A/N
Hello everyone! I wrote this story a few years ago and never imagined it would be as popular as it is! I really appreciate all the love, comments and the general support for the characters and narrative! I still really appreciate it despite how long it's been finished for!
I would just like to say before you start reading that there are lots of mature themes; sex, rape, violence, mental health issues etc, etc, so read on at your own risk and avoid if any of that effects you negatively.
Also; I would hate for people to assume that because I write about this stuff that I'm romanticising it; the characters are messed up and the story is violent and morbid and was written from a bad place in a bad time of my life. If you're struggling and you see yourself reflected in these characters and you draw a connection from that, amazing, but please don't avoid getting help and reaching out. If anyone ever needs to talk, EVER, my (virtual) door is always open.
Love Always,
Shanelle xo
~~~
"Ow!" the cry was shrill as it fell from the young girl's lips. She hunched over her knee, clutching at the torn flesh, visible as she was wearing only shorts. It was summer, no need for heavy clothes, but now the twelve year old was wishing she had worn her usual jeans, the damage wouldn't have been so bad.
"Are you okay?" the boy crouched down, his eyes on her bleeding knee, she looked up at him, fighting hard not to cry.
"Fine" she tried to smile, but her lip quivered, and he smiled at her encouragingly.
"Here," he pulled a small plaster from his jeans pocket, and pulled her leg towards him, she hissed as he brushed the blood from her shin, and he gave her a quick smile that seemed way too mature for his age. Then he smoothed the band-aid over her new wound and wiped the blood from the edges. "All better" he grinned that boyish grin that made her blush furiously.
"What about your shirt?" she asked worried, her jade green eyes guilty as she tugged at the sleeve of his shirt, now coated in crimson liquid.
"Mom wont mind" he shrugged carelessly, and she shook her head at him, trying not to smile.
"Why did you have a plaster?" she asked curiously, her voice wobbly as he pulled her to her feet. He picked her bike from the floor, and handed it over before answering.
"I know how clumsy you are" he gave a childish giggle, and she couldn't help scowling.
"Am not" she grumbled, and he laughed at her as he picked up his own bike, and they started down the road again, pushing their bikes along slowly.
"Bree?" he asked as they got to her little wooden gate, she paused as she went to push through it.
"Yes?" she asked as she turned back to him, and she frowned as he scuffed his worn shoes across the floor, what was wrong with him?
"Do you like me?" he mumbled, and an angry red blush instantly exploded through her round cheeks. She stuttered furiously, before dropping her eyes quickly to the floor.
"Yeah" she murmured, and his eyes quickly darted up to her face, only to flit away, embarrassed. "Do you?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
"Yeah" he replied, he gulped and she looked up at him, surprised and excited.
"Bree?" he asked her again, quickly, breathlessly. She looked up at him, shyly, and made an effort to meet his lovely brown eyes, although it was hard "Can... can I kiss you?" he stuttered out. She thought she would probably die from happiness, and fought to keep the smile from her face as she nodded, way too quickly. He smiled, a slow, shy smile, and leaned over to hastily press his skin to hers.
Her eyes fluttered closed, and stayed closed after he'd pulled away. The boy laughed, but she could hear his voice wobbling, and she opened her eyes to smile at him.
"See you in school, Pansy" she grinned at him, and he scowled at her nickname for him.
"Bye, Bree" he watched her push her bike into the garden, getting ready to run in and pick her up if she fell like always. But she didn't, and she waved at him as she bounded up the steps to her porch like a deer. She turned to wave at him, grinning wildly as he smiled at her, waved, hopped on his bike and pedalled away. She watched him all the way to the end of the road, and as soon as she was sure he had gone, the smile slipped from her face, faster than should be possible for a child.
She turned, with a heavy sigh she pushed open the door to her home, inside, there was a fist waiting for her.
