The Black Tangled Heart

The Future

"So what's it like having a boyfriend?" Asked Ethan nonchalantly as he kept his eyes on the road, not wanting the conversation he intended to have seem so obvious to the tiny, insecure, brunette sat with her knees to her chest in the car seat next to him

"I don't have a 'boyfriend', I have a 'Shawn'" she replied as she picked at the peeling plumb coloured varnish that covered her nails

"And how's that working out for you?"

Camila just shrugged, not really wanting to get into a conversation about her personal relationship with Shawn when the other person in that conversation was his brother

"He likes you, y'know?"

Camila nodded

"And you...?"

"Did he put you up to this?" She frowned as she turned to face Ethan, pretty sure Shawn wouldn't talk about what was happening between them with anyone but intrigued by his siblings line of questioning

"Not at all, in fact if he knew I was talking to you about this he would probably strangle me to death right now but I just... you two seem close"

"And?"

"And... he's going to be leaving soon" Ethan once again trained his eyes on the road as he felt the atmosphere of the car darken "He has spent his life working hard, sacrificing everything for this moment for... college, he's going to get in, I know it and I know that you know it too"

"Yeah, so what? I'm happy for him" Huffed Camila as she turned her head to gaze out of the passenger window, her chest tightening as Ethan's words slowly began to sink in and cause a torrent of emotions to begin to build

Shawn would be leaving...

Leaving town...

Leaving her...

"So what about you? Once you graduate and Shawn's gone, what's your plan?"

"My plan is none of your business" she snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted

"But you do have one right?"

"Why do I need one?"

"Because you're 18 and I know Shawn's helping you right now but when he goes I don't want to see you get lost, to waste your potential"

"What potential?"

"Camila!"

"I don't want to talk about this" again she pouted as she twisted her body away from Ethan and stared blindly out of her window, the boys long fingers drilling annoyingly loud against the steering wheel

"Okay fine you don't want to talk about it but will you at least think about it?!"

"I don't need to think about it, Shawn will go, I will graduate, I have money so I don't really have to do anything I don't want to do... for once in my life"

"Camila..."

"In fact no, maybe I'll just get on a plane and fly as far away from here as I possibly can and never, ever look back" The girl tapped her fingers against the exposed skin of her thighs and snorted as Ethan's gaze followed them

"Hey, I'm only human!" He argued as his cheeks turned pink the exact same way that Shawns did when he was embarrassed "It doesn't mean I want to try anything I just can't control my eyes all of the time, show me one man that can"

"Can you imagine Shawns reaction if he found us in bed together?!" Camila couldn't help but laugh loudly at the scenario that flooded her mind whilst Ethan's cheeks drained and he physically shuddered

"They would find our bodies in pieces" he said, his voice holding the weight of truth

"Why is he so possessive? Like basically from the second he laid eyes on me in his mind I was his, no one else had the right to even say hi to me"

"Everything he ever had that he cared about, he lost, now he holds on too tight"

"That would scare most girls off, some would even call it abusive"

"It didn't scare you off" Ethan turned to face the girl, his eyes asking 'why' a hundred times over

"No... no it didn't, obviously, because I'm still here, still being driven to school by his brother because he's so worried something might happen to me if I dared to drive myself"

"So why did you stay? Like you said some would say he's abusive, the way he holds you so close, makes so many demands about who you see and what you do"

"I don't know what it is but when he looks at me I feel safe and I feel wanted and I haven't felt anything like that since my mom died. I like it, maybe I shouldn't but  I need it"

"Yeah well Shawn needs you too, more than I think either of you know, I just wonder how this is all going to play out"

"Ethan, what is it you're so worried about? There's something you aren't saying here"

"I'm worried that he might start making decisions based on you... big decisions, life decisions, decisions about his future"

"Shawn won't do that, he knows his plans, he knows what he wants and how he's going to get it"

"But now he has you. Someone he cares about, someone that cares about him. Like I said he holds onto that shit too tightly, I don't know, when faced with losing you when he goes away what he'll do, what he'll decide"

"Well I won't let him make any stupid, rash decisions"

"I don't know if you know this Camila but no one really lets Shawn do anything. He does what he wants, when he wants and that's it"

Pulling into the school car park, Camila was just about to argue with Ethan that she could make Shawn see sense in a way other people couldn't when her eyes suddenly fell on the entrance to the building

"Fuck!" She said quietly as she reached down and undid her seatbelt

"Camila..."

"Don't tell him" she said in barely as a whisper as she pushed open the car door and stepped down onto the asphalt "Nobody can tell him!"

"Camila he will find out about... that. Everyone will know about that" as quickly as possible Ethan jumped out of the car and sped around to Camilas side "Mila..." he muttered as he took hold of her shoulder but it was the only word he got out before a familiar car screeched into the parking lot and then a familiar figure jumped out as the engine was still going

"No!" Cried Camila but it was too late, the familiar figure was running through the crowds of giggling students, grabbing hold of the offending item and then ripping it down before ripping it into shreds, his voice loud and threatening, causing every humorous sound to still as a deathly silence took over the school car park and entrance

"You fuckers have two seconds to name and shame before I pound each one of you into the ground!"