Black Smoke

Hopelessness

It wasn't long before Vanessa came to visit once again. I'm guessing she was very serious about my health, and in her own words, could've loved me more than anyone else. Ever since that night, we'd actually gotten along better.

Celease paid no mind to us, although, every time Vanessa stepped outside the room to do something, Celease would beckon me to admit the truth as to what I was told the night I was attacked.

"Kill you?" Dante asked. "Kill you as in taking your life?" His voice had risen slightly, and his face had gotten a bit red.

I nodded. "I'm guessing they go to school with us. How else would they know I talk to her?"

"Maybe they're her relatives," Celease chimed in. "You think maybe she told someone you two were talking and that someone she told could just be an overprotective sibling or relative?"

Boy, she hit "overprotective" right on the hammer with that idea.

"I don't know, and quite frankly, I just don't know what to think about it at all."

"You're gonna tell her is what you're gonna do," Dante spoke up, his arms folded over his chest. "You're gonna tell her about this, and then maybe she might have a clue as to who'd do something like this!"

He turned and faced a wall, his jawline hard as stone as he fumed. He'd wanted to hit the wall, and if it wasn't public property, he probably would've.

"Death threats, what the hell."

"I don't want to tell her," I muttered, causing them both to gaze at me, bewildered.

"Why not?" Celease questioned, a bit serious. "She needs to know! This is the line between seeing her more and getting attacked again. Maybe next time you won't be as lucky! Get that through your thick skull!"

"Thick skull? Who are you to be talking to me like that? You don't know my life! You don't know what the hell I've been through! There's a reason this kind of thing isn't easy for me! So shut up!" Pressure had built up in my head, and I twinged in pain, placing my fingers to my temples. Once calm, I sighed and stayed silent for a moment, biting my bottom lip.

"If I tell her now, she'll stop talking to me for my own safety, and I don't want that! I want her to continue talking to me! I don't want that to stop all of a sudden because I'm scared-"

"Scared for your own life?" My best friend interrupted. "I understand you've liked this girl ever since she got here, but after a serious threat like this, do you really think it's worth it?  What if those guys weren't joking? What if they know what they're doing and suddenly do what they said they'd do?"

"Well, think about it," I retorted. "If I do tell her for my own sake, it's just gonna make her worry more! She's worried enough as it is with me being here, and for her to also know that death threats were made against me that night?  She thinks I don't remember much, and I'd like to keep it that way."

I sighed, realizing that my head felt like it was going to implode from the constant jabbering. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked away from them.

"I'm just trying to look out for you, bud," he responded. "I hate finding out you were jumped without me being there to defend you."

"You don't have to defend me all the time, D. Besides, you had other problems. It's not like you had a choice," I answered honestly.