***
Alex groaned as his alarm clock yelled at him violently. He thumped it with his closed fist and rolled from his bed, tottering as he stood. He ran both hands over his pale face, clearing the sleep from his eyes and glancing around at the wasteland of his room. He sighed as he slouched back down onto his bed, inwardly groaning at the thought of going to school and being surrounded by assholes and whores.
After a few minutes of sitting and debating whether to commit murder or suicide, he stood and dug through a few mounds of clothes to find suitable ones that wouldn't make anyone drop dead within a five foot radius, although it was a tempting idea.
After pulling on black jeans, a band t-shirt and a crumpled hoodie, he went into his bathroom to run some water over his face. He tried to avoid looking in the mirror, never really satisfied with what he saw, but then he wasn't that bothered, its not like there was anyone to impress anyway, maybe once... a long time ago. His mind wrenched savagely from the thought, and he furiously brushed his teeth, forcing himself not to think anything.
When he stumbled down the stairs a little while later, he found his mother sat in the living room, coffee in her hand, her usually tired eyes trained onto the screen of the TV, but today, her eyes weren't as tired as usual. She was a nurse, and worked nights most of the time. Alex frowned as he saw her hand frozen halfway to her mouth, usually she would have downed her coffee by now, her brown eyes, the ones he'd inherited, were wide and frightened.
"Mom?" Alex called, worried as he stepped into the living room. The news was on, and that's what she was so intent on watching, he turned to the TV too, and caught something that sounded strangely like '... on the run and dangerous...' before his mother looked up at him and snapped off the screen.
"Morning" she said, but her voice was tight and worried.
"Everything okay?" he asked her slowly, running a hand through his dyed black hair.
"Of course" she chirped, but it was way too forced "Want a lift to school?" she asked him, and that's when he started to get really worried. She was usually asleep by now, and even though he was sixteen, he'd never been allowed to borrow the car, and she should have been way too tired to drive.
Just as Alex was about to decline, about to order her to bed, lightening flashed through the sky outside the living room window, causing the lights to flicker. Alex eyed the window, sighing as he saw the pounding rain.
"Sure" he accepted warily, and she nodded, wiping a hand at her face tiredly.
They ran through the rain, and both heaved sighs of relief when they were in the cab of the dry truck. Alex stared dejectedly out the window, contemplating the horrors of what was to happen at school. Maybe I won't get beaten up to day, he thought sarcastically. Unlikely, but he could always hope.
"What happened on the news?" he finally asked as they pulled up outside the school, he was really just trying to buy a few extra minutes, but he was genuinely curious too.
"Nothing," his mother said, but it was way too quickly, Alex's eyes narrowed.
"Fine," he snapped, and he heard his mother sigh as he hopped from the car.
"I'll pick you up" she called after him, and his mouth almost dropped open, he didn't think she'd ever, ever picked him up from school.
"I'll walk" he grumbled as he slammed the door and jogged through the rain, but as he pushed through the doors, he wished he'd taken his time and walked, because right near the entrance was the group of people he hated most in the world.
He tried to walk past them quickly, but Dylan, the 'leader', spotted the slender kid walking by, and snagged him by the elbow.
"Alex," Dylan cooed down at him, he was larger than the other boy, by a lot "How's it going, buddy?" Dylan asked cheerfully as he threw a large heavy arm across Alex's shoulders. The smaller boy clamped his teeth together, resisting the urge to throw a punch.
"It's going" Alex replied tightly, rigid as Dylan pulled him tight against his side.
"Sarcasm isn't your best trait Alex" Dylan warned, he was captain of the football team of course, large and good looking, and he knew it for sure. His group of friends were watching the pair closely, ready to jump in if the smaller boy made a move.
"Like personal space isn't yours I suppose" Alex snapped, and twisted from Dylan's grip, Dylan made a grab, but Alex was already running down the hall, even if he wasn't as big as them, he was fast, and was at the end of the corridor before they could even call insults and threats after him.
He gave an irritated sigh as he entered his first class, sometimes, he really did wish they were all dead.
As he sat down, he never guessed that his wish would come true, not ever.