One Love

"Dude, Audio. What's with the bruised eye?" I asked concerned as I stuck my hand out to brush my fingertip against his skin. As I did so make up came off of his face and it was only then that I could tell how big it actually was. I gasped and didn't say anything else. I was at a loss for words. He just kept scratching his pencil against the paper as if it wasn't a big deal. "Audio," I demanded.

"It's nothing. I just accidentally punched myself in the face as I was pulling the blankets up last night. You know how clumsy I am," he explained without even looking up. But I could tell he wasn't telling the truth. He was so lying through his teeth. He always did the same thing whenever he would lie. He'd keep himself from making eye contact because he got all awkward whenever he'd lie straight to someone's face.

I sighed and rubbed my eyes in a frustrated manner. "An accidental punch from yourself wouldn't produce a shiner that large. What happened?"

But Audio wouldn't say anything. He wasn't going to budge, and that just made me even more mad. Of course I knew it was Andy. The psycho ordered Audio around like he was a slave. It made me sick. He never let him do anything he wanted and he always had a curfew. Stupid early curfews that not even the world's strictest parents would set for their children. I sat back and leaned my head against the wall as the rage pumped through my veins. Just the thought of Andy pissed me off and now I have to see the aftermath of his outrageous tantrums on Audio's innocent, harmless face.

Andy used to be an okay guy when we were in middle school. He did have a mouth on him that sometimes made me want to slam his face into a brick wall, but I was able to tolerate him as long as I didn't get to close to him. Audio was good friends with him and they started dating once Audio accepted the fact that he was gay. It was shortly after that when things got bad. Andy got overly attached to Audio freshman year and became verbally abusive. "Audio, you piece of fucking shit. You never do anything. No wonder no one wants to be around your ugly ass," I heard him yell once. I always wanted to stick up for Audio, but it was hard to do when he wouldn't even talk to me about it. I'm not even sure that he would want me to help him stand his ground.

"I'm going to kill Andy," I absentmindedly mumbled out loud in the middle of my thoughts.

Audio looked over at me with an expression filled with both surprise and annoyance. "What did you say?"

"You heard me," I rolled my eyes. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that you got that mark from an unjustifiable temper tantrum from you know who."

"Shut the fuck up," Audio said calmly, but it was easy to tell he was deadly serious by the look on his face. I wanted to feel bad, but I couldn't. I wasn't the bad guy here. I was the one trying to help Audio. I wanted to get him out of that toxic relationship, but he wouldn't accept anyone's help. He wouldn't even accept the fact that he was in a relationship with the biggest piece of shit in town.

"What did that shit bag do to you?" I boomed.

Audio threw his pencil down and shot up. He shoved his binder into his backpack, crinkling all of his papers in the process and, before storming out of my room, said, "All you ever do is talk down about my goddamn boyfriend and I'm sick of it! At least I stick to one guy unlike you."

And with that he was gone at the speed of light. My mom peaked her head in my door with a look on her face as if to ask, "What the hell?" I got up and slammed the door in her face. I reached into my pocket and looked at the time. It was still early; school had just let out, but I didn't have any plans for the night. I had intended to spend the day with my best friend, but I guess that wasn't going to be happening. I heaved an overdramatic sigh, fell onto my bed, and switched on Netflix.