Perfection (Red Wrists 1 REWRITTEN EDITION)

Part Eleven

I sunk to the grass beneath me, my whole world beginning to crash around me. Nothing felt real. 

"They left me," I whispered, the words sounding fake on my tongue. It felt like a right time to cry, but I couldn't bring myself to do so. Tim knelt down behind me. Despite how meaningful the gesture was meant to be, the awkwardness radiated the air. I looked up at Tim, continuing, "Tim, why would they leave me?"

"I don't know," I softly replied, resting his hand on my back.

I sighed, slowly climbing to my feet. "Thank you for walking me home, Timothy. I'll see you in school tomorrow." Without looking back to see his reaction, I turned to the street and started walking away. My mind didn't know how to cope with the feelings I had deep in my chest. Anger, sadness, and betrayal all wrapped up into one brutal whirlwind of emotions. Kara and Mike left me. They weren't ever the nicest of people, but they were the only form of family I had left. My home was being taken away. I had nothing left.

When I was a good few blocks away, I quickened my pace. I didn't care where I was going, I just wanted to go. Straight, left, left, right, left, straight, straight, the twists and turns all blurred together in my mind. It was hours of walking before my mind began to process just how dark it was getting outside. 

The shadows from the streetlights seemed to stretch and twist into nightmarish creatures as I walked down the dark streets. Lighting was dim, and it took me far longer to recognize my surroundings than I'd care to admit. I was on the other side of the school. The bad neighborhood. The area where those two men tried undressing me. I felt a lump tighten in my throat.

As if on cue, a voice came out of the darkness. "Well well well, if it isn't T-dog's little 'friend,' fellas." I spun around to see the same shambled man as before. Same trench coat, same large hat to obscure his face. Though this time, it wasn't just one other guy with him. There were well over ten men with him, all just as shambled and grungy looking as himself. My mind screamed at me to run, but my body groaned back in protest. I had been walking for hours, and I just wanted to sit down.

At the thought of sitting down, my body caved in and sat me down onto the ground. "For fuck's sakes," I grumbled, rubbing my hand against my head. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

The man laughed, continuing his jaunty walk in my direction. "Actually, no. No we do not." He stopped a few feet away. removing a had from his pocket and offering it to me. "I believe we got off on the wrong foot, miss. Turns out, you're under some hardcore protection from some powerful people in this area. Hurting you would pretty much mean death to every last one of us involved." I stared at his hand, not bothering to grasp it just yet.

"The name's Bryson."

After a decent amount of awkward silence between everyone nearby, he retreated his hand back to his pocket and cleared his throat. "Well, that wasn't very polite of you. What are you doing out this ways anyways, kid?"

"My foster parents abandoned me, apparently. I just want to go home," I told him, feeling the water start welling up in my eyes.

Bryson looked down at me, rolling his eyes. "Same as last time, turn your happy ass around and keep going straight. You're right down the road."

I opened my mouth to come up with some smartass reply, but heard a voice calling out in the distance. "Emma? Emma, where the fuck did you go? Emma! Emma?"

"Yo, T-dog!" Bryson yelled, "you lose your lady friend?"

About a minute later I peered through the men around me and watched Tim round the corner. What he saw was probably really nerve racking for him. Sweaty little me on the ground surrounded by ten plus men, one of which he had to threaten off of me once before. The anger on his face was evident as he stormed up to Bryson and I. "What the actual fuck do you think you're doing?"

Bryson stepped back a few feet, raising his hands in surrender. This time not in fear, but in amusement. "No worries, pal. Your little lady and I were just having a decent chat."

"I've been walking non-stop since I left the house," I grumbled, rubbing my sore legs. Tim shoved his way through the men, coming to stand at my side.

"Jesus christ, Emma. You could have taken a break or something," he growled down to me. I rolled my eyes, still too tired to make a retort to him right now. He rolled his eyes right back, crouching down next to me and turning his gaze to Bryson. "Thanks for stopping her, I guess. Goodness knows what kind of ruffians she could have run into." He finished with a wink.

I looked Tim up and down. in his hand was a suit case clutched tight in his fist. A big one, at that. It went up past his hip in height. It had been a miracle he hadn't been leaning at all while carrying it. "Who's is that?" I asked, pointing to the suit case. He ignored me, using his free hand to pull me onto his back. Far too tired to argue with his actions, I let my full weight slump against his back. His hoodie was warm from being worn, and it wasn't until I laid against it that I truly realized just how cold it was outside right now.

"Where are you taking me?" I groaned, holding back a loud yawn.

Tim stood up with ease, picking up the suitcase once more and beginning to walk as he replied, "For starters, this is your suitcase. I grabbed as much stuff of yours as I could fit in here. Second, I'm taking you someplace safe for the night. You need sleep, Emma May."

I nodded slightly, giving a halfhearted wave to Bryson and the folks as we walked away without saying another word to them. "Damn you buff, boi," I muttered, rhythmically patting my hands against Tim's arms as he walked. He didn't seem to mind.

We continued out journey in silence for a swell ten minutes or so before coming to a stop in front of a large looking building. I had apparently fallen asleep on the trip. Tim was warm, okay? Once up on the top step of the entrance, Tim rang the doorbell.