Array
(
[text] =>

(Kellin's POV)

"So, where were you this afternoon?" Mom asks me, fixing my plate for me. I was going to do it, I wasn't that useless, but she said I needed to eat normally tonight, whatever that meant. I hated when she made comments about my eating habits but there wasn't much I could do about it really. I shrug and sip my drink, wondering why she was asking. Guess she deserved to know.

"Just took Vic for coffee." I say simply, watching her face for expression.

"Honey," Dad says before she can reply. I look at him and furrow my brows. His eyes are trained on her but he glances at me. He looks back to her within a second though. What was that about? "That's nice, Kellin. Have a good time?" He asks. It didn't seem like he was actually interested in whether I had a good time with my boyfriend or not but I was glad he wasn't being a dick about all this. I nod with a small smile.

Mom puts my plate in front of me, seeming rushed, and then leaves the table. What was her problem? I thought she was over the stuff with Vic. I knew this wasn't a good idea, trying to be a normal family and all, it could never work. She just had to have things her way; she had to have the routine and the perfect husband and son. It made me feel sick. I look at my dad with a blank expression. He lets out a sigh and pushes some food around on his plate.

"You have to understand, Kellin..." he begins, and I prepare to listen. "These people...Your mother and I have never gotten around the Fuentes folks, but because we don't particularly--"

"Why not?" I ask sharply. He looks at me with furrowed brows. "Excuse me?" He tilts his head. I sigh, shaking my head a little. I had always thought he was the smarter of my parents, but whatever. "Why don't you like them then? You've never told me." My lip is pulled between my teeth then. Now that it was out, I wasn't sure I even wanted to know.

Dad sips his wine with his eyes on me, as if he is annoyed that I asked. How did he think I felt? Excited that my parents didn't want me to be with my boyfriend? That didn't even make any sense. I decided that I did want to know. This was something that I had been wondering about since I learned about the hatred between the two households, which was since I was around six. So this was something that I needed to be aware of by now. "Mr. Fuentes had some select words. We let Scar out one day and he just so happened to tear up some of their things. Said something about his wive's--"

"She died." I crossed my arms. I wondered if anyone else outside of the Fuentes house besides me knew about the morbidly sad way she died. Vic was with her, crying, holding her. He watched the light leave her eyes. A shiver runs through me and I make the thoughts subside, foucusing on my dad again.

"I know. Anyway, he cursed at your mother and I wasn't going to deal with that so I told him off and ever since then, we've been on bad terms."

My head started pounding with anger. They were acting like this over one argument? Over my fucking dog tearing things up? I stand from the table, the chair scraping against the floor. "That's childish." I say angrily. My breathing was all out of sorts. I had put up with secrecy and trying to sneak around because my mom had her head too far up her own ass? I feel my nails digging into my palms as I grit my teeth. "Do not tell me what's childish, Kellin, what's childish is you sneaking off like a schoolgirl instead of telling us!" He shouts, standing as well.

"And look where that got me, Dad! Look at us right now. I can't even go see my best friend, my boyfriend at that, without getting chewed out by my parents. They did nothing to me. Just because you don't like them--"

"We are a family and we will stick--"

"Are we acting like a family right now?" I yell at him, shoving my chair into the table. I was beyond mad, some sort of rage I had only felt when Mom told me she didn't want Vic in her house. I felt so mad that my stomach was churnng with vomit. "You're a kid, Kellin, you don't get it!" He clenches his jaw. I furrow my eyebrows, grunting a little. "Dad, this kind of arguing happens at my school all the time! I do get it. You are all acting like kids! Don't blame me and Vic and his brother for you guys' arguing!"

He runs his hand through his hair then grabs his cup, chucking into the opposite wall. I stop then, growing a little nervous. I look back and notice it hadn't gone too far from my head. "I-I'm sorry. I got too angry. Just go...go to your room." He tells me, sounding calmer but shaky, looking at the floor. I bite my lip and sigh, not completely satisfied.

"But, Dad--"

"Just go, son." He tells me, firmer this time. "Okay." I sigh, then go to my room. The anger faded and tears formed in my eyes. I hated that I cried when I got angry but it wasn't something that I could help. After pacing my room for a little, I start thinking. What if we left? Me and Vic would never have to deal with them again. We could finish school and then run the fuck away from here, hell, Mike could come too!

No, I think whilst taking a seat on the edge of my bed, this would never work.

But what if?

__________

(Vic's POV)

I heard it. I heard the yelling all the way from across the street. Mike and I were sitting on the porch. He was smoking and I was watching him. I didn't really want to watch him add to the deterioration of his lungs, but I also didn't want to argue with my dad anymore. I was so sick of arguing. It was to a point where making up seemed like a good idea. But this was different; they were so loud at Kellin's house.

