It was like the chemicals in his brain were tired of balancing. A crazed look now permanently lived in his icy, grey eyes. As soon as he clambered up the fence and fell into her parent's back patio, Alice frantically stood from her lounge chair. It was then that she knew she'd never again be able to admire the glittering stars alone every Saturday night. He knew her routine too well.
Alice watched his dark hair fall over his sweaty hairline as he tilted his head down without breaking eye contact. "Seth? What are you doing here? Get the hell out," Alice threatened.
His chest heaved up and down as if he had sprinted the three miles from his house. "You think you can just end things with me? And that's it?"
"Yes," Alice blurted while her confidence unexpectedly plummeted.
"Do you know who I am?" His mouth hung open like his bottom lip was getting too heavy to hold up.
Mindfully deciding not to answer, Alice took a measured step back.
"I am the only person who has been there for you when all your friends decided to drop you. I am the only person who you can trust. I am the only person who can love you—who can love a messed up nobody like yourself. I am the only person who will ever appreciate your dull and bland performance in bed. After all the effort I put into this relationship, you want to just throw me aside? This is why you're alone."
"Get out, Seth," Alice breathed, letting the last shred of courage leave out her mouth with her words. Before she knew it, Seth had pressed her against the wall of her house. His hand wrapped around the hair near her scalp, uprooting some of the follicles. A burning pain radiated from her scalp down to her face. If Alice hadn't move her feet fast enough, she would have been dragged off the patio and onto the grass. Her hands fled to his firm grip. The back of her head vibrated as he hit it against the large oak tree in the center of the yard. "Take me back!" he ordered.
"No!" Alice spat, not meaning to let tears escape from the back of her eyes. His hand untangled from her hair. As his eyes scanned her body, she couldn't help but feel exposed. Like he was somehow downloading all her secrets. Maybe even reading exactly where she could be found in the future.
"You are a disappointment. No wonder your parents broke up. They were probably disgusted at how awful of a child they made. How unappreciative you are for other people's hard work. Ungrateful."
His fist bashed into her left eye with such force that she fell to the ground. "Help!" Alice screamed, hoping the neighbors could hear. Struggling to get up, Seth sent a few swift kicks to her stomach to mute more cries for help.
Finally, he walked away. But, he didn't go far. He was searching for something. If he was searching for a weapon, this would be her last night. Even if it caused her lungs to burst and her ribs to crack, she gathered enough courage to move through the pain. Under the back patio was a metal bat from when she used to play ball with her dad as a kid. With fingers curling around the neck of the cool metal, Alice placed a hand on the porch for support. Alice stood up and screamed, "Get out!"
Seth turned and his gaze locked onto Alice's like a homing missile. Enveloped in a similar craze that Seth harbored, she began swinging the bat in his direction.
"Don't come crawling to me when you're sad and alone. You had your chance to be with the best you'll ever get. I don't ever want to see your face again." He took off over the fence in a hurry. She'd never seen or heard from Seth since.
