The Devil & His Shadow

VI

Colin
Age 14

February came and went in a blink of an eye. My birthday passed and now I'm fourteen but I somehow feel older.

The fight Elsie and I had outside of the grand hall was forgotten by the next week. She looked lively and happy so I assumed she had forgotten all about my fucked up brain.

While everyone else was moving on through life I watched as my best friend slowly loose himself more and more. Otto has resorted to causing chaos in the town so he can cope with the things he doesn't speak about.

His temper is getting worse and his restraint is too. It was only a matter of time until he just couldn't keep it in, and that was today.

Walking through the halls of school I see kids start to shroud around in a specific spot.

The school year was close to coming to an end and the five of us were about to head to high school.

Just as I'm about to walk past the group of students I pause when I hear the familiar high voice that had a sound of warning. "Just leave it alone!"

Elsie yelled and my body ran on instinct. I turn towards the crowd and shove through people. Elsie stood at the inner circle, her skin bright red and her eyes twinkling with a familiar anger.

Inside the circle was Otto and another guy I don't know. His black hair falls in front of his eyes and he stares at Otto with pure venom. Meanwhile Otto stares back at him with even more intensity.

Otto's eyes are bloodshot and dark underneath by lack of sleep, his skin is pale and he looks nothing like himself.

"You want to say that shit again?" Otto growls as he takes another step towards the unknown guy.

The guy grits his teeth together and says something in a tone I can't hear.

The air is frozen as Otto pulls back his arm and throws a punch at the guys cheek. All hell breaks loose and now both of them are punching and shoving. People are cheering and chanting and Elsie is trying to get in between them.

Fuck me.

I step forward and grab Elsie's backpack, pulling her backward. She stumbles back into my chest and I put my hands on her wrists. "Don't fucking involve yourself, you're going to get hurt."

"So is he!" She looks back at me and I can see the stress and anger on her face.

Elsie is the kind of girl who will involve herself in something even if it means she might get hurt. Elsie isn't afraid of pain, I don't even think she feels fear. Elsie thrives off adrenaline so anything scary is like a drug to her. Getting in between two very angry guys though? That's too far for me.

"I don't care." I bite out. "Now gets fuck out of here."

She jerks out of my hold and angrily stomps to the side where she's not in the line of fire.

I step towards Otto right as he's about to throw a punch and end up as his target.

My head recoils as pain shoots across my jaw, my body freezes.