truly, teddy ✔️ [unedited]

85

dear ivo,

yesterday after school when i was walking home, genny, tera, and three boys ganged up on me and kick me to the ground. they started punching and kicking my sides until i was gasping for breath. i didn't fight back, i just let them hurt me.

i screamed out when genny kicked my neck. one of the boys picked up a rock and smashed it against my head. i blacked out for a few seconds until i was shaken awake.

a face came into view. it took a few seconds to refocus but when i did, i realized it was you, ivo.

"are you okay?" you asked. it was the first time you talked to me in months. i hoped you forgave me.

i couldn't move. it hurt too much. i slowly wheezed out, "i can't breathe."

you panicked. i thought it was cute and smiled a bit. then winced and dropped the smile because it hurt too much to even move my lips up slightly.

you bent down and scooped me up, one arm under the backs of my legs and the other cradling me to your chest.

i screamed out when you started running. you were bouncing up and down with me and my bruised and hurt sides squished against your chest. you looked down and said something about how we were almost there. i couldn't quite catch what you said; your face was becoming fuzzy to look at and the sounds of your feet running were becoming far away, like my ears were plugged.

you shouted that i had to stay awake, that i could have a concussion but sleep sounded so good right then. if i could just close my eyes just for a moment....

i was shaken violently awake, leaving me crying out. why couldn't you have been just a little gentler with me and my bruised body?

you crashed into school, rushing to the nurse's office. i heard you cry out for aid far away. i wanted to tell you to quiet down because i wanted to sleep but my mouth hurt too much to move.

it was getting harder and harder to breathe. like someone was sitting on my chest, crushing my airway. my hands grasped at my neck, trying to get the imaginary hands to release my neck and let me have air. i felt myself being put on a bed and felt two faces looming above me.

i looked to one side of the bed, and there was ivo, looking worried. i heard him say that i should stay awake, that the nurse was coming.

i looked to the other side and saw the boy in black. he looked different now. his face was cut and bruised and he had two knives in his hands now, instead of one. he looked so happy. i wanted that happiness.

you can have it. just close your eyes and you'll be in paradise.

he spoke to the depts of my mind. he didn't even have to open his mouth to say anything. i slowly started closing my eyes until i was shaken awake again.

"hold on, teddy. the nurse is coming. just don't close your eyes." you said.

"but i want to go to sleep," I mumbled, barely audible.

"stay with me, teddy. look at my eyes. can you tell me what colour they are?"

i nodded but then winced, stopping. "plain brown."

you smiled, nodding. "good, good. keep your eyes on mine. don't look away. do you remember what colour your eyes are?"

"blue."

you shook your head. "i don't see blue. do you want to know what i see?"

i mumbled a yes. my mouth was starting to hurt less.

"i see one side," you pointed to my right side, "a pale green. and the other side," you pointed to my left side, "that one's a baby blue. your eyes are cool."

"hmm." i mumbled. my eyes started to close. i wanted that paradise that boy spoke of. you slapped me across the face.

i exclaimed in surprise and pain. i looked at you angrily. "what the heck was that for?"

you looked shocked, like you couldn't believe you did that. "i'm so sorry, teddy! i didn't mean to hurt you. i was just trying to keep you awake. don't go to sleep. please just stay awake with me."

just then the nurse came in. she rushed around, getting tolls and things to help me. "sorry, i was stuck in traffic," she apologized. "thank God you, ivo were there to stop it before she was killed."

"killed?" I asked. genny and tera wouldn't kill me. they were my friends. at least i thought they were.

she nodded and jabbed me with a needle. "that should take the swilling down. and this," she jabbed me again, "should take away the pain. oh, and you should start to feel drowsy."

yeah. i was already starting to go into dreamland. i hoped the paradise the boy spoke about was there.

the last thing i felt before i succumbed to sleep was your hand intertwining with mine.

truly,

teddy