Insane

Chapter 2

I looked to Zeal and shook my head. "Why wouldn't you believe them?"

Zeal shrugged. "I just- I don't think you are, is all," he said and stared down at his feet and the blacktop.

I observed this boy a bit closer. His hair had red hues to it, I noticed and he was rather pale, but not as pale as me. God, I needed a tan.

"What if I think I am?" I asked and Zeal shrugged.

"Maybe you don't know yourself as much as you think you do..." He said quietly.

I smiled a bit. I had to admit, this kid was growing on me. "Of course I don't know myself. "

Zeal looked up at me. "Then why do you believe you're insane?"

"Because of the proof. I have the proof that I'm not sound of mind," I said and looked to Zeal. "But that's enough of my sap story."

Zeal blinked and crammed his slender hands into his pocket. "I should let you go home. I'm sorry for disturbing you..." He said and began to walk away.

I frowned. I didn't want him to just leave. He had practically saved my life. I didn't want to sound overly dramatic but I felt like it was true. "Hey!" I said and Zeal turned to face me. "Thanks for waking me," I said with a small smile. It felt weird to smile that easily.

"Yeah. No problem. It wouldn't have been very...humane to just leave you out here," he said softly.

I nodded and stared at the steering wheel. I went to say something to Zeal, but he was gone. I nodded and then drove home.

As soon as I opened the door, I knew my mother would bombard me with questions since I didn't come home after I called her.

"Where have you been? Are you okay? What took you so long?"

I sighed and kissed my mother's forehead. "I'm fine. Don't worry, mom," I said and walked into my room. "I have to study."

"Okay. I'll call you when dinner is ready," my mother called but I had already shut my door and flopped on my bed and let my mind wonder.

Gideon and I were making our way to Bella's.

"Do you ever wish we were kids again?" I asked and retied my shoes.

"Well yeah. My father wasn't a dead beat drug addict then," Gideon said and shot me a smile. "My mother wasn't a depressed loser. And we were  a lot cuter."

I laughed. "I'm not cute now?" I asked teasingly.

"Nah. You're attractive, I'll give you that," Gideon laughed. "Any guy or gal would be lucky to have you."

"Just guy. Not interested in girls and you know that. Unlike you, I'm strictly gay. Not pansexual," I corrected.

Gideon nodded. "Yes. That I know. You've only told me 651 times. How could I possibly forget?"

I smiled and looked out the windshield and put my feet up on the dashboard. "I miss being a kid. We were so carefree...so full of energy. We didn't have to worry about finals and jobs. We were just us," I said and pulled at the lint on my scarf.

Gideon was silent and we pulled up to a stop light.

After that, everything was a blur. I remember swearing as my head whipped forward and then blacking out. I remember screaming and overwhelming pain. I remember waking up briefly to the sound of sirens and I was hanging from my seat belt. I remember Gideon's bloodied face. I remember the glass shards sticking in his skin. I remember his last words.

"I love you, Ashwin Greene."

"Ashwin! Time for dinner!" My mother called and shook me free of my memories.

I wiped the tears from my face and looked over at my collection of Gideon's things in the corner. I stood and padded into the dinning room and smiled at my mother like everything was okay. But of course, everything was not.