Rivals (or nah)

ii || two

It was already dark, and I sat on a swing, swinging up and down, wondering what my life would be like if they were still here.

I thought my life was perfect, or at least I was happy, about five months ago. I was studying art at a small university and I still lived with my parents. They were my only family, and I was really close to them. I even had a few friends back in uni, but I pushed them away after the accident. They gave up on me, just like everyone else has.

Julia was in my art class, she was always trying to find the good in everyone. She heard I needed a place to stay at and offered her flat, she needed help with the rent anyway. After a while though, she got tired of me,  I'm so messed up even she stopped trying. Surely I'm not special or important enough for anyone. Now she hates me. Not like I care, she's too peppy for my likeness.

I dropped out of uni, stopped painting, and just stayed in bed all day. I either slept, watched stupid chick flicks, or listened to music. Sometimes I would lay in complete silence, except for the ticking of the clocks, and think. Just get lost in my head. I would ask myself why they had to be taken away from me. Did I do something to deserve it?

What is life even about?

What purpose does my life have?

What the fuck am I supposed to do?

And that's basically all I did for a month. Danny saw how badly it affected me and decided I needed to live a little.

Most people think he just screams out trouble. I would shake my head, and say they needed to get to know him. They protested that he may be 'a nice young man', but he was involved in bad things. I ignored them because in reality, he's just a big softie. He's just had a tough life. I knew they were wrong. Well, I thought. The day I found out many things about Daniel Santiago, and my own life had changed, was the day he dragged me to the movies, even after I protested.

"I'll be right back, I'm just going to the bathroom."

"Hurry up, babe, we gotta get you home," Danny smiled. We went to the drive-in, he knew I liked it way better than the indoor movie theater.

After washing my hands and using the toilet, I walked back to the group of boys. There were a few more people around the car, but I didn't question it. I walked over to them and saw a guy with a sharp blade on Luke's cheek, threatening to scar the soft skin. I gasped and a man easily got ahold of me.

"And who's this?" the man with the blade questioned.

"A friend of ours." Tony growled, speaking up. He was a friend of Danny's, with blue eyes and dark brown hair. He always seemed so strong, not afraid of anything.

"She has nothing to do with this," Danny spoke through gritted teeth.

"You sure about that?" spoke the man with a grip on me as a cold metal pressed to my stomach. I closed my eyes shut for a split second, tears threatening to spill out.

My eyes shot open to see Danny with his eyes widened, and the expression on his face was fear. I hated that they were doing that to him. Something inside me snapped. I felt...different. I refused to cry, refused to look weak, and I refused to let them succeed.