Teach Your Heart To Talk

Chapter 4

Ryan’s POV

I rush into the house and make an attempt to run over to the stairs but a hand shoots out of the dark living room and grips the back of my collar, pulling me back.
“Where have you been?” my father hisses into my face, his breath reeking of alcohol.
I make a face and turn my head away.
“I asked you a fucking question!” he yells and shakes me.
“I was … out … with a friend.” I mumble and he stares at me for a few seconds before starting to laugh loudly.
His grip loosens and I fall to the floor.
“You have no friends beside that idiot Spencer.” He laughs, swaying a bit.
I try to ignore him and heavy myself into a standing position again.
“Whatever. You’re supposed to be here when I come home.” He says angrily.
“Why? So you can hit me just because you feel like it?”
His expression turns into a frightening smirk.
“Careful, boy. You’re acting a bit out of it. I think I have to teach you a lesson.”
“Fuck you!” I hiss through gritted teeth and he leans back.
“Don’t talk to me like that. I won’t hesitate to throw you out again.”
I glare at him and think for a moment before I decide it’s not worth it so I lower my gaze and remain silent.
“Good, now I want food.” He says and pushes me into the kitchen before stumbling back into the living room.
I sigh and look for something to eat.

*

Brendon’s POV

After that I don’t see Ryan for a while.
I keep sitting in front of the window so I see when he’s outside but he barely is. The one time I do see him Spencer just picks him up and then they are gone.
I don’t even know why it’s getting to me like that.
I don’t know Ryan. I shouldn’t care like this but there’s just this feeling that something is wrong and that I should do something.
I almost go over there a few times but then decide not to do it when I’m about to open the front door.

It’s almost a week after I talked to Ryan and I gave up. What was I even thinking?
That he would become my best friend out of sudden?
I’m kind of stupid.
“Honey, what is it?” my mother asks and I look up from my plate.
“Huh?”
“You don’t look too happy.”
“I just didn’t sleep well.” I mumble, pushing the food around.
“Why don’t you ask Ryan to come over or something?”
I sigh and give up on eating.
“Or is he still mad?”
“What?”
“Brendon, I’m not stupid. He wasn’t over since he ran out of the house a week ago.”
I bite my lip and get up to put my plate away.
“I don’t know what happened but you have to fix it. You can’t just sit in your room the next five weeks.”
I turn around and rest my back against the counter.
“It’s not like he’s the only one around here. I can find other friends.” I lie.
“You won’t. You like that kid so don’t give up on the friendship.” She says and gets up as well.
She puts her plate away and leaves the room. I look after her and sigh.
“I have to buy a few things. Do you wanna come with?” I hear her ask.
“No”
Seconds later the front door falls shut and I’m alone.
My dad is always at work so I barely see him but I don’t really care.
After standing there for a few minutes I walk into the living room and fall down on the couch in front of the TV and turn it on. Some sitcom is on and I watch it halfheartedly while thinking about what my mother said.
Maybe she’s right and I should go over there and talk to Ryan but he said he doesn’t want to be my friend so why should I still bother to try?
I sit there for half an hour before I decide that it’s way to hot in here and get up to open the window. I freeze when I notice that I can see into one of the kitchen windows of Ryan’s house.
There’s a man sitting at the table, empty bottles in front of him. I stare at him for a while till Ryan walks into the room, head down and arms around himself.
He says something and the man’s face turns into a grimace before he reaches out to grab one of the empty bottles to throw it in Ryan’s direction. I gasp but Ryan steps to the side like this isn’t new to him. He opens his mouth but his father gets up and pushes him against the next wall. They seem to argue and Ryan struggles and glares. Then suddenly his expression changes and he tries to push his father away, looking completely frightened. The man pushes his hands away and Ryan is crying out of sudden, sinking to the floor and looking around frantically.
His father laughs and reaches down to grab his son by the collar of his shirt to heave him up again. Then he raises his fist and my eyes grow wide as I watch how Ryan’s father hits him again and again. In the face, in the stomach, in the ribs.
Ryan sinks to the floor again and I think I even hear his pained cries. I can’t see him anymore but I see his father kick at something at the ground.
I blink a few times when I break out of my trance. Quickly, I turn and run out of the door and over to the next house. I start pounding on the door and when the door opens Ryan’s father stands in front of me, swaying slightly.
My body reacts on its own and I hit him right in the face. He stumbles back and falls. I watch him for a second, making sure he’s unconscious before I run into the kitchen.
Ryan is lying on the floor, whimpering and shaking.
There’s a deep cut on his cheek, his nose and lip are bleeding and he will probably get a black eye. He’s holding his stomach and his breathing doesn’t sound healthy.
I crouch down in front of him and reach out to touch his arm but he flinches and shies away.
“Ryan?” I ask softly and he whimpers again before looking up at me.
At first his eyes widen and he starts crawling backwards but cries out and slumps down again.
I watch him for a few seconds longer before I get up to look for a phone. When I found it I call 911 quickly and then rush to his side again.
“The ambulance will be here soon.” I whisper but he just cries out and I bite my lip.
What should I do?
He looks like he’s about to pass out and I start to panic.
“Hey, stay awake.” I whisper and he tries to heave himself up again, falling back against the wall so he’s sitting.
His eyes are still filled with fear and I just keep staring at him. Then suddenly his expression changes and he blinks a few times and looks around as if searching for something.
“R-Ryan?” I ask and his gaze rests on me as if he just noticed me.
“Oh” he whispers. “It’s you.”
I frown and he makes an attempt to get up but his face turns into a grimace and he falls down again, holding his side.
“Careful” I whisper and lean forward to wrap my arms around his waist, helping him off the floor.
He groans and I bite my lip while helping him into the living room so he can lie down on the couch.
“How do you feel?” I ask.
“I hurt all over.” He whispers and closes his eyes. “Where’s dad?”
I get up and walk into the hall to see that Ryan’s father is snoring on the floor.
“Passed out” I say when I walk into the room again.
He nods and relaxes.
“How did you know?”
“I can see into your kitchen from my living room window.” I say.
He sighs and turns onto his side with a grimace, looking at me.
“I’m sorry I overreacted a week ago. I can’t help it.” He mumbles and I smile.
“It’s okay. I shouldn’t have asked you to tell me your secrets. You don’t have to tell me.”
He smiles as well but groans and holds his jaw.
“Just lie down till the ambulance arrives.” I say and he nods and turns onto his back again.
I sit back and look around the room before resting my gaze on Ryan again. His eyes are closed and his breathing is still uneven.
I look down at his hand and the sudden urge to grab it comes over me but I bite my lip and look away.
Ten minutes later the ambulance arrives.

