Paper Planes

Chapter 19

Listen, I love Mush. I do. He's one of my favorite characters.

But, you know, plot.

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I open the front door, seeing my boyfriend standing with candy, popcorn, and blankets. "What—"

"Uh, I know you feel most comfortable when the situation isn't serious", Blink offers, a small smile on his lips. "I figured I should bring candy and stuff to make this a little easier."

My lips curl into a smile as I grab the Red Vines he was carrying. "Thank you."

"Of course", he nods, walking into my apartment. "So, your mom's here?"

I point to the couch where the sleeping woman lay. "Knocked out."

Blink nods, looking back to me. He did that a lot. "Your room?"

I shrugged and grabbed his hand, pulling him quietly to my room. Memories from last weekend begin to flood through my mind just as I close the door, a small sigh escaping my lips. "I hurt Specs' feelings."

Blink's eyebrows raise just as he sits on the right side of my bed, placing the items he carried down carefully. "Okay."

"I didn't mean to." I was a fountain at this point. "They were being bullied by Oscar and I confronted them but I didn't do it very quietly and I think I broke their trust and I'm pretty sure they hate me."

I fall onto the bed, my head in Blink's lap. "I hate when we fight."

Blink hums, placing his hand through my hair. I close my eyes and feel myself relax. "Have you apologized?"

I stay silent again, focusing on the hand flowing through my curls. "I'm taking that as a no."

"I want to", I sigh, opening my eyes and staring at the ceiling. "I do. But...what if I say something wrong and make it worse? I thought I was doing the right thing and I screwed it all up."

Blink chuckles softly, and I look up at him with a confused look. "You know, there's a reason I like you."

I feel my face flush. "What?"

"You care too much. About everything."

"No, I don't."

"You do", Blink insists, a small smile on his face. "You care so much that you're kind of blind to the little things. And if this was a little thing to Specs..."

I sigh, licking my lips. "I made it into something big."

"I think you should call them", he suggests, placing his hands on my cheeks as I stare at him upside down. "They might really need that apology."

I smile softly, nodding. "You're right."

Blink leans down and places a kiss on my lips as I close my eyes and enjoy this.

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I realized I couldn't call Specs. I had to talk to them in person.

It was a conscious thing. It probably would've been easier to say "I'm sorry" on the phone to someone else, but I won't know what their reaction is. I won't know if what was said was rehearsed or written down on cards, and it kind of feels like cheating. I messed up in person, might as well fix it that way, too.

So, I'm walking down the street through their familiar neighborhood. The one story houses of different colors left something comforting and safe in me. Sort of.

"Hey!" I feel myself tense up at the sudden shout. The familiar voice of the worst idiot to walk this planet, to step foot in my direction.

I almost think it's a dream until I turn around, facing, "Delancey."

Oscar walks up to me, an angry and agitated look on his face. I swallow out of fear but keep my face calm. He's like a dog; he can smell fear. The problem is, he thrives off of it. "Do you need something?"

"You know, I wasn't expecting to get a sweet treat today", he starts, like a villain about to explain their master plan, "after Jacky Boy came up to me."

And beat the hell out of you, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Problem is he didn't get all of it. "So?"

"So", he gets closer to my face, an even angrier look on his face, "someone has to payback. I mean, for the freebie and all."

"W-wouldn't you want to talk that up with Jack?"

Oscar punches my nose and sends me flying to the ground. He kicks my stomach and sends my into a coughing fit, my chest burning as my stomachs aches. "I would, but maybe", he kicks my face, "can send him a message."

This isn't the exact message I was hoping to send.

He stomps on my head, and I hear myself groan and whimper in pain, praying that someone will come for me; that someone would find me before I'm seeing myself as a ghost.

He kicks my stomach angrily, his frustration leaving with every blow. However, I couldn't feel remorse for him. As a matter of fact, I couldn't feel anything.

"Stupid", another blow to my stomach, "self-entitled", he grunts and kicks my legs, which I'm sure are going to bruise later, "prick!"

It's pretty obvious The Delanceys have some issues. I'm not exactly sure what they are, if they're big or small, but I know they're there. And no matter how many issues someone has, no one is prepared to see their bully cry, no matter how much is done to them.

I feel my eyes close and my body succumb to the pain, blows still being made to my stomach and face, until the world officially goes dark and quiet.

I would later find out that Oscar left me on the sidewalk, running away before anyone could figure out what he'd done. One of Mrs. Willis' neighbors would find me as they pull into their drive, obviously startled to find some teenager laying in a fetal position and looking half-dead. They called the paramedics, the sirens alarmed everyone in the neighborhood, and Mrs. Willis realized who was being carried away into the back of an ambulance. I was even told I was on the news.

Of course, I won't remember half of this, I don't even think I remember when Oscar beat me up. But we won't really know until I wake up.