Glass Hearts

XVIII

Roy

I hear someone screaming, I can't recognize the voice. It sounds shrill, like a female's. I don't quite know how to act, my eyes dart around the room to spot the problem. "Someone help her!" The voice calls. I follow it down the halls, their cries of someone to help becoming louder and more prominent. I find a crowd, of people doing absolutely nothing. They circle something, I plow my way through to try and see what it is.

My breathing hitches. It is Jospeh, beating Christine to the last ounce of her life. She is coughing up blood, she is crying. I can the utter raw fear in her eyes, and the burning fury in her body language. She weakly grips his leg and digs her nails into his leg. She is still fighting with the little she has left.

Anger brews within me. I can't believe what my eyes are displaying for me. This awful scene. I throw myself at Jospeh, tackling him. Christine looks over, her eyes are wide. She coughs once again, seeing the blood makes me angrier and upset at myself. I should have stuck to her side today, and never left her alone. Jospeh growls at me, his glare beaming at me. I glare back and hold him to the ground.

"Why!" I demand.

His smirk, oh how I wish he was dead, "Because she should be dead. All I told her was that her mother is in a better place, because Christine isn't there."

I boil over in anger. I slam my fist into his skull with all my might. He bleeds. I show no mercy and keep sending blows. He fights back, harshly. He is stronger than he looks, and he is a scrawny guy. We bleed. We fight. We are savages, ripping into each others bodies. Christine opens her mouth, and tries to yell stop. I ignore her. Joseph and I are both horribly bloody. Christine cries out louder. I keep punching Joseph. I have become numb. I have stopped listening.

I only stop when Christine tries to pull me off. She dragged her weak and broken body over, and tugged as hard as she was physically capable currently. She barely moved my arm, but I felt it. A tear welded in my eye. I got off Joseph, and picked up Christine. I held her in my arms, as I carried her off to the corner. I turned my back to the world and cradled her fragile, broken body in my arms. A tear slid down my cheek.

She opened her eyes, looking deeply into my own. She wiped the tear away and opened her mouth to speak, "Why are you crying?" She asked, "I'll be fine." I held her close, being careful with her, I didn't want to let go of her.

I kissed her forehead, "When you're in trouble, you're supposed to get me. You know that."

She gave a small laugh and she started to grow a weak smile, "I love you, Roy..." She closed her eyes and took in a rough breath, "With all my heart and other internal organs." Her smile remained.

I smiled through my tears, "Hey... Don't talk like this is the end, because this isn't. You're going to keep living. I promise you."

She kept her eyes closed, kept her smile, and said no more. The faculty came soon after, and called the paramedics to give the three of us medical attention. I snorted a little when I overheard that Jospeh would need three stitches in his nose. Christine was horribly bruised, especially on her abdomen. I was fine. That's what I repeated to tell them. I was. Just a bloody nose and sore muscles. I'm stronger than I look, and I look pretty strong.

Later, in the principal's office, all three of us were suspended. Christine looked down at her hands the whole time, guilt painted all over her face. She must have felt the most at fault out of the threw of us. Jospeh looked outrages, and I... I was fine with it. Christine was now out of danger. I had done my job. I saved her, and was only being suspended because how brutal of a savior I was.

We were not to arrive back at school for two weeks. Christine and I quickly got to planning. We packed everything we were going to need together. I was at her house, helping her pack clothes, food, water, things to do. We were going to stay at our hiding place the whole time. I carried everything, and held Christine's hand, as we walked down the barren streets. Everyone is at work or school currently, so we get to have the streets to ourselves.

I don't even remember what we were talking about, all I remember is that I get Christine to giggle and I do smile. We chat the whole way there. Once we arrive, I ask Christine to wait outside. I quickly rush in and set everything up. I make it look more homey and warm. I then exit, a smile on my face. She has no idea what is coming. She has a confused smile as my face beams. I sweep her off her feet and carry her in. I sit ourselves down and give her a warm, loving kiss.

I pull back and gaze into her beautiful eyes. "I love you." I whisper. Christine goes to reply but I reach into my pocket. I pull out the necklace I had bought. I put it on Christine, and it looks amazing on her. She picks up the small box, carefully, in her hands. She scans it with her eyes, and undying adorableness within her expression.

"What is this?" She asks, her cute confusion making me happier and happier.

"It's a prayer box. You put your hopes, dreams, wishes,  and prayers in there. Right next to your heart."

She smiles, "Well then." And closes her eyes. When she opens them again, she has a sly look. I must look confused, "I just placed a hope and wish in there."

"Oh really?"

"Mhm." She nods, "I hope and wish that you never leave me."

I hug her tightly, resting my head on her left shoulder, "I'm never going to leave you." I promise.

Christine

The rest of the day was simple. I stayed in Roy's lap, and we listened to music. We chatted about nothing, I doodled, he tried making jokes, we were loving each others company. When it came time for us to sleep, we slept in separate sleeping bags. Which I was greatful for. I would have found it wrong to sleep with him, and awkward. I'd only be a blushing mess.

The next morning, I was up before the sunrise. I exited the run down building, Roy and I cherished, and started walking to town. I planned on surprising him with some sweets for breakfast. Sugar is always the best to eat. I loved the eerie quietness of town. The inky sky beautifully started to turn pink. Then, red and orange. It looked like a painting from a museum. I always thought that clouds were painted on. It's what they look like.

As I made my way down the sidewalk, I passed an alley way. I didn't pay it any mind. Until a pair of hands crept out of the darkness and gripped the chain of my necklace. They pulled back, choking me. Eventually, they tugged so hard I was sent crashing to the ground. I gasped for breath, and could only catch a glimpse of my attacker's hair. Messy and blonde. Quickly, they threw a pillow case over my head. The next thing I knew, I was unconscious.