Then there was the sound of glass, close to the door. Mike and I look at one another with raised eyebrows. "Sounds like your boyfriend is having a real-life Grand Theft Auto moment." I roll my eyes but internally agree, it did sound rather dramatic. My lip was pulled under my teeth in nerves. I wanted to run over there and see for myself if everything was okay, or as okay as they sounded like they could get.

My stomach churns with worry, getting worse the longer I sit there. I decide to pull my phone out and dial Kellin. I knew he hated the phone but it was worth it to me, I had to know he was alright. I felt a blush creeping on my cheeks as the thought crosses my mind; I really was attached to him. My mind drifts back to when we first met, how pointless I thought life was and how useless I felt. Well, I knew I mattered to my mom but she was so sick and I figured it was my job.

Besides her, I had never had a sense of purpose. Now, with him, I did. Mike nudges me, yanking me from my thoughts. "Yo, wake up." So I blink rapidly and send him a glare. Kellin didn't answer and that only made more worry rise in my stomach, burning my throat and a knot forms there. Should I message him? No, no need to bother him. He was probably just taking time to cool down and I needed to calm the fuck down too.

Maybe I should stop thinking.

_________

My brother and I were playing our nightly rounds of Grand Theft Auto and he was getting his ass handed to him. Not to brag, but my skills had improved since we made this a regular thing. He kept grunting like he was getting upset and I thought it was the funniest thing. Usually, he was the one teasing me, but how the tables have turned now.

A small grin tugs at my lips and he turns his head to glance at me, as if sensing the little smug expression. His brown eyes continue to roll and I laugh at him , throwing my head back a little. To me it was rather entertaining but Mike was still a little pissed at me, or so it seemed from the looks of things. He rolls his eyes again and I start a new mission. But in the middle of the game loading, I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket.

It was Kellin; the sight made all my worry come back but I knew I would calm down a litte once I heard his voice. I look at my brother and he nods, saying it was fine. I answer and press the phone to my ear. "Hey," I say quickly.

"Hey, Vic. I need you to get dressed, we need to get coffee." He says, voice sounding different. He said need, putting emphasis on the word as if trying to say if this didn't happen, all else would fall apart. The voice I adored sounded almost shaky, like he was battling with his own emotions. I knew the feeling and it wasn't a good one, so I stood, questioning whether I should go over there now. "What's the matter? Mike and me heard all the...yelling, is everything okay?" I ask, glancing at Mike, who was already watching me.

Then there was a grunt, a drawn out hum, a gasping noise, then crying. My eyes got big and my I drew my teeth down on my lip. Why was he crying? In order for Kellin to cry, something either really bad happened or he was angry. I figured it was the latter, but I didn't say anything yet. I knew listening was better than talking. Mom taught me that and I had always valued everything that she said. "I-I just need to see you. We've got to t-talk, yeah?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get dressed. It is midnight though, you know?"

There's a sad laugh that makes my heart sink to my toes. I wouldn't be surprised if I began to feel the bloody pulse under my bare feet soon. "I am aware. Be ready soon."

"I love you." I say.

"And I you, sunshine. See you." And we hang up, my heart wracking against my chest. Mike looks at me with a quirked brow and squinted eyes. What was that look? Damn, he was hard to read. I shrug and look at him closer but he still says nothing. Growing flustered and a little annoyed, I raise my voice, "What the hell are you looking at me like that for?" Mike grins then, laughing a little. He shakes his head, tapping some buttons on the controller. "Just fucking with you, dude. Calm the hell down, shorty. I'm going to smoke and then to bed. Use condoms."

I roll my eyes though my cheeks do get a little red. He notices as he passes by and pinches my cheek, causing me to swat him away whilst grumbling. "Nothing like that. Just coffee." Mike smacks his lips and looks at me with a Yeah Fucking Right expression, making the knot in my throat bigger. I hated how he could make me so uncomfortable so quick, and he surely got a kick out of it. "At midnight?" He smirks.

"Yeah. What's wrong with that then?"

Mike shakes his head at me, obviously not buying my explanation. Hell, Kellin was acting a little weird, so I found myself wondering as well. What exactly was going on and why did he choose now, when it was nearly one in the morning to contact me? Kellin knew I would hang out with him or talk to him whenever he wanted me to, surely he knew that.

I would have to get dressed and wait in order to find out.

___________

having the song Habits (Stay High) (Hippie Sabotage Remix) stuck in your head really sucks...

think I'm gonna use it in one of the following chapters, so look for that.

also, I would like this chapter to be dedicated to @cliffordcoda (P.S. I LOVE YOU) because I absolutely adore seeing her comments every day. seriously, I usually want the chapters dedicated to all the readers because you're all the real mvp's but one of her comments really made my day and she deserves recognition for that!! giver her a follow xo

[text_hash] => e895e213
)