The Devil's Assistant (19 Days Fanfic)

"If It Means A Lot To You"

By the time I got home it was technically the next day; I contemplated for a moment actually heading back to my place, but then I wondered how I'd explain to my mom why I came back so late (as well as the bruise I was sporting on my face), so I headed over to Jun Li's. I knew his dad wasn't home and his mom was more than likely passed out with no hope of waking her, so I went through the front door with no problem.

Just as I thought, his mom was on the couch with her prescription meds on the coffee table and Jun Li was tidying up, stopping momentarily to throw a blanket over her. He stopped as he heard the door open and glanced to see me entering.

"Oh. Hey." He smiled at me but then it faded as he asked: "What happened? Did you get jumped?" I shook my head and I quietly replied,

"It's nothing like that, I..." I trailed off, not sure how to explain. For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to say it was because of He Tian, I couldn't bring Jun Li into my problems. I smirked and continued: "It doesn't really hurt, anyway." What a lie; there was still twinges of pain, though that didn't matter as much as the concerned look on my friend's face.

Jun Li matched my smirk and remarked: "It's so like you to try to act all tough. You always beared the world on your own two shoulders, never tried to complain..." He trailed off, declining his head for a few moments before looking up at me and asking: "Will you come up to the roof with me?"

There was only a few occasions that we ever went up to the roof, and it was so we could mostly be alone and talk about whatever was bothering us openly. It was there that we never had to pretend that nothing was wrong and just let everything go. I knew that's why he and I went up there, so he could ask without feeling like he was prying.

In general, it was like old times; we played the radio and ate snacks, sitting shoulder to shoulder and enjoying the silence of the streets. I spaced out for a moment, thinking of what I would do the next day when He Tian woke up and knew I wasn't there. "So." Jun Li's voice broke my train of thought.

"So?" I repeated. Jun Li fell silent again, cracking open a can of soda. I dreaded what he'd say next, because I already had a feeling of what it'd be. "Jun Li--"

"Is he bullying you?" The question came after such a long time of him not talking. Jun Li didn't look directly at me, but out to the street.

"...what do you mean?" I asked.

"It has to be him, right? The one that did this..." Her motioned to the bruise on my face. There was another brief silence. "Are you two really friends or is that a lie?"

"Just drop it."

"No." He turned to meet my gaze head on. "Do you think I don't notice how you are when he's around, or notice what he is? I've seen this my whole life: my mom's fear and my dad causing it--"

"This isn't some kind of domestic violence case," I snapped. "He Tian is just your average pretty boy douche bag--"

"Who's pushing you around." I fell silent, not sure of how to reply. "He's bullying you, isolating you from your friends, controlling who you hang out with, where you go-- what does that sound like to you?"

Sighing, I shook my head. I knew he was right. It really did sound exactly how he described it. But dammit, why was this happening? All my life I've never had to come across a trippy situation like this one, or had to deal with a person like He Tian. "Let me help you," he offered. But I shook my head again, replying,

"No. You helping will only make things worse. Anyway, I'm trying to just end it on my own." But I felt doubtful, and Jun Li saw it all too well. He raised an eyebrow as he said,