"... Too hard on her..."
"No, she's been fine for the past few weeks. Why would everything be too hard on her?"
"Well, all this change... And ever since you let Ryker escape, it's been hard..."
"Wait, I let Ryker escape? He's your dog too! Since when is this my fault?"
"Well, since you're always with him, isn't it your responsibility-"
"You have a responsibility too! Don't just say this is all my fault! You're in this too!"
"I know that, so maybe you could focus on helping your daughter other than worrying about your dog?"
"He's not just my dog, he's our dog!"
"Then why did you let him get away?"
"There you go again. I didn't let him get away. Besides, it was your turn to take him out!"
"I'm sorry if I'm not placing him number one in my life!"
"And I'm sorry if I can't live up to your perfect standards!"
"Let's not talk about that and worry about Avaley! She's what's important right now!"
"Oh, and I'm not? All you care about is your little daughter, making sure she's perfect to show off?"
"I do not show her off!"
"Oh, and like you don't want to show her off to that little man you've been seeing?"
"I... What? What man? I don't know - "
"I've read the emails."
"Why... You said they would be private, that you wouldn't... I..."
"This is grounds for divorce."
"I've already got a lawyer."
I slowly opened my eyes, my ears fully aware of what I was hearing. My parents were arguing, and I'd never heard it this loud or this angry. As terrified as I was, I realized I was curled up on the couch in the living room, across from the TV. And Ryker was not laying at my feet, licking them occasionally to make me laugh. But he wasn't there, and then I remembered what had happened.
Running from school. At the hospital. Finding David. And then... that beautiful woman, and that random explosion, and... Here?
I sat up, brushing blankets off and sitting up, a wave of dizziness passing above me. There was a water bottle next to the couch and my hands swooped down and picked it up, gulping its cold, creamy sensation down my sore and burning throat. As my parents continued arguing, I looked at the clock to see the time. It was almost eight o'clock. At night. How long had I been out? What was happening, anyway...
"Avaley?" my mom asked, walking in. She clutched her bathrobe around her, dabbing a tissue at her puffy eyes. My dad frowned from behind her, then grabbed his keys and slammed the garage door behind him.
"What happened?" I asked, scratching my head.
"You were found in the bathroom at school, honey," my mom said. "I was so worried... I thought... Maybe... This time for real, you were gone."
Instinctively, my hand reached up and ran across the scar from the knife underneath my shirt, and tears brimmed in my eyes.
"...Luckily, a young man happened to find you and take you to the hospital," she breathed out, leaning against the wall.
"Was it Sean?" I found myself asking.
She chuckled dryly. "No, honey, it wasn't Sean. I think his name was... Daniel... Damon... No..."
"David," she and I said at the same time.
Her eyes flickered to mine. "Oh, you know him, sweetie?"
I shrugged. "I guess. I help him with math sometimes."
"Well, then. He's a very nice young man. Handsome, too, and quite a gentleman. He seemed so protective of you when he came crashing through the doors..."
My mind was baffled. I never remembered passing out in the bathroom. I thought I blacked out at the hospital, with David. How could he have brought me from school to the hospital... If none of the events my mom mentioned ever happened? I mean, not that I could recall.
My mother cleared her throat. "Avaley, I'm sorry if you heard your father and I. It's just that... Ryker..." she sniffled and wiped her nose. "I'm dorry," she said, as her nose clogged up and tears ran down her cheeks. "It'd just dat... Well..."
"It's all right, mom," I said, and hugged her. "I'll be in my room."
She sniffled loudly. "You're sure you'll be all right?" I nodded, my mind drifting off from the current moment. I was so confused, yet... I felt strangely at peace, even though everything was going wrong...
Before my mom could continue crying in front of me, I darted up the stairs and to my room, slamming the door loudly. I ran to my bed, and let my breaths and emotions take over, clutching my stuffed teddy bear and staring at the ceiling.
But the tears never came. I breathed in and out, trying to calm myself down, trying to let the dizziness go away, trying to let all my pain and emotions come out. Tears helped. But for some reason, I couldn't will myself to cry.
When I opened my eyes, someone was standing at the foot of my bed.
I jumped, adrenaline pumping my veins, and opened my mouth to scream.
But then I realized who the person was.
