Chapter One | Bloody Knuckles

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Josh's POV
Bloody Knuckles
*edited*

"No wait-" He doesn't wait, of course he doesn't wait, instead tossing off his shirt and doing a front flip into my backyard pool.

My sister lets out a yelp from the water that splashes on her and of course my parents cackled at the chaos. 

"Come on in guys, the waters great." He hollers, leaning his head back and pulling the hair out of his face, wet strands leaving him looking like a wet cat.

Albeit a very nice looking wet cat, but still.

Callum was a whole different breed of man. 

He had the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, they were green, if he were some made up book character, there was no doubt in my mind that his eyes would be called emerald.

 Straight teeth, luscious hair.

But besides looks, Callum had something that there's no way anybody has ever had before. 

He was my best friend, one that's been there for my whole life. 

My sister chewed her lip, sinking herself into the pool, smoothly unlike Callum. 

I understood why Callum chose to submerge himself completely, especially when my sister immediately wrapped her arms around her body and shivered. 

Callum rolled his eyes, "Quit being such a baby, Josh, the waters warm, my charm is making it boil." 

I cringed at the cliché term and Callum gave me an annoyed scoff. 

"Get in," He said, in a much more 'do it' tone than a 'you should do it' one. 

My sister was dramatic, I wouldn't take her word that it was cold. She's cold hearted anyways, even fire feels cold to her.

I nod my head reluctantly, throwing off my shirt and charging into the pool, listening to the echoes of Callum's snicker as I splash him.

"What about you?" He turns to my parents, "Care to join?" Callum asks, sending my mom his attempt at a 'convincing smile'. In my opinion he looked more cunning than convincing. I've had that smile used on me multiple times.

"No that's okay, Callum. We'll just stay here."

I liked when Callum acted like himself, not the outright, bold, tough guy that he was at school. When he just calmed down and had fun.

Okay, maybe not 'calmed down'. Calm and Callum couldn't even be in the same paragraph.

Callum swims smoothly over to the edge of the pool, taking his drink and sipping it as he closes his eyes to avoid the harsh sun.

My sister and I glanced at each other, using our sibling telepathy to converse a plan through our brilliant minds. 

We stalked towards him, careful not to make too much noise. 

However, right before we had time to push him under he spins around, taking us by surprise and forcing both of us down instead as he swims away leisurely.

My sister comes up, spouting water out of her mouth and holding her nose, gasping.

Even though I was suffering the same fate as having chlorine flood and burn my poor unsuspecting nose hairs, I also couldn't help but laugh at her. 

Really, are you even siblings if you don't laugh at the other person's pain?

Callum's phone ringtone sung through the air as he pulled himself out of the water, shaking his head and running hands through the dripping hair.. 

Callum was built. He worked out a lot... well, he worked out often, and when he did he pushed himself further than I ever could. 

He strolled towards his phone as my sister let out a small whistle to herself.

"Where do I find me a friend like him?" 

"Friend?" I asked in a murmur, "Yeah, sure. Try the hospital room straight out of the womb. That's where we met." 

Sylvia snickered. 

"Yeah?" He asks, his voice returning to his normal deep voice.

I watch in confusion as he crinkles his eyebrows.

Even though he was a bit away, we could still hear the yelling through the phone and I prayed that Callum's eardrums weren't being abused too badly. 

I frowned. Knowing his parents, they probably were.

Sylvia and I shared a look and secretly tried to make our way to listen when our parents stopped us.

"You guys know how Callum is." My mom said, smiling sympathetically. "He probably doesn't want to talk about it." She says, but that doesn't stop her from leaning back in her lawn chair to try and catch the interaction. 

Sylvia and I follow her actions, leaning against the window and watching as he paced around the kitchen.

We couldn't hear what he was saying, but we knew he was angry, trying his best to hold his temper, doing his thing where he clenched and unclenched his fists, until his knuckles turned a pasty white. 

And when the end of the call had come he had calmed down slightly and ran multiple hands through his soaking wet hair.

He chewed on his lip, hurriedly scrolling through his phone as if trying to find something or text someone. He placed the phone to his ear, calling someone again and leaned back against the counter. The muscles in his back rippling as he turned and moved, his arms-

"Are you okay?" Sylvia whispers, nudging me in the side.

I looked at her in confusion, "Yeah, why?" I ask.

"Your face is so red. I'd think you were sunburnt but not even the sun can make this shade of red." She poked my cheek tauntingly.

I tried to pass it off due to the difference of being in and out of the cold water so quickly, but Sylvia called bull and I find myself using the towel to cover my face and pass it as me drying the dripping hair.

A few moments later, Callum came out, he gives my family a crooked smile.

"I'm sorry, but I've got to go. Duty calls." He says kindly towards them.

My moms nods, "I understand. See you later Callum."

Callum comes towards me, grabbing a towel trying to dry off his hair as I struggle with mine.

"I'll see you tomorrow at school, Yeah?" He asks, running a few more hands through his hair before dropping the towel and putting his shirt on. He stares at me for a bit before snickering, "Sunburn?" He cackles, "I told your dumbass to put on sunscreen."

"Yeah. Whatever, go away." I grumble as he starts towards the door stopping briefly to bow.

"Adios!" He hollers before going through the house and towards the front door.

With my face still a crimson red I cough awkwardly. "Well, I'm going to go inside and, uh, put aloe gel on my face, I'll be back out in a second for the barbecue." I said, smiling at my mom and dad before hurrying into the house.

