Here's Chapter 7!
Chapter 7
I stepped around the gate, headin' toward my booth, where there was a crowd. Alex saw me comin' over and smirked. She stood up and we fist-bumped. "Thanks, Killer." She shot a thumbs-up and dodged through the mob to Derek. I smirked and sat down at my booth, takin' care of the lines. The last person caught my eye. She looked like she was a fighter. She had long brown hair with blonde highlights infused into it with matching eyes. She carried a black scooter that was decked out with TFK stickers. She wore biker gloves and a white and black TFK tee with some jeans. I guessed she was the chick I tweeted a long time ago when I was thirteen. :P S/O to 1/6 of the inner CMFanClub tweeps! I smirked as she slid forward something with a pen. "Hey, are you the WG chick?" I nodded. "Can you sign this?" I looked down to see a Sharpie and a blank sticker. I signed it and slid it back. "Hey, I gotta Q." She looked at me quizzically. "Is your nickname Ari?" She smiled. "Arial." "Cool! You probably don't recognize me, but I'm Manafestfan1423. Ring a bell?" She smirked and we highfived each other. "Hey, time to set it off!" A guy popped out behind her, smirking. He had choco brown hair with matching eyes. He wore a black tee under an unbuttoned plaid shirt and black jeans. He looked 18ish and he had a pair of sunglasses in his spiky hair. He had a black bike leaning on the raill by the side. "Hey girls! What's new?" I shrugged as Arial smiled. "Hey, Lee!" They hugged as I signed some crazed fan's board. The fan squealed and ran away, probably goin' to tell her friends about it. I felt great and turned to Ari and Lee, who was laughing. I heard TFK playing their last song and I excused myself to practically fly to the stage. They just strummed the last note when I made it to the steps. "Thanks, Morganton!" Trevor high-fived me when he stepped off, the band following them. "A'ight! That was off the charts! Thanks, guys! Okay, now, here's a really talented man with an awesome band. I was raised on this guy's music. I mean, the music speaks for itself. So, without anything else jumping in the way, here's.....tobyMac and DC!" They came out and Toby actually hugged me. "What's up, Morganton? Thanks for the great intro, Case! Glad that you love the music, but honestly, it's not me, it's God speaking through me. I'm the hollow vessel for Him. So, this show for you guys, I'm blessed to be performing tonight." I smiled. "You're welcome!" I waved and walked offstage to see Ari. I asked for a minute and went to go get a V.I.P. pass for her. I held it behind me as I walked over to her. "Close your eyes." She closed them and I tossed the pass over her head so it hung at her neck. She opened her eyes and they lit up as she saw what it was. "Wow. Thanks!" She hugged me and I lead her backstage. I hunted Trevor down and tapped his shoulder. "Wha- Hey, Case! What's new?" I shrugged. "Nothin' worth talkin' about. Hey, I got someone for you to meet. Ari, this is Trevor McNevan, though I don't think I need to say it. Trevor, this is Ari, one of your biggest fans." Ari was frozen with shock. "Hey, Ari." He smiled and Ari hugged him. I smirked. "I'll see ya later." I left them and went to welcome Family Force 5 on stage, Soul Glow Activatur fist-bumping me with his U.S.Cray Hulk Gloves on.
After the concert ended and the crowd diminished, I closed shop at my booth, packing the merch into their boxes. I finished putting the stuff away as Chris, Alex, and Tiger came over. "Sup, Case?" I shrugged. "Closing shop. You guys cruisin' around?" Chris nodded. "Yeah. Hey, you got any plans tomorrow?" I shook my head. "Nope. No school or anything goin' on. Why?" "Well, I was wonderin' if you wanted to hold a skateboardin' class. We got more fans for tomorrow." I smiled. "Cool! Sure, why not? We need as many peeps as we can get." Then Marianna came over to us, flyin' like a bullet. "KC! I gotta tell you something!" She looked panicked. "What's up?" "The other side is movin' the fight to next weekend. They're mad at us. Especially at the Stormgliders." I nodded, comtemplating the next move. It was like a huge game of chess, and I was the player in control. I hated this position.
