Beware Her Broken Heart

Chapter Nine

Araya looked in the shattered mirror in her room. As she stared deeply into herself, broken, as with her promises, she swore the face in the cracks became clearer. She was back into her habit of cutting, but she moved from her wrists to her legs so Talon wouldn't know. She kept lying to him, saying that she stopped. But she couldn't.

The damn thoughts made her mute again, and this time, she was going to stay like that. Especially with last week.

Araya gathered her courage, and walked to the bus stop. When she got there, one of her eighth grade friends, Krissi, noticed something was up. "Yo, Araya, you alright?" She asked. Araya just nodded and smiled. "Alright, fam." Krissi told her, smiling back.

When Araya got to school, the school clique was standing in her way to the band room. It consisted of Chelsea, the blonde leader with piercing blue eyes, Emily, the jet black haired girl, Carlie, Chelsea's younger sister, and Maddie, the brunette that secretly hated the fact that she was part of the crew of girls that hurt so much.

Araya tried to make her way around the girls, but Carlie stepped in her way. "And where do you think you're going, girlie?" She asked. Araya pulled out her tiny notebook and pencil, writing down "the band room." "Oh, yeah, that's right. This chick went mute." Chelsea giggled. "Please let me go, I need to practice." Araya wrote. Maddie threw the notebook down to the ground, and broke the pencil. "Talk first, brat!" Maddie yelled. Araya flinched slightly. She shook her head. "Did she just tell us no?" Emily asked the other girls with a smirk on her face. Araya braced herself for the worst.

"Excuse me, ladies, but I think Araya and I have somewhere to go." It was Talon. Araya sighed in relief quietly. Talon grabbed the notebook off the ground, giving it to Araya. "So if you'd excuse us." Talon smiled. Carlie looked at the other girls. "You're the new kid, huh?" Maddie asked, chewing her gum loudly and putting her hand on her hip. Talon flinched at the chewing sounds. "Yes, I am." Talon told them confidently. Araya envied his confidence, especially against these girls.

"Now, I don't want any trouble, girls, so let us pass." Talon told them. "I don't think so, hotshot." Chelsea announced. "This brat is gonna talk first." Maddie told him, walking toward Araya, who backed up, behind Talon. Araya shook her head. She pulled another pencil out of her pocket and wrote down "I don't want to!" And showed it to the girls. "We don't care what you want. We get what we want. Now talk!" Carlie yelled. Araya looked at the floor, shaking her head. Tears flooded her eyes, and she couldn't cry, not in front of these girls, not in front of..Him.

"She said no. And that's the end of it. Now let us go before I tear your perfect little wigs off in front of the whole school." Talon warned. The girls all widened their eyes, then ran off. Araya looked at him. She wrote down, "How did you do that..?" "They dyed their hair, and they seem to take care of it more than their grades." Talon shrugged. "Just a hunch." Araya giggled quietly. She looked down again.

He did it for his own good. Not yours.

Araya looked toward the band room, running inside. Talon ran after her, grabbing her wrist before she was able to run inside. She turned to him, her look asking "what?" for her.

Talon pulled her against him. Araya looked up at him. Talon leaned down, kissing her softly. Araya closed her eyes, kissing back. Talon pulled away after a moment. "I love you, kitten. I haven't said that lately." He whispered. She smiled. He smiled back, taking the smile as an "I love you too." Really, it was her hiding and holding her tears back. She hugged him.

"Th..th-thank..y-you.." Araya whispered. "Anything." Talon assured.

He wouldn't do anything for you.

Would he..?