Teach Me To Behave

13. Unbreakable

I attached my hand to the right side wall and followed against it until I found my way out. I climbed up the ladder and pushed up the sewer cover before crawling out.

Justin's hands were at his side as he marched along the path ahead of me. "Justin, wait!" I called jogging after him. I kept his journal at my side, clinging onto it tightly. My nails practically dug into from the nerve wrecking silence. I wasn't ready to see how he was going to react.

He ignores me, and continues on walking. His hands go up and through his hair as he starts to pull on it.

"Hey!" I call out for him again, "Come here!" I holler as he puts more distance between us. I begin to pick up the pace in my movement until I'm close enough behind him that I know he can hear me. "Hello?! JUSTIN!" I scream.

His heels circle faster then I can comprehend and suddenly he's in my face. "Shut the fuck up!" He cries. His hands reach the ends of his hair once more and he begins tugging down on them in distress. "Turn back around now! Walk away. Because if you don't I swear to god I'm going to lose it and someone is gonna end up getting hurt!" The veins at the top of his forehead are throbbing.

I take a step back away from him, feeling myself come more to grips with reality. He's angry. He has a temper. Lay off. I repeat those short lines in my head. He flares his nostrils and turns off, marching away. His feet gliding across the cement in an obnoxious manner while he mutters some words I don't understand.

He's only a couple feet away from me before I, stupidly, decide to speak again, "Where are you going? You're just gonna run away from your problems again? I'm here Justin! Talk to me!" I cry out.

Justin's quick to turn around and shove his body into mine. I lean up against the brick wall of the building and turn my face away from him. I weakly drop his journal from my fingertips. My eyes stay shut closed as he yells in my face. "What did I say?! Didn't I just say don't fucking speak!" His warm breath hits my skin. I keep my cheek turned to him as he let's off steam, "Fuck! God dammit! You don't-Nobody gets it!" he mutters.

"Then tell me. What is it. " I whisper turning my head to him. I was afraid to speak to him, but I was doing it anyway. His eyes go dark when I speak. He lunges over to one side of me and punches the brick wall while throwing out a horrid scream.

I remember noticing a shadow approaching us, but before I could make out who it was, they were on the floor. Justin had taken all his anger, forcefully swung around, and knocked the kid out with one jab to the jaw. It had happened so fast and so unexpectedly. I held my breath.

I slapped my hands over my eyes and yelp. Then it's silent again. All I can hear is Justin's steady breath. My eyes feel like they're glued shut from the line of terrified tears I'd created. When I finally do peek, my glossy eyes run over Justin's regretful face. The angry crinkles on his forehead are gone. His face is motionless as he just stares at me straight on.

I can tell by that his mood had completely flip-flopped after realizing what he had done. I choked on my own breath, but I pushed out the words with a croak, "That's why I slapped you in there. I didn't want something like this to happen." I look down at the random body lying on the concrete. I had no idea who he was, but he chest was still moving. His heart was still pumping.

Justin's eyes are drooped low now. He looks up at me with a sincere expression, "I wasn't mad that you saved my ass in there." He takes a step forward and I responsively cringe.

"Please." I cry regretting my next line, "Just. Stay there." My hands were trembling with fear and I could tell Justin's were too now. I didn't know what to feel. It felt wrong to be afraid of him, but I was.