Work Text:
The dim glow of the moon shone though the curtains in Callum's room upon a scrapbook of Aaaqil's, Yronica's, and his own photos. They've been torn out of yearbooks, taken from cameras, you name it. There were descriptions next to each one, as they were all pasted intricately and with care. It's been seven years since it happened.
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*Clatter*
"Ah- apologies-" The boy murmured as hepicked up the books he dropped. Callum bends down to help the boy- he swore he's seen him around before, lurking somewhere in and around the robotics club, but he could just be lsoing it, he thought. "No worries" Callum hands the boy his books, silently observing his appearance.
"Thanks a lot, Callum." Taken aback by the fact that this boy knew his name, he questioned, "Haven't I seen you around before?" The boy adjusts has glasses, avoiding eye contact while answering, "Aaaqil. I'm Aaaqil Che, I've seen you practicing with the track team- which is why I know you're name.... sorry if it came across as weird." "No, no I understand you're fine-" he reassures Aaaqil as the bell rings, interrupting him.
Aaaqil dashes off to class before Callum can finish, he walks away feeling strange. "Huh... Aaaqil..." he mumbles more to himself than anyone, he finds his timid behavior out of the ordinary... yet oddly endearing in a way.
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Say cheese~!
*the camera clicks with a snap*
Aaaqil lowers the camera for Yronica and Callum to see, the sun's rays warming the three as they sit on the grass outside of the school.
"God, why am I here again?" Yronica says snarkily, "I have a reputation to uphold yknow- as future prom queen being seen with a dork like you would ruin my chances-"... Callum cuts her off, adjusting himself as she leans on his shoulder, "Yronica... how many times have I told you to lay off him..." He says teasingly, as to mask his true irritation, as the consistent bitchery from Yronica was grating on a nerve.
She giggles, planting a kiss on Callum's cheek, "Oh Callum, baby, you're hilarious~" Before she can gush on about Callum more, she hears a group of people's footsteps heading to their area behind the school. "Shit- I can't get caught around the likes of him-" She glares toward Aaaqil, planting one more kiss on Callum's forehead, then grabs her phone from beside her ans scampers back around the other side of the school.
Callum sighs, getting up as lunch is about to end soon, his attention on the people passing by, before darting to Aaaqil, who was sitting with a notebook of some sort. He leans down next to Aaaqil, "Whatcha got there," curiosity and endearment in his tone as he kneels behind Aaaqil, resting his head on the smaller boy's. "This-" he shifts the book so Callum can see, "is a scrapbook of memories, I want to cherish the time I spend with you... and Yronica... so I made this, full of our pictures," he says with contentedness and enthusiasm.
Callum, unconsciously, smiles a bit wider, he can feel his face heating up ever so slightly. "That's so sweet... that's a great idea, Aaaqil." Aaaqil looks up at him, with his smile... he reminded Callum of a teddy bear through his soft nature and mannerisms. "Thanks Callum-" he holds the camera up and snaps one last picture of the two, pasting it in his scrapbook before tucking the book away in his satchel bag, which he donned on the daily as substitute for a backpack.
"I'll see you later, at your house, as per usual- bye, Callum!" Aaaqil waves as he jogs off to his next class inside the school, Callum waves in return. Even after he'd went inside, Callum stared at where he sat just moments ago. Yronica would never cherish his presence like this. Not like him. Not like Aaaqil.
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Sirens. Loud. Their sickening yowl pulsed through his body, as if waves beating at a buoy in the middle of an raging storm. Louder. Coming closer. The blood. His blood. The sounds. The odor. Sickening, like stagnate air trapped inside a morgue. The ambulance. The stretcher. A gaping hole in his chest- left heartless, a good descriptor for the offender. His corpse filled with maggots, gnawing away at gim as if he was a discarded carcass-
Too late. It was too late.
Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake. Up.
Callum jolts awake, his clammy body is in a cold sweat, his bloodshot eyes dart around his dim yet moonlit room. He presses his palms to his eyes, wadding up his hair in his shaky hands and tugging on it while doing so.
He aggressively rubs the ever-flowing tears from his puffy and agitated eyes, clawing at his face slightly. His eyes dart to the open scrapbook, an unbearable sight. Bile rockets up from his stomach and all over his hands before he can come to terms with it. He rushes to the sink in his private room bathroom, yacking and huffing as his shaky hands grips the edges of the sink. He slowly raises his gaze to the mirror, he looked half dead, rotting- just like him... just as he had been.
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The doorbell rings
Callum opens his front door with anticipation for the planned afterschool meetup with Aaaqil and Yronica. He greets them welcomingly yet with familiarity as they file in. The three of them sit on the couch in Callum's living room, putting television on for background noise.
