Blood Stains and Burn Marks

Chapter 4

Foot steps trail behind us. My heart beats out of my chest. My breath has become short and my hands full of sweat. I look behind us and I see him there. Short brown hair, beautiful green eyes. Tate. He places a finger to his lip, shh, and I nod in agreement. By now Chase has dragged me into his room and placed me on the bed. Luckily his friend isn't there. He's probably out screwing some other girl in a closet like Chase first wanted to do. He slowly undoes his belt and brings his pants to his ankles. I pray that this will be over quick and that Tate has left, because I don't want him to get hurt. I steady out my heart rate and close my eyes. Chase crawls on top of me. This is it. I bite my inner cheek until blood fills my mouth and that's when I hear his sweet voice once again.

"Get off her." Chase turns around, first alarmed, then angry. "I said, get off her." Tate says again, this time more forceful.

"Or what? You can't possibly take me." He lets out a laugh.

"Maybe not, but I don't need to." He steps aside to relieve Ms.Lockwood, the head therapist. My mind goes into panic and relief.

"Its-its not what it looks like." Chase stumbles on his words.

"Oh, but it is Mr.Everhart. It surely is. See young Tate here, came and visited me shortly after you and Ms. Winters left. So we followed you down here, and we heard everything." Chase's face turns pale. He climbs off my half naked body and pulls his pants back up. "Come on Chase. You're going to have one hell of a night." He begins walking towards her and she points him out the door. "And as for you Devena, you better thank Tate an awful lot for saving you tonight." I shake my head. And then she's gone, leaving Tate and me alone.

***

We walk back to our room, tongues acting like their tied. We crawl into our bunks without saying a word. Its only after 10 minutes of laying in pure darkness I speak.

"T-thank you, Tate."

"You're welcome. I knew I couldn't take him, so I figured I would get someone with higher power to take down the scum. I just couldn't bare to see a beautiful girl get used like that." I don't know why, but my cheeks start to get rather warm. I've never been called beautiful in my life. I've been called a lot of things, fat, ugly, selfish. Worthless got used a lot too. But beautiful, beautiful was never one to escape someone's lips when they thought of me. But they escape Tate's. "What do you think is going to happen to him?" I say, trying to brush away the compliment.

"I don't know. But I think it's going to be pretty bad. Hell he might even be a changed man when he comes back."

"Chase? A changed man? Doubt that." I say rolling my eyes.

"Yeah I know, but it was at least worth a shot." Minutes pass and no one speaks until I yet again break the silence.

"You know, they're not suppose to pair girls and guys up together for sleeping. So why did they pair you up with me?"

"Because you're the only person in this entire place who doesn't have a roommate. And there's no empty rooms."

"Well don't expect to stay long. Because as soon as one guy dies. they'll move you in. I instantly think of Hunter. Oh sweet, blue eyed Hunter. He really was a perfect guy. Beautiful eyes, deep dimples, gorgeous smile. It's really quite the shame. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." Its almost like I can hear him smiling as he speaks.

"Why...why are you here?" Seconds feel like minutes as we both lay in the dark. All of a sudden I hear him jump down from his bunk and crawl into mine. I turn on the light beside my bed. We sit legs crossed as he begins to speak.

"Because of these." He points at his arms and for the first time since Tate has got here, I see burn marks all up and down his arms. I almost gasps but I hold it back. His skin is scarred and white bubbles fill his once tan arms. "All because of this little thing." He says pulling a lighter out of his belt loop.

"How...how did you get that in here?"

"I swallowed it." He says with a shrug.

"You...you swallowed it? That means you...ew." He lets out a laugh.

"Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. So why are you here?" And for the first time since I've got here I roll up the sleeves of my shirt and reveal the scars. Tate's face fills with sympathy. He brushes his fingers over my scars almost like he could heal them with his touch. I feel myself lose my breath. "Now what's a pretty girl like you damaging herself for?" I bow my head, as my cheeks become hot again. I'm not good when it comes to compliments.

"Life's hard I guess." He looks at me and cups my face with his hand.

"You're going to be okay Devena. This will all be okay." And for a split second I believed that it was.