The Last Day

Chapter Eight

After taking a picture with a couple of band kids and the directors, Slaughter couldn’t take it anymore. He wanted to change and go home. Or at least pack up to leave. He wasn’t allowed to go to the university he wanted because of his cutting issue from all those years ago. He despised himself for saying the words.

“I do it so that I can feel happy.”

Slaughter gritted his teeth. He had to go to Saturday school and three years of summer school for it. Even though he had stopped after the first year that the fact he had to keep going for two more made him look like the bad kid. You hurt yourself more than you think. Slaughter’s director’s voice echoed. They won’t let you go to some colleges because you don’t meet their morals.

He didn’t want to go to that university for the morals. He wanted to go because of the music. But—they were judgmental. He could move around that. And even though he visited the university before that didn’t mean he could attend it.

Slaughter sighed as he made his way to his car. He hated the fact that he ruined his chance. They only could deny his enrollment because of the mental institution. Great. Now he was going to go the fourth greatest university for music because they were the only ones who said that he could have changed. And he did. Slaughter frowned. He couldn’t stand himself at the moment.

So caught up in his thoughts Slaughter ran straight into someone who somehow didn’t seemed to be fazed. Looking down to see who it was Slaughter exclaimed, “Denise…! I-“

“Slaughter?” Denise said with tears in her eyes.

No. Please. Don’t cry… “What is it?”

“Why didn’t you say something earlier…?” She cried.

“Say what?” Slaughter tried to play off.

“Your arms Slaughter! That’s what!” She screamed.

Slaughter sighed, “Denise…”

“I would have enrolled somewhere else if you would have told me…!” She glared.

“You’re so distant to me yet I try to tell you everything. Why?”

Slaughter looked away from her. He couldn’t dare look at her tears. They hurt too much.

“Why weren’t you honest?” She finally said softly.

“What you don’t know won’t hurt you…” Slaughter mumbled.

Shadow shook his head in the distance, “Wrong move.”

Slaughter turned away from him and muttered under his breath, “Shut up.”

Shadow laughed as he appeared on the other side, “I’m you but you’re not me. You can’t get rid of me.”

Slaughter angrily forced himself to look at Denise. Her tears seemed to burn his soul.

“Denise…” Slaughter manage to say in a low whisper.

“Slaughter…! I can’t bel-“

Matching lips with her, Slaughter pulled her closer. He couldn’t take it. No more tears. He was sorry. He didn’t know how else to put it. He couldn’t talk. He didn’t want to anyway. He wanted her to know. But he didn’t know how he’d tell her.

Letting go of the kiss Slaughter looked into Denise’s eyes. He could tell that she had mixed feelings about what he had just done.

“I love you Denise.” He started and then smiled. “I couldn’t bare seeing you cry or be upset.”

Slaughter weaved his fingers between hers. “That’s why I didn’t tell you anything.”

The look in Denise’s eyes hurt Slaughter but he continued anyway and he dared not to look away this time, “You’re the spark in my life that kept me going. Yes, everyone else in band played a role but you were my main character.”

Slaughter paused for a moment.

“I loved you too much to hurt you so I hurt myself. I didn’t want you to feel bad for me because of how I lived. So…”

Finally, Slaughter looked down at the dirt. “I’m sorry...I”

“I love you too.” Denise said with a smile and a clutch of his hand.

“I wanted to ask you something completely different but then I saw your arms so I was carried away….” She admitted.

Slaughter laughed, “Ask away.”

“How’d if feel to know that you’re family wasn’t in the stands?”

Slaughter sighed, “It hurt. A lot.”

Unweaving her fingers Denise placed her hands on Slaughter’s cheeks and made him look at her eyes.

“But did you know…. That they were?”

Slaughter laughed, “Denise, you know how they are.”

“Your section.” She simply replied.

Slaughter looked at her in confusion.

“The whole band Slaughter! They’re all your family.”

Denise smiled and pulled him down to where they were face to face. “And then there’s me.” She said before she kissed him.