Bradley came out of the stall to see Kyle leaning against it, he rolled his eyes “What are you doing here?” he asked
“You’re drunk” Kyle said.
“Not anymore” Bradley said to him as he splashed water on his face.
“Jesus Bradley” Kyle said “Coming to school hungover do you know how stupid that is?!” he asked.
“Save me the lecture alright, I’m not in the mood” Bradley said to him.
“What is going on with you? Why are you doing this to yourself?” Kyle asked.
“Why don’t you tell me why Nat saw you, Harry, and Adam cleaning out Neilson’s locker” Bradley said to him.
"Calm down alright we didn't do it, we knew it wasn't our place" Kyle said.
"Yeah you're right it's not so why would even consider it in the first place?" Bradley asked.
"Bradley come on it's just his locker... are you every going to get over this?" Kyle asked.
"Am I ever going to get over my best friend committing suicide? no Kyle I am not going to get over that" Bradley said angrily.
“Hey you’re not the only one who lost Neilson okay?!” Kyle said “We are all grieving.”
“Oh really? Yeah you look really upset Kyle” Bradley said.
“Well I am, one of my closest friends killed himself and I’m watching another slowly kill himself right in front of me” Kyle said to him.
“Yeah well you know what I’m not Neilson alright? I’m not going to kill myself and leave everyone I love behind without a single explanation as to why and leave everyone wondering” Bradley said “Unlike some people I’m not inconsiderate enough to do something like that okay? I’m not going to lie straight to my best friend’s face and tell him that I’m fine when I know I’m going to kill myself!” he said.
“Son of a bitch!” Bradley said throwing his fist into the bathroom’s mirror “Ahh!” he said as blood began to pour down his hand, Kyle grabbed a bunch of paper towels and stuck them on his fist, Bradley seethed in pain as Kyle put pressure on it.
Bradley sat in Mr. Wexler’s office when his parents came in.
“Bradley, what happened?” Vicki asked seeing his bandaged fist.
“Nothing, I lashed out and punched out a mirror okay? It’s no big deal” he said.
“Dr. McAdams, Mr. Littrell, thank you for coming” Mr. Wexler said coming into the office.
“Look I’ll cover any damages done” Brian said.
“Well thank you but that’s not necessary under the circumstances” he said sitting down in his chair
“I assume this has to do with Neilson’s death.”
“Well you know what they say about people who assume Wexie” Bradley said.
“Hey!” Brian said sternly.
“Look not everything I do anymore has to do with Neilson, alright?” Bradley asked irritated.
“Have you looked into any kind of grief counselling at all?” Mr. Wexler asked,
Bradley chuckled “Oh my god, not this again” he said.
“Yeah don’t worry Mr. Wexler, we’re taking care of it” Vicki said to him.
“So? what’s going to happen here? Am I suspended or what?” Bradley asked.
“Actually I’m giving you a leave of absence” Mr. Wexler said.
“A leave of absence?” Vicki asked “For how long?”
“However long you need, I’ll have your teachers email you your assignments and any tests and class work.”
“Fine, can I go now?” Bradley asked.
“Sure” Mr. Wexler said, Bradley stood up and grabbed his bag and stormed out of his office.
“We are so sorry about this” Vicki said to him.
“No need to apologize, I can see Bradley’s having a tough time adjusting to life without Neilson” he said.
“Thanks for calling us” Brian said shaking his hand
“No problem” he said as they left the office.
“Well? What’d the doctor say?” Brian asked as Vicki and Bradley came out of a cubicle.
“No permanent damage, just superficial cuts, had to pick out some of the glass left” Vicki said about Bradley’s bandaged hand.
“Good…what has gotten into you?” Brian asked.
“Nothing, I’m fine” Bradley said.
“You keep saying that but it’s pretty obvious that you’re not” Vicki said “Have you been drinking?” she asked.
“What?” Bradley asked “No!” he said rolling his eyes.
“Then why can I smell it on you?” she asked angrily.
"Bradley, grieving is one thing but completely shutting yourself down like this is another, you could’ve gotten yourself kicked out of school do you realize that?!” Brian asked.
“Can we please just go home?” Bradley asked.
“What the hell is going on with you, I feel like I don’t even know who you are anymore” Brian said.
“Yeah? Well I guess that makes 2 of us” Bradley said turning away and walking down the hallway.
“Bradley!” Brian said calling after him “What do we do?” he asked.
“I don’t know” Vicki said.
“We’re his parents we’re supposed to know how to help him” he said.
“I know but this is something I don’t think even we can help him with” she said.
“I better go after him, god knows where he’ll end up” he said.
“Alright I got to get back to work here” she said.
“I’ll call you later” he said.
“Alright” she said as he walked down the hallway.
