It's the day before Mom's wedding. I'm checking out the venue. Mom and My aunts-and uncle-are looking at the decorations and color scheme approving of every last detail. I sit at one of the tables rolling my eyes and texting Julius.
Me: You sure your head's alright?
Juls💙: I'm sure babe. Don't worry so much.
Me: I have nothing to do. I'm looking at the venue for the sham of a wedding that's happening tommorow.
"Richie get off your phone and get over here!" Aunt Liz says loudly. I walk over to her. "You ready for tommorow? It's a big day. You get a new dad, happier mom." She says. "He is not my dad." I snap. "Not yet." My aunt says putting down the pen she is holding with a smirk. "What do you know?" I ask. She leans closer to me. "You didn't hear it from me but Steve is in the process of trying to adopt you. Isn't that great?" She squeals.
Me: HE'S TRYING TO ADOPT ME!😬😬😬
Juls💙: 😨
Me: I KNOW RIGHT?
Juls💙: I feel like such an idiot.
Me: why?
Juls💙: it took me days to devise that plan and it failed before it was even put into action.
Me: but we you know 👉👌
Juls💙: Richie!
Me: what? I'm just saying🙈🙈🙈
"Who you texting?" Aunt liz asks looking over my shoulder. "I believe you mean "whom are you texting." I say. "Seriously, who?" Aunt liz asks. We've always been close since I am her only nephew. "My boyfriend, Julius." I admit. "Oh la la! Can I see a picture?" Aunt liz asks excitedly.
I pull up a picture of Julius that I snuck while at his house. "Damn. You really found a hot one. What's he want with you?" Aunt liz says. "Auntie!" I say. "Fine. Keep your secrets but I'm sure he's great." She says. "He really is." I say.
Julius
"Adoption? Adoption?!" I think outloud. Why would he want to do that. WHY? "Julius honey, you alright? You sound frustrated." Mom says knocking on my open door frame. "Richie's stepdad wants to adopt him after the wedding." I groan. "What wedding?" Mom asks. "He's gonna marry Richie's mom." I say sitting up from my slouched over position. "When?" Mom asks setting down the laundry basket she's holding.
"Tommorow." I say quietly. "Julius, are you sure he's abusive? Are your sure that what you overheard wasn't just the T.V? Or just poor context?" Mom asks. "I'm sure! Richie wouldn't lie!" I shout leaping up from my bed. "Julius you're shouting." Mom says. "Don't talk like that! I am not your little mental patient." I say.
"Julius I'm just saying with your bi-." Mom stops mid-sentence and bites her finger. "We don't use that fucking word!" I shout. "Julius watch your damn mouth! I need you to calm down and take your medicine." Mom says opening my medication bottle and placing three in her palm.
"I'm not taking those damn pills." I say turning away from my mom. Mom grabs me hand and turns me around shoving the pills in her hand in my mouth. I kick and scream then spit them out. "Julius this is ridiculous! You're 15 years old and you know your diagnosis! You need to take your pills!" Mom screams desperately.
I was diagnosed as bipolar a week after my dad died. I was good at taking my meds until I "didn't need" them anymore. I knew I would need them again one day. I just really hoped that day wouldn't come. "Mommy!" I sob. My mom wraps me in a hug as I fall to the floor. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" I sob repeatedly. "It's okay. You're okay." Mom says quietly as I cry.
Richie
Mom takes me home. Steve's not there but he's yelling at my mom through a phone about my hair. I didn't cut it. It shouldn't fucking bother him so bad. I know I look homeless sometimes but jeez I know how to fix it.
I lie on my bed holding Roger tightly. I never thought I would rely on a damn blue bunny plush to keep my from ending it all. Suddenly my phone rang. What do you know its Julius.
I answer quickly.
"Hey where's your Mom's wedding gonna be at?" He asks. "I'll text you adress. Why?." I ask. "Because I'm getting you outta there as soon as the wedding over." Julius says. I fall silent not hating the idea but not loving it either. Fuck it I'm not taking this shit. I'm worth more than this. "Let's do this." I say.
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It's finally the day. It's early and I'm wearing the dumbass suit Steve forced Mom to pick out. I'm half asleep and staring around the surprisingly excellent decor of the wedding. The color scheme is blue and black. Kinda like the ocean and an oil spill.
Once the ceremony starts I feel like my heart is about come out of my throat. I hate the idea of my mother marrying this man. Mom looks so happy though. She can't stop smiling while looking into Steve's eyes. Maybe I'm the problem here. Maybe if I ran away Mom could enjoy her life. She's still relatively young. Her and Steve could have another kid.
As the reception began I text Julius.
Me: Hey where are you?
