alters

11

I LOOK away while he cleans up, and take this fragile fraction of time I have to clean off my face and throat. Most of Lukeʼs blood has dried and scrapes right off of my flesh, but the other percentage that is still moist simply smears rather than leaving my skin. I choke back whatever feelings try to pry themselves into me, accepting the fact that Luke is gone. It hurts to accept it, God, it hurts, but itʼs all I can do, itʼs all I have left.

ʻʻYou ready?ʼʼ Harry questions after a few minutes. I lamely nod my head, pulling the sleeves of the knitted black sweater to stretch over my fingertips. He sighs and shakes his hair with his right hand. ʻʻThen...letʼs go.ʼʼ

ʻʻWhere?ʼʼ

ʻʻAggyʼs Diner, tonight they have all you can eat wings.ʼʼ I frown at his sarcastic remark.
ʻʻAnd to explain everything, of course,ʼʼ He adds.

Some part of me is afraid, deathly afraid of what could be the explanation. Is it something paranormal? Inhuman? What is he?

ʻʻAlice,ʼʼ Harry calls from the top of the rocks. I glance up, and something floods over me. Dizziness seeps into my consciousness, my head growing foggy and disoriented. Then, before I know whatʼs happening, Harry is sliding down the rock rapidly, reaching for me, and everything goes black.

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ʻʻThatʼs it Alice...wakey, wakey.ʼʼ

I groan, cracking my eyes open. I frown at the sudden burst of light jumping into my eyes and assailing my vision. Is it morning?
ʻʻSo, she awakens. You were out for a while.ʼʼ Harry leans over me, smirking.

ʻʻWhat happened?ʼʼ I moan quietly.

ʻʻOne minute you were perfectly fine, then the next you just fainted. I tried to catch you, but I was too far away...you hit your head.ʼʼ
I struggle up into a sitting position, realizing we are now in a car. Harryʼs car. I lightly touch the tender area on my forehead, surprised when I feel the scratchy texture of a bandage against my temple instead of wounded flesh.

ʻʻDonʼt worry, I fixed you up.ʼʼ He smiles softly.

ʻʻOh, um, thank you...ʼʼ I mutter, pulling my knees against my chest.

ʻʻNoooo problem,ʼʼ He sings, then promptly pushes his car door open, stepping out into the bright daylight.

I gaze out of my open window to see the front of Aggyʼs Diner, sighing. Was it all the stress that caused me to pass out? The anticipation of this exact conversation.

ʻʻYou coming?ʼʼ Harry shouts from the doorway, extracting me from my thoughts.
I sigh heavily, propping open the car door and stepping out onto the gravel parking lot.

The inside of Aggyʼs Diner is as rustic and unclean as the outside, and it reeks of french fries. Harry slips into a booth and I follow suit, trying to ignore the atmosphere around us. We are both quiet for a few heated, stressful moments, the anticipation only magnifying with every silent second that passes by us.

Finally, Harry talks. ʻʻSo...where to start?ʼʼ he muses to himself.

I shrug, pretend to glance over the menu. Shockingly, my appetite has seemed to vanish.

He chuckles quietly, running a hand through his hair. Itʼs only then do I at last notice the black smeared across his nails. I grimace. ʻʻYou paint your nails?ʼʼ

He pauses, directing his hand to cease in front of his line of vision. ʻʻOh, yeah. But Iʼm not goth or anything.ʼʼ He smirks slightly. ʻʻAlice, Iʼm not goth, I am punk rock.ʼʼ

ʻʻOh, yeah.ʼʼ I mumble, angered at myself for bringing up a completely different topic than I intended.

ʻʻSo, I have something to ask you.ʼʼ He says boldly.

ʻʻWhat...what is it?ʼʼ His abrupt confidence has me a tad wary, but I keep my wits about me.

He sighs, scratching his chin. ʻʻAlice...Have you...um...ʼʼ He laughs nervously and starts slightly fidgeting. ʻʻHave you ever heard of...Alters? I donʼt mean like the basic definition, but like the people.ʼʼ

I freeze for a second, pondering the term and determining itʼs familiarity, before deciding it is foreign to me. ʻʻUm...no. No, I havenʼt.ʼʼ

ʻʻDidnʼt think so,ʼʼ He grumbles.

ʻʻWhat are they?ʼʼ I question meekly, slowly inching my self back.

ʻʻAlice, do you like me?ʼʼ He abruptly asks out of no where. I frown, arching my brow quizzically.

ʻʻNot particularity, no.ʼʼ I admit.

He throws his head back, sighing. He has been sighing a lot lately. He rolls his head back down, holds my gaze, then jerks his arm out and snatches up my hand in his.

I jump a little when he lowers his head, his eyes widened like a mad man. ʻʻAlice, I can give you anything you want. I can give you a world where pain, anger, and sadness doesnʼt exist. Donʼt you want that world with me?ʼʼ He breathlessly whispers.

I pull back some, glazing over his panicked irises. ʻʻI canʼt be with you Harry.ʼʼ I bravely state.

ʻʻWhy?ʼʼ His grip on my fingers tightens.

I gulp down saliva, preparing myself to run out of the diner if I have to. ʻʻBecause...ʼʼ I lower my voice. ʻʻYouʼre a murderer, Harry.ʼʼ

ʻʻStop calling me that!ʼʼ He erupts momentarily, slamming a closed fist against the table. Patrons peek from their seats to observe us, and in this time Harry heaves out significant breaths. He seems to calm slightly.

ʻʻThen what are you?ʼʼ I demand in a hushed yell.

He tilts his head back, staring at the ceiling. ʻʻThen I guess...ʼʼ He whispers. ʻʻIʼll start where most stories start.ʼʼ He looks down at me. ʻʻThe beginning.ʼʼ

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So, on every chapter Iʼm going to start giving out little facts about me or whatever. You can ask me questions in the comment if your curious about something, and Iʼll answer (unless it is mucho stupido.)

If not, Iʼll just say something random, like for instance: My hair is burgundy. Yes, It is natural. Yes, that was a lie, I dyed my hair don't judge:/

VOTE AND COMMENT FOR MORE CHAPTERSSSSS!!

ali.