Graduation Road

Chapter 1: Almost Noon

TW: mentions of self-harm

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There was a sweet yet bitter taste in the air. The shades were slightly cracked, revealing the blinding sunlight. The room, scattered beyond rearrangement, perfectly reflected how Travis felt. The discussion from the previous night was the last thing he wanted to remember. Ironically, it was his first thought upon awakening.

He reluctantly reached for his phone to corroborate the agreement that was made last night. Before he even felt the phone in his hand, an excruciating yank came from his right side, which generated a sharp gasp in the back of his throat. His arm quickly retreated beside him. He had forgotten about the activity he had indulged in after his guests departed. He slowly pulled his t-shirt up, revealing a searing gash from his seventh rib all the way to just under his chest. He rolled his eyes, fully aware of the fact that he'd have to use a bandage to ensure that this wound didn't become worse than it needed to be. Funny. He'd been doing this for a while and he never had to use any sort of medical equipment.

Rocky. Einstein. The better Gallagher. These were all words that people used to refer to Travis. On the surface he acted as he was those things. They had no reason to believe otherwise. Anybody would begin to believe it. But Travis knew better. He was too smart to fall for the constant praise. Sure, it gave him a sense of pride, but there was a feeling lurking deep down in his gut that told him it was all a lie. And he wholeheartedly believed it. He was well aware that that was when the downward spiral began. And there was no way back. Not after this.

Travis rolled his eyes. It seemed that his stretching reopened the wound. He was sure of this as he felt the moisture spread from his shirt to his bed sheets. Great. Not only did he have to nurse his wound but he now had to wash his sheets. His calculated mind quickly began to conjure up a plan to make it into the hallway bathroom unnoticed. He was going to open the door, ensure nobody was there and slip down the hall and into the bathroom. If only he could find a way to also get his bed sheets downstairs without being asked questions-

A booming yell collided into his thoughts as his bedroom door burst open. Travis shot up in bed, feeling the pain shoot through his side. But he ignored it. Shane stood at the foot of his bed, grinning. Travis shot him back a puzzled look.

"So? How was it? Did you have fun?" Shane queried, eagerness hanging onto every word.

Travis rubbed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Shane sat on the bed, inching closer towards his twin brother. "I saw you come up here with that dude, the blonde dude," he continued as he saw the blank expression on Travis' face. "You really don't know what I'm talking about?"

Now this was something he hadn't considered. He was aware of the dreadful plans they had made when the party began to thin out. But he was drawing a blank when thinking of the more intricate details. What on earth was Shane talking about? Travis had heard countless absurdities come out of his brother's mouth. But this was something new.

A sudden pang shot through Travis' side again, however this one he couldn't hide. His fists gripped the mattress as he let out a groan. He could feel his nails digging through bedding, nearly ripping a hole through them. He quickly glanced at Shane, who luckily was distracted, scrolling on his phone. Not that he'd care about Travis' pain anyway.

Their relationship had always been like a typical brotherly bond. Of course, being the younger twin, saying that Travis was a victim of Shane's would be the understatement of the century. Travis could never understand what sick pleasure Shane gained from tormenting him. Didn't the constant sneaking into his room and messing with whatever new training equipment he had gotten or swiping any of his new video games tire him? Although they were twins and only born about one minute apart, Shane still had that sense of superiority over Travis.