Beechwood Descendants

DUNCAN

Duncan was still shoving clothes into his backpack when Connor returned. Connor stood at the door and slowly closed it behind him, watching Duncan with a confused look on his face.

"Are you leaving?" Connor asked. Duncan couldn't help but notice the small pang of sadness in his voice. Duncan turned to the blonde and opened his mouth to speak but Connor cut him off again. "If I made you uncomfortable I'm sorry."

"No, no you didn't do anything. My friend is here to pick me up. You know my pen pal for the last few months? He lives around here, I met him at my old school in the UK." Duncan zipped up his bag and discarded it on his bed so that he could walk closer to Connor. "I just. . .I have to get out of here."

"Let me come." Connor said immediately.

"I can't ask you to do that, the life you'd be walking into wouldn't be ideal." Duncan shook his head but Conner just stared at him like the words didn't make any sense.

"Worse than being here?"

Duncan hesitated but nodded. "I came here because my drama teacher kidnapped two of my friends and I, then drenched me in blood — I really hope it was animal blood — because she wanted my best friend to eat me because for some reason he can be controlled by her and the smell of blood sets him off. He, somehow, resisted my drama teacher's mind control and untied me so that I could escape when my other friend tore the entire building down. I was the soul survivor and I've wanted to die ever since." Duncan didn't take a breath between words so he was panting by the time he finished.

". . .So, you're—"

"If you say schizophrenic I'm leaving right now."

"No, no, you're just. . . Aw hell, I don't know just let me come with you." Connor stepped up so that his chest was nearly touching Duncan's. His eyes never wavered but his heartbeat did.

"Noah would kill me," Duncan whispered. "Then, he would kill you." Duncan walked back to his bed and grabbed his backpack.

"Death is better than this place." Connor never wavered.

"I'm not changing my mind, I don't even know you." Duncan tried to step past the boy but Connor would budge, he locked the door without any hesitation.

"You need someone to watch over you, us crazies have to stick together."

"I'm not crazy, you stick with the ones in here. I'll write you a letter or something, now please move." Duncan tried to step past him again but Connor grabbed his shoulders. Duncan sighed and dropped his bag. "Why are you even here anyways?"

"I'm supposed to be in the delinquent hall, but I'm here on good behavior." Ur was like he'd been waiting to tell someone about this for months. "I killed my little brother."

Duncan's eyes widen and he shoved Connor out of his way with all his might. He grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. "I'm not running with a murderer." Duncan said and jerked the door open without giving Connor another glance. He prayed he'd never see Connor again, he prayed he'd never be back in that place but if we're being honest, Duncan was an atheist and these prayers meant absolutely nothing nor did he believe they would come true.

Connor was like a mix of Rudy and Sammy and if Noah met him he'd surely get the wrong idea, and if Rudy was somehow alive it would be a very awkward conversation. Out of the corner of his eye, Duncan watched Connor leave their room behind him. He watched Connor enter the main room and slumped down on the couch next to the grown woman that believed she was God. He didn't second guess his decision and made his way down the hall silently to the phone booth at the end of it.