What Happened in Winter [boyxboy]

Chapter Four

River POV

Right at four, that angry boy with blazing green eyes showed up. River was already sitting cross-legged, his back up against the brick of the school building. Everyone had already gone home. It was just River and this boy now. A smile spread across his face.

"What're you smiling at, freak? Didn't anyone tell you you're creepy?" the boy snarled, marching up to River.

"Ah, well... Maybe," River said nonchalantly, getting to his feet and dusting his pants off. "What did you want to see me about? I need to get home." While River was being blasé, he really did need to get home. Preferably soon. His step-father could do a lot of damage in a short period of time, and god forbid if he touched Willow.

The hot-headed boy threw a fist out and River side stepped, laughing hard, a fair-skinned hand covering his mouth. "I'm so sorryyy~," River laughed, tears pricking his eyes. The other boy went to kick River in the shins, but River knew that move all too well. He hopped back and felt the air brush him with the momentum of the kick. River was starting to lose his breath, his laughter turning to gasps.

"WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING AT ME?! I'M NOT SOMEONE TO LAUGH AT YOU FUCKING.... UH... PRICK!" the boy screamed, his head rattling with pure rage.

"Dude, your form is weak. You're running on pure anger. You couldn't throw a good punch if you tried right now!" River said, a few giggles escaping between his sentences. 'I feel like I'm going to suffocate from my own laughter,' he thought, his legs buckling. He fell to the ground, choking on his giggles.

Kyle POV

'Now's my chance,' Kyle dead-panned in his head, rushing over to the boy on the ground, climbing over him, and started squeezing his throat with both hands.

"I WILL KILL YOU, YOU STUPID FUCK! STOP LAUGHING AT ME!" Kyle screamed, his voice cracking. The boy under him shut his eyes, eyelashes so long they could be feather dusters. What he said next shocked Kyle.

"Snap my neck quickly. My step-father will be looking for me soon and he won't be happy when he sees you killing his punching bag."

Kyle let go of the kid's neck and jumped backwards. The kid automatically opened his eyes and took the biggest gasp Kyle had ever heard. It was the type of gasp only someone on the verge of death made. Kyle watched as the kid slowly sat up and gathered his strength. This was the first time he had really seen how broken this kid was, how tragic he was.

"My name is Kyle. Kyle Sánchez. I'm a senior."

"I'm River Tollis. I'm a junior."

They sat in silence for a moment before Kyle sat down on the black asphalt and asked, "What do you mean by 'someone made you an animal?' No one made me like this. I have a good family that loves me very much."

River stared up at the sky, not a hint of the boy Kyle had wanted to murder showing. River exhaled through his nose and said "Life has not always been easy for you. No one would be so willing to kill someone if they didn't have a catalyst. You've known pain, I can see it in your eyes. They look like mine." River smiled faintly at that last thought.

"Why did you come to this school? Why your junior year, at that? You were so close to the end. Did you move?" Kyle asked, heatedly.

"No, I didn't move. I didn't choose to leave my school, either. It was my step-father and the principle that decided it would be best for me to leave. The reason I left... that's a different story," River said, throwing a pebble into the parking lot in front of them, the "dink!" Of it hitting the ground deafening in the silence.

"Did you... did you kill someone?" Kyle slowly looked at River who chuckled. 'Please, don't freak out again, psycho,' Kyle thought.

"No, no. I didn't kill anyone. In fact, I was the one getting beat up. His name was Nathan, Nat for short. He liked to see me cry and watch me bleed and would laugh at my bruises the next day," River smiled. "And I loved him."

Kyle stopped breathing. "You're a faggot?"

"I wish you wouldn't use such a distasteful word. 'Gay' works just fine," River said. His expression darkened at what he said next. "I let him hit me all he wanted, believing I couldn't fight back. And then, my mom married my step-father. He broke my wrist and cracked my ribs the first night they were married. When he did that, I realized 'If I could endure my step-father breaking my bones and blacking my eyes, I could take on Nat.' So I did just that. Nat got excited after that, sharing punches and kissing each other behind the school. We eventually got caught making out in the bathroom, his hand down my pants, the other around my throat. They don't like that kind of thing at St. Calvin's, so I was sent here. I haven't seen him since and I don't want to. I have other, more important things to worry about than a boy who abused me and never loved me."

Kyle licked his lips. No one had ever so openly talked to him like this, so he wasn't sure what to say. It sounded like they were similar in some ways.

"Um, so, I want to... apologize... for being a dick. And for almost... killing you. Uh, so, like... no hard feelings, okay? And don't laugh at me anymore. It makes me angry," Kyle said, not looking at River, his face burning.

"I forgive you. There's no hard feelings, Kyle. I apologize for my outbursts and my... changing personality. Trauma will do that to you, ya know," River smiled at Kyle at that last part. He stood up and Kyle looked up at him, River's blue eyes hard and cold again.

"I have to go. My mother and sister are waiting. See you later, Kyle," River said, turning quickly around and slipping into the inky blackness beyond the parking lot.

"He's not as bad as I thought, but... he's still an asshole!" Kyle yelled to himself. He kicked the brick wall. "Fucker..."