Deamons

Chapter 13 The Fall part 3

Monday comes. They go to school and it is all good. He goes home with Craig, rejoicing in the peace in their house. He pushes Craig to do homework with him and talk to his mom with respect. Craig's parents do not ask about him hanging out there so much. They like the wind of change he brings. Kate even lives close enough they can visit after school. Her parents are so nice. They have a gorgeous house, one of the nicest around. Her parents are like ones out of a New England Christmas special. Starke wishes he was good enough for their daughter. Even with Craig's nice parents he doubts he is good enough for these perfect people. There is an ember in him touched off when Kate looks into his eyes. That ember burns painfully. "You could never be good enough for these people. Not in a thousand lives," Rejection whispers.

Then it happens. He feels their eyes. It is during gym class. He looks up towards the open double doors. There they are. Two police officers in the hallway leading to the locker room. Damn it, what to do, what to do, Starke thinks. A few days of heaven having to come to an end. He looks again trying not to be obvious, they are gone. Probably waiting to nab him in the locker room. Fuck that, he thinks, the gym teacher is watching the girls do sit ups. Fucking pervert, thank God for small miracles. He runs to the outside door leading to the ball fields.

Careful to take the back trails to Craig's he nestles in to the spot he tried to sleep a few nights ago. He waits for Craig. He sees all the other kids in his neighborhood get off the bus and head on home, but no Craig. Where is he, he thinks panicking. What if the police got to him. At least he does not see any at his house. He looks all around. Are they hiding. Waiting for him to go to Craig' house and nab him. The wait is worse then a beating and he knows, he has been beat all so many times. Then there they are. They? He cannot believe his eyes. Kate and Craig are waltzing down Craig's street hand in hand. All the fear of police secretly watching washes out. He runs out from where he is hiding dashing to catch up to the couple.

"Hey what's going on?" Starke asks. Rejection chimes in, "Look in his eyes Starke. He doesn't want you here anymore and neither does she." "I don't see that in Kate's eyes," Starke says. "Huh what in whose eye?" Craig asks. "Huh," Starke realizing he might have spoke out loud does all he can to not look at Kate. When he sees her things crack inside him like ancient ceramic.

"Hey what happened at school?" Starke asks. "Oh, man there were cops there to get you and your parents were with them. They came to your classes looking for you and everything, man. You better go home now," Craig says. Of, course he wants him gone. He stepped in with his girl. "They said if anyone helped you they would be charged with harboring a runaway. You don't have to go though." The three went into Craig's house and it is true his parents must not know, and the interplay with Craig and Kate is so natural. "Cookies and milk lets all do our homework together. Isn't this just so nice, lovely, kissy, kissy. Oh, looks mommy is coming back in, and she shoots you a look now, threes a crowd. Two pizza bagels. Oops none for you," Envy at the controls is thoroughly in his element. Starke's stomach has a rock in it. Then Craig's mom comes in with a third pizza bagel. "Sorry dear the toaster oven can only fit two of these things in at a time."

It is to much like a fifties television show. He cannot take it, too perfect. Everything he wishes he had but is not good enough for. It confirms how ugly an undeserving he is of love. He pushes away the beautiful pizza bagel. "To lovely for you to eat," Envy whispers. "Shut up," Starke says to himself. "What," Kate asks concerned. Starke blushes. He thinks quick. "It's just, uh, it's just I think I should go to my aunts," Starke says.

He makes a call then waits an hour for Craig's father to get off work. The man quickly agrees to drive him fifty minutes up the road to his great aunt's apartment. As his truck pulls away Craig and Kate wave to him. Why does his life have to be the way it is. He would make the removals and anything else they wanted. Why would they not just let him live.