Later that night, I made my way back to the orphanage. I was still upset from that evening, but it was much too cold to sleep outside. “Here we go,” I murmured, grasping the rough bark on the tree. I heaved myself up, trying my best not to slip on the icy branches. I climbed the tree until I reached my bedroom window. I crouched carefully and leaned over to grab the window. Creeeaaak.
“Aiden!” Maxwell yelled. Once my feet were on the carpet, he ran and threw his arms around my neck. “OhmyGod, areyouokay? Wewereallsoworried! Wheredidyoug—”
“Maxwell,” I said, not hugging him back. “I can’t understand you.” He took and deep breath and repeated his previous statements.
“Oh my God, are you okay? We were all so worried! Where did you go?”
“I’m fine,” I lied, “I went on a walk.” Maxwell stared at my eyes. His eyes were a beautiful light blue, so mesmerizing. And he had the thickest eyelashes…
“A-are you sure?” I felt the tears well up in my eyes again. I nodded and looked away. He let go of me and I found myself missing his arms around me. “If you...I-if you ever need to ta-talk, I’m here.” At that moment, I wanted to tell him all about Mike, about what he did to me. Maxwell squeezed my hand. But when he tried to pull his hand away, I held on tight.
“Just for a second,” I whispered. Maxwell nodded, and I knew he understood. He just stood there, letting me cherish the feeling of having someone care about me.
Eventually, I let go and retreated to my bed. Snuggled under the covers, I let the tears fall again. I’m not sure if I can ever let go of what happened to me, not sure I could ever get over my parents’ tragic deaths. It took me years to see it wasn’t my fault they died, and people say this will take time too, but I don’t know if I can ever get over everything that happened those four years ago.
****
“AH!” I screamed, jerking up in bed. This nightmare kept dancing in my head, these red shadows on a black background. I couldn’t get the evil demonic faces out of my head. Sweat covered me head to toe, and the darkness of the room wasn’t helping. I grabbed my iPod and turned it on. I shone it around the room, making sure I was alone. My breathing slowly returned to normal and I gently laid back down in bed. I didn’t trust my eyes to close, so I thought about Maxwell.
What popped in my mind scared me even more than my nightmare. I saw these pictures of him. Just flashes, and parts of his face. His smile. His eyes. His hair. His arms around my neck. His hand around mine. His lips. His breath on my lips….my eyes drifted shut. His soft, pink lips…his soft, pink, perfect lips on mine…My eyes popped open. This is Maxwell here. Maxwell! The boy who clings to his teddy bear! “You’re going crazy,” I whispered. “He’s Maxwell…” What’s so wrong with being Maxwell? The thought entered my mind before I could stop it. I sighed and shook my head. I rested my head on my pillow, and laid there until I fell back asleep.
YOU ARE READING
Poor Little Orphan Boy
Teen FictionAiden lost his parents when he was only a kid. Now, four years later, Aiden is still in the same orphange he was sent to as a young teen. He is convinced the only way to live is alone, and that living isn't all that great. But a new boy shows up: Ma...
