Krys
Matt and I almost died yesterday. We had decided to meet in the garden. We wanted to talk in private about deep stuff. But when I got there, Nick and Joe kidnapped me and took me to the warehouse. When Matt and John came to save me they almost died too. Luckily John saved us when he glowed. Me and Matt still need to chat. We need to talk about April 20th, Judgment Day, and what life will be if we survive. So the following day at Le Café Matt and I sneak away to our garden. We don’t say a word as we walk there. We just walk in silence. Part of me is scared we’ll be kidnapped again but I think we’ll be safe. Matt must think so too because we walk to the garden and don’t stop until we’re safely hidden in our rosebush.
We sit facing each other in the cramped space. “Hey.” Matt begins softly. “Hey.” I echo him. “Are you okay? I can’t believe Nick and Joe would do that to you.” he whispers. I nod slowly. I can believe they’d kidnap me. “Yeah . . . but I guess they didn’t have much of a choice.” I explain. “Yeah.” He agrees. We sit in silence for another moment. “I-I . . . I’m scared.” Matt admits. “Of what?” I ask curiously. “I’m scared I’m gonna lose you.” he says scooting toward me. The color rises in my cheeks and my heart thuds all throughout my body. “Oh.” I croak not sure what else to say. “Krys,” Matt begins sternly. “Promise me you’ll beat Rob and Scotch on April 20th. They don’t care if you’re dead or alive; they just want to kill everyone. They won’t wait for Nick and Joe to kill you.” he explains. “And I need you to promise me you’ll beat them on April 20th.” He finishes with his voice so soft and airy; it seems more like the wind whispering in my ear. And I don’t know what to say.
“I don’t know.” I breathe. “You’ll survive. I know you will!” Matt cries. I shake my head. I take a moment to think about what my fate may be but instead I open my mouth and tell Matt. “Rob and Scotch are way older, they have better weapons and way more experience. I’m not gonna win, Matt. It’s a death sentence.” I whisper. Matt’s eyes well up with tears. “But you will! If you don’t win . . . I’ll . . . I’ll kill myself.” Matt sobs. My eyes widen and I just stare at him. “Don’t!” I cry loudly. I cover my mouth and turn pink. He’s not my boyfriend. But I can’t say we’re just friends anymore. I can’t see him as only a friend. But I won’t go out with him. Not until I know we’ll both survive. I don’t want to be like Hunter. I don’t want to fall in love only to lose the one I’ve come to care about more than anyone. And now he’s saying he’ll kill himself if I don’t live. There’s a quote my teacher told me once. “We shape our situations and our situations shape us”. It wasn’t my choice to become a DNA mutated bird but it was my choice to fight. And now, that decision has changed my life and who I am. Not being able to return Matt’s love is just a sacrifice I have to make for my choice. “I can’t fight knowing if I lose I’ll be ending someone’s life.” I hiss. Matt shakes his head. “But you won’t lose. And you’ll be saving so many other lives from Rob and Scotch’s wrath. I know you Krystal. I know you can do it.”
There’s my full name again. I blush when the word slips out of his mouth and into my ears. I miss being called Krystal. I wonder if this is what love feels like. I shake that thought away and look into Matt’s huge, hazel eyes. At an angle, he looks like an innocent kid but I know he’s not. He’s been through hell on earth because of Rob and Scotch’s torture. Suddenly, I find my own eyes filling up with tears. There are so many tears I know if I blink I’ll have a waterfall on my cheeks. I swallow a lot and I find words. “I’ll try.” I croak, my voice thick full of tears and emotion. “I’ll try as hard as I can.” I whisper. Matt smiles a little. “I . . .” he begins but his face turns scarlet and he never finishes. He leans in and kisses me. I close my eyes, let the tears out and kiss him back. If we’re not boyfriend and girlfriend then I don’t know what we are. But that doesn’t matter now. So I hold my breath and let Matt’s feelings become my own. I feel his hope, his despair and most of all I feel his fear. But I feel something else in both of us and I think it might be love.
