My English Coursework

Accidents Happen

"Look, I said go away! I don't like fags!" Xavier growled, walking along in the fading light of a winter's afternoon. He was on his way home, walking alongside a busy main road set high on a bridge above another busy road. Elliott, a boy from Xavier's school, was walking beside him trying to keep up with the taller boy's much larger steps.

"Asshole!" With that, the first punch was thrown. Elliott's fist collided with the side of Xavier's face making him wobble, but not move from his spot. Xavier fought back, his fist hitting Elliott's stomach hard, taking the wind out of him and sending him toppling backwards, into the road.
"Crap!"
"H-Help!" Before Xavier could reach out and grab Elliott's outstretched arm, a car had hit him, tearing the arm away from Xavier's reach, and tearing the blonde's short lived life away.
"N-No!" Xavier gripped his hair and fell onto his knees.
The driver of the car hadn't even stopped, just hit him and kept driving... Left his lifeless corpse laying in the road. At least someone had the heart to stop, calling an ambulance and pulling the body to the side of the road, laying it beside Xavier. The body of the blonde was disfigured, blood everywhere, body contorted into strange shapes that it should never be able to make. Xavier just knelt there, staring down into the open, lifeless voids that were the blonde's once deep blue eyes. Now, however, the blue had become a stormy sea, full of unspoken torment.

Xavier's only instinct at the time was to run. Get up and head straight home, as fast as he could. He stood up, his legs turning to jelly as he began to run, not looking back, even when someone called after him.

When he reached home, he threw his bag off, and made his way straight to the bathroom. He turned on his shower, not bothering to put any hot water towards it.
He sat under the icy cold water that hit him like a thousand tiny daggers, cutting into him with the same question: "Why?"

He couldn't tell how much time had passed, but he got out of the shower and walked lifelessly to his room, discarding his wet school uniform and crawling into his bed. The sheets were cold and untouched, but he showed no concern as he tried to hide in his bedding.
The guilt had already began tearing him apart. As he fell into a restless slumber, the only image invading his mind was Elliott's horrified face as he, and his life, tumbled relentlessly towards an imminent death.
Subconsciously this spawned dreams of the afterlife, or lack thereof. He imagined himself plummeting in an unknown direction in a vast somber darkness for the rest of eternity.

He awoke in a cold sweat, his sheets drenched. Breathing erratically, he wiped his forehead and feebly attempted to calm himself down. He looked through the gap between his curtains and found that it was still dark, though it felt like he should be up by now. Getting out of bed and going to the bathroom, he decided on a warm shower this time.
He turned on the water, holding his arm under the rush, waiting for it to get warmer.
As he stepped under the flow of water, the feeling relaxed his muscles almost instantaneously.
He began to wash his body down, not caring if he scrubbed himself too hard with his wash cloth, the pain reminding him he still existed, and that it wasn't him who was hit by the car. No, that would be the easy way out. Death.

Once Xavier had finished with his shower, he returned, dripping wet, to get a towel from his wardrobe and dress himself. He donned his school uniform and sat on his bed, staring at the clock. At that moment it ticked over to 6 am. He decided to wait another hour and then set off, as it took a while for him to walk to school.

***
After dragging himself through the concrete jungle, he arrived at the school he liked to think of as a prison. From outside the room he could hear the chattering of the students behind the closed door, but he couldn't hear what they were talking about.  Arriving to class late was at the bottom of his priorities list, so he didn't give it a second thought when the teacher scowled at him when he opened the door and stepped inside the classroom. Almost immediately the whole class turned to look at him with a look of disgust on their faces. All but one, who kept talking absent mindedly, facing away from Xavier.
"So yeah I think it's his entire fault!" When her friend tapped her shoulder to shut her up, she looked over at Xavier who was staring back at the teacher.

"Xavier, the head teacher wants to see you." She spoke through her teeth, as though she couldn't stand the sight of the 'murderer'.
"But ---"
"Now, Xavier."
He sighed and turned on the spot, opening the door and stepping back into the hall way.  

Xavier headed towards the head teacher's office, dragging his feet along the polished floors of the school corridors. He pretty much knew exactly what was coming, but decided to follow his teacher's order, rather than getting himself into more trouble.
"Y-You wanted to see me sir?" He timidly knocked on the open door, the large male figure sitting in his chair, bent forward uncomfortably, the lack of neck making him look like a vulture. Xavier supposed his pointed nose didn't much help the image.
"Xavier. We, the other teachers and I, think it best you take a few days off. You see, you being around is… frightening the other students. Everyone knows that you were the last in contact with Elliott Greene, and they're talking about you. They say you pushed him in front of a car."

Xavier opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. The shock was too much; he just kept opening his mouth a little every time he wanted to say another word, much like a goldfish.  
"Take your leave as soon as possible, Xavier. The students don't need to be scared for their safety any longer."
Xavier didn't need any more encouragement; he turned on his heel and ran outside as fast as he could. He crouched down, gripping his hair and gritting his teeth. He didn't understand why this was happening to him. He had read about similar situations, murder... No, accidental murder.

He looked up slightly when he heard advancing footsteps, seeing a pair of long, slender legs. Those, of course, could only belong to one person; His friend Elisabeth.
"Xavier."
"L-Lizzi?" Standing, his voice wavered as it became apparent, to him and Elisabeth, that there were tears gathering in his eyes.
"Why'd you do it, Xavi? You know everyone loved him." Her voice was full of hurt. Hurt that one best friend had died, and her other best friend had committed the murder.
"I-I didn't --- it was an accident!"
"Bullshit, Xavier! You were the only one who never accepted his sexuality. You were even so heartless as to completely disregard any feelings he showed towards you! He loved you, and you killed him!"
"H-He loved me?! When the hell did that happen? As far as I knew, he didn't NEED love!" He growled, the sound tearing from his throat as if he was a feral wolf, about to prey on an innocent rabbit.

"Well he loved you, so get over yourself you heartless bastard! You think you've got it bad?" She slapped him, the loud sound of skin contact ringing out across the empty concrete courtyard. He had seen Elisabeth mad at him, even experienced a light slap on the arm, or something like that. But she had never slapped him round the face.
She looked at him shocked, it seemed even she didn't know she had it in her. She stepped backwards a few paces and turned, beginning to run.
He did the same, running past the death scene from the day before, forensics checking over the site, the road closed off. It was a cold day, Xavier hadn't noticed it before but it was foggy. He looked over the side of the bridge, his eyes not able to penetrate the fog to see the cars streaming past below. He could faintly hear the car engines, but they sounded more like a chorus of the dead, groaning and calling him towards them.

He climbed up onto the barriers, chancing a look towards the forensic scene. Nobody had noticed him. Good, he could complete his next act peacefully. He raised his arms parallel to the ground, stepping onto the top barrier. The wind whipped at him, almost sending him toppling, but he kept his balance.

He could almost see Elliott stepping out of the fog, beckoning him with an evil smile. He stepped forward into the unknown, closing his eyes as he tumbled, his dream suddenly becoming his reality, the darkness surrounding him as he met his maker.