The walk to English next lesson gave me déjà vu. No surprise really. However, instead of seeing Mark, it was Mike who I saw. He was waiting outside the bathroom and as soon as he noticed me, his eyes slowly lit up.
"Vic! Vic, come here!" Mike shouted from across the hallway. I don't know if it's just me, but I'm genuinely scared right now, despite Kellin beside me.
"I'm going to see what Mike wants," I whisper to Kellin, "I'll see you in english." I gave him a quick squeeze of the hand to reassure him that everything will be alright but he still gives me a look of concern.
"If anything bad happens to you, I swear to god..."
"... Nothing bad is going to happen. Trust me on this," I tell him with a small smile. I peck his lips softly, completely forgetting the fact that Mike is still stood waiting for me.
"I love you," Kellin mumbles quietly.
"As I love you too, Kells."
With that, he gave me a small smile and headed in the opposite direction. Hopefully he'd get there okay.

"What is it Mike?" I ask as I reach the opposite side of the hallway in a minute due to the large crowds.
"Can I talk to you?" He asks. I notice he's fidgeting with his fingers, showing he must be slightly nervous about something.
"If you're here to make fun of me then no, you can't. I'd rather not miss english to be beaten up again thanks," I reply in a sarcastic tone. Mike takes my wrist and pulls me into the bathroom. I had seriously doubted how strong Mike was. He practically lifted me from my feet.
"Do you really think I'd hurt you, Vic? My own brother?" he asks again, clearly upset by me thinking this.
"You've hurt me so many times already Mike that it hardly matters if it's physically, emotionally or mentally anymore," I quickly snap back.
"I don't follow," a blank expression creeping over his face as he replied.
"Well, Mike, let's really think about this. Remember all those times you stood and watched your friends beat the living shit out of me? Remember last time when they knocked my unconscious practically killing me, and how you still stood an watched? You may not be doing to beating, Mike, but fuck me does it hurt to know you won't do anything about it. That's what's hurting me Mike. The fact that it comes across as you don't give a fuck about me."
A mixture of anger and hurt had taken over me at once making my emotions confused.
"Vic, I'm so sorry. I had no idea," he murmered, his head bowed as he spoke.
"Just quit it Mike, you can't even look me in the eyes whilst you say this. I think that speaks for itself." After speaking again, I turned around to make my way out of the door.
"I'm sorry I've fucked up how we used to be. I'm sorry I allow my so called 'friends' to beat you up whenever they can. I'm sorry I'm a failure to not only myself, but to you, mom and dad and I'm sure that if they're watching over me they wouldn't be too impressed with my actions. I'm sorry for being a pathetic excuse of a brother. I'm so fucking sorry, Victor." The next thing I know, Mike has fallen to his knees with his face buried in his hands. I could hear faint sobs which automatically made my heart sink. I know he can be absolutely terrible at times but it breaks me to see him like this. He looks so vulnerable and that isn't how Mike Fuentes should look.
"Mike, Mike come here," I say as I kneel besides him and take him into my arms.
"All I want is for us to be back how we were. When we were happy to wake up and see each other and not dread each others company. I miss you, Vic. I miss you and I love you. I know I haven't shown it very well since mom and dad passed away, but I do. I love you. And I do understand why you'd hate me because I hate me too."
Now it was my turn to start crying.
"Oh Mike, I don't hate you. I could never hate you. Despite how much of an idiot you can be at times I couldn't hate you."
"I need help, Vic. I need your help with something," he spoke quietly as he sat back.
"Anything," I replied.
Mike slowly began to turn up his sleeves to reveal multiple gashes, cuts, old scars and new scars. My heart only sank much further. Mikes eyes averted from looking at me.
"Mike, please look at me," I sobbed lightly. Mike only shook his head.

"If I were you, I'd put that away,
See you're just wasted and thinking about the past again,
Darling you'll be okay."

I said, rather than sang. I thought it was fitting, plus I'd been writing it recently.
"Why, Mike? You have what seems like the most perfect life, and evidently it isn't. Mom and dad wouldn't want you to do this, so why?" I placed my hand under his chin to make him look at me.
"I didn't have you, Vic. I could see you were miserable. I could tell it was probably my fault. I didn't know what to do or how to cope, so I, so I did this. I know you do it, of did it. I saw scars whilst you were in the hospital." So he did visit me. "Whether they be past or present, I want you to help me and I want to help you. I want to be your antidote, and I want me to be yours."
"Mike, of course I'll help you."
"Can we start over, a clean slate, please? I'd very much like that," he asked hopefully.
"I'd very much like that too," I said with a small smile, a tear running down my cheek. "Come here," I gestured to my open arms.
"I'll never let anybody hurt you again, Vic. That's my promise to you."
"I promise to help you get better, and be here whenever you need somebody."

We didn't have to say anymore. We both knew it was a fresh slate. Things would soon adjust back to normal. Mike would hopefully stop with the self harm, along with the alcohol and drugs I knew he did.
This time things would be done right. We'd be brothers again, and our mom and dad would look down on us knowing everything would be alright. There'd be no more arguments, no more watching me being beat. We'd get along fine. This is how I had wanted it to be since mom and dad passed.

"I guess we should get to lesson," I suggest in a hushed tone.
"Yeah, maybe so," Mike agrees, "I might stay here for a while longer though."
"Do you, urhm, have any blades on you? I don't want you to hurt yourself anymore." Mike simple shakes his head.
"I don't believe you, Mike. Give whatever you have to me."
"I don't have anything," he says loudly.
"Let me check your phone, please."
"No."
"Mike, I swear to god, if we're going to help each other I need to take your blades away." Mike thought about this for a second before bringing out his phone and wallet and giving them to me. I took off his phone case to reveal a razor blade. I grabbed a piece of tissue from the nearest stall and put it on that before checking through his wallet. There were so many. From razor blade, to pencil sharpener blades, to pins. It shocked me as to how many he carried around with him.
"Oh Mike," I simply said as I wrapped them all up in the tissue.
"I'll be throwing these away, and I'll also be wanting a full body check every night. I'll do anything I can to stop you from destroying yourself further." I stood up slowly and began to make my way for the door before stopping.
"I love you, Mike. I'll see you when I get home."
"I love you too, Vic."

With that, I was out the door and on my way to English. I'm so glad things had been sorted out with Mike.
Things in my life were slowly piecing itself together.
Everything was going so smoothly I was almost expecting something to come along and fuck things up.