"God," Yronica squacks, "this moron almost got us killed on the road- how did this fucktard even get his driver's license anyways-" Callum interrupts her, not wanting to escalate the everpresent tension between her and Aaaqil, but certainly fed up with Yronica's attitude towards Aaaqil. "Yronica. Enough. I'm sick and tired of you treating Aaaqil like a human dirtbag- not just him but others as well." Callum can't bear it anymore, his true feelings towards his girlfriend coming out. "If you can't stop treating other people like ahit and bullying them for no reason, we're through."
Yronica lifts her head from Callum's shoulder, her mouth agape lightly, she stands up glaring at him. "Excuse me?!" She says with a slightly disgusted expression, as if Callum has uttered the most blasphemous statement known to mankind. "Don't fucking play with me Callum Gallagher. I know you love me, and with our status, we are adored by all of our peers. I know you're a pea-brained jock, but I know even you wouldn't stoop this low," she snarls.
Aaaqil interjects, attempting to calm the rising tension, "Yronica- please... he's not asking for much-"
Crack.
Aaaqil lifts his hand to his cheek where Yronica slapped him, he winced ever so slightly as he huffed. "Bitch. Sadistic bitch." Aaaqil was fed up with Yronica's unwillingness to change her actions, a sentiment that he and Callum shared. "God, I dont want to hear your shit, toothpick. You're built like a twig and as flimsy as one too, I don't wanna hear anything from some washed up twink who can't take some teasing. And as for you Gallagher, you may be built like a board, but you're as stiff as one too. You're losers, the both of you."
Yronica storms out of Callum's front door, taking Aaaqil's keys on her way out. Aaaqil, unaware of this, sighs shakily as he rubs his cheek. Callum places a hand gently on his shoulder, giving Aaaqil a look of both concern and pride for speaking his mind.
"I needed to get that out..." Aaaqil says in an attemptto lighten the mood between the two of them, smiling slightly as he does so. Callum smirks and chuckles slightly, "She had it coming- I'll still have to talk about this later with her... but thanks for having my back and taking my side-"
It slipped out. Before he could even catch it. He didn't know what he meant by it. It had been kn his mind for quite some time. He didn't want to to ruin their bond, their warmth... what they had, whatever it was...
"I love you." He paused, momentarily mortified by what had escaped his lips- he didn't want to ruin their relationship, he just couldn't help it- Aaaqil was always there for him, he made him feel safe... but he couldn't be... they couldn't be...
Aaaqil gazes up at him, quizically but not judgementally- his gaze softens. "Callum... I love you too- I love your kindness and admire your integrity... I really do love you- more than I can express through words alone."
Callum's lips quiver as tears begin to trickle down his face. Between his parents berating him for menial things and Yronica using his for his body and social status, he had never felt this cared for by anyone, let alone being understood to the extent that he was with him... with Aaaqil.
It just happened. It wasn't rough, it wasnt forced, the motion was fluid, almost natural. Callum's and Aaaqil's lips pressed together id a gesture of soft, unwavering love just felt so right...
Slam
Thud
Callum's front door opened and shut with force, a furious Yronica storming in to retrieve her Birkin that she'd left on the couch. Everything hit her all at once- she froze as she saw her... boyfriend? ex? God, she didn't know any more and quite frankly she didnt care- kissing the person she despised most.
In an instant, she lunges at Aaaqil as he and Callum frantically separate and back away from eachother. Callum shoves her aside, his face more red from the fact that she had caught them kissing than any previous nor present anger he was harboring. Yronica quickly stands up and brushes herself off, her eye twitching slightly. "God- not only are you a cheater, but a dirty, rotten faggot as well- I just knew something was up between you two-"
"Enough, Yronica." Callum barks, grabbing her swiftly by the arm and dragging her out side the door, Birkin in her hand. "We will talk about this tomorrow- stay the fuck away from my house and Aaaqil."
He slams the door in her face, she pound on it screaming, "YOU FUCKING NEED ME CALLUM GALLAGHER- WE NEED EACHOTHER YOU'RE USELESS SCUM WITHOUT ME BY YOUR SIDE-" She runs out of breath and stops after a few minutes, dejected, yet still giggling to herself.
She walks to Aaaqil's car, as she still has his keys, and drives it home, as she knows enough about driving to not get caught, as she doesn't have a license yet.
Aaaqil smiles up at Callum, "You really showed her, I know you still have to smooth out the edges, but that ought to set her staright." Callum presses a kiss, unknowingly as if by instinct, on Aaaqil's forehead. "Yeah- you're right thanks for being here for me-... speaking of being here, its getting late-" Aaaqil goes to the side table near the front door where he had left his keys, he sighs, downtrodden.
"Yronica took my keys- sorry to ask you to drive me home this late but-" Callum sighs, cutting him off "Of course she took them- and it's not a bother at all, of course I'll drive you home."
