Skinny Love

Chapter 29: The Poet

Avi's P.O.V

___________________________

I woke up and took a shower. I picked out a baggy burgundy sweater with a black skater skirt and I put on favourite kitten tights. I slipped on my light brown leather ankle boots. I put my beanie on and pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose. Catherine was waiting for me in her cute red flannel and light washed skinnies. Her purple hair was freshly dyed and as vibrant as ever because it was the day before Christmas break. I grabbed my bookbag along with my board and followed Catherine out the door.

"Avi there is a letter taped to the door addressed to you. Open it and read it because the curiosity is almost too much." Catherine said in a sing song voice. She pointed at the envelope stick to our awesome red door. I pulled it off the door and opened it.

"And then,

Somedays I wake up

And remember

That you'll make today and everyday Perfect.

m.r.s" I read out loud. Catherine gasped. Something inside me welled up and threatened to swallow me.

I absolutely adored poetry.

"M.R.S huh? Well, we'll find out sooner or later who it is. C'mon, we're going to be late." Catherine said as she tugged my hand. I smiled and ran with her down the hall.

Remember at the beginning of the year when I found the note outside the practice rooms? Yeah, me too.

It's the exact same hand writing.

It was smudged too. It leads me to believe a leftie was writing the poetry.

...

Matt's P.O.V

___________________________

More disappearances.

Avi explained to me what was happening. She said that someone was ripping open the fabric of time and space to create cracks of the afore mentioned space and time where they should never have touched.

Only a person could make cracks big enough to swallow people.

"So you're saying that someone or some alien is stuffing people into cracks." I asked. We were sitting in English waiting for our teacher to show up. We'd been talking about random little things and then she sprang this crazy theory on to me.

"Yes."

"It doesn't seem the least bit impossible?"

"Keep an open mind! My dead mother has been shopping for Christmas gifts for the past month. You're talking to an alien for God's sake!" She whispered. We laughed for a bit.

"Well it's not my fault you look human."

"I'm going to stop you right there, Matthew, humans look timelord. Our race came first." She said smiling. I chuckled.

"It's funny because whenever you talk you pause after every sentence. Why's that?" I asked. She looked down and started to play with her fingers. They'd grown since the beginning of the year. I remember her telling me that she was going to stop biting them. Her hair was to her waist and it fell in reddish brown ringlets. I pushed her hair behind her ear. A shiver ran down her spine.

"Well, I don't know. I guess, I just, I don't know. I get sort of anxious if I talk to much because I'm annoying and I talk really fast and I'm not worth listening to anyway." She said looking up at me. Her eyes were a heavy brown and she smelled like vanilla and lilac. Her lips looked soft and pink. They smelled faintly of pomegranate.

How could she feel that way about herself. All I ever wanted was to hear her intelligent voice teach me something knew or for her charm to flow just as easy as her words did onto a page. I liked her snark and sarcasm because it fit her well. It was part of her. She deserved to not only be heard but to be listened to.

I was to shy to tell her that.

"I don't think you're annoying and I like to listen to you talk." I said. I reached for her hand. She traced the lines on the palms of my hands.

How could it be possible to have so many nerve endings on one part of your body? Nothing ever felt this intense. If my hand felt like this all the time I'm pretty sure if I tried to open doors I would faint. Only she could make me feel like I was going to disintegrate.

"Thanks." She said looking back up at me. We heard footsteps over the noisy environment around us. We both looked up and to the doorway.

It was just Jon.

He had been in our English class since school started. He whistled at Avi and threw her a wink. She rolled her eyes and made a guttural noise.

...

"My poem is dedicated to Avi. It's called Twinkle Twinkle." Jon said.

Everyone turned and faced Avi. She was shaking. She absolutely hated being stared at.

We were asked to write a random poem and we were asked to present it in front of the class. Avi was twiddling her thumbs and bouncing her leg.

Why was he writing poetry for her?

" Twinkle Twinkle little whore,

Close your legs your not a door.

Even though you think Matt's gay,

You turn him on more than Anne Hathaway.

You're a little annoying whore.

You are definitely a four." Jon sang. Everyone bursted out laughing. Avi stood up calmly. She walked over to him and walked behind him without saying a word. She sat at the computer that connected to the smartboard.

She plugged her phone in and went to pictures she pulled up a picture of Jon making out with Tyler. Then she pulled up a picture of the blonde bitch making out with him.

Jon was red and trembling with anger.

He stormed to where Avi was. Avi glared at him with a look that could cut glass.

"What are you gonna do? Are you gonna cry? Are you gonna hit me? Because I'm just gonna hit you ten times harder you son of a bitch.

You're the whore here." She said smiling.

Jon pulled back his arm and slapped her across the face. Everyone gasped.

Avi didn't move a muscle. Not one tear was in her eye.

Jon grabbed all of her hair into one hand and pulled her up out of the chair.

Jon slapped Aviani again. He let go of her hair and she took a deep breath.

She pulled her arm back and it cut through the air and got him right in the nose.

A deafening crack sounded through the room.

Jon grabbed Avi by the sweater and pulled her up.

"You little skank!" He yelled. Avi didn't move a muscle. She did not show any sign of fear. He brought her up with one sharp pull and threw her to the ground with all of his strength.

He started to kick her.

I jumped from my desk. I ran towards him and elbowed him in the ribs. He cried out but I kept punching.

He was all bloody when he started punching back.

He was much stronger than I thought. He pushed me back and I tripped over Aviani's limp body. I banged my head on a desk and rolled onto the floor.

Jon's crazed blue eyes looked straight in to my grey ones. He wrapped his hands around my neck and started to squeeze.

"Do you hear the drumming? I hear it all the time. 1234 1234 1234. All the time a constant drumming. Fuck you Matt." Jon whispered.

His vision was going dark at the edges and it was becoming easier to blink and harder to stare.

All I remembered was the sounds of people milling around.