Home for the Odd Ones

The not-so-great reveal

Gwen walked out of the home, observing the trees around her. They were almost leafless, just dark branches reaching towards the sky. She smiled, realizing it was almost winter. She couldn't wait for the snow.

Her boots clicked against the cobblestone path as she walked, taking long strides. Her skirt bounced as she walked, letting air flow around and soothe her legs. Last weeks running tore a few stitches, but it wasn't as major as she thought. But it still hurt with every step.

She turned off the path, taking a detour off the trail. She breathed into her scarf, keeping her nose and cheeks warm. Gwen dropped, wiggling her way through the arch and into the rose garden. She was surprised to find Iden standing there, looking at the home. She walked up behind him quietly, putting her hands on his shoulders and whisper shouting in his ear.

"Holy crap! God you scared me." Iden breathed heavily, watching her with a nervous grin.

"That was the point." She laughed, watching him settle down. "What's up?"

"Nothing really. It was too quiet inside for me, so I came out here."

"You came out here to get away from the quiet. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense." She cracked up again, watching him shake his head.

"Shut up." His smile turned serious. "Hey, can I talk to you about something?"

"Uh sure."

"A couple weeks ago, on Halloween I think, something happened with Ari. He's been depressed ever since. Do you know what happened?"

Oh god. Not this. She sucked in a breath, answering with the best honesty she could do without hurting him. "Well...Ari and I had kind of been a thing for a couple days before that. When I went up to talk to him, he said that he wasn't good for me. And...yeah. My heart isn't the only thing that hurts."

"What else does?" He narrowed his eyes, and Gwen realized she said too much. The wind picked up, fluttering her skirt. His eyes widened, and she realized in horror, that he could see the stitches.

"Shit." She breathed heavily, backing up but tripping. He walked forward, kneeling beside her and moving part of the fluff aside. He inspected the partially healed wound, sadness evident in his blue hazel eyes.

"Why...?"

"I don't know..." She cried. "Ari...he just...I don't think he knows, but what he did, it hurt me really bad. I loved him, and he just ripped me to pieces."

Iden didn't say a thing. Instead, he faded out, becoming sightless. Gwen listened as he ran off, tumbling out the arch. She took a second to calm down before running out after him, following the bushes as they moved aside for the invisible boy. She felt there was something severely wrong.

They ran back inside the house, and Gwen listened to where his footsteps echoed. She followed them up to the girls hall, into the attic, and out the skylight. When she pulled herself up and out, she saw something that left her paralyzed in place.

"You son of a bitch!" Iden threw a punch that landed on Ari's jaw. Ari looked up confused, his eyes blazing.

"What the hell?!"

"Look at her god damn leg!" Iden pointed at her, and out of habit she tugged her skirt down. But not before Ari saw the massive tear in her skin.

"I didn't know-"

"Of course you didn't!" Iden threw another punch, landing in his gut. Ari punched back, hitting Iden's nose. Someone tackled the other, and the boys were rolling around in a mass of punching, biting, and kicking. Someone threw up the skylight behind him, Serah's voice booming around them.

"What in the hells going on?!"

"I don't know!" Gwen cried, looking from her to the boys, and back again. She held out her hands, physically pulling them apart. They floated in the air, writhing forms trying to attack eachother still. She was suddenly alight, a large mass of flames surrounding her body. They stopped to stare at her, scared and worried.

"Will someone please explain what's going on?!" Serah shouted as the flames died down. Iden spoke first.

"This bastard broke her heart and drove her to self harm! Look at her leg!"

Serah turned, eyes widening slightly. She mouthed out the word 'why?', and Gwen just looked up. Right at Ari. He looked horrified, shocked, angry. So many emotions.

"I just didn't want to hurt you."

"You hurt me worse than anything else you did ever could. Ari, I'm in love with you!" She cries louder. Iden flinched, saddened. But she continued. "I thought you didn't want to love me back. What's the point in living when the person you love doesn't love you? Ari, I wanted to be with you. I thought I made that clear..."

He began crying too, the saltwater leaking from his swollen purple eye. He looked down, clenching his fists. "I'm so sorry Gwen. I never wanted to hurt you."

"Then why did you do what you did?"

"Because I thought I was just a desperate attempt to find love before everything got crazy. Just a lustful fling. I didn't know you actually liked me."

"Maybe you should stop thinking so low of yourself. When I make the intention known that I love you, I mean it. I don't do flings. You should know that."

"I'm so sorry." Ari cried as they were lowered to the shingles. Gwen turned and ran off, jumping down the skylight and into the attic. She hurried her way into the girls room, and did her best to barricade herself in the bathroom. Even with the pounding on her door, she just shut it out. She shut everything out, leaving herself alone in the room with what little comforts it could provide.