The two of them head out the door and into Callum's car, he hugs Aaaqil tightly, waving goodbye as he lets him out at his house.
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His ears are ringing, he pinches and pulls at his face, the eyebags under his eyes are stretchy. His arms and overall body is thinner along with his red hair being knotted and frizzy.
He was a shell of the "man" he once was, he can't call himself that. He couldn't even protect him. His dad was right, he truly was a waste of space after all, he gagged as he felt the bile surge up through his throat again. The cycle that wouldn't stop.
Day after day, night after night.
It was persistent. It was present. It was vile.
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The next day, Callum showed up at school, no sign of Yronica, they planned to meet you behind the school to talk everything out. To figure out their standing- to sort out their relationship... or what was left of it at least.
It was unusual... Yronica seemed pretty desperate to salvage their relationship- Callum could shrug something like this off. He just couldn't.
Iris, who he'd seen with the gardening club, came running up to him, catching her breath. "C- Callum I've been looking f- for you-" She pants and continues, "Aaaqil has gone missing, his parents said he wasn't in his room this morning- they reported it to the police- th- this isn't like him- right, Callum?"
Callum's face was pale, all he needed were the words 'Aaaqil' and 'missing' to feel sick. His chest starts heaving, he shakily blurts out, "Y- Yronica... we need to find Yronica... where is Yronica..."
Iris panics slightly herself at seeing Callum so disheveled, her eyebrows furrow, "I haven't seen her at school at all today- she would have made her presence known by now..."
Callum wastes no time dragging Iris by the arm to his car, they get in and drive to the police station, on the way, they get stuck behind multiple cars and an ambulance. Callum tails the ambulance, as he was desperate for any leads, any immediate help- anything to help him find Aaaqil.
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God. What an absolute moron... thinking he can get away with this. With his perfect little life and perfect little token twink, I'm not surprised he's not the brightest.
In truth, I despise scum like him. His whole life has been handed to him, he's star of the varsity track team, he has decent grades, all the teachers and adults love him.
What a suck-up. When you haven't had everything handed to you, you have to fend for yourself. I'm not just mean, you stupid snank of mom, you stupid fag of a boyfriend, all of you.
You're all blind. I fought, I was messy, dirty, unethical... but it got me to the top of the social ladder, my name is known by all. For better or for worse for fuck's sake... I did what all you disgusting vile scum couldn't.
I built something from nothing- and I'm not about to let him take it away from me, I've come too far, I've done too much- if I'm going out, I'm going out known. I'm going out accomplished. I'm going out trashing and causing a scene till my last moments. I'm going out Yronica Ayala.
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The paramedics dragged the carcass. His carcass. It was encrusted with maggots, a hole, deep into his chest, was carved out, his heart was black a swollen up. It was found near his body, pulverized by a mallet. His carcass beyond the point of saving, void of any life.
Void of any life.
Void of any life.
Void of any life.
Void of any life.
Void. of. any. life.
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I'm sorry.
Well, not really but kind of. I feel bad for using my dad's new mallet for dirty work like this, he'd always try to at least be a decent human being.
What's done is done. He screamed like a little girl, tragic, really...
Even though I was wearing latex gloves, I could still feel his mushy intestines, the way his fat cells in his legs still spasmed and writhed slightly as I peeled the skin off his body... intense.
But, I suppose even icons need something new to experience. The killing part was boring, it was slightly satisfying ripping all his teeth out when he was finally dead- bashing his skull in with a hammer until it was practically beyond recognition...
The best part was the satisfaction that I was going out on a high note- Yronica Ayala will be remembered forever, I will be known by people, most will hate me- some will fangirl over me- call me relatable, this and that...
It's all the same to me.
Any publicity is good publicity~♡
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I'm not sad anymore. Tears do not fall. I stare blankly, sifting through his scrapbook everyday. The guilt is replaced with regret and remorse more and more every day.
I hold the scrapbook close to me. I hold it near and dear to my heart as I trudge outside, as if I could share my heart with he who is lacking it...
As if it matters.
I get into my car, my parents aren't home as per usual-
Not that I mind much anymore.
I drive to the cemetery, donning an umbrella that I found in the backseat. I trudge, clutching his the scrapbook close to me. I'm here to visit...
I'm not sure as to why.
Oh right, there's him no reason after all.
What is this I'm holding in my hands?
It doesn't belong to me.
It belongs to Aaaqil someone. No use keeping it. Must not be that important.
Thud
I toss the scrapbook notebook to the ground.
It spills open, the photo contents an writing are quickly dissolved by the rain, the pages grow soggy as the ink from the pen on the pages dissolves into the cemetery soil.
I don't know why I watch it degrade. It has no significance to me.
I watch the book rot.
As a carcass, it is void of any life.
Void of any life.
Void of any life.
Void of any life.
Void of any life.
Void. of. any. life.
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