But you'll never be alone, I'll be with you from dust till dawn. And I made sure of that. I remember when you came home from the bar, bleeding out. I slapped my hand over my mouth as I saw the crimson staining your white graphic tee. Your usual fluffy hair was drenched in alcohol, I could smell it from across the room as your curls stuck to the back of your neck and forehead. As I approached, I could see the shards of glass lodged into you. I rushed to get the first aid kit, before I heard a thud. You had used up all your strength just to get back home. Something snapped inside of me. YOU PROMISED. YOU PROMISED WE WOULD ALWAYS BE TOGETHER. YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD GIVE ME THE BIGGEST HUG ONCE I GRADUATED FROM MEDICAL SCHOOL. All this work for nothing. I let out a small fit of laughter before digging through the silverware. Whatever I could find to substitute for a scalpel. I didn't even bother to snap on a pair of gloves before grabbing your beautiful head. What could I retrieve to take with me? I had considered an eardrum, but that would rot more quickly... Maybe the lens of your eye? Yes! That should do it. The work was very messy, but after ten minutes, I found it. The knife was of no more use, and I tossed it carelessly. The bloodstains on my hands stained the little thing, but it didn't matter. Now we could truly be together, forever. After I had scrubbed off any trace of scarlet from my body and the carpet, along with buried you in the woods, I headed to town. At an arts and crafts store, I found a small bottle necklace, where I could put the lens in, and carry around with me everywhere effortlessly. I jumped for joy as I kissed the lens before dropping it into the bottle. Together, forever.

Ever since you came home from the hospital, despite your sharp features being different from my own, I cradled you in my arms. I was there for you when those mean girls judged your Asian features at an all white school. I was there for you when you came home with a black eye and split lip. I was there for you when I played Barbies with you because you had nobody else. I was there for you when you shed tears over leaving for summer camp. I was there for you when you brought home your first girlfriend. I was there. I WAS THERE. I would be anything for you. Your brother, Your protector, Your best friend. But despite all of this, You left me. If I close my eyes, I can imagine the skid of car wheels, the glass digging into my skin, before your life faded to black. I still leave flowers for you, you know? Please wake up. I need you.

As the car door closed, he murmured, "This is getting too dangerous for both of us." Those were the last words he ever said to me. We had both sat in silence for the rest of the ride before I got off at the gas station. The look on the beautiful boy's face broke my heart. A muscle in his face twitched hard, and I noticed the way his vein covered hands gripped hard on the wheel before the beaten down car disappeared. Tears welled up in my eyes as I stumbled into the gas station, and furthermore into the bathroom to gaze at my ugly reflection. I looked terrible. My shaky freckled hands moved to the faucet in desperation. My hands were still wet when I browsed through the glass bottled sugary sweet sodas. I grabbed a flavor that looked anything but delicious and stormed to the counter. "Will this be all?" I was asked. A curt nod led to me pulling out a beaten up bill. The last I had on me. I had barely even stepped into the sweltering heat before I dropped to my knees. I HAD been a "beautiful mess" to him. But no longer. Now I was an ugly one. I wrapped my fingers around the neck of the bottle before bringing down on the curb with a satisfying shatter. I guzzled down a little bit of the toxic tasting contents before bringing the angled glass edges down on my skin. The pain was disappointingly dull. After five minutes by myself, a trail of blood rolled down my arm. Despite the temperature, I quickly pulled on the hoodie that was wrapped around my waist. A group of rough looking boys a bit older than me stepped out of a minivan. My eyes widened as I tried to flee. But before I could react, I felt a weight land onto my thin shoulder. "Ooh, a pretty boy!" One of the boys with a scar slashing over his nose rasped out. His grip on me tightened. I could smell alcohol in his breath as the other three boys stormed over. "What you be doin' with that bottle, fluffy hair?" Another with a pair of earrings slurred before shoving the first one away from me. He seemed to take his place as he slammed me to the ground. I shielded my face with my blood covered hand. They all seemed to stop for a moment before the one with the earrings sneered. "We can help you out." One of them said, with what sounded like an Australian accent. I squeezed my eyes shot as sears of pain shot through my body. Over and over again. "Brennan." I whispered under my breath. "Who's Brennan, your boyfriend?" The one with the scar guffawed. "Gay freak." The Australian let out before the pain intensified tenfold. It went on a while before it abruptly stopped. A pair of warm arms closed around me. Brennan? "Evan." I heard a female voice whisper. One I had not heard in a long time. "Bree." I coughed. "What have you done to yourself?!" She exclaimed as I felt a hand brush against my face. "Brennan." I repeated once again. The silence that followed was so loud. "I'm sorry Evan." She began. "There was an accident. A pounding erupted in my head. He was gone. I was now all alone. "I wish I could take care of you, but, Mom and Dad won't allow it." My sister whispered under her breath. A singular tear rolled down my cheek as my world faded to black.

They key they'd given me still fit the lock, but the house no longer felt like home... It hadn't in a long time. Memories of a past life flickered behind my eyes. Pain. Tears. Jealousy. Violence. As I opened the creaking door my throat closed up. The smell of burning bacon. The bandages around my arms erupted in pain and I itched maniacally. Red seeped through the bandages, and my vision began to fade.