Give Me Your Heart and Your Hand and We Can Run.

(Eric's p.o.v)

"Hold it, Lambert."

I froze, not liking the serious tone Kyle was using. I wanted nothing more than to vanish from sight.

I turned around slowly, eyes growing wide at the mob in front of me.

All of them, Dave, Kyle, Kellin, Jesse, Justin, Elliot, Jack, Gabe, Matty, even Beau- my best friend- stood in a line, arms crossed and scowls on their faces. Beau was the only one who didn't look too upset, but more dissappointed, which only made me feel worse.

"So guess what we found out today?" Dave spat, making sound more like a statement than a question.

I gulped, taking a defensive step back. The boys mirrored and took one step foward.

"It seems like someone has been hiding something from us for quite some time." Justin added.

"Cut the shit, guys. Tell me Eric, is everything Josh told us true?" Kyle said, eyes never leaving mine.

I struggled for words. I was never good in situations like these."Well, I-I, most-"

"Eric." Beau said, taking a step closer towards me. I felt frozen in place as I looked up at him. "Is it true?"

"Y-Yes." I squeaked.

Beau's eyes widened as he took a step back, staring in disbelief.

"Oh shit." Matty said.

"Fucking knew it." Justin muttered.

"And you said nothing this entire time?" Kyle said, ignoring the bell.

"Come on, what could he say? He's guilty and he knew it." Gabe replied.

"Get to class boys!" Mrs. Hills shouted.

"Fuck this, I'm leaving." Dave said, which the boys agreed to.

"W-Wait." I said, reaching for his arm. He pulled back and looked at me with disgust.

"Don't fucking touch me, Lambert. You fucked up real bad this time." He spat.

And they left me. All except for one, the one I had been fearing the most.

My own best friend, the one who had stuck by me for years, the one who had never left. Not once.

"Beau." I said, staring at him.

"I just, I can't believe it. I can't believe you would do something like that." He said, sounding like a dissappointed parent.

"Please, you have to understand-"

"I understand perfectly." He cut off. "But in reality, it doesn't matter. No matter what you say, it won't change what you did. It won't make it sound any better, or make me feel any better, so don't sugarcoat it. It won't do you any good."

"Beau, you're my best friend." I whimpered.

He sighed. "Yeah, I know. But I just, it's going to take a lot more than that. I'm sorry, Eric."

"Don't lea-"

I stopped myself because that's exactly what he did.

He left.

Everything good I ever had is gone. I just lost the last- and most important- part of it all.

I've lost everything.

And it's all thanks to him.

I walked to the nurse, constantly wiping my eyes and trying not to cry at school because I'm lame enough already.

"Hello Mr. Lambert, can I help you?" The nurse asked.

"I feel bad, really, really bad." I replied.

"Tell me where it hurts." She said.

And that once sentence made me lose it, because I pointed straight to my heart.

I cried, letting my body sink to the floor as I buried my head in my hands.

"Please, Eric. Tell me what's wrong." She said softly, patting my back before getting up and putting a 'nurse is busy' sign in front of the window.

"It was so terrible." I said in between sobs. "Please, can I just go home?"

"Now normally, by school rule if there's nothing physically wrong I would say no, but yes you may." She replied, helping me up from the floor.

"Thank you, thank you so much." I said, wiping my eyes.

"I don't think I've ever seen a boy so broken. I'm glad you came here." She said, handing me a pass and opening the door.

I checked to see if the hallway was clear before quickly walking to my locker. I grabbed my backpack and slammed it, wanting nothing more to be home and away from everyone.

I drove home, listening to sad songs and wallowing in self hate, anger, and humiliation.

When I finally made it to my house, I went to the bathroom, turning on the light and looking at the boy in the mirror.

Normally I would see myself, but this time I saw someone different.

I saw someone who was used, embarrassed, shamed, someone who had lost everything; the person I never thought I could be.

That's who I saw.

The tears never stopped, and I didn't try to stop them either.

I stayed in bed, replaying the worst of today's events in my head, which only made me feel worse than I thought was possible.

"Beau."

"I just, I can't believe it. I can't believe you would do something like that."

"Please, you have to understand-"

"I understand perfectly. But in reality, it doesn't matter. No matter what you say, it won't change what you did. It won't make it sound any better, or make me feel any better, so don't sugarcoat it. It won't do you any good."

"Beau, you're my best friend."

"Yeah, I know. But I just, it's going to take a lot more than that. I'm sorry, Eric."

"Don't lea-"

I constantly wiped my eyes.

Losing everything wouldn't be so bad if everything didn't include your best friend.

"Beau." I said, allowing another wave of tears tto come crashing down.

After a few sobs and sniffs, the doorbell rang.

I reluctantly got out of bed, taking a deep breath and faking a smile to the person behind the door.

Except this wasn't just a person.

It was Tony.