The End of Summer

Chapter 37- 'You don't look like an oil painting either Daywalker.'

A/N: Thank you to TazAbrary for the amazing banner it is so sexy i love it.

I will post more banners and what not on Instagram, so if yours doesnt make it to the side of the story don't worry it will be seen because i love them all.

--

It didn’t go away.

As hard as I blinked, as hard as I tried to let what had just happened crumble away and wake up from this nightmare, it was happening. I was wide awake and this was reality.

I knelt beside Archie still rocking his brother’s lifeless body, not being able to stop the tears that poured out as I watched him. Seeing any one you care about crying is unbearable, but watching this was the next step up from unbearable. Archie was a joker, he would always have a smile on his face and he could take the most serious, depressing situation and make some comment that would make you smile and forget about everything.

Now however, as he clung onto Alex and cried into his shoulder, he was not that boy anymore. He was struck with so much grief that I don’t know how he would ever recover. I don’t know how any of us would ever recover.

Archie loved his brother more than anything in this world, and now that he was gone I had no idea what would happen to him. As sad as it was to admit, a part of Archie died right along with Alex at that moment.

His screaming had stopped. That blood curling scream of agony that came out of his mouth as Alex had stopped breathing finally ceased, but now as I watched him cry I had no idea what was worse. It was all something you never wanted to see.

“Archie…” My voice came out choked as I tried to get his attention, but he didn’t lift his head from his brother’s shoulder, his own were shaking as he cried. I pressed my lips together as I watched him, not wanting to let the sobbing commence again. As I spoke though, it was a lot harder to hold back “Archie please look at me.”

I lifted my hand to place on his shaking shoulders. When there was no reaction, I moved closer to him still on my knees as I tried to pry him away from Alex, biting my teeth together so hard it almost hurt.

“Archie…” I said hoarsely, and to my surprise he finally lifted his head to look at me. I suddenly wished he hadn't. My heart broke into a million pieces as I saw his face. His tear stained face and bloodshot eyes.

I think he tried to say something back, but no sound came out of his mouth. His chest was rising up and down so frantically as he tried to catch his breath I don’t think he could form a sentence together if he tried.

I crawled closer to him, since he refused unwrap his arms from around Alex the only way I could begin to try and comfort him was to kneel behind him. The hand that was on his shoulder stayed there and I placed my head on his other shoulder. I wrapped my hand around his forearm, griping onto it tight either for his benefit or mine, needing to hold onto him so he stayed here with me.  

“I’m so sorry…” As hard I tried, those words couldn’t come out steady. My voice broke on the last word, and I saw him scrunch his eyes together as he let out another choked sob at my words. I wrapped my arms around him tighter, repeating the same words against his shoulder blade. After a few minutes, I was stunned to feel one of his hands grab mine on his forearm.

I could hear voices and noises coming from the classroom, and it briefly registered that the police were finally here.

I lifted my face off of his shoulder, and turned it so I could see the side of his face. His beautiful broken face.

“He was happy. You saw his smile, he was finally happy…” I whispered to him. He needed to know that Alex was not bitter, Alex was smiling. He was no longer hurting, and he was finally remotely close to peaceful.