Blind As A Bat

The Hugging Problem Part Two

I pushed the back doors open and ran off, not really caring where I was going. I just needed a place where I can break down and cry and not have anyone judging me or staring at me.

I needed a place where I could get away. I had just lost my two best friends and my brother. Nobody and nothing could help me from feeling the things that I was feeling. I brought my knees up to my chest and hugged them tightly. I hid my face and just wished that I could disappear. I wish that I didn't go blind, I wished that my parents hadn't left me, I wish that I had some real friends who will stick by me no matter what. But, what most parents say, life's not fair and you truly don't ever get what you want. My parents ditched me as if I was an object that they could do whatever they want.

Suddenly a hand was placed on my shoulder, making me nearly jump out of my skin. I jumped to my feet, quickly wiping away at my eyes.

"Who are you?" I asked with a slight stutter. I moved back when the hand was placed on my shoulder again.

I got a sigh in return. "It's just me," Dakota answered in a soft voice. My heart skipped a beat when I realized that he was right by me but my cheeks immediately heated up when I also realized the state that I was in.

"What do you want? You want to make a fool out of me like everyone else in? You want to make my life hell again? Because it's all you know how to do. You don't really have any friends so you ruin other people's life to make yourself happy! You never cared about me no matter what I did, you always just used me right? Is that all I ever am to anyone? Just deadweight?" I screamed at him, not able to hold my anger back.

Dakota didn't even make a sound as if he was speechless. "You don't even have the guts to answer me do you?" I asked, my voice getting horribly scratchy.

I just shook my head at him when he didn't answer back. "You out of this horrible situation, I thought that you were one of the only things that helped me stay steady. I thought we were really friends. I thought that I had someone who really cared about me but no! I'm never going to find peace am I?" I asked, just blurted stuff out now with tears rolling down my face. I wasn't even sure about what I was saying, I was just spurting anything that came to my head.

"Are you going to say anything huh, you bastard!" I shouted at him. I reached down where I last thought he was and pushed him back was as much force as I could. I let out a hysterical laugh when I heard him groan as he fell to the ground.

"Schuyler will you just stop for a moment!" Dakota finally shouted back at me, pushing himself back up.

"Why should I?" I yelled.

Suddenly arms were all around me which engulfed me in a huge hug. "You have to calm down," he said softly.

"Why should I?" I asked again, straining against him arms in hope to be freed. Of course I got nowhere, his arms were too tight and I didn't really have the will to fight.

"Schuyler, you're not thinking straight, you have to calm down," Dakota said once again in a soft voice. I could just feel his presence all around me and it felt warm and it felt a little like home.

Once I finally got my bearings with Dakota helping me the whole way through, I blushed when I realized that I just had a complete mental breakdown in front of my crus- friend, definitely friend. I did not think of him in that way did I? I shook my head to clear my thoughts and to answer my own question.

I started to take deep breaths with Dakota trying to soothe me. His arms were on each of my shoulders as he moved them up and down on a comfortable manner, leaving a trail of sparks everywhere he went. I stiffened but once again relaxed into his touch, wiping my eyes.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, my voice barely heard.

"You owe me a hug," is all he said. I automatically reached out as if my mind was on autopilot and I wrapped my arms around his waist. I moved closer towards him until I could feel his body heat start to warm me up. Dakota didn't at all seem to mind and even pulled me closer so I rested my head on the upper part of his chest. We stayed there for a while, just in each other's company and comfort. Dakota never moved nor made a move to talk. I pushed my face into his chest, my tears soaking his shirt but he didn't mind. If anything, he just pulled me closer. At least my tears were finally gone.

Finally I had to break the silence. "I'm sorry."

Dakota stiffened. "What are you sorry for?" he asked confused.

"Wel-l," I stuttered, " for everything that um.... you saw yesterday and-"

"Schuyler you have nothing to be sorry for. I was an idiot and stupid. It doesn't matter if you like someone else, I should have never left you."

I shook my head. "Jonas and I aren't together. He kissed me and I didn't know what to do so I was frozen. It was my first kiss so I had no idea how to react. I don't like him that way tho."

Dakota hugged me tighter. "You do-on't like him?"

"Of course I don't. Are we good now? I can't live my life with you mad at me,"

I questioned him seriously.

"Aww, does someone actually care for someone else?" he asks and I knew everything was good again. He only jokes like that when he's in a good mood. He makes jokes all the time but usually they are always mean and hurtful. When he's in a good mood, he still jokes but more teasingly and heartfelt, not meant to hurt. I smiled and leaned into him more, just resting softly.

"You know you only owed me one hug, now you have to owe me something for you hugging me again," he said.

"Huh? How is that logic?" I asked, raising my eyebrows with a smirk. I pulled away from him once I realized that I was being too clingy. I took a whole step back and placed my hands behind my back awkwardly.

"It just is. You aren't smart enough to fully understand it," he said smiling.

I laughed. "Yeah right. Everyone knows that I'm smarter than you."

"What?" Dakota asked as if in disbelief. "You've hurt my feelings!"

"What feelings?" I questioned.

"Now you're going to get it," Dakota warned and I could see from my clicks that he was running towards me. I laughed, running away and for once, the world felt at peace and the war felt over even though I knew it wasn't, I just wanted to be happy for a moment.