dix-sept

                                    

                                          
Deadinnit
dream?
GREEN BITCH
Tommy
Deadinnit
can we call
i want to tell you what happened
GREEN BITCH
yep
I'll call you
give me a minute Tommy
---
The ringing of Tommy's phone echoes bluntly through the spare bedroom.
"Dream?"
"Tommy, you said you wanted to tell me what happened?" A heavy pause.
"Yeah." He doesn't start. "Uh, um. Okay." He takes a shaky breath. "So, um."
"Tommy? You said you were ready. Are you...not? Do you want to do this another time?"
His mouth runs dry. He definitely thought he was, but is he really? No. He has to tell him.
"Yeah, I am. So. Y'know how I'm staying with Phil at the moment."
"Yep."
"Yeah, um, the reason for that...is...um. Basically." Shit. Fuck. You fucking pussy. Just tell him.
He takes a deep breath. "The- the first time my dad hit me, I thought it was the last time. But it wasn't. It really wasn't. Not by a long shot, it was, what, four years ago now? So yeah. Not the last time. It just kinda got worse and worse. Mum started drinking too; they stopped giving me food. If I got a bad mark or turned in something late, they- there was this... basement."
Oh, the basement.
Cold concrete floors, darkness, the heavy thunk of a lock. The basement. Pangs of hunger, fingers running over purple and green bruises. It hurt, to think about it. Especially when he's in this new place, this colourful, light-filled place - the basement was none of those things. It was dark, and grey, and cold.
So cold.
"Tommy?"
He had thought he was going to die down there, one night, almost two years ago now. It was winter, cold as fuck, and he was pretty sure he had a broken... something.
"Do you need me to get Phil? Tommy?"
It was so cold, that night.
So cold.
"Tommy. Are you okay?"
Warmth rushes through him as he returns to reality. He recognises Dream's voice, and the feeling of fuzzy socks on his feet, and the sight of his new setup at Phil's house.
"I'm calling Phil."
"No, Dream. I'm fine."
Tommy hears a flood of relief in his friend's tone. "Jesus, Tommy. You scared the hell out of me. Are you okay? What happened?"
"I dunno. I... zoned out, or something. But, uh, yeah, TL; DR: my parents fucking suck so I ran away."
Dream is silent, stunned. "Holy shit, dude. That's like... traumatic. I mean, thank you for telling me, but are you like- okay?"
"Yeah, I'm working on it. Phil and the others are helping me. I'm getting better."
"Do you want me to come down there or something?"
"You can do that?"
"I am, like. Rich. Do you want me to come there... soon?"
Tommy pauses, moved. "I mean, yeah- you would do that for me?"
"Yeah, man. You're my friend and I love you, of course I would. Also, this means George and I can see each other, so. Win-win situation."
Tommy's touched tone of voice disintegrates after the last two sentences. "Of course. You want to see your boyfriend more than me."
"He's not my boyfriend-"
"I'm going to play XXXTentacion. All men do is lie and simp for GeorgeNotFound."
"What is wrong with you? He's not my boyfriend!"
"Sure, sure..."
555 words