The Long Run (BoyxBoy-teacher/student) *Completed*

Chapter 7

[Chapter 7]

I crack my eyes open slightly and my heart jumps slightly when I notice it’s dark, not that anyone would care. No one’s at home waiting for me with worried tears, no one’s praying that I’m okay, I’m alone and that’s how it’s always going to be. I bet not even Drew and Floyd know that I’m missing.

Using my elbows I push myself up into a sitting position against the inside of the bridge. A loud sound thunders over the road as a car drives overhead and disappears into the distance. If I listen closely, behind my heart beat and irregular breathing I can hear the sounds of cars horns, shouts and cheers erupt through the darkness.

I breathe in deeply, the cold winter air stinging my lungs. With all the strength I have left in my numb body I push myself up slightly, using the bridge to hold my weight. I wince the very minute my foot touches the rough ground. Pain rushes up my leg like electric shocks and pull me back to the ground. My face screws up in pain as I push my back against the cement again.

Why is everything so goddamn hard?! I want to cry out into the pointless night but instead I angrily wipe the stones from my hands and lean my head back against the wall. Slowly my heart returns to its former beat and my breathing calms. I sigh and close my eyes. What am I going to do with myself? I’m a wreck.

Long moments later I hear footsteps approaching me, or the bridge, however I don’t open my eyes. They stop barely a meter in front of me.

“If you’re going to rob me I have no money.” I growl. They could kill me for all I care, for all anyone cares.

“Now why would I do that?” They hiss back. “Although it sounds so pleasing I’ll have to pass this time up.”

My eyes snap open to face a familiar sight. “W-what are you doing here?” I stutter over my words more than I would like.

He rolls his eyes, “I live a few houses up and saw someone stumbling under here, figured they were drunk off their tits and decided to let them be.” Tex says, “Saw them pass out and then they woke, tried and failed to stand and I came to see if everything was alright.”

“Do you regret it?” I ask, watching him stand there drawing his foot in the ground.

“Huh?” He says, meeting my eyes for a split second.

“If you had have known it was me would you have come?”

He seems to think it through before shaking his head, “I would have come no matter what,” He sighs and freezes, before moving and sliding down the wall beside me.

“Why?” I reply, “Why help me when I did that?” Through the thin street lights bearing down here I can make out the blackened bruised skin.

He sighs and leans his head back, closing his eyes. “I’m not mad at you for this, I deserved it anyway.” Tex turns his head to the side and looks me in the eyes. “I shouldn’t have said what I did to Byron, I guess… I’m just,” He tumbles through the words in his mind, “Scared.”

My heart speeds up, trying to push as much blood through my body as it can. Trying and failing to keep my body warm. “Why would you be scared?” I ask, ignoring everything else he said, it’s true. He shouldn’t have said what he did.

“I have everything to be scared of.” He growls and looks away, frustrated. Pulling slightly and his down cast hair he answers, “Getting a scholarship is one of them. You’ve always been better than me, always first in everything and here I am, living in your shadow. I mean, no one notices the second place! You don’t know what it’s like.” He whispers the last sentence so quietly I’m not sure if he meant for me to hear it or not.