Monsters Within

Chapter 11

I have nothing to use to cut other than a pencil sharpener blade. As I place the blade near my skin I am afraid but I still want to do this, to protect Cole. My skin burns as the blade pierces my skin.

I don't cut deep, but about an inch long. It hurts, but at the same it feels good, like the physical pain of the cut helps numb the mental pain of what's been going on. Before I know it I have three small cuts going across my wrists. The blood starts to run down my arm and I grab the paper towel beside me and place it on the cuts. After a while the blood stops and I go to bed.

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I am surprised when I see Gale halfway to school. He jogs over with a worried smile.

"Are you ok?" He asks. "I was worried you'd do something bad after how sad you were yesterday."

"Nah I'm fine." I reply even though I did do something I shouldn't have.

"Come on, we're gonna be late." He says reaching for my arm to pull me along. I flinch and pull back as he grabs my wrist. "What?" He asks sounding extremely worried.

"Nothing." I say holding my arm to my stomach. But, Gale sees through this immediately. He grabs my arm (above my wrist) and gently pulls back my sleeve. And then I hear a gasp.

"Kay, you... you... why?!"

"I only did it so Cole would stop, trust me once he sees my wrists he will stop, knowing I will too." I say quickly. Gale obviously sees right through me.

"Please Kay." He says choking up. "Don't do something you'll regret." I can hear in his voice and see in his eyes, how much he is pleading. But, I say nothing, not wanting to lie to him again.

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We reach school and head to class as we have all the same ones. When Cole looks over at me I let my sleeve fall down as I stretch so he can see. His eyes widen and he looks terrified. Then Nadia looks over.

"Kay! What did you do?!" She whisper-screams.

"Nothing it's just so Cole won't cut. Don't worry, he'll stop." This seems to calm her down a bit and I feel bad not telling the complete truth.

"But will you?" Says Gale as more of a statement than a question. I look into his emerald green eyes and see how worried he is. My hair covers my face as I look down so I don't cry out of shame. "Kay look at me, please, stop this, you're not just hurting yourself anymore. There are people who care, and don't want to see you hurt, I don't want to see you hurt."

A tear falls to my desk as I look at him. Gale just grabs his sleeve and gently wipes away the tears. He cares so much for me, and I start to wonder weather I deserve him, what if the same thing that happened to Cole happens to him. Sure I still get shoved every now and then but it's not so bad anymore, I just hope Gale isn't nearby when it is. I open my mouth to speak but get cut off.

"Kay, quiet please." Says Mr.Frank sternly. I just look down at my paper.

"Uh... it was me Mr.Frank. Don't blame it on Kay." Mr.Frank doesn't respond to Gale, and I can tell he doesn't believe him.

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Little happens the rest of the day apart from worried glances from a nervous Gale beside me. Sometimes I reach out and grab his sweatshirt a little, just to make sure he's still there, for support. I've told Nadia not to sit with me too much for fear of her getting involved with the people who torment me. And it occurs to me I should try to tell Gale too. So, I decide to tell him after school.

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"Hey... Gale?" I say tentatively.

"Yeah?" He replies.

"Um... so I was kinda thinking that you should probably not hang out with me too much anymore." Gale just stares for a moment.

"Why?" He asks looking sad.

"Well, the reason I was sad yesterday was because I had broken up with Cole, and I kinda knew that was why he cut." He only looks confused so we stop in a small clearing and I explain why I broke up with Cole and what happened. "And, I just couldn't live with myself if that happened to you. So please, if only to make me happy."

"No." He says simply. "I'm sorry Kay, but I'm worried about you. And if I get beat up, oh well, as long as your safe."

"Gale please, you don't-" I begin.

"No Kay. Listen to me." He says completely serious. "I have seen too many people I care for get hurt. When I was seven I watched my dad beat my mom, she almost died, and after that, she left. I was placed in a foster home, and it seemed whenever I was close to having a home something bad would happen. Now, I have the choice, to protect you, or to walk away. This is my chance to do something, and I will protect you, at all costs." His eyes are brimming with tears. I don't know what came over me but it happens.

I lean forward and go on my toes a bit, I hold his face in my hands and kiss him. Butterflies race through my stomach, I am light headed, but it's amazing. When we stop I stand flat footed again and look at him. He smiles, and hugs me as more tears run silently down his face. And even though he is sad and crying he whispers to me,

"I am going to make sure your safe. Trust me. Nothing will ever hurt you again." A tear runs down my face as he says this, and we stay like this embraced in each others arms for a while.