Vicki wrapped her stethoscope around her neck and approached the nurse’s station, she picked up a chart and looked through it, she sighed and hid her face in her hands.
“Vicki?” Sasha asked.
“Sash, hey, what’s up?” she asked.
“I was hoping you could do me a favor and just keep an eye on some things for me while I’m gone” she said.
“Gone, where you going?” Vicki asked.
“I’m going to go stay with my parents for a few days…with everything that’s happened I just…need some time away” she said.
“Oh, yeah, sure, no problem” Vicki said nodding sadly.
“I also wanted to tell you that, I put some stuff aside for Bradley, just some things that I’m sure Neilson would want him to have.”
"Oh...are you sure?" Sasha nodded "Okay" Vicki said “I’ll have him come and pick it up when he’s ready” she said.
“Hey, you okay?” Sasha asked.
“Not really” Vicki said tearfully.
“What’s going on? Tell me” Sasha said.
“No, I couldn’t you’re already going through so much right now I wouldn’t feel right” Vicki said.
“Hey come on, it’s fine, really…what’s going on?” Sasha asked.
“It’s Bradley” Vicki said.
“He okay?” Sasha asked.
“Well principal Wexler just put him on a leave of absence from school after he punched out a mirror in the bathroom” Vicki said to her.
“Oh no” Sasha said.
“He is so hurt and angry and depressed and the only thing…the only person who can help him is gone” she said “Oh god, I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to say that” Vicki said horrified.
“No, no, it’s okay, I understand” Sasha said to her.
“I don’t know what to do Sash, I don’t know how to help him and I am just so afraid that he…” she said stopping herself.
“What?” Sasha asked.
“That he’ll end up just like Neilson” she said.
Bradley stood outside on the back porch, a cloud of cigarette smoke escaping his lips as he exhaled.
“Bradley?” Harry asked cautiously.
Bradley rolled his eyes “What do you want Harry?” he asked sighing in irritation.
“You’re starting to smoke as much as Adam does” Harry said approaching him further.
“That all?” Bradley asked.
“No…uh…how’s your hand?” Harry asked.
“It hurts like a bitch, what do you think?” Bradley asked.
“Right…hey, I don’t know if Nat told you…about the special issue of the paper we’re running at school in Neilson’s honor?” Harry asked, Bradley glared at him “I was hoping to get your input” Harry said.
“Do whatever you want Harry just leave me out of it” Bradley said tossing his cigarette to the ground and stomping on it.
“Bradley…come on…” Harry said.
“Come on what?” Bradley asked “You don’t want my input you want me to tell you that it’s okay, you don’t want input you want permission” Bradley said in disdain. “So there you go, there’s your permission Harry, do whatever you want, I don’t care but I’m not going to be a part of it” Bradley said angrily.
“Bradley this self-imposed downward spiral of yours is not going to bring Neilson back” Harry said to him.
“Oh you know what? To hell with Neilson alright?” he said angrily “If Neilson cared about anyone but himself, he would still be alive” he said.
“You don’t mean that” Harry said.
“He lied to my face okay?!” Bradley said.
“What?” Harry asked.
“I asked him over and over if he was okay, that he didn’t seem like himself and what did he tell me? He said he was fine, he promised me that he was okay…he lied to me, he promised me that he would be fine, and what did he do?” he asked “He completely betrayed me” he said as Harry looked at him sadly, Bradley then turned and ran up the stairs.
“I don’t care if we have to drag him there kicking and screaming, he is going to see that therapist” Brian said setting a cup of coffee in front of Vicki.
“I knew Neilson’s death would be hard on him but I didn’t think it would get this bad” she said. A knock came upon the backdoor, Vicki stood up and opened it “Nat hey, come on in” she said to her.
“I have to talk to you about Bradley, it’s really important” she said.
“Yeah we already know what happened at school” Brian said.
“What happened at school?” Natalie asked.
“Mr. Wexler put him on a leave of absence” Vicki said to her.
“Yeah he punched out a mirror in the bathroom” Brian said to her.
Natalie sighed “He’s getting worst” she said.
“What do you mean?” Brian asked.
“Well for one thing he’s smoking all the time now, he’s drinking way too much…” Natalie said.
“I knew it” Vicki said.
“What do you mean drinking too much?” Brian asked.
“I mean drinking, everything and anything, he’s showing up to school hung over” Natalie said.
Brian threw his arms up “Oh my god” Vicki sighed.
“I can’t believe this” Brian said.
“He is sinking further and further into despair” Natalie said. “We need to do something…I’ve already lost Neilson, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost Bradley too” Natalie said.
“My son is not going anywhere, I promise” Vicki said to her.
“So what do we do?” Natalie asked as Vicki looked at her worriedly.
