I know it’s the same switch
blade I gave Sebastian for his last birthday. “Sebastian!”
I run towards him and pull him towards myself and he’s shaking even harder and crying. There’s blood all over the place and I know he’s done some serious damage. He staggers to the floor and I catch him before he falls and haul him towards my car.
The Door
TEAGUE
We’re sitting out in the waiting room once again, all five of us; Mia, Holden, Daniel, Jamie and me of course. Sebastian’s out of danger now but he hasn’t woken up. Vincent is standing by the threshold of his room talking to one of the doctors, probably finding out what’s going to happen to Sebastian now. Or maybe he has a good idea himself and as usual, he’s trying to alleviate the damage.
I can’t stop thinking about it.
My best friend, the guy I’ve known since I was a kid myself tried to take his own life right in front of me. He’s never shown such tendencies before, he used to be the happiest guy we’ve ever known. For him to do something so drastic it proves there’s something more going on. More, like Liam Delaney and all that stuff that Sebastian told me Liam said or did to him. I’ve already told my friends and they all think that’s some twisted stuff and they’re all angry that Sebastian never so much as mentioned that all this was going on.
“You know what,” Daniel says. “We’re just as responsible for this as Liam.”
“How do you figure?” I ask.
“He’s our friend, Teague. How could we not see what he was going through?”
“Daniel’s right,” Mia says. “We all played a part. We were so wrapped up in our stuff we never really gave much thought to what Sebastian was doing. You know before you went to him, he called me and told me the truth about Liam. That Liam was the one who tried to break us up with Ashley’s help, that’s why I was calling you! He told me that you loved me. That I would be a fool not accept your love because we were meant to be.”
“Sebastian said that?” I say. The guilt is really starting to pile up now. “And you know what I did? I told him he was a freak! I told him I hated him that’s what made him do this! He was fragile and I knew there was something more going on because I’ve never seen him this way.”
“What way?”
“You know, piss drunk and sobbing.”
“You mean like you and Holden are when you guys drink too much?” Mia says and I give her a look.
“Fuck this,” Holden says and gets up. “No one gets away after messing with our friend this way. Liam Delaney should get what coming to him. Soon.”
“Holden’s right,” Daniel says, surprisingly because it is unlike Daniel to support violence of any kind. “We have to show him he can’t mess with Sebastian anymore.”
“Sebastian was worried about some contract,” I say, remembering. “It seemed like he was really fucked up about it. He basically said that contract was the reason Liam was treating him like a slave. He said there was no way to get out of it, not unless Liam wants it.”
“I think Liam is going to want a lot of things he hasn’t wanted to do in a long time,” Holden says. “When we’re done with him.”
“Okay,” I say. “Mia you take care of Sebastian in case he wakes up and Jamie’s not really in a shape to fight battles right now. We’re going to go pay Mr. Delaney a visit. One that he won’t easily forget.”
‘The Special’
TEAGUE
We’ve done such a good job of trashing Liam’s office even I’m impressed. It’s been a while since I’ve let loose with a baseball bat and just swung around at stuff that wasn’t mine. Back in school and high school, this was our thing. When someone used to mess with us, we used to give them what we called ‘The Special:’ A few broken bones but mostly destruction to the place in order to intimidate the other party. So, while we’re doing the devastation, Holden comes across some documents that he holds up to us. “Found it!” he says, and starts going through it. “Fuck. What kind of idiot signs a contract with such clauses without even discussing it with his friends?”
“Sebastian, apparently!” I say, annoyed.
The door opens and Liam comes in.
He doesn’t run.
You got to give him points for that. Not a lot of people can control their fear after seeing the three of us wreaking havoc in his beautiful office.
“Hi Liam!” Holden says, and comes over to Liam, leads him over to the desk and forces him to sit on that chair. “You know what I’d like the number of the person who did this place, the designer? I need a new office!”
Liam does speak.