Chapter 5

  When we get to Harry’s house it’s very peaceful and quiet. It’s also impossible not to notice the mess all around the place. I suddenly feel really sorry for him because of the house he lives in. Because of the whole place and the situation. I also remember I haven’t heard him say a word about his mother. I want to ask him about her, but I’m aware of the fact that now is not a good time.

  Once we’re both inside the house Harry closes the door and heads somewhere forward, most likely into his brother’s room. I’m not sure if I should stay or come along but then I look around again and decide to follow.

  It’s a smaller house so all the rooms are connected to one another and there aren’t any halls except for the one separating the bedrooms. 

  First we go through the living room with a grey sofa in the middle and a broken television on a wooden coffee table. There’s a lot of laundry in the room and also a number of unfinished beer bottles. This place is a mess.

  Once we get to the narrow hall Harry opens the door on the right and steps inside.

,,Come in and close the door behind you. Trust me, in this house it’s better if you close yourself in every room possible. You never know who’s around.” He sounds as if they had visitors every other day. Or more like his dad has.

  ,,I can’t even imagine how hard it must be for you to live in this house.” I say dejectedly. And I mean every word of it. He only looks back at me and smiles reconcilingly. 

,,You get used to it.” There it is. That horrible sentence, that never ending lie. God how much I hate it. It makes my stomach twitch every time I hear it. ,,I just don’t want it for my little brother, you know.” He finishes his thought and I can’t do anything but agree. 

  ,,I know, and I wanna help you. Just tell me what you need me to do.”

,,Okay, so I figured that once he wakes up he could maybe stay at your house with me for just a little and then I could possibly send him to our aunt’s house, she lives in Sheffield which is only an hour away by train so I think it could work, what do you think?” He asks with a glimpse of hope in his eyes and most likely praying for me to approve of his plan. If he wakes up, I think to myself.

  ,,And what about you, what are your plans for you?” I want to know.

,,Honestly, I was hoping I could stay at your place a little longer, just before I figure something out. Or, if there’ll be no other option, I could go back here if you or your dad don’t want me around anymore which by the way I completely understand. I too wouldn’t want a random stranger living in my house.” He laughs awkwardly and starts blushing a bit.

  ,,No,” I say out of nowhere, as if I was his dad and I just forbid him to play football with his friends until he finishes all his homework. ,,I’m not gonna let you go back to this place ever again if there’s even the smallest option of another solution. This place is a dump and neither you or your brother deserve to live here. I promise you we’re gonna figure something out and before we do, I’ll try and convince dad to let you stay. Don’t worry, he’ll listen.”

  He suddenly stands up, bypasses a big pile of his brother’s clothes and then steps really close to me. I can even feel his intermittent breath on my face.

  ,,Thank you,” he whispers and squeezes me with his long arms. Even though this isn’t our first time hugging I can feel it’s the most honest one yet. His embrace is really strong so I tag along and put my arms around his higher waist. I can feel his heart slowly calm down and can’t help myself but feel happy. As if a single hug could change my entire perspective on life, as if his clasp could make all the bad things go away.

  After a couple of minutes which felt like never ending happiness Harry finally pulls away a little, still holding me with his arms, and looks me straight in my eyes as if he was trying to find something hidden in there, like a long kept secret. 

  ,,You’re not a stranger to me anymore,” I say with a smile on my lips.

,,Thank God for that one,” he notes and anchors his eyesight somewhere on my lips. Then he looks back at my whole face, smiles using only his lips and releases me from his grip. 

  I shake my head lightly in delightment and sit on his brother’s bed. Suddenly everything’s just a little…awkward, as if something was about to happen but it didn’t so now we’re both overthinking it and trying to figure out if what was supposed to happen would be better than what truly happened. But instead of blushing and dreaming of some moment which didn’t even take place in the story I take one of the bags he threw on the floor and start putting Victor’s clothes in it. I try to sort the clothes according to the seasons but when I look up I see Harry just throwing it in the bags completely randomly without any care so I forget my original plan and continue doing it the way he’s doing it.

  After his brother’s bedroom we just head right to the end of the hall to Harry’s room because he wanted to take all of his things as well.

Once we have everything we came here for Harry opens the door and suggests we go out in the hallway. When we get there, we get a clear view into the parent’s bedroom and the first thing I notice is a middle-aged man lying on the bed. At first I think he’s dead but then we hear a loud snore and realise he’s only asleep.

  The entire bedroom is filled with drugs and alcohol and stinks quite badly. He really is like Harry described him. I look back at him and see his disappointed face. He might be used to this by now, but there’s no doubt it still bugs him no matter what. 

  I hold his hand and say: ,,Let’s get out of here.”