"David?" I whisper screamed. "What are you..." I then realized I was just wearing a tanktop and sweat pants. I protectively brought up my blanket to cover myself.
He stared at me, and in the dark of my room, I saw him smile. "Avaley, I know your pain. It was something I had to go through, too." I just stared at him. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you. I'm here to help you."
"I don't need help," I found myself saying. "But I am confused."
He chuckled. "I know that. That's why I'm here. To help you."
"But what do you know?" I hissed, anger tugging at my heart. What did anyone know about what was happening to me? They were all caught up in... Their lives, instead of helping me.
"I know that you're reaching for your pepperspray," David said calmly, as if reciting what he ate for breakfast, and then, holding out his hand, pointed it at my own, where I was reaching under my covers for my pepperspray.
My fingers wrapped around the spray, I was about to let go but something tugged on it. Like a string, pulling it away.
And then, the entire pepperspray was lifted up. I watched in horror as it levitated in thin air, though I still held onto it, and then my fingers let go - and it flew into David's palm, who examined it. "Almost empty," he mused, staring at it. "You should replace it soon."
"H-How did you know that?" I stammered, backing up against the wall.
"Avaley, I see things too," he said softly. I started to wonder if he'd look through my shirt, but instead he turned and pointed at a cardboard box at the corner of my room. "I know that you keep Kevin's things in there because you don't want your parents to throw them away, or let them know that you don't want to let go of him."
Kevin. A name that I knew all too well. I wanted David to stop, but he continued.
"I know that you keep only candy wrappers in your desk because you want to make a collage out of them one day, and you drop give the candies to the homeless so they won't go to waste. I know that you never opened the headphones your friends gave you because you are protective of your hearing. I know that you always read the last page of a book before you ever begin reading it." David paused and looked at me. "I know, Avaley."
"You freak!" I cried loudly, and hurled my teddy bear at him. When he ducked from that, I threw my pillows at him.
David dodged all of them, reaching out to me as he did. "Avaley, please, I don't mean you any harm," he said softly.
"Get away from me!" I screamed. "MOM! MOM! HELP!"
"Calling for help won't do you any good," David said. "You have to save yourself."
What strange words. "Just leave me alone!" I cried, jumping off my bed and booking it for the door. But then David was there - in a flash - and stopped me.
"Please, Avaley, I need you to listen," he begged.
I attacked him. I went for his stomach, not his face, because who would want to ruin a face that looked like his?
I barreled my right fist towards his lower abdomen, but then his left hand was there and his fingers wrapped around my wrist, and he grabbed my other wrist and squeezed hard. I cried out, and kicked him as hard as I could and he let go, and I fell backwards. I scrambled up and ran for my bathroom, but then David was there, in a flash, again.
"Just go away!" I cried. But I was in no mood for being a baby. I faked right but then scrambled around his left, pushing him to the side as I entered the bathroom and slammed the door shut. My hands trembled as they locked them, and I turned around, leaning against the door and breathing out a sigh of relief.
"Avaley."
I screamed because he was now standing in front of me.
"I... How did you get here?" I shrieked, scrambling up. I needed a weapon, anything, to hurt him... Uh... Um... My hair dryer! It was barely within reach!
"Avaley, I don't want to hurt you," David said, holding up a hand. "Please, just listen to me." I was starting to inch away. "And don't even think of getting that hairdryer, please." a small smile tugged at his lips. "You've seen what I can do, Avaley, and I know more about you than even you do. You need help and I'm the one who can do that." he took a step towards me. "You're capable of so much, Avaley. You just need to spread your wings."
And with that, anger kicked in.
"What do you know?!" I screamed, and hurled my fist towards his face. He ducked, but I reached out with my other hand, grabbed his collar and rammed him back into the fist. I pushed him to the ground, and as he started to get up, I kicked him back down. "You don't know anything! Sure, you stalk me and watch me, but you don't know the thick of it!" I bellowed, kicking him as hard as I could. "I died, and I came back to life! You don't know what it's like to do that, and then have everything fall apart before your very eyes!" I cried, kicking him harder.
"Avaley!" he cried between grunts. "I know, Avaley, I've been there! Just give me a chance to tell you!"
"Tell me... What?" I growled, pausing.
"To tell you what you really are," David breathed out.
And then I fell to my knees, into those arms, and started to bawl.