Lament

Chapter Seven [pt. 1]

Christmas this year was pretty much the suckiest one in all of my seventeen years.

There were no presents- not even a Christmas tree in the main room for everyone to admire. The walls were bare and lonely. The smells of freshly baked cookies and cinnamon rolls were absent. The house only gave off vibes of emptiness and despair.

I hadn't seen Daniel in two weeks. Ever since that night when he freaked out, he's been avoiding me. Every time I walk up to him, he panics and makes his escape. Finally, I let it go. Daniel wasn't going to listen to what I had to say. He'd never answer all of the questions I had bottled up inside.

I sat in my room- alone, pondering about past events, and events to come. My Chemical Romance was playing softly in the backround.

I was fixing my desk, and I found a box of nostalgia- my Bobby pin box. Hundreds of them in all different shapes and sizes sat in the container. The memories of me using at least fifteen of them in one hairstyle was suddenly discomforting. I came to the conclusion to trash them. That glitzy life was far behind me.

I heard my door crack open, so I turned my head. Meg was in the doorway.

"Alaric and I wanted to give you this," she said, holding out a large, neat wad of money.

I stood there uneasily, but I soon accepted it.

"It's four-hundred," Meg clarified, "Just for whatever you want since we didn't have the chance to get you anything."

"Thankyou," I said, emotionally.

She looked like she wanted to say more but thought better of it, so, instead, she replied with "Merry Christmas, Eona." Meg then backed out and shut the door.

I waited until I heard Meg's footsteps trot down the stairs. I looked down at the money. Making a quick decision, I stuffed it in my back pocket, grabbed my car keys and phone, and pulled my hood over my face. I hurried out the front door and into my truck. I no longer thought about my Porcshe. It was just a waist of space now.

Without an loosing thought in my head, I drove down to the strip mall on Main Street. I parked and, all I did for a while, was walk up and down the sidewalks for a while. I wanted to go in to some of the stores and buy a few things, but the workers would probably think I was planning to steal something, with my hood on and all.

I was looking at the ground as I strode around the corner. Life lesson: If you look at the ground all of your life, you are surely going to miss something important. Either that, or you're going to crash into someone- like me.

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "I am so sorry."

He has dropped his phone, so I bent down to pick it up. Making sure it wasn't cracked, I handed it to him. That is when I saw his face...

He was a bit older than me. His hair was dark brown and he had captivating green eyes with high cheek bones.

"I am really sorry," I apologized again, but he shook his head.

"No need, I should've been watching where I was going." He looked at me in silence for a moment. "Do I know you from somewhere? I feel like I've met you before." Did I mention he had a slight British accent?

"Eona Morris," I answered.

I contemplated about the name for a few seconds. Then he said, "I'm Leon Solace." He stuck out his hand. As I reached to shake it, something threw me violently to the ground.

Sprawled on the side walk, I looked up and found a certain green haired boy standing between me and Leon.

"Hello Daniel," Leon greeted slyly.

"Greetings, Xander." Daniel gritted his teeth.

I got to my feet. "I thought your name was-."

"It is," Daniel cut me off. "Leon is his middle name. Xander Leon Solace."

Xander raised his hand to his heart with a fake attempt of being emotionally hurt. "You know I despise my first name, Cousin." He looked over Daniels shoulder at me. "Please, call me Leon."

I paused. "This is your cousin?" I asked Daniel.

"Sadly," he replied. "We haven't really agreed on much lately."

Leon laughed loudly. "That is an understaememt. "

I frowned. "And what does this have to do with you throwing me to the ground?" And then, I suddenly realized something. "Where you following me?"

Leon grinned while Daniel stiffened.

"Yeah, Cousin." Leon taunted. "Why are you here, stalking little innocent girls like this?"

Daniel turned to face me. His face was intense and serious. "Eona, you need to leave. Now."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why-?"

"NOW!" He exclaimed, making me jump. I was thrown off by his sudden change of mood. Daniel's eyes softened and filled with sadness. " Just go home, and I'll explain everything later. But you need to leave."

Thinking better than to not listen, I turned around and walked back to my truck, hearing Leon's evil laughed behind me.

Instead of knocking on the door like a normal teenage boy, Daniel tapped on my window three times. I hurried to open it, and he instantly tumbled in. He groaned and rolled ti his side on the carpeted floor.

"Are you alright?" I asked, dropping down to his level. I reached for his face and I felt a hot liquid. I pulled back quickly and found blood on my hand. "What happened?!" I shouted.

"Shhh." Daniel hushed slowly. Rolling to his back, he made an attept to sit up. After I pushed back, he sat.

I got a good look at his face in the dying sunlight. It was very bloody, and his left eye was bruised. A cut lied on his forehead, and it was streaming with blood. His breathing was uneven, and he conspicuously held his right side.

"Who did this to you?" I asked, horrified.

It was an effort for him to talk. "Xander." Daniel forced the name through his teeth.

I stared at him, shocked. "Why would he do this?"

Daniel groaned. "I'll explain, but... I need you to to do something first."

"Anything." I said quickly and waited.

After heasitating for a moment, Daniel reached up for tthe back collar of hhis shirt and began pulling it up over his head.

"Uh..." I bit my lip. "Anything but that."

Daniel tossed his bloodied shirt to the side and look at my bewildered expression. "I need you to take something to me." He said. Without releasing his gaze from mine, he reached into his front jean pocket and pulled out an old fashioned pocket watch connected to a pure silver chain. "Take it. " Daniel told me.

I did, and placed it around my neck. The watch hung delicately. "It's beautiful." I said in awe. " What is it for?"

"Hold it in your right hand, and place your left hand on my wound." He instructed.

I eyed his muscles and reluctantly placed my hand over the messy cut apon his abs. "What now?"