Disappeared [ Dylan Sprayberry Fanfic ]

Chapter 3

Daniel's POV
I know it isn't good for me.
The way I let things progress to the point to where I can't just turn my back and walk away. But I don't regret my choices, and I don't regret having these feelings either.
I looked at Bridget, she had attempted to curl her hair today--though you couldn't really tell anymore, because of the heat. With one hand she propped up her head, her clear brown eyes concentrated on the window. The skies were gray, and so was the rest of the town. Everything just seemed as dark as I felt.  We'd both ditched class to study for the upcoming test, with permission of course--we'd holed ourselves up in the library, about a dozen books scattered the scarred pine desk.

Bridget seemed especially distracted, almost as if she'd been lost, swimming in her ocean of thoughts. I wondered what she was thinking about. I crushed the words swirling in and out of my head.
'She's not thinking about you.' My mind reminded me, but that little whisper of hope persevered, Maybe she is. I couldn't imagine Bridget in this type of darkness, when all I took her as was the sun itself. I wouldn't allow her to turn gray--I wouldn't allow her to be unhappy, even if that choice made her hate me. I pulled the rubber bracelets lower on my mangled wrists, each one meant something important to me, cancer, love, army, drugs--
All the things that hurt people.
If I kept these things close to me, I believed i'd be immune to them. It doesn't work. I twisted the cord holding the key to the register at Hot Topic around my neck. Bridget lifted her head to look at me.
"What is it?" She smiled but it wasn't all that cheery.
"Are you okay? You seem depressed." I questioned, looking through my hair.
"No." Bridget let out a deep breath.
"It's sort of a long story."
"I'll listen." I offered to enthusiastically, sliding back in my chair.

15 minutes later
"So what you're telling me is, this Tyler guy is text-threatening you about your boyfriend?" I avoided saying his name whenever I could.
"I don't know if its that specific--it seems like he's after me too. He'd be harassing Dylan if that was the case, right?" Bridget clamped her soft hands around her phone.
"Not necessarily," I consoled wanting to put out the fire burning in her thoughts.
"Your closest to him, I'm sure its nothing personal. Why don't you tell him?" Bridget dropped her eyes,
"I don't want him to be miserable anymore--i can only talk to you about this." I could relate. From the moment I met her, I'd recognized the misery in her eyes. It'd since lightened, but it never went away. I wet my lips, I could taste the metallic of my piercings. I then, rubbed my face, contemplating.
"Keeping him in the dark won't make anything better, Bridge--you know that right?" I wanted to tell her i'd go with her when she'd tell him, but I couldn't bring myself too. Bridget shook her head, and rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand--she looked like a lot of things, tired, scared, miserable.  I closed the book in front of her, and stood up.
"Come on," I had the intention to hold out my hand, but I hadn't, knowing i'd regret it later.
"I'm hungry."

Bridget made no objections as she stood up, packing up a couple books and the mechanical pencil she used in every class. I lead her down the near empty hall's towards the cafeteria, listening to the familiar jingle of the chains hooked to my belt loops. She caught up to me and matched her stride with mine.
"Hey do you think they'll have those parfait's again today? Those things were the bomb."  I was in mid-shrug, when my eyes landed on Dylan--the guy's who's fist had connected with my face, not even a year ago. I immediately felt my muscles tense, felt the ache to fight all over again. But then it struck me, like everything else--he was waiting for Bridget. The girl he beat me too. Crystal was in his shadow, her arms crossed. She still wouldn't look at me directly. I couldn't really blame her. I'd broken her heart, to follow my own.
Bridget's eyes lit up, and she walked over to him, the same way magnet's attracted.

I watched Dylan wrap his arms around her waist, and lift her off the ground. She let out that bubbling laugh that brought a smile to my face, nearly every time. Bridget's hands rested on his shoulders, a light weight I was familiar with. I could almost feel her soft hand pressing down on my shoulder, as caring and supporting as always. I quickly shook it off, and averted my eyes.  I didn't want to see it. But then again, i'd subjected myself to this torture.
'You could always walk away,' The thought slid into my brain like a razor, slow and deliberate, leave her stranded.
Bridget looked up at him, smiling, as he put her back on her feet.
"You guys should eat lunch with Daniel and I." She looked back at me, my heart fluttering.  Crystal approached me, with a cautious smile on her face. She swung an arm around my shoulders, "What's up brotha?" She smelled like candy, and girly soap.
"Tired as hell." I said truthfully, shaking my hair out of my eyes. Crystal made a face, the leather of her jacket rubbing against the back of my neck. She'd changed for me, thinking i'd like her better, probably. But I hadn't wanted anything to change, I wanted her to be the kid who'd been my best friend since 3rd grade--the kid I shared my juice boxes with at lunch, but we grew up. Crystal wanted my arms, and I wanted her high-fives.