Drawing blood

Noah sat at Liam's desk, his sketchbook open but blank. Every time he tried to draw something, it felt wrong. He had already torn out half the pages, frustration bubbling inside him.

Liam, who had been watching from the bed, smirked. "Can't find anything to draw?"

Noah sighed. "Yeah…"

Liam leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm. "No need to get nervous, kiddo."

"I'm not nervous," Noah muttered. "I just… I don't know what to draw. Nothing feels right."

Liam snapped his fingers. "Got an idea. How about a fantasy elf chick? Thick thighs, massive tits, and a huge ass—"

Noah groaned. "Seriously?"

Liam chuckled. "Hey, just giving you my artistic opinion."

"That was not very helpful."

Liam leaned back, still grinning. Noah hesitated, then asked, "Mind telling me?"

Liam raised an eyebrow. "Telling you what?"

"You know… That thing you said before. About how you get me. How you know what it feels like to want to disappear. And how someone was there for you when you felt that way."

Liam's smirk faltered for a second, but he recovered quickly. "Oh, so you wanna hear my sob story?"

Noah nodded. "If you put it that way… yeah."

For a moment, Liam just stood there, hands in his pockets, eyes distant. Then, with a small smirk, he said, "Sorry, kiddo. No sob story here. That was just me talking shit in the moment." He gave Noah a lazy shrug. "I'm just a spoiled bastard who likes smashing people's heads with a baseball bat."

Noah narrowed his eyes. "Oh, really?" He didn't buy it, but he let it go.

Liam grinned. "Yeah. The only thing I'm good at is smashing—whether it's some guy's face or a chick with thick thighs."

Noah sighed. "You seem obsessed with thighs."

Liam licked his lips. "You better believe it. Especially when they choke me."

Noah stared at him, both amused and a little concerned. Then he just shook his head and laughed.

Liam watched him for a moment before his expression turned serious. "By the way, while we're talking—what's your plan?"

Noah blinked. "Plan?"

Liam nodded. "Yeah, you gotta go home at some point. Talk to your parents. Face all that shit."

Noah looked down, his fingers curling around his pencil.

Liam sighed. "I'm not saying you have to do it now. Just… you know. Eventually." He stretched. "Anyway, I'm not kicking you out or anything. You can stay here as long as you want."

Noah looked up. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

Liam grinned. "But—"

Noah frowned. "But?"

"You can't stay here tonight or tomorrow."

"What? Why?"

Liam leaned back against the desk. "I mean, I beat the shit out of your brother today. Usually, I beat the shit out of him a lot—not that I'm bragging or anything."

Noah gave him a look.

Liam shrugged. "But today was different. I did it in front of Kate."

"Kate?"

"You know, the girl." Liam waved a hand. "Henry's been trying to hit on her. You know, smash."

Noah gulped.

"But I embarrassed him. So I know for a fact he's coming for revenge." Liam cracked his knuckles. "Fucker knows where I live, so yeah. I expect him to show up, maybe bring some buddies, and try to beat the shit out of me."

Noah frowned. "So… you want me to leave because it's dangerous?"

"Bingo." Liam tapped Noah's forehead. "He finds you here, it's just gonna make things worse."

Noah looked down. "I'm sorry… this is all my fault."

Liam scoffed. "Buckle up, kiddo. No one's saying that."

Noah nodded. "…So where do I stay then?"

Liam grabbed his phone. "Let's hit up some people and see."

---

Henry sat on his bed, his phone in hand. Outside his room, his parents were fighting—again. The shouting, the crashing, it was all background noise at this point.

He scrolled through his contacts, then tapped on a name: Luke

Ring, ring.

After a few rings, the other end picked up.

"Yo, Henry! Wassup?"

Henry leaned back. "Wassup."

Luke chuckled. "So? You don't usually call. Did things go well with Kate?"

Henry clenched his jaw. "It went fucking horrible."

Luke's tone shifted. "Wait… what happened?"

"Fucking Liam."

Luke sighed. "What did that bastard do now?"

Henry's fingers tightened around his phone. "Gather up the guys. We're killing Liam tomorrow."

There was a pause. Then, Luke laughed. "Holy shit, for real?"

"No jokes."

Luke let out a whistle. "Dude. I've been waiting for this day. Ever since that asshole broke my arm, I've been dying to put him in the ground."

Henry smirked. "Then let's do it."

Luke was silent for a moment. Then, "Alright. Who do you want me to call? Mask Gang or Reaper Gang?"

Henry shook his head. "Nah. No need for the gangs. Just call the baseball team. We'll handle this easy."

Luke snorted. "You know that fucker's smart, right? He might see this coming."

Henry's voice was cold. "Bring bats. And knuckles."

Luke let out a low whistle. "Got it, boss."

"Meet at the park with the massive lake. 2 PM."

Luke chuckled. "Boss… you know what else is massive—"

Henry groaned. "Say it, and I'll kill you."

Luke just laughed.

Henry hung up.

Just then, his door creaked open. Michael stood there, arms crossed, a deep frown on his face.

Michael's voice was low. "Do you even have any shame?"

Henry looked up. "The fuck are you talking about?"

Michael clenched his fists. "Mom and Dad are fighting because of you. Dad's beating Mom, and instead of stopping him, you're here planning a fight?"

Henry scowled. "Shut the fuck up, kid. This is all your fault. If you hadn't run your mouth, none of this would've happened." He stood up, stepping toward Michael. "Consider yourself lucky I'm sparing you."

Michael's breath hitched, but he held his ground. "You're pathetic."

Henry's eyes darkened. "And if you ever pull a stunt like that again…" He leaned in, his voice ice-cold. "I swear to God, I'll fucking kill you."

Michael gulped. He hesitated—then turned and walked away, leaving Henry alone in the dark.

---