Recluse

Chapter 6

I wait at the corner of the street, tapping my foot impatiently. It's 2:20 and Brett still isn't here. By now, I've sent him like 30 texted messages and called him 4 times. He won't answer.

I let out a sigh of exasperation. Maybe I should just go to the cemetary without him. But at school tomorrow he will be hearing shit from me all day about his absence.

I begin to walk down the road, towards the cemetary, in defeat. I'm really disappointed that Brett didn't show up. I have this sense that him and Niall can be good friends. Ugh.

Right as I'm about to turn the corner, I hear a voice shouting behind me, "Madi!"

I turn around, almost giddy at the sound of his voice, "Brett!"

I open my arms wide as he charges toward me, and we make a scene by prancing towards eachother in slow motion. I eventually leap into his arms, laughing, "You came!" Then my earlier frustration comes back and I shove him away from me, "Why haven't you been answering my messages?"

"Lost my phone last night, sorry." He mumbles, shoving his hands in his pockets.

I smirk, "You look so enthusiastic right now."

"Why wouldn't I be? We get to spend the entire afternoon with your creepy zombie friend. It's gonna be a party." He remarks sarcastically and I elbow him in the side.

When we reach the gate to the local cemetary, I take off at a run towards the usual spot me and Niall meet up at, in front of the grave of Cynthia Porter. Niall is there like he always is on Sundays, playing his guitar and singing softly.

"Hey, Niall!" I approach him with a wide grin.

He ceases his guitar playing to look up at me and gives me a smile.

"Wassup?" I slowly sit beside him, still grinning.

He shrugs and then his smile wavers a little. I assume he's confused by my violent cheerfulness.

"I brought my other best friend to meet you today! His name's Brett, he's walking over here right now!" I point over at Brett who is only a couple yards away.

Niall's smile is instantly gone and his face pales. His shoulders tense up, his bright blue gaze turns to a cold icy glare as he watches Brett approach.

Shit.

"Hey um... Niall." Brett greets awkwardly as he comes to stand next to where I'm sitting beside Niall.

Niall is frozen in his hostile position.

Brett shifts uncomfortably under the stare of hatred he's recieving. I have never been this confused.

Niall is usually easy going and kind around me. He's never tried to hurt me, or given me the malicious glare he's giving Brett right now. I thought I was "healing him". So why is he still so hostile around other people?

"Niall?" I ask gently, placing a hand on my shoulder.

Time seems to speed up in the next couple of seconds. In mere milliseconds, Niall has a knife in his hand and is on his feet. In the time it takes me to blink, Brett and Niall are wrestling on the ground, playing tug-of-war over the knife.

I stand there frozen like medusa just struck me with her mischevious eyes. In my horrified state of tranquility, Niall slices Brett across the leg and Brett lets out a shout of profanities, connecting his fist with Niall's nose.

And that's when I snap out of it and dive in between them.

I dive at Niall, tackling him away from Brett and grabbing his hand that grips the knife. At first he tries to fight me, directing the knife in my direction, but I lock eyes with him and he stops. I think it's the terror sparkling in my eyes that makes him realize what he has done. He slowly pulls himself away from me, horror in his eyes, "I-I... I'm leaving." He stammers, shoving his knife in his pocket and standing up.

"Niall, please-" I put a hand on his shoulder.

Niall whips around and shouts, "Madi, get the fuck away!"

I flinch away, eyes filling with tears. I've dealt with him ignoring me and giving me cold stares. But never have I ever heard him yell and it breaks my heart.

As he walks in a fast pace towards the woods, I want to run after him, but first I turn to Brett, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, the cut's not deep." he growls, "You said he wasn't dangerous. Fuck, I told you he was dangerous!"

"He's never like that around me, okay? Don't hate him, he just-"

"You realize he just stabbed me in the leg for no reason? And you're defending him? Who the fuck are you?" He screams, glaring me down in a way he never has before.

I have no answer for him, so I just sit in the grass in front of the grave of Cynthia Porter.

Brett huffs before turning around and limping towards the road. He turns around to spit back at me, "he's gonna be the fucking death of you." He then whips around and continues walking.

I let him go one way and I let Niall go the other, not bothering to chase either one of them.

I sigh and speak softly to the grave in front of me, "Cynthia, whoever the fuck you are, what the hell did I do?"