In The Sight of These Hills (Dolan Twins)

Blue Blooms

Chapter 10: Blue Blooms

           "into the year
that grew black
within minutes, except
for the lightening - the landscape
bulging forth like a quick
lesson in creating, then
thudding away. Inside,
as always,
it was hard to tell
fear from excitement:"

Mary Oliver's "Lightning"

The teacher yelped in surprise when Grayson swerved past him with ease, and it only took him a moment to make contact.

Grayson slammed into the taller boy and brought them both crashing down to the cold concrete. Jake yelled, caught off guard. Gray began to strike him savagely, relentlessly, a growl caught deep in the base of his throat, threatening to break free. He struck his fists against his nose, blood squirting out.

"F-k!" Yelled Jake and he shoved the other male on top of him, thrusting his own fists, hitting against his throat, shoulders, and the side of his head. If it had been anyone else, any other person, it would have done serve damage. Grayson wasn't Grayson anymore, though. He was an animal in which his only job was to hurt the one who had hurt himself and his brother. He landed punch after quick punch to Jake's face and the blood started to smear as it came.

Students' voices filled his ears. They were going wild with the rush of activity, and he could feel hands on his shoulders, pulling at him, yanking violently. He heard the teachers and the principal's sharp voice. All their bodies seemed distant, though, tear-able and fragile and weak. He could feel his own blood rushing through his veins as well as Jake's below him and it flooded his senses. He felt like an apex predator.

"Kick his ass, Jake!"

"Push him off!"

"Yeah! Yeah!"

There was even some, "Get him, Grayson!"

There was even one person who said, "You got it, Ethan," mixing the two up again.

"No, stop!" Yelled Ethan, rushing to get an engaged Grayson off a bleeding Jake. A teacher grabbed his arm, holding him back, but he broke lose, rushing to grab at his brother's shoulders, pulling at him, but to no avail. Grayson had seemed to have gone absolutely crazy, his mouth turned into a snarl, his white teeth blinding, his eyes filled with unadulterated rage.

A couple of the teachers rushed to his aid, one gripping Grayson's midsection, and the other grabbing at his arms.

"Let go!" One of them screamed and yanked without hesitation.

After five seconds, Grayson was pulled off a moaning, bleeding Jake. He rolled over onto his side, grasping his bleeding nose with his large hands. Nate was there as well as Alex, helping him off, glaring and stunned and even a little confused, looking at a panting Grayson who stumbled upwards slowly, one of the teachers having a clear grasp on his arm, while his twin brother held the other, trembling.

~

"Stop it."

He continued to press the ice pack to his cheek. It stung but Grayson wasn't saying anything.

"Stop babying me," Ethan mumbled, and slapped his brother on the arm.

"I'm not," he said, not even flinching, and his eyes danced over Ethan's cheek. He frowned at the clotting blood. It was already starting to bruise: blue and thick.

"Yes, you are."

"I know what you are but what am I?" Said Grayson, humorlessly. Ethan swallowed thickly, what was he now?