Can't Stay Away

I had trouble sleeping, and I hardly ate; my hunger forgotten by my worries. All day I watched for any sign of Brendon. But there wasn't any.

A week later, I somehow managed to fall asleep while watching the Urie's driveway. When I woke up, Mr. Urie's car was in the driveway. I looked at the clock and was instantly confused. He should be at work right now. I watched carefully and soon, Mr. Urie left the house, looking around carefully as he got into his car and left. Was Brendon home?

Curious, I left my house and went over to Brendon's house. I looked around before pulling out their house key from my jeans pocket. I unlocked the door and opened it quietly. I stepped in and closed the door. The house still held that eerie silence that it had a week ago. I hurried up the stairs and to Brendon's room. The door was still closed. But this time, I didn't hesitate to open the door.

He was there. Brendon was there. I couldn't see his face, but he had a hand placed on the boards covering his window. The arm that dangled by his side was wrapped in a cast.

"Brendon?" I said. He turned to look at me, and I saw that he was crying. He forced a smile...but it didn't reach his eyes. I crossed the room until I was in front of him and I wrapped my arms around him tightly. I had missed him so much. "Where were you?"

"Hospital," he said in a low voice. I nodded my head, burying my face into the crook of his neck.

"I was so scared," I murmured against his neck. "I didn't know where you were."

"Well, I'm back now," he said.

"I know," I said. I pulled away from him so that I could look at his face. "I think you should leave."

Confusion showed on Brendon's face.

"Leave?" he asked.

"You shouldn't stay here," I said. "I'm worried that one of these days your father is going to hurt you more seriously, and that the next time you won't come back."

"But I will," he said. "My father's not stupid."

"He is stupid," I said. "He hurts you. I can't stand to see you like this. I hate hearing you suffer."

Brendon looked down.

"You heard me?" he asked.

"It's kind of hard not to," I said quietly. I touched his cast. "You should leave so that this doesn't happen again."

Brendon moved his arm so that my hand was no longer touching it. He looked up at me.

"I'm not leaving," Brendon said. "I can't leave."

"Yes you can," I said.

"Where am I supposed to go if I leave?" Brendon asked. "I'd have no where to live."

"You could live with me," I said. Brendon laughed bitterly.

"I can't just leave to live next door," he said. "If I leave, I don't want to live near my father. Besides, I doubt your parents would allow me to live in your house."

"They would," I said. "They're not like your father."

"Do they even know about us?" he asked. It was my turn to look away. "Do they?"

"No," I mumbled.

"That's what I thought," he said.

"Brendon," I said.

"Forget it," he said. "I'm not leaving and that's all there is to it."