POV: Dillion Smiley

I sighed as the warm water ran down my body. Whatever was left of the pink temp dye washed out down the drain along with stray glass pieces I find as I run my fingers through my hair. My arms got the brunt of scratches and scrapes from the shattered glass case, but also a large chunk found it’s way into my thigh. Which I didn’t even notice until I was already one block away from my house. The wound is still big and gapping. It hurts to put weight on my leg. The water runs red as the blood washes down the drain.

When I finish the long hot shower I dry off with a purple towel and change into some of Rebel’s clothes. Which include a hideous pair of basketball shorts, and a band t-shirt. The shorts are purple and the shirt is black with a bloody mean bear on it. I brush my hair and pull it up into a ponytail. I use and a spare toothbrush to brush my teeth and wrap gauze around my leg. Then with a deep breath, I walk out of the bathroom.

The smell of food makes my stomach lurch in pain. God, I’m so hungry I could eat a fucking horse. I’ve never been so hungry in my life.

“Hey, um you should let my mom patch you up she used to be a nurse you know.” Rebel stops me from going towards the food smell.

I pout and my stomach growls in protest.

“She can eat and be patched up at the same time.” Mom T says.

“Okay, yeah uh just sit here and I’ll bring you food.” Rebel leads over to the couch.

“I’m not a baby you know,” I complain.

“We just want to get you all patched up. Make sure you’re okay.” Mom T says.

She walks over to me and sets down a really big first aid kit. It’s like the size of a medium-sized suitcase. Talk about overboard. She unlatched it and opens it up. A hospital smell hits my nose and drowns out the food smell.

“How come you’re not a nurse anymore?” I ask her.

“Well, I wanted to take some time off to go back to school. I am getting my masters online. Plus I like being a stay at home mom, helps me keep an eye out on Rebel.” She winked at me as she put on latex gloves.

“You don’t have any allergies, do you?” she asked when she saw me staring.

“Huh? Oh no, not that I know of.” I shrug.

“Good. Now I’m just going to clean up some of these cuts. Is there one that’s really bad you want me to look at?” she asks.

I show her the deep gash on my arm and then I pull up the shorts a bit to show her the bleeding one on my thigh. She hisses in pain but quickly gets what she needs to get to work. Rebel comes back with a bag of McDonald's. Personally, I would die if this were a regular old day, I mean seriously that many calories in one burger should be a crime. But this is not a regular day and I would eat anything that looked like food at the moment. Even overly processed, sugar-soaked, frozen patty meat that calls itself food.

I snatch the bag from her hands and pull out a double cheeseburger. I open it up and take a large bite. God, food always tastes better when you are starving. I swear this taste like the best burger I’ve ever eaten, and I know for a fact it’s not.

“How did this happen?” Mom T asks.

I direct my attention away from the food and back onto her face. Behind her are Mom R and Rebel’s friends. All just standing around looking at me as if I’m some fucking exhibit or something. I swallow down my food and take a large gulp of soda before answering.

“My crazy-ass mom. She fucking pushed me into our glass curio cabinet where we kept all our family photos. The damn thing fell on me and shattered to pieces. That thing could have killed me! Fucking crazy ass bitch.” I take another bite of my burger.

The small girl with ebony skin and overly braided hair starts laughing. The girl is short. My first instinct is to call her trash bag girl, but I know that’s not her name. Birdie, was it? She has on an oversized sweater that falls to her knees. Leggings and small fur boots. Pretty cute actually. More my style for sure, she should have picked out the clothes.

Everyone looks at her like she just laughed at a funeral, but not me. I smile and then I start laughing too. Because come on, even I have to admit this shit sounds crazy. I mean after everything here I am in Rebel Reid house being pampered like a princess having just escaped hell. I guess they think I’m some hurt little animal or something but hell no. I’m still me, just a hungrier, grumpier, more tired me.

“What she is. Crazy bitch needs to be on some meds I swear it.” I laugh.

“Oh my god, here I thought you were going to be this more humbled girl. But still the same Dillion I see, I guess even all of this can’t change you.” Birdie laughs.

“Hey, I’m iconic.” I swing my ponytail around.

Soon everyone is snickering and giggling.

“Well, I’m glad you still have your spirit.” Mom T smiles.

She puts some numbing cream on my thigh around the large gash before I watch her pull out some stuff to give me stitches.

“This is going to hurt.” She says.

I nod.

