>>> reasons to live <<<

two

bruce didn't know when but at some point in the night, he had fallen asleep. he awoke to his alarm going off and it was 7am, time to get ready for school. bruce felt like a zombie as he stood up from his desk. his neck was stiff and it hurt him, but he ignored it as he picked up a hoodie and jeans from the floor of his room. he hadn't had any time to do laundry this week and his clothes were scattered all over his room. he didn't know when or how this had happened, but he didn't have much time to ponder it. he stripped off his pajama pants from last night and shoved his books and work uniform into his backpack.

bruce walked through his house to the bathroom and looked himself in the mirror. he heard his own voice in his head, saying awful things to him. 'ugly. worthless. unloved,' bruce felt sick, looking into the mirror. he looked away and didn't look back as he brushed his teeth. he didn't bother with his hair, what was the point? he was unlovable either way. he checked for his mother's car when he reached the living room, but she wasn't home, as usual. he thought about grabbing something to eat, but didn't feel hungry enough to so he just left for the bus. he was 20 minutes early to the bus stop so he sat, earbuds in, talking to noone and doing nothing.

the bus came and bruce got on, along with a few other students from his school. they laughed and talked with one another, but bruce sat with someone he didn't know and did not talk to them the entire ride. his earbuds were in and the world around him was tuned out. he arrived at school and tony was waiting for him at their lockers. "hey, bruce," tony says, waving to bruce. bruce sighs and takes out his earbuds, "hey, tony." "what's wrong, buddy?" tony seems concerned, but bruce doesn't want to burden tony with his feelings. bruce smiles at tony, "i'm okay. i just didn't see your texts last night." tony seems unconvinced because that is what bruce says everyday, but he seems to let it go, "okay... do you want to hang out this weekend?" bruce thinks for a second. he is off on weekends, but by that time, he's usually too tired to do anything. he so desperately wants to tell his best friend how he's feeling, but he knows he can't. "sorry, tony, i can't this weekend," bruce says and tony sighs. "bruce, please tell me what's goi-" "i'm fine, tony. i just can't hang out with you," bruce says in a harsher tone and the bell rings. "shit," bruce says. hurriedly putting his stuff in his locker and keeping the books he needs in his bag. his class is on the other side of the school so he's going to be really late. he runs off to class, leaving tony to worry about his friend.