Chapter seven

Dinner was an awkward and tedious affair, everyone gathered by the small table, cramped, elbows touching.

“This fish is lovely, Mrs Wicks,” Matius said within the roaring silence.

Chris’s mother smiled thinly, “thank you Matius.” She gave a look to her family of utter disappointment. None took notice, only staring down at their plate of fish and chips. Chris entered the kitchen, from the stairs looking about for a space to eat. He found one between his father and brother. Micheal groaned and whined, as Chris forced himself in a small gap.

“I’m glad you all started without me,” he muttered looking at his uneaten food, no one respond to Chris's mutter, all happily going back to their original quiet. Chris took a taste of his fish, the texture mixing in his mouth, but the taste of salt lingered, and Chris grew a deep hunger for it, he quickly snatched the salt shaker from the table, putting as much of the seasoning as he could on his plate.

Both his father and brother turned to look at him, “er, Chris? I think that's enough.” Micheal said, looking down at the heaped salt, creating mountains and hills on his plate. Chris didn’t listen; he carried on pouring salt onto his chips and fish.

“Chris,” his father said more firmly,

Still Chris did not listen. Everyone began to look at Chris, as he carried on to pour salt.

“Chris,” he said again, “Chris!” he grabbed his hand, squeezing tight. “Chris i think you have enough salt on your chips.” He took the salt shaker away from him placing it the furthest away from his youngest son.

Chris licked his lips as he gazed down at his food, taking up his knife and fork, driving straight in, stuffing fish and chips in his mouth. He moaned in pleasure, cleaning any spec of salt on his lips.

“God he’s disgusting,” Grace mumbled, pushing her plate aside, going off her food.

Chris finished his dinner faster than he ever wished, his tongue washing the plate, desperate for any trace of salt. He immediately took a long gulp from his glass of water, but then ripped it away from his lips looking down at it with disgust. He grabbed the salt shaker again, poured as much as he could in the glass cup, then down it all in no breaks, the water dripped and oozed from the corner of his mouth, streaming from his chin. He crashed the cup back down on the table breathing heavily. He stuck his fingers for the salt embedded in his nails. He slumped in his chair happily, smiling. Though something in him tugged at Chris, and he knew not what it was. Everyone stared at Chris, concern pushing down on their brows.

“Did he drink a cup of salt water?” Amy questioned.

"Chris?" His mother called,

He looked up, glancing at his mother, his eyes blazing, blue and green combining and becoming one in a striking new shade, that burned curiously to all at the table, as their fixed on Chris's face, their bodies leaning closer and closer onto the table.

Chris looked about, the joy he felt gone, as he realized what he had done, he suddenly felt sick at his action, his mouth filling with the intoxicating taste of salt, he hated it, more so than the worrying looks that consumed his friends and families faces, he jumped from the table, rushing to the nearest bathroom. As soon as Chris left, all returned to normal, coming out of their trance.

Chris shoved two fingers down his throat, till he vomited out all his food, dry heaving, iron traveled up his throat as dark black dots appeared in his mashed up food. Chris landed on the floor, his hands on his stomach, trying to quiet the need that grew in his gut. Moments passed and Chris heard a knock at the door.

"Yes?" his voice scraped.

"It's Matius, open up?"

Chris lifted himself high enough on his knees, unlocking the door.

Matius walked in, with a cup, "here," he said, "some water without salt." He smiled, Chris took it, taking small sips.

"I don't know why i did that," he whispered, "i just couldn't control myself."

"It's fine Chris-"

"It's not," he felt as if he should cry but he felt empty. "First my eyes, then my bloody skin, now I'm craving salt. What the hell is wrong with me?"

"What's happening with your skin?" Matius asked, sitting down beside Chris.

"It's been itching like mad, and when I do scratch it, these old see through flakes peel off."

Matius creases his brow, "you sure their not just dry sk-"

"It's not dry skin," Chris said sure, "it sparkles in the light, watch." he pulled his arm up to the light as his arm flickered and shone.

Matius's eyes grew wide, "Jesus Christ,"

"I know," he pulled his arm back down.

"Why..?" Matius tied to speak,

"I don't know. Everything is turning upside down." Chris sighed.

Matius hummed. "Maybe you're a lizard person."

"God have you been talking to john?"

"John? John Mills?"

"Yeah, turns out he's doing an apprenticeship at the registry office."

Marius laughed, "I'm surprised he's doing anything."

"We talked for a bit, turns out Davie is dealing."

