His Collection

FOUR

The movie had been a pleasure, as always. There wasn't a time that particular film didn't catch my interest. It always gave me a bit of a satifaction with life; monsters weren't real, the only monsters were the ones lurking in ourselves. As I laid in the passanger's seat with my head tucked under Kyle's arm, and my feet tapping the window, I couldn't help but wonder about home.

Mom is going to kill me, and Dad is going to watch.

I wanted to distract myself from it some more, or at least through the ride home, but there was no point in looking out the windows; it was pitch black out here in the dirt roads. Eyeing the time on the dashboard, I saw we had not even been ten minutes into the trip back. Groaning, all I wanted was to call and explain why I still wasn't home, but knew that would only spark up a fight, and ruin the ride back home.

"It's going to be a long night in on the road, you think you can handle it?" I asked, and Kyle chuckled.

"If I can handle you, I think this should be fine." He paused once I said agreed, and noticed I had my mind full due to my short response. He then asked, "Are you thinking about what they'll say once you get back home? Or is it about me?"

"Now why would it be you?" The weakest smile spread across my face, and even though he could see it, I still covered my mouth with my sleeves. He knows me so well. Truthfully, yes, it was those two things, though I didn't think he would have guessed the latter.

"Because you can't live without me," he responded.

"Cocky-much."

He laughed, then with his free hand, he rubbed my ear. God, I loved it, somehow it also was something I didn't like at all; it felt as if I were a pet. He didn't see me physically alluring, and again I kicked myself for wanting to be desired.

"I told you I was going to wait for you, remember? We made a promise in middle school to stick together, and leave this place together."

"Was that before or after you came out the closet to me?"

"Why, if you would have known before, would you have said no?"

No. I would still have stuck by your side. I would still have followed you everywhere.

"Of course I would have still stayed...I guess I wish I would have had a heads up to not fall for you, you know."

The truck bumped, shook lightly as he kept driving, and the small hum from the engine added some sound between our pauses. This was what our deeper conversations were like, and I was glad they weren't ridiculously dramatic. We both were not ones to yell our emotions back and forth like my parents.

"But, " I start off saying while reaching for his hand over my ear. His warm skin had managed to reach the same temperate as my buring lobes. Looking above, I can see his cheeks rise. He was smiling as I added, "I wouldn't trade us for anything. I think we make a pretty good team."

"I am the leader, though."

"I've been okay with you believing that." I replied grinning.

We kept on talking about how we once were oblivious to each other's existence, and about our small town adventures that were soon going to turn into larger projects once we got out of Montana.

"So, you really won't leave me behind?" I knew not to ask that. but I did anyway. Kyle's answers always made me feel special, and important, especially since he wasn't one to lie to me.

"I'll get my old tent, and camp out in the wilderness if I have to!"

"And the wolves?"

"Ha, are you trying to scare me away?"

"You know, you could just go to Oregon, and later on...maybe I could meet you there," my drowsy voice had begun to waver as I fluttered my lashes to stay awake. By now I was simple saying whatever floated up from my sensitive, pulsing organ. "One month of you before you have to go...makes me a little sad, though."

"I told you, I am not leaving. I'll stay, and wait. Best friends, right?"

"Pfft," my lips blew a raspberry. "Only friend," I muttered. Lightly tapping my cheek, he laughed.

I was starting to fall asleep, and I knew Kyle was getting tired as well. Stretching, I peeked up to see his droopy eyes.

He would never admit he was tired, but as I offered to switch turns, he shook his head. Midway through his yawn, Kyle suddenly was shot in the chest. The bullet had pierced the windshield, and like a sack of potatoes, he slammed back, then slumped on the seat.

I screamed. I screamed till my own ears hurt, till stars and twinkling lights blinded me from lack of oxygen. The truck spun out of control. We tilted over then rolled out past the fences, collecting bulks of grass, stones, and dirt before finally smacking hard against trees.

Glass shards everywhere, and even as I tried to unstick my legs from the soaked seat, shards had managed to sink even into my pants. Bits of blood dripped from the rearview mirror then down to my limp knuckles. I could hear the tires still rotating, and the faint wheezing from Kyle.

Kyle. Breathe. Please, don't go, okay. Don't go anywhere. Stay. Please, breathe.

My neck wouldn't budge, and my arm was lodged between his back and the seat. I know I can move, I know it's possible, but my body won't let me. It had to be the shock. I was tightening up, and couldn't control it. Resting my head on his hoodie coated in prickly, sharp fragments, I tried to stay awake, but the blackness was taking over. Soon after I noticed how wet and sticky my face was with blood. It was coming from my forehead, and Kyle's wound.

After a few minutes of touching his skin, slowly I felt my body being pulled away from him, and from the truck. The weak fingers of mine could barely clutched Kyle's bruised arm. I wanted to stay.

Because we promised.

"Kyle...don't leave...me," I whispered in a husky tone as my hand stretched out to him. Tears slid down my face as the night sky swallowed me whole.