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Nathan was tired.
he knew everyone else was also tired, tired of him and everything he did and said.
he couldn’t help it, being an annoying prick was the only way he knew to get attention.
he had tried so many ways by now.
each time he came back.
he shot himself, he slit his wrists, he jumped off the roof of the community center, he overdosed, he even hung himself.
every time he would just wake up, more drained than last time.
he had time before community service started, he overestimated how much time but he still had some to spare.
he brought his old razor with him to the bathroom.
his scars were old and faded now, he should be happy about that but he knew he deserved pain and the shame of carrying ugly reminders wherever he went.
he drifted off while laying on the floor of the bathroom, he had cut all down and up his arm and even some on his thighs, but he really sliced his wrists deep, waiting for the blood loss to take effect.
Kelly and Alisha were the first ones to arrive, talking to each other about whatever, Alisha waited for Curtis and Simon came in last, saying he had trouble with his sister earlier.
they all knew Nathan was homeless and was living in the building so he was always there before any of them, so it was strange when he was no where to be seen.
after a couple minutes of waiting for Nathan to pop out of wherever he was hiding Kelly decided they should look for him.
they spilt up into two groups, Kelly and Simon and Alisha and Curtis.
Nathan would wake up in an hour after he died.
soon the only place left to look was the bathroom.
Alisha and Curtis went in first, not noticing at first, but then Curtis saw a pool of blood on the floor.
Alisha followed it with her eyes to see Nathan’s lifeless body, pale from blood loss, and his eyes open wide as if he had seen a ghost right before.
they rushed down to his side and soon saw the self inflicted wounds that had caused his death.
Kelly picked up on of his arms and looked at it, she didn’t realize she was crying till a tear fell in her lap.
they all helped carry Nathan out of the bathroom and clean up his wounds.
they took turns waiting by his side for him to wake up, when he did they were all watching, worried.
Nathan blinked in the bright fluorescent lights, noticing he had stopped bleeding, looking down he saw the bandages.
he let out a horrid sob, he couldn’t believe they cared enough about him to bandage him up, clean his wounds even.
they ran to him as soon as he sat up, Kelly pulled him into a tight hug, whisper-yelling at him to never do this again.
“Nathan, we’re always here for ya, yeah? please understand that” Kelly had dry tear marks on her face, Nathans were fresh, some still making their way out of his eyes.
“I’m…sorry. I thought you guys wouldn’t care if I died? I kept trying but..”
“then stop tryin’!” Alisha yelled then quickly apologized for raising her voice at him.
“listen, you might be an asshole sometimes but that doesn’t mean we don’t love ya, alright?” Alisha spoke it as if it were all one word, almost too fast for him to understand.
“mate, we love ya, I know it sounds cheesy but we do” he never would’ve expected that saying out of Curtis but it felt nice to hear.
they had a group hug right before their probation worker walked in, they scrambled away from each other and started chatting about anything at all.
the only thing that mattered to Nathan right now was that his friends loved him.