*

At the hospital they notice three broken ribs and internal bleeding so they get Ryan into surgery immediately. I have to stay in the waiting room and after half an hour two police officers walk in.
“Mr. Urie?”
I look up at one of them and nod.
“Is it right that you called the ambulance?”
I nod again.
“I guess you can tell us what happened then.”
I sit straight in my chair and consider lying to them for a moment.
“I saw Ryan and his father in their kitchen since I can look in there from our living room. At first they were just arguing, I think, but then his father started hitting him till he fell to the floor and even then he started to kick at him.”
They nod and look at each other before one of them writes something down.
“Are you and the boy close?” he asks and looks at me expectantly.
“Uhm, not really. I’m new in town and met him on my first day here. That was a week ago.”
“Did you notice any signs of abuse before this?”
“Yes, one night he stumbled out of his house and I followed him. His face looked awful so I guess his father hit him then too. My mom helped him out and then he went to a friend’s house.”
They nod again and exchange looks.
“Your friend’s father is already at the police station but he denies ever hurting his son. We didn’t doubt that he did though.”
I nod.
“Anything else you want to know?” I ask.
“Actually, yes” one of them says. “Ryan is eighteen years old and would be perfectly fine living on his own but seeing the circumstances we think he shouldn’t be on his own.”
“Means?”
“He should stay with a person he knows so is there a possibility that he could stay with you?”
My mouth opens and closes again.
“M-me? You mean, at home … with me?”
“Yes”
“I don’t know. I can’t decide that on my own.”
“Of course. We will be here till Ryan wakes up anyway so you have enough time to decide.”
I nod and they smile at me.
“That’s it for now.”
They walk away and when they rounded a corner I get up and run over to the counter quickly.
“Excuse me, could I make a call?”
“Of course, sweetie. The phone’s over there.” The lady behind the counter says and I thank her before running to the phone and dialing the number quickly.
“Hello?” my mother’s voice asks.
“Mom, hey”
“Brendon? Where are you and why didn’t you call earlier?”
“I’m sorry. I’m at the hospital.”
“What? Why? What happened? Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay. It’s Ryan. His father beat him up.”
“I knew it.” She sighs.
“Yeah … uhm. His dad isn’t going to stay with him anymore but he can’t live on his own and the police officers asked me of he could stay with us?”
“Why can’t he live on his own? How old is he?”
“Eighteen but- ”
“Of course he can stay with us. I’m not heartless.”
I sigh relieved.
“Thanks, mom.”
“So I guess this will take a bit longer, huh?”
“Yes”
“Just call when you want me to pick you up.”
“I will.”
“Alright, bye then.”
“Bye”
I hang up and look around.
Fuck.
This means Ryan will be with the all the time.
That thought should frighten me or something but I find myself smiling over it.
I have no idea how much longer I have to wait but it’s already driving me crazy.

*

Almost two hours later a nurse comes into the waiting room and tells me that Ryan is awake and I can go see him. I follow her into the room where the police officers are already talking to Ryan.
He looks awful. His skin is almost as white as the sheets, showing the dark bruises.
“I guess we are finished here.” One of the police officers says and the other one turns to look at me.
“Did you decide what to do?” he asks and I nod.
“I called my mom. It’s okay.” I say and lock eyes with Ryan who just stares back emotionless.
“Very good. It’s settled then.”
We all shake hands and then they are gone.
“What did they tell you?” Ryan asks out of sudden.
“Huh? Nothing. Why?”
He nods to himself.
“Nevermind”
I want to ask again but he glares at me so I shut up.
“So how do you feel?” I ask instead.
“Not too well.” He chuckles. “The doctor said I’m free to leave in a few hours though.”
“Yeah, about that. You- ”
“I know. I will stay with you.”
“Are you mad?”
“I should be, huh?”
“Are you?”
“No, I don’t want to live on my own anyway. I wouldn’t even manage it.”
The door opens and the doctor walks in with a piece of paper which he hands Ryan.
“This is the prescription you wanted.” He says and Ryan nods.
“What for?” I ask and the doctor looks at me.
“Oh, just some painkillers.” Ryan says way too quickly and the doctor frowns but says nothing about it.
Then he checks on Ryan’s wounds and looks at his ribs before deciding that he’s free to go already.
“Well, that was quick.” I say when Ryan tries to get into his own clothes. “I’ll go down to the reception to call my mom. Are you able to come down there by yourself?”
He nods and jumps into his tight jeans, his face turning into a grimace. With shaking fingers he works on the zipper and when I don’t leave he looks up and frowns at me.
Oops. Seems like I stared at him a bit too long.
“Didn’t you want to call your mom?” he asks and turns around.
“Sure, sure”
I open the door and turn to take one last look at him before walking out and walking along the hall.
I definitely like his ass.