Rebel places a reassuring hand on my shoulder. I quickly finish my burger and take a large drink of soda. When the needle pierces my skin I yelp.

“Ow, mother fucker.” I curse.

She starts going faster.

“Fuck, that fucking hurts.” I snap at her.

“Sorry, I’ll go faster.” She says.

I have to grab Rebel’s hand and squeeze tightly. Soon she is done and I sigh in relief.

“One down, one to go.” Mom T says.

She moves to my arm and starts cleaning that one up.

I sigh and start munching on fries.

“So what are you going to do? I mean like are you going to go to school tomorrow?” Fag tag asked, err I mean Scooter.

He has long shaggy hair that hangs in his face. He’s wearing black eyeliner like a freak and his clothes are too tight on him. Which looks weird with his oversized baggy jacket. His pants are a tad too short and I can see his ankles. God, I’m glad he didn’t pick out the clothes. Yikes, talk about a fashion disaster.

“Hell no, I’m not going back there. I don’t fucking know what I’m going to do. I can’t go back home my mom is a psycho. And she gets it from my family so I can’t go to the police because then I’ll just be put with another religious psycho. I swear they need help. I feel like I’m the only normal one in the fucking family. I don’t know, right now I just want to take a long nap.”

I wince when I feel the needle get inserted in.

“That’s fine. You don’t have to decide anything right now.” Mom R says.

I smile appreciatively at her before I curse at the needle.

When she is finally done she moves on to cleaning all my other cuts. I go back to eating grabbing a second burger.

“So what happened when you told your parents?” Rebel asks.

“You mean why did I run away? Well, let’s see I walked in the door. She slapped me down to the ground. They yelled at me, something about being a disgusting whore sinner or whatever. She slapped me around some more, then she pushed me into the curio. Disowned me, spat in my face and kicked me out. So yeah it went about as well as I expected.” I shrug.

“How awful.” Mom T shakes her head.

“Yeah well welcome to my life,” I grumbled and took another big bite.

She moves to inspect the scratch on my cheek. She decided it’s not so bad and leaves it alone before taking my hair down and looking at the ones on my head.

“I’m surprised you don’t have a concussion.” She says.

“Guess I’m just hard-headed.” I snort in amusement.

It’s weird ever since I came out, it’s like I just feel okay. Like obviously I am not okay, but I don’t know, I just don't feel worried or stressed. I have like this wave of calm over me. I don’t feel the need to be all defensive like I usually do. I just feel… free.

I can feel myself getting lethargic as she massages my scalp looking for bumps and scrapes. Like I am in sort of relaxed trance. I sink deeper into the couch. Before I know it, I am out like a light. Burger still in hand and everything.

“Dillion.” Rebel shakes me awake.

It takes a second for my eyes to focus.

“Come on, you can lay down in my room.” She takes the burger from my hand and helps me up.

I limp after her to her room and when I see that big bed I swear I hear the halleluiah chorus. Rebel moves the covers and I lay down. She giggles at me and wipes my mouth of ketchup with her shirt sleeve. I’m too tired to make a snappy come back so I just smile at her and close my eyes to sleep.

I don’t know how long I slept for but it felt like forever. Years at least. When I woke up my whole body was stiff and heavy feeling. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. The sun was shining through the window but there was no way in hell it was still the same day. Plus I really had to pee. I got up and stretched, several of my joints popping.

I walked out of the room and into the hall. The house was very silent. Either it was really early or no one was home. I shrugged and walked to the restroom. After I peed I washed up and then I walked around to investigate. I walked into the living room where Rebel was asleep on the couch. Her phone was charging next to her so I grabbed it and checked the time. Just past 8 in the morning. Damn, I really slept all day yesterday.

I set her phone down and walked to the kitchen. There was a plate of food wrapped in plastic wrap. It was still warm. There was a note on it. I peeled the sticky note off and examined the curly handwriting.

‘went to run errands might take a while. I should be back before 3. Here is some breakfast. Left some money on the entry table for lunch. Love – mom’

I set the note down and walked over to the entry table. I picked up the cash. 40 dollars. Add that to the 20 dollars I still have and that’s 60 dollars. Is that enough to get a ride out of this hell hole? Hmm. I mean eventually they are going to make me go home and no way in hell am I going back there. I glance at the couch, I have time.

