I nodded and walked to Sapnap who was looking at me with a grin on his face. 'Getting all the girls like usual?'

I rolled my eyes. 'I've told you around a thousand times that I'm not interested in them. It's not that bad either, it's just around five to ten girls in the whole school who like me.'

'Well, I can be lucky if one girl will ever like me.'

I grinned. 'You look good, dude. Don't worry about it, you'll get someone.'

'Why don't you ever take a chance?'

'I don't like them.'

'That's fine,' Sapnap said with a smile. 'I was just wondering if there was something different behind it.'

'Like what?'

'I don't know, I don't want to assume.'

'Assume what?'

'Your sexuality,' Sapnap said as he opened his locker.

I nodded slowly and opened mine as well, not answering his question. I never thought about my sexuality and I had no idea what I was either. I never liked a girl nor a boy, but I had never shown any interest in girls either.

'Did I make you uncomfortable?' Sapnap asked. 'I'm still not assuming anything, I'm just thinking logically and you've never shown interest in girls so you can always be gay or aromantic.'

I shrugged. 'I haven't thought about it, I don't really want to either if I'm honest. Let's change the subject please, it's just making me a bit uncomfortable. I can't tell why.'

'That's fine,' Sapnap said with a smile as he started telling me a story he experienced yesterday after school. I really appreciated him being my friend.

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