Parish: Killing Me Slowly

Chapter 8

"Neither do we, sis. The worst things tend to happen to the best people. Why? We've no idea. They just do." Greg tells me, hoping to reassure me. It helps a little, but not much.

"But I'm not a good person." I say into my knees. It sounded muffled, even to my own ears.

"What?" All three of them say in unison.

I lift my head briefly. "I said I'm not a good person." I hear silence and look up at them. They're staring at me. "What?"

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Greg says.

"How can you not be a good person? You try to help everyone!" Amanda yells at me. Ow, why is she yelling?

"You're so dense sometimes." Blade says. Why were they ganging up on me? I'm not little miss princess. I don't do good deeds, I use common sense. When someone needs help, I help them. I use manners and am polite, but that's not being nice, it's common courtesy.

"You're a very good person." All three of them tell me.

"You just need to figure it out." Greg whispers. "Can I hug you now?"

I nod and he pulls me to him. I look up to see Amanda staring at us and Blade grimacing. Huh, what's going on here? I decide to test it out and see.

I snuggle closer to Greg and his arms tighten around me. I look at the two of them through my hair. Amanda's eyes look wistful, almost like she wishes she could be in my spot. Does Amanda have a crush on my brother? Huh, interesting...

In turn, I look at Blade. His eyes are no longer on us, but they look sad. Very interesting. I sure hope Blade isn't gay. There's nothing wrong with it, but that would definitely get my spirits down.

I study Blade for a moment. His black hair was falling over his eyes, which only made the green pop more. They weren't sparkling like usual. They looked rather sad. I have a sudden urge to make those eyes sparkle and happy. It's strange, but I think I like it.

My eyes continue to travel down his body. He's wearing a plaid blue and black button-up t-shirt and black jeans that hung low on his hips. I lick my lips, my mouth suddenly feeling dry. I trail my eyes back up to his face and meet his eyes. He noticed I was staring at him. Great.

He smirks, but still looks sad. I get up and walk away from Greg, over to Blade. His eyes widen slightly, but I don't stop. I feel that if I do, I won't have the courage to do it again. I throw my arms around his waist and bury my head against his chest. He smells nice, like axe and outdoors. It's an enticing scent.

I feel his body relax as him arms wrap around me tightly. He's warm and that only makes me snuggle closer. Something's seriously wrong with me. Why am I doing this?

His head rests against mine and I can feel him sigh as his chest heaves.

"Leigh..." Someone says my name. I ignore them, think only of Blade and trying to make him happy. I'm not sure if this will help or not, but it's definitely worth a try. Hugs make everybody happy.

"Leigh!" My name sounds harsh, the voice demanding my attention. I pull away from Blade, but he keeps his arms around me lightly.

"What?" I ask. It was Greg that called me.

"We should get going." I nod and we leave the cage. Blade stays next to me the entire time and Amanda walks with Greg. They walk a little farther in front of us, making me wonder what they are talking about. They are so close together, their hands keep hitting the others and their shoulders constantly touch. Amanda definitely likes Greg and he likes her. Maybe I could help with that.

"So..." Blade says. I look up at him and my breath almost leaves my body. In the moonlight, he's beautiful. His hair shines and his eyes truly sparkle. They actually look like their glowing. His pale skin looks even paler, a great contrast to his dark hair.

"You know, you can stop staring at me at anytime. Not that I mind or anything, you just seem to be doing a lot of that lately." His Italian accent fits well with his looks. He seems more than irresistible right now. I look away, blushing.

"It's a beautiful night." He says and I laugh. That it is. The moon is full and the sky is clear. Out here, in the woods, you can see all the stars. They shine so brightly, it's like they're their own worlds. And who knows, the just might be.

"It is." I'm at a loss for words. I don't think I've ever not known what to say. Even with Nick, I always talked. At the first thought of him, I become furious and feel my face flush.

"Leigh, are you alright?" I nod, just barely. "I know you're lying. What's wrong?"

I don't say anything. It's stupid for me to still be angry over this. Isn't it?

"Leigh, please." He whispers. My head snaps up and I look him in the eyes. His face shows concern and I know he's sincere about it.

"It's Nick..." I mutter and understanding crosses his face. A mix of emotions soon follow. Rage, fury, hurt, sadness... the last one I choose to ignore. I know that feeling. I thought I've felt it before, but now I highly doubt it. It wasn't true. I was lied to.

"I'll kill him." He whispers. I'm sure that wasn't meant for me to hear, but I hear it all the same.

The fact that he is standing up for me fills me with warmth. His hand brushes mine and I get butterflies in my stomach. I don't grab his hand, fearful that he might reject it.

Finally, we get to Amanda's house. When we get inside, I run upstairs to grab a hoodie. It's cold in here and warm out there. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? Well, it'll be getting cold out there soon. It's definitely late enough.

When I get back downstairs, everyone is sitting in the living room, chatting away.

"Want to watch a movie?" Amanda asks me. I look over at Blade to see him smiling.

"Sure." I tell her and they pop Up into the DVD player. I love that movie!

Excitedly, I dance over to where Blade is laying and lie next to him. The couch is comfortable enough and his warm body next to me is a comfort.

Halfway through the movie, I feel my eyes getting drowsy. I'm not usually the one that falls asleep during movies, I'm just really tired I guess. I turn over and lay my head against Blade's chest. Warm, strong arms encircle me and I feel safe.

For the first time in my life, I feel safe.