"That's hilarious."

"Shit it at it though."

"Davies shit at everything, he's your uncle George of our generation."

Chris smiled. Matius jabbed his shoulder on Chris's, "look at you smiling already, maybe the world isn't going upside down."

Chris chuckled out a breath, then sighed. "It really isn't you and James's job to worry about me."

"We know that, but we've known you since primary, and we know you. You do this thing where you just ignore everything, and get on with things, it's kind of concerning."

"I don't do that,"

"It's the reason why you're so carefree."

Chris frowned, "what's the point of thinking and dwelling on something when it's already happened."

"Christ you are so emotionally disconnected."

"Excuse me?"

"You can't identify your emotions properly." Matius explained.

"I know what my feelings are just fine, I'd rather just keep them to myself."

Marius shrugged, "whatever you say."

There was another knock on the door. As Micheal walked in, carrying two plates of cheesecake.

"How's everyone doing?" He looked to Chris,

"Fine," Chris grumbled.

"Great," he said sitting down opposite the two boys passing over the deserts. "Sorry Grace didn't want to wait for you guys so we started without you."

He sat there a while watching Chris and Matius eat. "Can i help you with something?" Chris asked.

"No," Michael waved off, "carry on."

Chris's brows lowered, "hard to with you staring."

"Well i want to make you eat it."

"I'm not five."

"To me you are."

Chris groaned and Micheal sniggered, leaning his head on the wall.

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Chris stood at the door awkwardly as Matius and James started to leave, James avoided Chris's face, quickly placing his shoes on waiting for Matius in the dark outside.

"He'll be over it tomorrow," Matius spoke hushly to Chris. Chris nodded stiffly, as Matius waved closing the door behind him.

Chris turned round, finding his family all sitting round the table. They smiled eerily at him.

"Chris," his mother chirped, "why don't you sit down."

Chris took a seat looking strangely at his family's smiling faces, all expect Grace who starred consistently up to the clock on the wall.

"Now Chris, we've noticed some troubling behavior." His father started off.

"Really what gave it away?"

They ignored Chris’s tone, "and we want to know what we can do to-" his father paused, "help,"

Chris looked at them silent, "I'm going to bed," he said getting up.

"Same," Grace spoke standing up.

"Now wait a minute-"

"See you in the morning." He said walking straight up the stairs.

He could hear his family groan and and Amy say, "i told you so,"

He climbed up the stairs with Grace following behind, "so," she began, "what was that about?"

"Honestly, no idea."

"You want to go to a party with me tonight?"

Chris stopped his body twisted round to face his sister, "what?"

"Want to go to a party with me?"

"You're inviting me?" Chris could hardly believe his words.

"Yes, look if you don't want to then-"

"No, I do." He raced.

"Cool. We'll go around ten, I'm gonna go steal Michael's keys." She then walked past Chris, heading into their brother's room.

Chris stood there for a moment processing the words his sister spoke, he smiled. Quickly he moved into his room, he smelled himself realizing he hadn't showered that day, running to the bathroom.

The water was nice on his skin, and felt as if he could breath, he was saddened when it ended but again he quickly shuffled back to his room, throwing the towel onto the floor, his light brown hair looking as if it were a deep chestnut, as it dripped. Chris placed some comfortable clothes on, though the only jeans he could find were black and ripped, he wore a semi cleaned jumper, with a small tomato stain. He shrugged, falling on his bed letting time pass, and soon an hour came by, picking up his phone and pushing it in his pocket, he traveled down the stairs. His father was in the lounge, reading, though he didn't notice his son leaving through the door. Grace waited by Michael's car doors, as she smiled at something on her phone, the screen illuminating her face, her hair was tied in two ponytails on both sides on her head, and she wore a small nose ring that Chris had never seen before.

"Hey." He said. She turned her head up, her smile vanishing,

"Hey." She replied, climbing into the car, Chris walked round to the other side.

"So, who's party is it?" He asked strapping himself in.

"I don't know, a friend's brother i think, i promised to go, since i haven't seen them for the whole summer, she just got back from Thailand or something."

Chris nodded, as she drove in silence, halfway through the drive she decided to turn on the radio, humming to the song.

"So, I noticed you haven't made any new friends," she said, staring at the road.

"I have other friends, I just don't hangout with them."

"That's called acquaintances, you twat,"

"What's the point? I'll only know them for a year, then I'll be off to uni."

They went back to silence as Grace pulled up to a house.

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