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He was running, running, running, he had to run from that fucking dog. He was too late, there was so much blood and he didn't know how much was his and how much was his mother's. The dog had opened its large maw again before everything went black. He had many different nightmares, but they all usually ended with those sharp teeth.
He woke with a start, a few tears falling as he tries to calm himself down. He really should be used to this by now. After a bit of dabbing at his face and putting on his prosthetic he deemed himself okay to go see what Larry was up to. Not before petting Gizmo though, that cat has always been there for him, so he deserves the highest quality chin scratches. He looked at the clock on his wall, almost 11:30, he'd slept in quite a bit. Luckily it was a Saturday. He's been adjusting to the new school just fine, or as fine as a guy with pigtails and a prosthetic face can, he guesses.
He walks into the elevator and grabs the walkie-talkie "Hey, Larry." It takes a bit of waiting but he eventually hears a click and a "Hey, what's up Sal?" Sal took in a quick breath before clicking the button again, he always felt bad asking if he could stay over at Larry's "You think I can chill at your place for a while?" The reply was quick and made his chest feel instantly lighter "Hell yeah, buddy! You can stay the night too if ya want!" Sal chuckled, Larry really was his best friend, he clicked the button "Maybe, though I'm already in the elevator so I'll get my stuff later," another instant reply from Larry
"Sweet."
Sal put the key card in the slot and pressed the button, he felt a little off today... Maybe it was the nightmare, though, nightmares were nothing foreign to him. Perhaps it was something else. When he reached 1B he felt hesitant to knock, again, he felt bad for bothering Larry so much. He knocked anyways and saw that it was Lisa who opened the door instead of Larry, she usually wasn't home much, she worked on the apartments practically 24/7. "Oh, hey Lisa, good morning." She opened the door more to let him in and as he walked in the older woman looked strangely at Sal and let out a small hum. Sal looked around and then back at Lisa, he let out a small "W... what?" Lisa had widened her eyes a little "Oh! It's nothing!" She ruffled his hair gently "Your hair's down is all, you don't do that often." Sal then went to tug at his hair "Oh, I did feel like I was forgetting to do something today, makes sense." She gave him a smile and left to go back to her room. Still... She'd seen him with his hair down before, it was weird to get a reaction like that. He walked over to Larry's room and knocked, he heard a loud "Come in!"
As Sal took a couple steps into the other boy's room, he noticed something on Larry's easel and felt a blush creep up his face "Is that-" Larry let out a strangled noise and an overly loud chuckle as he scrambled to his easel, face red "Y- your face, er, prosthetic is just so unique... ya know?" Larry eventually stopped awkwardly laughing and tilted his head. Sal thought back to Lisa and reached up to touch his mask, okay it was still on, why was Larry looking at him like that? "Your uhh," Larry managed to make out "Your eye."
Oh
OH
Now Sal felt silly, over thinking those strange looks "Did I forget to put my glass eye in today?" He asked as he looked around for a mirror, he saw Larry's weird look melt away "Glass eye?! That's so metal!" Larry yelled and then threw one of his arms around Sal. They both heard footsteps and then a knock "Yeah?" Larry said as he let go of the smaller boy. Lisa walked in, a smile still on her face "I'm about to go to work, you'll stay out of trouble, yeah?" Sal chuckled "I'll keep him out of trouble," Lisa's smile only got bigger "Ah Sal, what would I do without you? I heard something about a glass eye though, are you okay? I was a bit worried when you came in." Sal looked away from Lisa, not even his dad worried about him this much, well, at least not after... he looked back at Lisa "I'm alright, but if you need anything I'm always here to help." Larry put his elbow on Sal's shoulder "You're always so nice Sal," Larry said. Lisa let out a laugh at the two teens and walked back to the door "I'm fine Sal, but I'll let ya know if I need help. Have fun, boys!"
When they heard Lisa leave the basement, Larry quickly turned to Sal, letting his elbow fall from Sal's shoulder "So..." Larry scratched his neck. Sal turned to Larry, pushing some of the blue hair out of the way "It doesn't really hurt, not anymore, if that's what you wanted to ask." Larry gave a surprised expression which turned into one of relief "Sorry, I didn't want to sound rude," Sal gave Larry a smile, even if it was hidden "You're fine, dude." Sal looked down and felt his smile fade "Is... Is it weird? I can go put it back in if you want." Larry gave him a look "Dude no, you're completely fine. I want you to feel comfortable around me, we're besties, right?" Sal felt his smile again "Total besties."
Sal isn't sure when he fell for Larry, but he's glad it was him. Larry was always so kind to him, he never made him feel like a freak or an outcast, it was refreshing. He never pressured him to take his prosthetic off, like how the other kids in Jersey had. He had let him into his secret space, his tree house, and turned it into their secret space.
Larry had made it into their treehouse.
He looked at Larry again, he was now talking about a new band, one that was opening for a Sanity's Fall concert. Sal smiled wider behind the mask, for the first time in such a long time, he felt lucky. He felt lucky to have met Larry, to have met Lisa, and to have actual friends. Sal leaned on Larry's side, still smiling.
He isn't sure what Larry would say if Sal told him how he felt, he doubts they would stop being friends, but he's still a bit scared. He didn't want to take his mask off for Larry just yet, didn't want Larry to see why he flinched at dog barks and shook every time they were near just yet. He'll tell Larry everything and show him everything, but not yet. For now, he'll just lean on his best friend and hope for the best.
He didn't take his glass eye with him when he got his stuff to stay the night at Larry's.