Chapter One: After Everything I've seen and All I've had, God Must be a Mean, Lonely Man.

I was in that state where you're not quite asleep because your brain still regesters everything that's going on around you, but you're for sure not awake when my phone went off. Midnight texts were nothing out of the ordinary. I fumbled for my phone in the dark, found it under a pillow, and flipped it open.
From: Aleks.
Message: Asleep or dead?

It happened again. He never texts me this late unless something happens.

To: Aleks.
Message: Awake and unafraid.

No more than a minute later my phone vibrates again.

From: Aleks.
Message: I'm coming over.

Long story short; Aleks' dad is an abusive asshole. Most of it happens at night, and when it does, he comes to my house. He lives 3 doors down. I slide out of bed and pull a hoodie over my shorts and v-neck-tee. The knees socks I was wearing had rolled down around my ankles. I pull them back up to their proposed spot and open my door as quietly as possible. The light under Stacy's door is off and my parents' bedroom door is pulled to. The coast is clear. I tip-toe down the stairs. Kingston stirs in his bed beside the couch. I open the door and he lifts his head, growls, realizes who I am, the goes back to sleep.
Aleks is coming up the road. I let the door click shut behind me. The July air is warm and stagnant. The hoodie was unnecessary. He's crying. His hair's a mess and he hasn't changed his clothes in more than two days. Anyone else tmight call the tall, dark, thin figure walking down the sidewalk sketchy or creepy. To me it's the sadest thing I've ever seen.I met him at the end of the driveway. His eyes are bloodshot and the left side of his face is swollen and bruised. There's a trickle of blood running down his cheekbone. He winces as I wipe the blood away with the sleeve of my hoodie. I'd seen the aftermath of their fights plenty of times, but in the eleven years we'd been friends, I'd never seen it this bad. I was scared to hug him. Scared to touch him. I take his hand carefully and lead him into the house. Kingston doesn't move a muscle this time. There's still no light coming from under Stacy's door.
Despite the fact that we're twins, we're the complete opposite of each other. She's popular and preppy and captain of the cheerleading squad. She hangs out with the jocks and plastic bimbos and hates kids like me and Aleks. I'm an outcast who sticks to "talk shit, get hit." and fucks up the blond bimbo's faces when they throw things at new kids.
I close and lock the door behind us before turning on the light. "C'mon" I whisper. I direct him towards the bed and he sits down. He whimpers slightly and another tear forms. "Here. Take off your shirt. Let me see." I helpp him pull the black Chiodos shirt over his head.
"FUCK!" He groans.
"Oh god. I'm sorry." There's a bruise about the size of my arm that reaches from right above his belt, up his ribs, and to the middle of his back. Among that there are other tiny bruises and cuts. Both of his wrists are bruised and swollen. There's a line of bright red, puffy cuts all the way up his right side and I know they're not from his dad. He's staring down at his shoes in shame. I crouch down in front of him and tilt his chin up. The light illuminates the bruises and the gash over his left eye."Aleks, what happened? How did this start?" He just shakes his head and looks back at his shoes. They're three year old Converse All Stars and he refuses to part with them. At the moment they seem extremely interesting. "Aleks...please?"
"I told him." He mumbles.
"Told him what?" He doesn't answer. "What the fuck did you tell him?"
"That I'm gay." I don't know what to say or do. All I can do is try my best not to cry. I pull him into a careful hug."I told him because he asked me what my deal was and so I told him and he h-hates me even more now and I don't know what to do cause I can't go back home and...I just don't know what to fucking do, Jasey." He's sobbing into my shoulder. His voice is muffled by the fabric and I can barely hear him, but I hear enough.
"Shhhhh." I slip down onto the floor and pull him down with me. I've never seen him cry like this either. "Shhh. We'll fix this. Things will get better." I rock him like a small child. He's still crying. I'm still crying. I don't think I can fix this.