Guardian

Chapter Eleven

I froze on my bed, almost not willing to turn to look at the intruder in my room. My hands went still on the book in my lap. My palms covered the pictures of me and the boy, blocking them from Malcolm's view. 
He stood against the wall, smirking at me, looking completely comfortable, whereas I felt the extreme opposite. I was suddenly very stressed and began looking around my room out of the corner of my eyes, trying to find something. I wasn't sure what I was trying to find, just something for my eyes to focus on, something out of place or askew. 

"What are you doing in here?" I finally turned and looked at Malcolm, who seemed happy at the attention. 

"Your mother wanted me to come and get you for dinner." He pushed himself off the wall and walked around the room. he stopped at my vanity and took some of the knickknacks off the shelves. 

"Well you came, you got me. Go away please." I was surprised at my own rudeness. 

"Are you always this rude to your house guests?" The amusement didn't leave his voice. 

"Only the ones who trespass into my room." What the hell is wrong with me? Where is this bravery coming from? 

Malcolm laughed. He didn't even look offended by my rudeness. That made me feel better about being rude in the first place. He put the knickknack down and turned to me, the smirk still on his face. I stood up from my bed and moved away from him. 
He continued to advance towards me, his steps much larger and more confident than mine and soon enough, my back was pressed to the edge of my window, the sill pointing painfully into my lower back. My hands were in front of me, but soon on his chest, trying to keep him away from me. He was much stronger than I was, he easily overpowered me, pushing me a little farther into the windowsill. I winced and tried to push him away again. Which only caused him to grab my hands and hold them above my head with one hand. 

"Why are you trying to escape? I just want to have you." 

I struggled, lifting my knee to try and kick him but my legs were trapped as well. 

"Please let me go." I tried sounding calm, not wanting to come off as afraid, even though I was. 

"Let you go? Okay, I'll let you go if you give me a kiss." 

There was no way I was going to do that. No way in the world I would do it willingly. This is disgusting. 

"Let me go, or I'll scream. They're probably wondering where we are anyway." 

"I don't think you will scream. Deep down you and I both know you want this." 

"I really don't." 

Malcolm began leaning in. I turned my head the other way, leaning my head back and smashing it into his nose. He let out a scream and jumped away from me, finally setting my arms down now that they were numb from being held up. I rubbed at my sore, and soon to be bruised, wrists and tried to breathe my way through the panic that had built in my chest. Tears jumped to my eyes and I desperately tried to blink them away as I quickly moved as far away from Malcolm as I could. 

"Malcolm! Are you okay? What's the screaming for?" Paige called from downstairs. She sounded as if she was halfway up, coming to check and see what was happening. 

Malcolm lifted his head, blood was dripping from his nose and I could see bits of it through his fingers. He looked me straight in the eye as my forehead began to throb painfully from where it hit him, and he smirked again. He reached his free hand up and tore a bit of his t-shirt and dripped a few drops of blood from his hand to the neckline of his shirt, to add to the blood that was already there. Without saying anything, pulled savagely pulled my door open and threw himself out. 
From what I could see in my corner of the room, which was really just his calves and feet, he'd thrown himself onto the floor and was now dramatically trying to scramble away. My body took control over my brain and it moved a bit closer, despite the panic that had yet to settle, and my heart that was beating so hard I felt like it was smashing my ribs. I heard Paige shriek and run up the rest of the stairs where she met Malcolm on the floor and began blubbering, asking him questions. 

"Baby! What happened to you! Are you okay?" She asked as she pulled him from the floor. 

"Your sister attacked me!" Malcolm shouted as he held his nose. 

Paige gasped. "Fee what? Why would she attack you?" She didn't bother looking in my room. She ran into the bathroom and grabbed out a cloth to hold to Malcolm's nose. I felt something touch my neck and I jumped, still feeling on edge. 

I felt something wrap around me, my safety blanket, whoever or whatever it was. 

"I don't know! She said something about wanting to kiss me and when I told her that I was with you and refused, she attacked me!" Malcolm lied. 

Still, Paige didn't look into my room to check on me, to ask me what the hell was wrong with me. She wrapped her arm around Malcolm and helped him down the stairs. I slowly stepped around my bed and walked to my door. 
At the bottom of the stairs, both my mom and Paige were fussing over Malcolm now. Peter was nowhere in sight, but Toby and Greg were in the background, quietly snickering like they didn't want Mom or Paige to see them, but they found the situation too funny to not laugh. 
I heard Paige retelling Mom what happened, Mom asking if she was sure because obviously "That doesn't sound like Fee". It wasn't. 

When Malcolm confirmed it, i saw my Mom change her gaze up the stairs and she made direct eye contact with me. She looked like she was going to shout something, but Malcolm let out a pain filled moan and she turned back to him. She and Paige led him away into the main downstairs bathroom, probably to try and get him fixed up. Toby and Greg both looked upstairs at me with questioning eyes. 

It was only then that someone noticed my state. The twins started to come up the stairs, both looking confused and determined. 
I probably looked extremely guilty when I turned around and slammed the door on them when they'd just barely made it to the top step. I heard them stop outside before turning around and walking away again. 

I took a hesitant step to my bed and my legs went out from under me. I fell to the floor with a loud thump and wrapped my arms around my knees. I burst into tears like a child. I cried and I shook, emotion completely taking over me as my skin crawled and my chest hurt. 

When I felt arms around me, I let out a surprised noise and tried to get away. I didn't really think about the fact that I hadn't heard to door open again, and Malcolm was too busy being coddled to try and. . . 

I thrashed around, trying to get away from the strong arms. They were much stronger than Malcolms. I was pulled into someone's chest and I cried harder, giving up with trying to get away because my arms were too tired and I was too scared to move. 

"Shhh. shh, Feather, it's okay sweetheart, I've got you. You're okay, you're safe now." A hand pet my hair as the person holding me told me comforting things. 

I found myself calming down, surprisingly. The arms around me were softer, comforting in the way that I found myself clinging to this person so much more that I had originally done. I was still crying, hysterically, but somehow whoever was behind me was helping. 

"I've got you now, I'm not going to let him touch you again Baby. I'm so sorry I didn't stop him before. I'm so so sorry." I felt something wet hit my head as my sobs calmed down to little hiccups and a few tears. I was still holding this person like they were a life raft. The person was clinging to me in the exact same way. So lovingly. 

Eventually, the person, a boy now I'm certain, got up, carrying me in his arms, and sat down on my bed, bringing the covers around us both as we laid down. I thought he was going to let me go and without thinking, I moved closer, whimpered at him. 

"It's okay. I've got you. I'm not going anywhere I promise." 

I looked at him, for the first time, lifting my head up from his chest and looking at him with my puffy red eyes. And there he was, the boy from the pictures. The one in my memories. 

"Wings?"