Hey Stranger

The scream that ripped out of Arden’s chest echoed off the walls in the hall as he was kicked hard in the ribs and a wet snap was heard. He whimpered softly as he crawled across the carpet towards his room. If he could just get there he could lock the door and he’d be safe for just a little while.

“Fucking Faggot!” His dad bellowed at him. “Cry little faggot! Fucking cry for your boyfriend!” With those words Arden received a hard kick to the jaw and for a just a second he blacked out. His dad’s hand curling in his hair and hulling him up to his feet brought him back to consciousness.

His dad back handed him hard and he tasted blood as he hit the floor and his head bounced off the floor. “How dare you ruin my wife’s fucking carpet with your dirty blood? You little shit!” A sharp pain shot up his leg and into his hip as his dad kicked him on the inside of his thigh. Again he screamed. His body hurt. It hurt everywhere…especially his heart, that hurt the most.

He’d abandoned Zaid and now it was over…over after Arden had the most wonderful day of his life. He was worthless…he’d abandoned the most beautiful boy for this…he was so stupid and he deserved to beaten like this for his idiocy. A fist connecting with the top of his skull brought him out of his thoughts. he hadn’t even realized he’d been pulled into sitting position by his hair. Black spots danced in front of his vision and for the first time since he’d walked in the door and his dad had punched him did he let tears fall from his eyes. His tears earned him another kick in the jaw and he hit the floor the spots starting to swallow his vision.

“I fucking hate you, you dirty little fuck! You’re going to burn in hell.” Was the last thing he heard before he was kicked in his already broken ribs one more time and he passed out.

Zaid’s POV

I’ve been calling Arden’s phone for the past 4 hours and he’s not picking up. It was almost midnight and…I’m worried, really worried. I’ve been pacing the floor of my room since my aunt walked out 3 hours ago. Why wasn’t he picking up? I had the worst feeling and for some reason I felt like it was my fault. Please be all right, I kept thinking. My phone sat in the middle of my bed and every few moments I would look at my phone hoping it would be him. I’d called him at least 6 times so I knew he had the number.

I kept beating myself up because not only had I let him leave, I’d told him to. I hated myself so much and loved him with everything I had…In the past hour I’ve come to realize that. I don’t know how it’s possible but I’ve fallen for him in less than three days but for some strange reason I’d felt like I’d loved him when I’d laid eyes on him for the time.

Oh god, that just made everything that much worse. I loved him and I’d told him to get out. I was so fucking stupid. I wanted to hold him in my arms again and keep him safe. I wanted to go to his house and beg him to forgive me just so I could see that he wasn’t curled on the floor dying. The problem was, I didn’t know where he lived…I didn’t know anything and I was so angry with myself for making him leave.

I dropped to my knees on the floor and started to rock back and forth. “Please call…please just call…let me know I you’re alright…” I begged him even though I knew he couldn’t hear me. Suddenly my phone rang and it was the ring tone for an unknown number… Spread Legs Not Lies by The Blackout.

I scrambled up from the floor and snatched the phone off my blanket practically tore the green slider open. “Hello?! Arden, are you okay? Is everything alright?” I don’t know how but I knew it was him.

“Zaid…” He mumbled, he sounded drowsy and like his jaw wasn’t working right.

“Baby, are you okay? I’m sorry I threw you out, I was angry and so fucking stupid. I’m so fucking sorr-” I babbled and then he cut me off.

“It hurts Zaid…”

“What happened?” I asked frantically and started to pace the floor again.

“He…he beat me…I’m sorry l-left you…p-please…d-don’t be mad at m-me…” He stuttered and then I heard him let out a soft sob. “I hurt so bad, Z…” He said, calling my by the monogram that was in his journal and on the inside of his wrist.

“I'm not mad. Where are you? I’m coming to get you.” I said suddenly grabbing my hoodie off the floor, not bothering to put on a shirt or change out of the sweat pants I’d thrown on earlier.

“The park on 9th…the one we were at today…” He said weakly.

“I’ll be there soon, Okay?” I said and he gave a weak, “Okay, hurry…I need you…” and then the line went dead. I had a moment of déjà vu…That creepy voice in my head had said the same thing to me on that first day. I rushed down the stairs not even bothering with shoes as I snatched my keys off the table. I darted out the door to the Escalade and pretty much threw myself into the driver’s seat.

I’d never gone 95mph on a main road before but in that moment I didn’t give a flying fuck if a cop pulled me over. I needed to get to Arden right now and even 95mph was too slow in my opinion. I swung the car into the lot and didn’t turn off the vehicle or shut the door when I saw him slumping in the same swing he’d been in earlier. I sprinted bare foot across the rocks, grass and sand collapsing to my knee in front of him once I reached him.

I wanted to cry when he lifted his eyes up to me. Both of his eyes were blackened, a dark bruise discolored his left cheek and jaw and his lips were cracked and bleeding…I inspected his face, placing my hand under his chin and from the discoloration along and under his nose as well as the fact it was bleeding indicated his nose was broken too...God this was all my fault.

“Oh baby…” I said sympathetically taking his hand into mine. He looked at me with those amber eyes that looked so broken and a tear slid down his cheek.

I stood and went to lift him out of the swing and yelped his arm wrapping around his rib cage. “There broken…” He whimpered and I gasped.

“I’m taking you to the hospital.” I said wrapping my arm around his waist so I wouldn’t hurt his ribs directly though I knew it hurt to simply breathe for him. I’d broken my ribs during foot ball practice my freshmen year when I’d been tackled. It sucked.

“No!” He shouted and then gasped holding his ribs tighter. “You’re aunt…she’s a nurse…She can help me…” He said. I didn’t know how he knew that but I didn’t ask because all I cared about was getting him home and getting him safe. I helped him into the car as gently as I could and got in speeding all the way home wanting to kick myself every time we went over a bump and Arden would let out the most painful sounding groan.

About 10 minutes later I struggled with carrying my broken boyfriend, yes that’s what I was calling him in my head, through the door without hurting him. Nadia saw us as I brought him in and darted off the couch not even daring to ask questions she simply told me to take him to my room and that she’d be up with supplies in a moment. I did as I was told feeling guilty as Arden started to cry from the pain as I carried him up the stairs.

I laid him on my bed and he looked up at me with those big eyes and bit my lip to keep from crying. He held his hand out for me and I took it immediately and knelt beside the bed.
“Zaid?” He said softly. “Thank you for helping me…” He sounded so weak.

“It’s okay, I was afraid you wouldn’t call me back, I thought you’d hate me…and I was terrified that this would happen.” I said and looked down.

Arden didn’t say anything instead he just reached out even though I knew it hurt him to do and lifted my chin. “Zaid I could never hate you…I was afraid you hated me…” he said.
“I couldn’t hate you either…I lo-“ I started and then my Aunt Nadia walked into my room her arms full of gauze, bandages, her medical kit and an ACE bandage. She looked at me and jerked her thumb over her shoulder silently telling me to get out.

God, damn it! Once again I wasn’t able to tell him how I felt.