Someday

Year 9, Day 243

A/N: With only five chapters to go and #Wattys2015 in full swing, I would appreciate every vote, comment and share Someday gets. 

As many of you have guessed, this story is very personal and close to my heart - this chapter especially, so all the love and support you give means so much, not just to me, but every Will and Bobby out there. 

Happy reading!

***

I was thirteen when I read 'It', and his image haunted me for months. I  thought there was nothing worse than that to plague my nightmares. 

I was wrong.

After three soft knocks on our door past midnight, I discovered my new ghost. It came in the form of a boy, badly beaten and barely breathing. There were bruises everywhere I looked, and I could see everything... everything. 

I didn't remember much, except screaming, really loud screaming, and my parents running, asking what was wrong. Then mom was sobbing; dad was calling 911. After that, all I could see was his face looking back at me. 

It didn't look like my Bobby at all.

It's been a few days, and I was still having nightmares of that night. When I did, I sneaked into Bobby's hospital room and slept on a chair next to him. It wasn't allowed, but most the nurses felt bad for me. Mom told them about my dreams and lack of sleep. I didn't mind that they looked at me like I was 5, scared of the dark and in need of a blanky. As long as I could stay, they can think whatever they want.

Bobby was my only cure to a sleepless night.

He was up when I tiptoed in the room tonight, so I asked, "Did I wake you?"

"No, couldn't sleep. You too?"

"Yeah," I answered, walking to the edge of the bed, my fists curling to a ball instinctively. It was hard to look him and not hate whoever did that, all of that. 

Despite spending a lot of time together since he'd been here, we hadn't talked about what happened that night, and I felt it weighing down on both of us. I wanted to know, and he wasn't sure how to tell me.

He wasn't sure how to tell anyone.

Everyone had been here - the police, child services, our principal, half the soccer team, my parents, my gran, even Austin and Parker. He didn't say a word of what happened, and I was getting worried. 

What if it happened again? 

We were lucky this time that he got to us before it was too late. We might no always be that lucky, and to be honest, that scared the shit out of me. My gut was telling me I knew who did it, but I wanted to believe that even they were human enough not to.

I was wrong... again.

"I told them, Will," Bobby admitted, his voice shaky, and I knew he was close to crying.

"Told them?" 

It was selfish to keep asking, but I needed to hear to this.

"About us."

"Who?"

Please tell me I'm wrong.

"My parents."