Paper Hearts | ✓ | [ e d i t i n g ]

Chapter Twenty-one - break something important

As Theo was coming through my window, I said, " Let's break something."

It had been two days since were were tagged as official and since we visited Corra in the hospital. She texted a lot, but said she didn't want to be seen because she apparently looked sickly. 

He sat next to me on my bed, " what do you want to break?"

" A music box." I said, looking over at him.

" Okay, why?" 

Here we go: " Alright so when I was little my Uncle Ernie gave me this music box, and inside of it was a little balerina girl that would spin to really slow lullaby music. The only I got the more annoying it was, and it started to scare me too. Every time my Uncle would hear it he'd get really still and would tense up. then'd he'd get really pissed for no reason and start yelling at us and one time he broke the tv. So just want it gone."

Theo said, " Who's your Uncle Ernie exactly?"

" Well, besides my uncle." I said, " He lived with us for awhile because he had no where to go. He started out awesome, but then he started drinking more and just lost it. Now he's in prison. Better off there than here, I guess." I watched my hands, swallowing hard. 

Theo wrapped his arms around me and pulled myself against his chest, " I hate assholes."

" Me too."

He kissed my forehead, " Let's break that bitch."

A smile touch my lips, " preach it." 

We untied ourselves and while Theo opened the window, I pulled the music box out of my closet, " I have a baseball bat in my garage?"

" beautiful." We climbed out onto the roof, and I handed the box down to Theo on the ground, climbing off myself. In the garage, I grabbed the bat and we started towards the orchard.

I dropped the box in the small clearing, and felt the bat in my hands, " I can't tell you how good things is gonna feel."

Theo sat on one of the log benches, watching the box, " don't tell me, just hit it." 

Pulling my arms back, I brought them down hard on the box. The wood cracked, splinting in places. I hit it again, and again. Kicking it towards the fire pit, I handed to bat to Theo, " Try it. it's like very violent therapy."

He arched a brow, and stood. Swinging the bat around his fingers once, He motioned for me to toss it up like a baseball. A smile touched my lips as I picked up the box and tossed it up. In one fluid motion, Theo swung. The bat connected with the box and the wood broke past proportion. A large chunk of it flew to the tree line, other parts splintered at our feet. 

I laughed, " That was awesome!"

A smiled graced  his lips as he tossed the bat, catching the fat end and offering me the handle, " I've never played baseball before."

" You're a natural." I replied, taking the bat and leaning on it like a cane.

We left the pieces of of music box where they were, the little balerina resting in the ashes of the fire bit, " anything you want to break?" I asked.

He thought about it, faintly chewing on his bottom lip. The boy didn't even realize how attractive he was right then. With a nod, he said, " yeah, let's go to my house real quick."

•••

To say I was excited was an understatement. I had never been in Theo's house before and I wasn't sure what to expect.

His house was nice, a decent sized brick house with large windows and wonderful shingles. On a tree in his front yard, a tire swing hung. It was one of those houses that you just felt at home with; until you stepped inside.