1987 [BoyxBoy]

Chapter 16 - What Happened That Night?

Following the call with the gas station cashier, Billy immediately thought of Peter. He needed to be with him right now. Disgusting things were revealed to him that he was now wishing he didn't know. He wanted to cry. He almost felt like he wanted to die. Billy felt like he failed Brenda. Like he didn't protect her. And it was true.

He called Peter in an indistinguishable voice. Billy was sobbing but in a whisper so his mom wouldn't wake up. Peter could feel Billy's pain through the phone and was begging him to slowdown and try to speak clearer so he could understand.

"I- I- I need to see you. Now," Billy was finally able to get out.

Peter gave him a soft "ok" and hung up the phone worried.

Billy snuck himself down the stairs and out of his house. He got into his car and began his route to Peter's house. The sobbing didn't stop while he was driving. If anything, it intensified as he thought about what he was told over and over in an attempt to figure out how to explain it to Peter. As he sped down the road he felt like he couldn't breathe. He started to hyperventilate and started to feel like he was going to pass out. Billy tried to keep himself steady, until he couldn't anymore.

In what felt like a second, Billy found himself off the road. His eyes opened and observed his surroundings. He was upside down, he could feel blood running down his face, and his entire windshield had fell in on him. The boy tried to stay conscious until someone came to help, but after fighting for what felt like hours, he eventually gave in.

~

The sound of rhythmic beeps echoed through Billy's ear. He could feel himself waking up. As he came to, an intense wave of pain hit him, pulling the boy entirely out of his sleep. Through his clouded vision, all he could see was white. For a second he'd thought he'd died, but the fog cleared and he found himself in a familiar room. He took several blinks in an attempt to clear the rest of the fog in his eyes.

"You're awake," a woman's voice said next to Billy.

He turned to the side and was greeted by the warm face of his mother. Her eyes were puffy, but she looked relieved to see her son awake.

"Where..." the boy began, his head still reeling from what happened.

"A hospital. I don't know if you remember, it has been some time, but you crashed your car three weeks ago. Totaled it, actually. The doctors said you were lucky to make it out the way you did."

Billy glanced down at his body. His right arm and both of his legs were in casts. He chuckled a bit at how this was their idea of lucky. He immediately reprimanded that thought, knowing very well that it could have been worse for him.

"I should probably let the doctors know you're awake. I'll be right back."

"Wait! Has, um, Peter stopped by?"

"Everyday. He comes here the second school gets out and sits with me."

"Is he here now?"

"It's only 1:30, but you can bet your bottom dollar that he'll be here after 3:00. He'll be so excited to see that you finally woke up."

Billy smiled. His mom caught glimpse of his smile, and shot him a knowing wink in return which set Billy at ease. Thinking of Peter made him think of the reason he got in his car that late in the first place. That call. That dreadful call that ruined him. He began to shed some tears while his mom was out. Hearing what happened to her made him feel like a failure. Billy hadn't protected the one girl he cared the most about and let something so terrible happen to her. And he knew the first thing Peter was going to ask was "what happened on that phone call?" He also knew he had to tell him everything that the guy told him. Hearing it was one thing, but having to speak it and go into detail about what happened to Brenda felt like it was going to be too hard.