I woke up, tears streaming down my face and shaking. "I hate dreaming about, him..." I whispered looking around my room. I sat up and walked into my bathroom. I missed him. Tears fell down my face as I silently cried. It had been five years since the lab was closed down and we were returned to our parents. Turns out the lab was illegally experimenting on us and we were actually taken from our parents. Good thing is, by then, we learned how to control turning into our 'unnatural' state. Sometimes, when it's quiet, I get flashbacks, memories of Asher swarming into my mind. Back then I thought he was just my best friend. Looking back, I realize what he was to me. My first love. "Karson!" Asher yelled running up to me. "Oh, hey Asher." I said stopping and hugging AK, the make shift stuffed animal he had made me. He hugged me tightly and kissed my forehead. "Doing ok today? Nobody was mean? Doctor Dickhead didn't touch you did he?" He asked looking me in the eyes. "Nobody was mean..." I said looking down. "Did the doctor hurt you?" He asked rather loudly. I lifted my shirt to show the bruises he had left on me. Asher grabbed my hand and dragged me to his room. He then kissed all my bruises then kissed my cheek, a thing he did a lot. "I'm sorry, Karson. I didn't protect you. I failed. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He said holding my shoulders. "It's ok. I still love you." I said and hugged him. "Goddammit!" I hissed slamming my hands down on my bathroom counter, crying. "It's ok Asher. I still love you." I whispered, the tears streaming down my face. "Mijo..? Mijo what're you doing? You've been in there a while." My mom said, knocking on my bathroom door. "Just getting ready mama!" I said as happily as I could. "Ok, mijo, will you be walking again?" She asked worriedly. "Yes, don't worry mama I walk every day, it'll be fine." I said. I heard her walk away and looked at myself in the mirror. I can't remember the last time I looked at myself and didn't feel disgusted. "Hey, Karson?" Asher asked turning on his side to face me. "Yeah?" I asked looking into his eyes. "Do you like it when I sleep with you?" He asked. I thought for a second. My bed was quite small, so it was really cramped, but Asher made me feel safe, it was easier to sleep. And he would massage my back in the morning so I wouldn't hurt during the day. "Yeah." was all I said and I hugged him. He hugged me back and smiled. "Good." I got in the shower and let the warm water run down my back. "Karson, don't you need to take a bath?" Asher asked looking at me. "There's a spider in the tub." I said wrapping a towel around my naked body. "Should I kill it for you, princess?" He asked smirking at me. I just nodded and followed him to my bathroom. Once the spider was gone, he started my bath for me. I got in, and all he did was stare at me. "What?" I asked narrowing my eyes at him. He took off his shirt. "I need a bath, too." He said sliding his pants and underwear off and sitting in the tub, across from me. Then he smiled at me. "We're saving water." He said and splashed me, laughing lightly. "I wonder, are you saving water with someone else now?" I whispered looking at the water fall around me. After a few more minutes of crying, while washing my body and hair, I got out. I finished getting ready and left for school. I went to a prep school, and it was fairly close, so the walk wasn't too long. I walked through the front doors, and then pushed against a locker. "Sup, fatty. Your early today." A tall boy with ear piercings said smiling at me. "Not today, please. I'm quite stressed and would rather not have you push me around, Jodie." I said standing up. Jodie was someone who picked on me often. Everyday to be exact. "Oh, c'mon, fatso, like I would leave you alone just cause you're stressed." He said, pushing me down again. He kicked me swiftly in the gut. He continued to kick me until I coughed up a little blood. "Welp, beat ya later, fatty." He said and walked away with the rest of his group. I got up and went to the bathroom. My lip was bleeding and starting to swell. My stomach was covered with bruises. "Why do you kiss them?" I asked Asher when he was kissing my bruises. "Because, I remember Dr. E telling me that when her son would get hurt, she would kiss his bruise to make it feel better. She said the love the kiss contained made the wound feel better faster." He said kissing my last bruise. He looked at me and smiled. "Has it been working?" He asked. I nodded violently and hugged him. "I'll always be here, to kiss your bruises when you get them." He said and squeezed me tighter. I shook my head and walked to my class. He's gone now. I just need to forget him. I sat at my desk, next to the window, and stared at the trees outside. "Class, we have a new student joining us today." The teacher said walking to the front of the class. I looked up, seeing who it was. My heart skipped a beat. "Hi, I'm Asher Gray." he said and smiled at the class. "Asher..." I whispered as my eyes widened. The only empty seat in the class, was the one right behind mine. As he got closer I heard him whisper "Karson..?" and he stopped next to me. I didn't look at him and he sat down. But I felt his eyes burning into my back for the rest of the day.
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