Chapter 9

88 8 7
                                    

The room was ruined. There were holes in the walls, CD's scattered everywhere, bulletmarks in the sofa causing stuffing to seep out of them like an injured solider. Crystalline shakily took a breath in and winced. Then, she looked at Archer sympathetically. Chase stared at the open doorway, thinking carefully about what do do next.

As if mechanically, he flipped a switch. He whirled around to Archer, almost shaking with fury.

"You did this didn't you? You knew we would come, so you called them!" He yelled. Archer took a step back. And then a step forward, so he was face to face with Chase once again.

"Are you crazy?" He demmanded "Why would I do that? Huh? Are you out of your mind? That would be the most unreasonable thing to do!" He yelled back. Chase drew in another breath, to yell once more, before Crystalline stepped in between them.

"Stop it! Both of you!" She yelled. Then she turned to Chase. "How could you say that?" She whispered shakily. "Archer, even though he left us." She shot a glance at the blonde haired boy, before turning back "is one of us. He wouldn't betray one of his own kind." She snapped. Chase looked at the ground guiltily.

"Your right Crys. I'm sorry." He glanced at his feet. Crystalline then walked over to Archer, almost protectively.

"You're going to stay at our place tonight." She informed him, gesturing around. "They'll come back."

Archer nodded shakily.

Elixir was the one that broke the silence.

"Right." She said forcefully "Let's go."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The walk back was a long one. After Archer had led them safely to the ground, it was midday. They trudged gloomily back to their hideout.

As they turned a corner, Elixir let out a cry. 

The door to their hideout was open.

"Angeline!" Archer yelled, sprinting towards the house. Crystalline followed, then Elixir, then Chase. The blonde haired boy blindly tore through the house, frantically searching for his little sister. He then swung open her door to let out a devastated cry.

Elixir suddenly put up her hand.

"Wait." She instructed, before walking carefully into the room. As she peered around the girls toy houses, she noticed an odd lump under the beanbags. Her breath caught in her throaght. She urged herself on though.

Stretching out her hand, she grabbed the large pillow like object and pulled it away.

Under it, shaking and terrified, was Angeline.

Archer ran to his sister, almost crying with relief, and overwhelmed her in a hug. Crystalline walked over to the little girl, her heart now slowing down slightly from it's tension. 

"What happened?" Chase asked in the softest voice he could mannage. It did though, have a hint of hatred, obviously for the men who tried to break in.

Angeline, after she had been placed on the ground again by Archer, started up.

"Some men knocked at the door, but I didn't answer, like you said I shouldn't. Then I heard them shouting, and then they kicked open the door." She wimpered. "Then I hid under the beanbag, and they went into every room, trying to find something. They were so noisy! Then they came into mine. After they had finished searching, they didn't see me, said a few rude words, and then left." 

Elixir breathed a sigh of relief.

"So they didn't get what they came for." She smirked slightly. Archer hugged his sister again.

"I'm so sorry I left." He said to her "I promise I won't ever leave you again, and I won't ever let anything happen to you." He said solemnly. His little sister nodded, before breaking the grave silence.

"What's for lunch?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone picked aimlessly at their tinned vegetable soup, except for Angeline, who was hoovering it up at twice the speed. 

After Crystalline had forced down a little spoonful of soup, and a few chopped up vegetables, she took her bowl to the dishwasher. Then she tapped Archer on the shoulder.

"I'll show you to your room if you want." She was already heading down the hallway. She opened a door. Inside, the walls were painted white, with a black carpet. There was a CD player, and a freshly made bed next to a window. She turned to him to see him smile. 

Gosh, he really was gorgeous.

"Well, um." She shuffled awkwardly in the silence. "Make yourself at home." He nodded reluctantly as she turned and walked away to her bedroom. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour had passed, and Crystalline was just lying on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. A thousand things were running through her head, and at the same time it was like a mindblank.

Did she like Archer? Wasn't she supposed to hate him? Why should she hate him? What would Chase think? Did Chase still hate Archer?

After a while of pointless thinking, she sat up, brushed her hair slightly, and walked over to Archer's room to see how he was getting on.

He was pacing around his room, listening to "My Chemical Romance- Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back". Crystalline smiled slightly. He still had his love for rock music. He turned quickly as he heard the door open and close. Stunned, he fumbled for the CD player, and paused the music.

"Oh hey, sorry, I didn't see you, or...hear you come in." He grinned. 

Crystalline raised her eyebrows.

"I'm sure you didn't hear me with that racket on." She gestured jokingly towards the player. "So how are you settling in?" She asked, pacing over to him.

"Oh fine, fine." He walked over "Good choice of interiour design, you really nailed it there." He had that smile which just made your heart melt. She laughed appreciatively, looking into his eyes.

Her smile suddenly faded. Archer noticed, and looked at her tentively, walking just that little bit closer.

"Hey, what's up?" He asked. She shook her head.

"I'm sorry about everything you've been through. Leaving. Chase hating you. Me hating you. Not seeing your sister. Your house being ripped to shreds, and coming back to stay with a guy who you aren't exactly comfortable around." She expressed.

"Hey hey, don't worry about all of that! You know what, you were so amazing today, standing up to Chase! You are beautiful, as well as terrifying, when your angry." He turned his head to her. She stared at him.

"You just said that I'm wha...." She asked, awe struck.

(Creds to the amazing Danceitup, for I am truly useless at romantic scenes, so she helped me completely with this bit!)

“Well,” Archer grinned with just a hint of mischievous in his smile. “You.” He took a step closer and Crystalline took a step back. “Are.” She was trapped against the white painted wall, and his body with nowhere to move.

“Are what?” she asked her voice shaking, eyes looking straight into his.

“You are beautiful Crystalline.” And with that his lips descended on hers. Softly at first, barley touching. Her breath caught in her throaght. Sparks exploded in his stomach and butterflies flew in her heart. Feeling no resistance from her Archer kissed her, gently, yet properly.

Her world exploded and she got lost in a wave a joy and just him. She felt nothing but his lips and the arm that kept her from collapsing. She was floating, on a cloud high above heaven. She was afraid it was a dream and when his lips finally left hers, slowly, she feared that if she opened her eyes he would disappear.

The moment was beyond dreamlike, seamless.

However, of course, perfection doesn't come without a catch.

"What the hell are you doing?" A voice cut through like a knife slitting through silk.

The OriginWhere stories live. Discover now