Dear Maria

Chapter 10 - Blood

---Quick warning the paragraphs five and six (I've put •• where para five starts and the same where para six ends) have violence in them, so if you find that unsettling in any way then do skip those paragraphs. You'll gather what happened later on, but it doesn't talk about said violence in the way it does where it happens, just a notice---

The one thing I truly remembered was blood. A lot of blood, more than I was certain being safe.

'Fuck'. I broke my gaze from the episode of Jimmy Neutron we'd ended up watching, looking at Alex. 'What's up?' His reply was 'outta fags' and an incoherent mumbling about having to go out at 10pm. 'Use my brothers, he keeps two packs in the drawer. I'm sure he wouldn't mind?' He shook his head, standing up to put on his shoes. 'No I couldn't do that, they're his smokes. It's okay I've got like five cartons back at the apartment, I'll just drive back there and pick them all up, I'll be good for a while then'. I was weary of letting him go, knowing the newfound information. 'Okay, are you sure it's safe, I'll come with you if you'd like. I mean I'd have to get dressed but..' He smiled weakly, picking his car keys up and sliding them into his sweatpants. 'Don't you worry your little heart darling I'll be back before the end of this episode'. I shrugged, there was no arguing with Alex Gaskarth. 'Hey Alex, what's your middle name?' He looked back at me, frazzled. 'It's uh, William why?' I giggled. 'That's the same as my brothers'. He gave me a dopey smile. 'And what may yours be dear Maria Dun?' I shyed away, I hated my middle name, and I especially hated telling people it. 'Violet'. His face scrunched up, in a sweet kind of way. 'Just like American Horror Story, perhaps I should change mine to Tate'. I shook my head, 'you should go, the quicker you leave the quicker you get back and all'. With that notion he slung on his hoodie, driving off down Ocean Avenue.

After thirty minutes had passed I was a little unsettled, his apartment was only a few minutes away in the car, ten at best. Surely he'd be back by now. I told you he was leaving you. I shrugged off the jerks inside my mind, I didn't need the added stress, and controlling it was becoming a habit I was good at. It was after an hour and twenty minutes however I did genuinely panic about that boy. He was the first person I'd ever grown so worried about, I'd never really created an attachment on anyone like this before. I got up to call his phone, my plan dismissed when I saw his own lying on the counter. My mind couldn't stop racing with thoughts that he didn't care about me anymore, or what if he'd been in a car crash? I was always telling him to slow down, maybe something had happened.

Two hours was my cutoff point, and at 11:50pm I raced upstairs to change into anything decent. Butterflies were filling my gut, something was wrong, terribly wrong. I couldn't deal with the fact Alex could need me and I'd just gone to bed, rendering him useless lying somewhere on the floor. Picking up my phone and shoving it into a zip up pocket, I opened my front door, looking left and right. I only faintly remembered the way to Alex's, it wasn't far and I knew my way around this part of LA pretty well. I didn't have any means of getting there though - I couldn't drive, nobody was here to take me and I wasn't going to hop on a bicycle or something equally as intimidating. 'I guess I'll be going on foot then' I mumbled to myself, panic spreading through my veins. I was certain Alex mentioned living by a one stop convenience store, and so took off in said direction. His apartment building was modern, only being their in the past year or so, meaning it wouldn't be difficult to locate.

My feet began to pick up pace as I neared the store, worrying more than necessary. Alex would be okay, I had to keep telling myself. No he won't be. The leers from myself only pushed my body further ahead, sheer will carrying me at this point. That's when I saw it, that's when I saw them.

••I practically broke down when I was hurtling myself towards the second door, panicking when heard shouting. I reached the door and was restrained by a guy, standing a few inches above me with a tight grip on my shoulders. 'MARIA' The man just laughed, squeezing tighter. Tears flooded my cheeks, watching as five men threw punches and kicks at Alex, my Alex, who was fighting against them in a one way battle. The sight made me sick to my stomach, gagging every time a painful blow was tossed. Alex called out in cries as each of the five men worsened his condition. I could hardly see, on the verge of passing out. The worst part was being forced to watch this happen, the man who'd had me in his grip tightening at any attempt I made to get out. 'GET HER AWAY SHE DOESNT NEED TO SEE THIS' I heard Alex's roar, demanding I was removed from the situation. Four of five stopped, as the main one, who I guessed to be Lisa's brother. 'But that's part of the fun isn't it Gaskarth? Making her watch you receive the physical pain you're getting in return for the emotional pain you caused my sister'. I screamed, anything that would stop the blows Alex got between each word. The rest of them joined in again, relentless. The words stopped, only to be replaced by Alex shouting in fury, and me sobbing. He'd been kicked to the floor, unable to form any sort of defence. His couch had been thrown to the other side of the room, by the doors. It appeared ripped, on the back. His front door was also tore down, slashed with wooden splints sticking out.