#someday i will have to release my 'memes abt me inflicting pain of emery' draft on my PP blog

[lovevalley45]

#fictober23 day twenty-three

"No, you won't understand, ever."

original fiction (power payback)

word count: 744

cw: mentions of child abuse, injury

Most times, the walk from his house to the Coello-Sterling home was nothing more than a stroll across the street. Hugo could practically do the journey blindfolded, if not for the danger of getting hit by a car. 

But now, every step felt excruciating. It was even worse going to Haley’s window, knocking on the glass. Though her parents had no problem with him coming over, climbing through the window was his typical way in. Even if it wasn’t necessarily a big window. 

He was having trouble keeping his footing as he weaved through the flower bushes, let alone thinking of climbing a window. Yet Hugo still knocked, more urgently than he would usually. 

It was a bit until she came to open the curtains, looking out at him in confusion. Her short curls were parted into messy braids, barely brushing the shoulders of her pink nightgown. She slid the window open. “Hugo?”

“Hey, yeah,” he said, trying to keep the strain out of his voice. His mind was foggy from pain and the headache starting to build being his temples. It was taking all his attention to stay upright, so he braced himself against the window ledge. “Can you unlock the door for me? I can’t really- climb through there this time.”

She furrowed her eyebrows together. “What happened?”

Hugo glanced back to his house. The windows were still dark. “We can talk inside.”

Haley looked behind him, then sighed. “Alright.”

By the time Hugo limped his way to the porch, the door was unlocked. Once he opened it and crossed the threshold, his left leg finally gave up on him. He pitched forward, crashing onto the floor and at Haley’s feet with a thud. The falling hurt, especially since he had a feeling the bruise would be sticking around for a while, but the floor was nice and cold. 

“Oh my God, Hugo!” She reached around him to close the door before she crouched down. As she did, she looked down at his leg. Though he though his leg had healed up pretty quick on the surface, he knew she saw the dried blood, the frayed hole in his jeans. “What did he do?”

“Well, you know, trying to give me a burnout,” he said. A weak laugh tumbled out of him. “He might have succeeded this time, though.”

She cupped his face. “It certainly feels like you have a fever,” she muttered. “I should call my mom, or get my dad to drive you to the hospital-”

Hugo grabbed her wrist, his mind suddenly clear. “No. No hospitals.”

“You’re obviously in rough shape, you need a doctor-”

“That’s why I came here.” He met her eyes. “Please.”

“She’ll tell you the same thing I did. And she’s right. Hugo, this isn’t something you can just sleep off, you need actual medical attention,” Haley told him. 

“You don’t understand. No, you won’t understand, ever,” Hugo said, squeezing her wrist with the strength he still had. “If my dad hears, he’ll just yank me out of the hospital anyways. I’d rather be here than have my dad try to play nurse. Why do you think I snuck the fuck out?”

“Don’t-” Haley ripped her wrist away. “I know your dad is a fucker. If he wasn’t, you wouldn’t be lying on my living room floor.”

“Please, Haley,” he said. “I can’t go back. Not right now.”

She glanced back at the rest of the house. “Fine. I’ll get you to the couch, then I’ll get my mom.”

“Thank you.”

Haley stood back up and grabbed his arms. With his uninjured leg, he pushed himself up, and threw an arm around her shoulders. 

“If you don’t go to the hospital, my mom’s gonna try to get you to stay here.”

“Good. Better here than my dad’s.”

“I meant forever.”

“Oh.”

She looked back at him. “Were you really going to go back?”

Hugo didn’t want to admit the truth - that maybe if his Talent was actually gone, his dad would be nicer to him. Maybe this burnout could be a good thing. 

Instead, he said, “I don’t know if I have a choice.”

Haley helped him get settled on the couch, propping a pillow under his left foot. As she adjusted it, she looked him in the eyes. “If I know you, I know you’ll make one.”

Hugo sank into the couch cushions. He hoped that one day she would be right about that.