Home for the Odd Ones

Don't know what you got 'til it's gone

It was sometime around six, and Gwen was sitting on the bathroom floor, legs straight out in front of her, and her head on her shoulder. She wasn't thinking straight. To be truthful, she wasn't thinking at all. Just staring.

She watched the sunset out the window, oranges and reds painting the sky. She didn't really think anything of it, but she might think it was pretty if she was in a good mood. Her eyes hurt from all the tears shed. Her head was pounding from all the shouting. Images of a bloody and bruised Ari were burned into the inside of her eyelids. She was moderately mad at Iden, but then she remembered she most likely would've done the same thing.

Someone knocked on the door behind her, a familiar voice slipping through the cracks. "Gwen? Are you okay?"

"What do you want Ari?" She sighed.

"To repeat earlier. I'm sorry for what I did. I guess," He let out a deep breath. "I guess I just thought no one could actually like me."

"You and me both."

"But I wanted to make a proposal. Can we just restart this whole thing? Just be friends again?" She could hear him place his hand against the door. She leaned her head against the spot, pretending he was holding her cheek.

"I don't know. I guess we can try." Another tear slipped out from her eye. "I don't want to lose you."

"Me either." She could hear something hard hit outside, then a sliding. He was sitting with his back against the door. "So why did you cut yourself again?"

"The first two were from my only relationships. I got my heart broken both times. And I wanted out. I thought you loved me, and then I thought I was wrong."

"I'm so sorry. If I'd known you'd go and do that, I wouldn't have ended it."

"Its okay. It was an over reaction on my part." She hit her head against the door. "I'm kind of and idiot."

"Will you come out here?"

She thought for a second before standing up, hesitantly turning the doorknob and letting the door creak open. She watched Ari stand up, his expression solemn. His face was messed up, black eye and busted lip. Iden probably looked the same.

She walked forward, wrapping her arms around his chest and pulling him close, He hugged her back tightly. A tear slid from her eye, disappearing into the fabric of his jacket.

"Friends?" She looked up at him, and he smiled back.

"Friends."

Dinner was rough. Everyone was eying eachother, especially Ari and Iden. Gwen left herself out of it, taking a seat at an empty table. Delilah curled up in her lap, shaking her brown waves loose from their braids. She smiled, tying one of her ribbons on the end of Gwen's own braid.

"For luck." She smiled, pulling hers back into a ponytail.

"What do I need luck for?"

"Whatever happens. Its just nice to have them in case things go bad."

"Thank you." She wrapped her arms around Delilah, holding her close. The other girls came and sat with them, everyone silent. There was a lot of tension between the boys, an almost visible fog in the air. As soon as Gwen was done, she hurried out of the vicinity, finding herself wandering in the girls hall.

She would go in the girls room, but she didn't want to sleep. The roof was pretty much out of the question too. So she opened a door, finding a hall. It was just like the one for the west wing, but...brighter, almost. It was light, easy to breathe. She walked down, entering the actual wing. It looked just like the west, but once again, brighter. She didn't need light to see.

Taking her mental memory of the home's structure, she wound her way down the stairs and around them to one of those small storage closets that lies underneath the staircase. It was unlocked, and she walked in, finding something she didn't expect. A tunnel. It went underground, easily making it able for her to leave. The blueprints were right about it.

Gwen hopped down, sprinting down its length. It went on for a long time, but she didn't care. She just saw light at the end. The sewer grate. She ran ahead, desperate to find the exit, even tripping every few steps. But she reached the iron grate.

The spaces were plenty big for all of them to get out. Cars passed by every once in a while. Signs of civilization were absolutely everywhere. She wanted to cry she was so happy. She could even slip out now if she really wanted. Leave it all behind.

But as she stepped outside, she realized she couldn't. Her friends were back there. She had a job to do. So with a confident gleam in her dark eyes, she turned, and began walking back. Salvation will arrive later, but for now, her duty was protection.