I quickly go back into Rebel’s room and find a change of clothes something less hideous. I grab her backpack and pour everything out and shove some more of her clothes in it. Then I snatch a baseball cap and put my hair up in it. I grab the pants I wore yesterday and grab the cash out of the pocket. I put on my muddy shoes and sling the bag over my back. Then I grab the forty off the table and snatch Rebel’s car keys. I pause by the front door before going to the kitchen and taking the plate of breakfast. Then I quickly unlock the front door and walk over to her car.

I unlock the bug and get it. I freeze when I see the stick shift.

“Shit,” I say out loud.

Why the fuck does she have a stick shift? Who the hell drives a stick shift anymore? Fuck! Damn it. I look down at the pedals. Why are there three pedals? What’s the third one do? Fuck.

“fuck, fuck, fuck.” I smack the steering wheel.

Okay, now what?

I glance back at the house and sigh. Fuck, I’m stuck. I slam my head on the steering wheel. I wish I had my car and my phone. Damn it.

“Dillion!?” Rebel runs outside.

Fuck.

I force my head up and we lock eyes. She stares at me in confusion. I sigh and get out of the car.

“W-what are you doing?” she asks.

“Uh, nothing. Breakfast?” I hand her the plate before walking back inside.

“Why were you in my car? Are those my clothes? Why do you have my backpack?”

“Use your brain, why do you think.” I snap at her.

“Were you going to run away again?”

“Duh. If it wasn’t for your fucking car.” I sigh and set the keys on the entry table before pulling the money out and also set it down.

“Why would you do that?” she follows me to her room where I set the bag down and kick off my shoes and take off the hat.

“Why? Really? You have to ask. Hello, I don’t want to go home!”

“You don’t have to.”

“Right now I don’t, but eventually I will. So no thank you.”

“So what? You were just going to steal all my stuff and leave, just like that? After everything?”

“Pretty much.” I take the plate from her hands and walk back to the kitchen.

“Dillion what the hell!? You can’t just do that.”

“And why not?” I peel the plastic off.

“Because friends don’t just leave! I was going out of my mind after finding out you were missing. I… you can’t put me through that again.”

“Dramatic much? We aren’t even close. I hardly know you.” I grab a fork and sit at the table.

“Seriously, we are back on this now. Why can’t you just accept that we are friends now and move on!”

“Because I’ve never had a friend!” I shout.

She gives me a confused look before sitting next to me.

“I’ve never had a friend okay. Not a real one at least. Only pretenders. So when you say we are friends I find it very hard to believe considering I’ve never had a real friend. I mean what does it even mean to be friends? Do we braid each others hair and read bedtime stories or something? Because fuck that.” I stab the eggs.

“You know what your problem is, you are too afraid to let anyone in. Even now. You think that’s a sign of weakness, but you’re wrong. You don’t have to do this all alone. You don’t have to pretend to be strong. It’s okay to cry, to feel pain, it’s okay to admit your life is a disaster. A real friend won’t think less of you for it. A real friend stays by your side no matter what and helps you back to your feet. Friends are always there for each other, they look out for each other and take care of each other. They make you laugh when you are sad and they aren’t afraid to tell you how it is. Real friends don’t just get up and leave without a trace.”

I move the food around on the plate. God, why does she have to be so fucking ugh! She should write a book or something. I sigh and set the fork down before meeting those silver eyes. She is looking at me seriously.

“Okay fine, you win. I won’t do it again. Sorry. I just got scared.” I admit.

“I know, and that’s okay. But if you are scared come to me, don’t just run away. Running away never solved anything.” She places her hand on top of mine.

My insides feel all warm and shit. I feel heat rising to my cheek and I look away. Damn her for being so fucking cute. With her bed head and baggy t-shirt and boy boxers.

“Well you better grab a fork or I’m going to eat this all.” I change the subject.

She giggles before getting up to pour us some juice and grab a fork. Then she sets our glasses down before sitting next to me again.

She frowns at my shirt.

“What?” I look down at the purple flannel.

“That’s my favorite shirt.” She says.

“Well, it’s mine now.” I shrug.

“Is not!” she gets defensive.

“What are you going to do take it off of me? I’m hardly wearing anything underneath.” I tease.

Her whole face goes red. I giggle.

“That’s what I thought. Finders keepers, losers weepers.” I say in triumph before digging into the food.

“Is it too late to change my mind on this whole friend thing,” She grumbles.

“watch it.” I eye her.

“Kidding, gosh you’re so sensitive.”

“am not!”

“are too.” She hums as she chews.

Ugh! This girl is already getting under my skin and it’s only morning. Is it too late to learn how to drive a stick shift?