The Halls of Westwood [BxB]

Chapter 28

Then things picked up again. His mom would show her face once or twice a week. Then a day. And then eventually it went back to normal... His dad would come home after two days, then a few hours late, and then eventually on time. But Jullian didn't get better. He still fought... He still argued and lashed out. And Sarah couldn't fix that. So she did what she thought was best and found somewhere that she thought could; Westwood Asylum.

Westwood hadn't helped him the way he expected it to. They had tried to provide classes and grief counseling, but Jullian wasn't too interested. Austin had helped... He gave him another outlet for a while, even if it wasn't a healthy one it was better than fighting. And then he realized he liked or maybe even loved Austin... Somehow that helped too.

But something Austin had said before shutting him out kept circling his mind. That he was boring or passionless... That was a lie. He was far from either of those things, he just didn't know how to express them anymore. Jullian was out to prove Austin wrong. And that was why he was standing in line at a small store with a new soccer ball in hand.

A young teenage girl stood at the register looking bored as she scanned through the person in front of him's items. She was pretty. She had frizzy purple curls that landed on her shoulders, golden skin, and a short and curvy body. She had a septum piercing and wore contacts that made her eyes an unrealistic golden color. Maybe Sarah had a point... Maybe his type was anyone who would disappoint his parents.

He bit back a laugh as he imagined how they would react to find out that not only had he caught feelings for a boy... But had slept with one too. He knew they'd hate Austin but wouldn't dare be vocal about it. He knew they'd cringe in distaste as his style, his attitude, and the fact that he chose to express himself as more feminine. Austin's presence would scare his mother... But if by some miracle they ever met him as his boyfriend she'd have a heart attack.

"Hello, did you find everything alright?" The girl sighed as she scanned the soccer ball. Jullian nodded before spotting a pack of sour skittles and a blow pop... He didn't hesitate to grab both and hand them to her. After every game, Tristan and Jullian always ate a pack of sour skittles to celebrate... Even when Tristan was at college and couldn't make it. It was a tradition and had quickly made skittles his favorite candy. As for the blow pop, he knew they were Austin's favorite.

"Yeah, fine" Jullian shrugged.

Not long after, he found himself standing in an empty, secluded park. It was no wonder it was so... Removed from society. The playground looked as though the weight of a feather would make it collapse. But there was a soccer field and that was all Jullian really needed.

His stomach twisted as he hesitantly dropped the ball to the ground. He wasn't even sure where to begin... He was so out of practice. He carefully dribbled the ball, allowing for muscle memory to take over. He didn't feel like he was playing. He felt like he was following the footsteps of the ghost of his past self. Trying to keep up, to follow his every move exactly.

For a moment he remembered sprinting across the field with the ball between his feet, praying he was faster than the other team. Praying he was more skilled than their goalie. Praying his teammates were close behind him instead of their competition. For a moment he could hear the crowd's scream and shout in excitement as the ball soared across the field...

He could also remember being a little kid. Maybe ten or eleven, standing at the fence and screaming at the top of his lungs as he watched Tristan win his first high school game. Or a toddler excitedly watching his brother's little league games and practices hoping that one day it would be him. Sometimes he was seven and walking onto the little league field with Tristan. This time he wasn't Tristan's annoying little brother, but he was a player. Or maybe he was fourteen and getting ready to try out for the high school team. Practicing with Sarah and Tristan nonstop.