I figured they didn't suspect anything, maybe they were sure it was sunburn. Either way, I still was embarrassed, really really embarrassed. I could be embarrassed for that right? That was normal. 

~~~

It was 2:27 in the morning, I had to be up in 4 hours and I couldn't sleep.

My mind was racing. Does everybody's face always flush bright red when looking at an attractive person? I mean, yeah, Callum was attractive but I never blushed when looking at him before.

I bit my lip as the thought swindled it's way into my brain.

Was it because of Callum? It had to have been, right?

But that was impossible, I never had thought of Callum in that way. He was like a brother to me, plus, wouldn't I feel jealous when he hung out with so many girls? And I wasn't gay, I couldn't have been.

I let out a breath of relief at my realization. I must've just been more overly hormonal than I realized. Is that a thing? Sure it is,  I'm a boy, boys have hormones and... shit? 

It was too confusing and I groaned into my pillow, rather suffocating myself than think any longer.

I was about to go to sleep when there was a knock at my window.

That's... not creepy at all.

Still, I was a curious person so I opened it anyways. Perhaps it was a dumb thing to do considering I could've very well been murdered, sure I'd be the first to die in the horror movie. But in a horror movie I'd probably be with Callum and he'd be my body guard.

I opened the window, and in came Callum - speak of the devil and he shall arrive. 

His eyes were blood shot red, his knuckles were bleeding along with his lip, busted and swollen and his eyebrow was split.

There was a trail of crimson blood down his neck. 

"Holy crap Callum, what'd you do?" I asked, my voice croaking with concern. I closed the window, helping Callum to stand up, a big man in a small window meant issues. "More importantly, why did it happen?"

He laughed slightly, attempting to wipe the blood off of his face. "My dad and I got into a fight." He shrugs, trying to roll up his sleeves to see the damage.

"Of course. Again? Are you alright, are you even... safe to go home?" I ask, billions of questions raging through my mind as to how the fight even happened. 

Knowing his dad, it probably happened over something as miniscule as a flea.

I knew Callum had fought with his dad before, but this was different. Before it was bruises, now there was blood.

But I knew Callum, and for as long as I've known him I barely knew anything about his home life, he always tried to hide it.

I didn't know whether to be impressed or hurt, 16 years and he was always hiding. 

He nods his head, "Yeah, he ran off to some hotel for the week, is my guess." He said, still struggling with his sleeves.

I grab them, tugging them up for him and he thanks me with a smile. 

"Uhm, sit down and I'll try to find something to help with the blood and stuff." I say, unknowing what to do.

He nods his head, walking with even steps to my bed, before staring at it, and just pancaking straight down onto it. His face was buried in my comforter, as his arms out, starfish style.

I fought back a laugh at his ridiculousness, but it was also the nervous type of laugh. I went and grabbed some old horse wrap and peroxide from the bathroom, it wasn't a lot but it was all I had.

When I came back he was on his phone, holding it above him.

"I've returned." I say, watching as he flinched, the phone slipping from his fingers and thudding against his nose.

This time I didn't even hold back my laugh.

"You've got to give a guy some warning before sneaking back in." He grumbles.

"Sneaking back into my own room?" I ask.

He rolled his eyes as I walk over. "Wanna help fix up my broken ass nose too?"

His arms were covered in slight bruises, his knuckles were bruised and bloody and his neck had blood on it from his lip. It wasn't as bad after I wiped all of the blood off with a wet rag.

"So... want to talk about it?" I ask, as he leaned back against the head of my bed.

"Mmm, no." He says, shaking his head before smiling at me.

"Okay." I didn't press. 

He didn't talk to me, not much. He never did, and I never could pressure him to. 

He hissed as I put the peroxide on his knuckles.

"Ow." He says, glaring at me as I certainly don't try not to hurt him.

"Quit being a baby." I scold.

"Quit being a baby." he mocked before smiling at me. I rolled my eyes.

It was quiet as I cleaned him up, kinda awkward. 

It was weird, it was  never awkward between us two, we had been friends since the dark ages and ever since then, there was just never silences that strained between us.

"Does anything else hurt?" I ask, finishing wrapping his hand with the bubble gum pink horse wrap.

He makes a face at the color before shrugging.

"My legs, but they're just sore." He dismisses.

I nod my head, wondering if it was really just his legs that were sore or if he was lying.

"Okay. Do you want to spend the night? You're welcome to sleep on the couch." I offer, pointing to the couch in the corner of my room.

"Last time I slept on that thing I broke my back in eight places." He exaggerates, waving me off. "I'll just go home, no big deal, my mom will get over it." He says before heading towards the window.

I sighed, "What about the guest bedroom? I'd offer my bed, but I don't even know if it's big enough for both of us, anymore."

"I don't wanna wake anybody up." he paused, "And your bed always smells like grandma."

I rubbed my temples, "If you die tonight I'm making your coffin bubble gum pink." I threaten.

He makes a face, "Literally any other color than pink. If you make it pink I will come back and haunt you."

I didn't doubt that, I laughed, "All right, I'll see you at school tomorrow. Don't get into anymore trouble okay?"

He scoffs, "Yes mom." He grumbles before climbing down my window, awkwardly placing one leg after the other, slipping occasionally and, finally, onto the ground.

I was pleasantly surprised when I fell asleep a second after he left and I had laid down.

I might be tired in the morning, but I was happy he had come to me and not his uncle in the next town over.

Well, I was happy, until I had a very strange dream.

~~~

First chapter, what do you think?

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