When the Words Mean Nothing I'll Still Be Singing

I didn’t stick around outside and wait to see what Oliver was bitching about. He seemed beyond pissed, and it scared me a little. I decided it was just best for me to walk home. Liam was still in the kitchen baking up a storm when I walked through the door.

“It smells amazing in here,” I inhaled deeply, taking in the rich chocolaty sent.

“I know,” Mum said as she came up behind me, “I’m heading back out. Have a good day you two.”

And with a pat on my head and a kiss on Liam’s cheek, she was gone as quick as she came. My parents had a knack for that sort of thing.

“That was surprising,” I stated as I took a cookie that Liam had baked earlier that morning.

“You’re telling me,” he chuckled, “you should had seen my face when she walked in. I apparently looked like I shit myself.”

I choked on the little bit of cookie in my mouth as I began to laugh, which got Liam laughing at me.

“So,” Liam sighed once he calmed down enough to speak again, “why are you home so early… and Tom-less at that.”

“Oliver.” I knew I didn’t need to say any more about the situation. Just his name was enough.

“What did he do? Do I need to go over there and kick his ass?”

I chuckled, “no, you don’t need to go anywhere. He didn’t do anything to me. He just started pounding on Toms door and called him a ‘prick,’ and that’s when I jumped out the window.”

“You jumped out the window?” Liam asked in a worried parent tone.

“There’s a tree right there. So I jumped out the window and climbed down the tree.”

“Okay then… I guess that sounds a little better,” He chuckled as he put the oven mitts on and walked over to the stove, “one minute.”

I was about to ask what he was baking now, when there was a knock on the door, “I’ll get it.”

“I know.”

I rolled my eyes as I walked to the door. I wasn’t expecting to see Tom when I opened the door, but there he was, in all his bruised and bleeding glory.

“Tom!”

“Hi,” he smiled shyly, “can I come in?”

“Oh, yeah!” I nodded as I got out of the way, “what happened to you?”

“Oli” he mumbled as he took off his shoes, “I need to talk to you.”

“Of course,” I nodded as I took his hand and lead him up the stairs to the bathroom, “now. What do you need to talk about?”

He jumped up on the counter as I started to rummage through the medicine cabinet for a band-aid. It looked like Oliver had come at Tom with something sharp, then smoked him in the face with something hard. But I knew all too well that it was probably just Oliver’s fist that had done the damage to Toms beautiful face, leaving an ugly bruise around his right eye and on his cheek bone, with a little cut that was still slightly bleeding.

“I’m not at all proud of what I’m about to tell you, but I need you to promise me that you’ll hear me out before you make me leave.”

He looked at me with a mixture of guilt and determination in his eyes. I was very curious as to why he thought I would want to kick him out for what he was going to tell me. I nodded in agreement.

“Promise?” he urged, “I need to hear you say it.”

“Of course Tom, I promise,” I said soothingly, “Now what’s wrong?”

He took a deep breath and looked me in the eyes; “I needed to make sure I got to tell you this before Oli or one of his friends so you would know the truth, and not some stupid lie. Oli wanted me to get close to you then ditch you. But once I started hanging out with you again, I realised how much I missed you. And I realised that I don’t need to hangout with Oli and the guys if I have you. I don’t know why Oli wanted me to do that, but he said if I did he’d buy me booze, and hook me up with some fit blond chick he knows at the next party we go to.”

He stopped and looked down at his feet. I wasn’t sure how to react to all that. On one hand I was pleased that he wanted to be friends with me, and on the other I was a little upset that he had only started talking to be again because Oli promised him a quick fuck.
I heard a soft sniffle as Tom wiped his eyes with his sleeve, “I know you don’t want anything to do with me… I’ll just go.”

As soon as he hopped off of the counter I had him in a tight hug. He returned it gratefully and snuggled his face into the crook of my neck. If I weren’t so confused the gesture would have sent my stomach on a joy filled ride.

I rubbed his back soothingly as I whispered, “it’s okay… I forgive you.”

He moved his head so he could look me in the eyes again. His sparkling blue orbs burned into my rather dull brown ones. He looked slightly confused, but relieved all the same. I couldn’t be mad at him for a little mistake like that. He had confessed, and seemed to have learned a lesson from this.

I smiled reassuringly and let go of him to peal open the band-aid. I stuck the bright purple strip to his cheek and grinned childishly. All the while Tom hadn’t let me go. Now the butterflies were starting to kick in.

“So… you’re not mad at all then?” he asked as he finally let go.

I took his hand and started to drag him out the door, “no, I’m not mad… just a little disappointed. But I’m glad you told me.”

He stayed silent and simply followed me back down the stairs into the kitchen where Liam no longer resided, but a chocolate cake was cooling on the counter. I knew Liam would kill me if I cut it yet so I settled for the next best thing.

I picked up a cookie and put it in Tom’s mouth, “cookies and band-aids fix everything.”

He simply smiled and took the cookie before kissed me on the cheek and whispering in my ear, “so do kisses.”