Juls💙: look up
I look up and turn my head repetitively. "Behind you." I hear a voice say. I turn around to look where the voice is coming from to see Julius standing there in a white hoodie with a black bow tie drawn on it in sharpie. "AAAAAAA-Hey babe." I shout. "Sorry I should have warned you a little better." He says.
I hug him. "What are you wearing?" I ask. "I didn't know wether to be formal or disguised so I went with the best of both worlds." He says. "Let me grab my backpack then we'll get outta here." I say. I reach under the table to grab the bag I packed when I hear Steve.
He pulls me from under the table by my hair. "What the fuck is he doing here?!" Steve says, grabbing Julius's arm. He drags us both through the woods next to the outdoor setup. He throws both of us to the ground. "Listen he-" I begin to shout when Steve pulls out a gun.
I freeze. Julius puts his hands up. "Let him go! Just hit me! Shoot me if you have to." I protest. "No. I swore that if anything got in the way on Tina's happiness I would stop it." Steve says cocking his gun and aiming it at me. Steve pulls the trigger and shoots off about 12 shots. I duck down and cover my head. When the chaos ends Steve walks off.
I sit up. "Richie?" Julius calls out weakly. I look over at him. "JULIUS!" I cry out. Julius has been hit at least 4 times. I crawl over to him quickly and cradle his head in my lap. "Where were you hit?! Are you okay?! Where's your phone?! JULIUS?!" I shout.
"Babe...calm...down....breathe." Julius says in between his painful sounding breaths.
I examine his injuries. He's been hit in the chest, twice in stomach, the leg and in his upper arm. "Julius I'm gonna call for help but I need you to say things. Anything. Just talk to let me know that you're still alive." I say pulling out Julius's phone and dialing 911.
"Im at Floriál gardens and my boyfriend's been shot!" I say frantically to the 911 operator.
"It hurts...bad." Julius groans. "It's okay baby hang in there." I cry. Julius slowly places his hand on my cheek and wipes my tears. "Stop... if I go.... I don't... want..this..to..be..my last... memory... of you." Julius says. "Don't. Don't talk like that! You're gonna live. You are going home." I say.
I look down to see im completely soaked in blood. "I...feel....dizzy." Julius says. "Hold my hand." I say squeezing his hand. He squeezes back weakly. The operator informs me that the ambulance is 2 minutes away.
"You hear that babe?" I say looking down at my boyfriend. He's passed out. I realize that his body has gone completely limp. "Julius?! Julius wake up! Please! JULIUS! " I scream.
"Richie baby!" Mom yells out. I look up at her. "Oh my god! What happened?!" Mom shouts. "YOUR FUCKING HUSBAND HAPPENED!" I shout. "Babe...yelling." Julius breathes. I look down at him in shock. "Tina there's an amu- I'll go get them." Aunt liz says cutting her previous sentence short in pure shock.
The paramedics come get Julius and I follow.
Julius
It hurts. Everything hurts. They really leave that part out of the movies. The room is spinning around me like a tornado. I raise my hand to see how much blood I've lost to see Richie's holding on to it like there's no tommorow.
"Mom?" I ask. "I'll call her for you baby." Richie says. "Is...it cold....in here?" I ask. It feels like im being frozen in a block of ice. "Thats normal its a symptom of blood loss." One of the paramedics says. "You've lost a lot of blood." She adds.
I look around this tiny ambulance. The entire small space is crammed with scary things. Needles, monitors, wires, its all terrifying. Even with rich hold on to my hand im terrified.
I might die
Richie
"How....many...bullets?" Julius asks while barely conscious. "About 6." The male paramedic says. "6?" I ask. "I only counted like 4." I add. "Well whoever did this wanted him dead." He says. I grimace. "Steve!" I shout.
"Steve who?" The paramedic asks. "My new fucking stepdad. Steve mulligan. He shot him." I say. We arrive at the hospital and they take Julius inside. I stand outside in pure shock. I realize i never hung up on the 911 operator after the ambulance arrived.
I hang the phone and scroll through Julius's contacts til reaching the one labled 'Mom❤'. I call her. "Hey jully bean. What you doing?" Ms. Manni asks. "Hi its richie." I manage to say. "Oh hi richie." She says oblivious to the awful news im trying to tell her. "Is everything alright?" She asks. I clear my throat and take a deep breath.
"Theres no easy way to put this." I say. "Julius has been shot. You need to get to hospital now." I say fighting back tears. Ms. Manni either hangs up or i did but the call ends. I fall to the ground and start crying. Why the hell did he have to try and save me? Why couldn't he just let me suffer? Why?
"Richie!" Aunt liz calls out running towards me with mom behind her. The both of them wrap me in a hug. "He's dying." I say quietly.
He's dying.
Oh god.