To Pieces (boyxboy)

Chapter 3: Safe and sound

----------Sorry this is short and took a while, but I hope you like it!---------

We went downstairs, the air between us tense. I hated fighting with Gage, but he didn't understand. It is my fault, all of this. No matter how many times he tries to tell me it isn't. When we entered the living room, I looked around in surprise. I expected trees and wild animals and dream catchers hanging from the ceiling.

          Instead, the walls were a calming beige color, like sand on the beach. The clear glass kitchen table stood in a room about thirty feet wide, with an island bar. Dark brown wood spread across the floor, making all the other light colored furniture and walls look like they shined. It was simple, yet beautiful.

          "Your home is amazing." I commented, looking around in awe. Leilani smiled.

          "Thank you, Levi. We're happy to have you staying with us." I smiled slightly, ignoring the stinging in my chest.

"Homos." Peace coughed. Leilani shot him a glare, which almost made me laugh. She was graceful and calm but that glare spelt death.

"Peace, is there something you would like to say?" She said. He grumbled, sitting on the couch and pouting. "I didn't think so." She hummed and went into the kitchen, bringing out plates for lunch. Gage's dad and uncle were in the backyard, where they were looking at something I couldn't see.

I was surprised by what she placed on the table, stereotypically expecting a giant salad decked with flowers and oregano. But nope, on the table lay a cooked chicken, fruit arrangements, olives in bowls and pigs in a blanket. It was like heaven on four legs. I was nearly drooling, but I shook myself out of it and quickly sat down next to Peace. Gage sat on my other side, scooting his chair closer to me.

I wrinkled my nose in false disgust and scooted away, scoffing. He raised his eyebrows, reaching a hand under my chair and pulling me back toward him. I glared at him just as his uncle and Zack came in and sat at the table.

I subtly starting moving my chair toward's Peace's chair, giving him a sly grin. He scooted away from me as well, causing his chair to bump into his father's chair. His dad then scooted his chair away, moving a bit too close to his wife's chair. The chain reaction continued as she inched her chair to the left, bumped into Gage's dad's chair, who finally scooted towards Gage and caused him to move his chair right next to mine.

I dropped my head onto the table, groaning as Gage put his arm around my shoulders with a big smile on his face. "Shall we eat?" He said, happier than should be allowed right now.

"Levi, are you alright? Do you feel sick from the car ride?" Leilani asked, her voice gentle. Oh, I felt sick alright. But not from the car ride.

"I'm fine, thank you. The food looks delicious." I lifted my head from the table, smiling tightly. She nodded her thanks, examining me carefully. I don't think I fooled this woman with my 'I'm fine thanks' charade. Something tells me she isn't usually easily fooled. She looked like she was about to ask me another question when I felt Gage running his damn foot up my leg.

I jerked my leg away, clearing my throat. Not this again. I discreetly smacked his leg under the table, hoping he would knock it off.

"So, how do you like living with my fool brother here? He's a hassle eh?" Jack laughed, smacking Zack on the back. Whoa, too much rhyming.

"Uh...it's fine, I guess. He's fine." I didn't really know how to respond to that. I bit my lip as Gage once again ran his foot up my leg, this time as high as my thigh. Damn it, quit rhyming brain!

I kicked his leg away, only in time to feel a foot from my left side nudge my leg. Son of a-

"Would you quit it?!" I snapped, freezing as Gage and Peace both flinched and looked away, all eyes on me. I fidgeted, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"I-I'm gonna go for a walk." I left the table quickly and strode out the door, nearly gasping for breath. What is wrong with me? I never would have snapped at Gage like that, especially not for something so small. I knew Gage would follow me, so I jogged around to the side of the house and leaned against the wall, shutting my eyes. My hands were shaking slightly, which was a terrible sign. I hadn't had a seizure in a long time, and the shaking stopped after months of convincing myself I was safe.

How am I going to convince myself i'm safe, when I know i'm not?

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Later that day, I had gotten hold of myself (slightly) enough to apologise. Gage felt terrible, I could see it in his expression. It wasn't his fault. It never is his fault when I freak out for no apparent reason. It's all in my head, all the time. I never told him about the ghost town that lives in my head. After all that happened last year, it's been slowly scraping away at my mind.

I sighed as I sat in the bathroom, hiding from everyone as the pain set it course through me yet again. Gage has helped me a lot, so much so that I wouldn't be sitting where I am right now....well I am on a toilet but- agh, you know what I mean.

Whenever I was on the brink of falling off the edge he'd pull me away from the cliff. It's sort of always been Gage who's kept me away from my breaking point. Even when we weren't...official, we were always together. Mainly because I semi-stalked him, but that's not it. Even though I bugged the hell out of him, he always...accepted me.

He said he didn't consider us friends, but he did. We talked and laughed, and no matter how persistent I was being, he was patient with me. As you can see it made me crazier and crazier about him as time went on.

That's the only reason i'm keeping it together at all, is because of him. Even so, though...the dam in my head holding all the grief and fear back is close to breaking now with the sudden news about Wiggins. It hurts so much more than you think, when you believe you're safe for so long only to have it ripped out from under you.

I sniffled as I opened the window in the bathroom to get some fresh air, feeling like the walls were closing in around me. As I was looking out the window, taking deep breaths to calm myself my breath suddenly caught in my throat. I could swear I just saw a familiar figure walking down the sidewalk.

No, it couldn't be, right? My breaths became quicker and shorter as I looked out the window more closely. A tall man in dark gloves was walking, slowly past the house, but at the other end of the street. Eyes wide, his head lifted just enough for me to partially see his face. The same cruel face from my nightmares. My skin paled as a car sped past and the figure was gone. Wiggins. He's here.

I slumped to the floor, shaking violently. My head was spinning, chills running through my body. Realizing what was happening, I scrambled up and opened the door to the bathroom, just in time to fall on the ground seizing uncontrollably, my eyes rolling back in my head.

----------CLIFFHANGER HAHAHAHAHAHA----------