I walked into the house, Tiger blowin' past me. He ran out the back door as I smiled, takin' my stuff to my room. I flopped onto the bed, my shoulders aching. I laid there for a few minutes before my phone started going off. "Hello?" "Yo, dog, it's me." "Sup, Thunder?" "Well, let's say Houston, we have a problem." I sat up. "What!" "Yeah. They came and trashed the park. They also kidnapped a few of our guys." "Who?!" "Alex, JB, Marianna, Drept, basically everyone in the park. They gassed the park and took them." Holy mother- Chris was there. "They got Chris, too?" "Yeah." I started seeing red as the anger and adrenaline started seeping into my blood. "Gather the rest and meet me at the park. Now." I growled, and hung up. I grabbed my board and my knife, flying out the door. I hit the streets with the scent of burnt rubber as my tires slammed the pavement. I flew to the park, being the first one there. I stopped in my tracks cause I was about to lose it. There was paint and even blood at the park. I roared, kicking the trash can at my feet. Then I heard wheels behind me, and I whirled around to see the other skaters coming. "Get ready for bloodshed, cause that's what they're getting." Thunder looked at me, confused. "Why-" Then he saw the blood. "Woah." "Let's go." I shot out the park, flying toward Winston-Salem, my knife feeling ice-cold in my pocket.
I rode into the tunnel, the gray flashing by me. The others trailed me, keepin' back from me. I broke through the door, seeing the all-too familiar room. I couldn't see the others, but I did see Demon and his gang. I whipped out my knife. "Where are they?" My gang shuddered when they heard the ice dripping from my voice. Demon smiled. "You came. Yay!" Then I heard muffled cries as I turned around to see my gang being carried away. "No!" Then a bag was thrown over my head, and I felt my hands and feet being tied up. I squirmed in their grasp, but then someone kicked my ribs and I felt one crack. I grunted as Demon cackled. "Yes! Now you're mine." Then I was knocked out.
I woke up when I heard Chris cry out as they tore off my hood to see Demon holding my knife to Chris's neck. My eyes widened as I felt fear overcome me. "You fight, he dies. But, if you stay, they all go free." I was dead. I looked over at Chris. He had a black eye, his head was covered in blood, and he had a slash on his bare chest. I could see multiple bruises on him. I saw fear in his eyes, but I also saw pleading. He was pleadin' for me to run, to fight back. But, I shook my head. "Let them go. I'll come with you." Chris cried out. "Case, no! I'm not worth it! Come on! Please, go!" I shook my head as Demon threw him to the ground and he ran to me. He hugged me, covering me in blood. "Please, girl. Please..." He looked into my eyes and saw my fire gone. I felt like I died on the inside, but I still knew I was living. He knew he couldn't change my mind and he started to cry. Demon's guys threw him out with the others and, as the door shut, I knew I was stuck. Crap. Demon came close to me. "So, what do you want with me?" My voice scared even me. His eyes widened, but he had a big grin slapped on his face. "First, I want you to fight for us. We just drafted you." I snorted. "Hi Hitler!" I said sarcastically. He glared at me and continued. "Second, I want your full submission. Everything I say, you do." He got in my face. "Everything." I so wanted to spit in his face, but all I could do was glare back. He kissed me and then turned to the armored guard. "Take her to the place I prepared for her." The guard picked me up and carried me downstairs to a jail cell, where I was thrown into. Hm. It had a homey touch, with the metal bars and the moldy toilet. The blood on the floor and the wall added to the whole prison-vibe it had. The door slammed shut as the guard pulled off it's helmet to show a girl, about my age, maybe younger, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She sat down and sighed, lookin' at me. "Name's Rachel." I nodded. "KC." Her eyes widened. "Woah. It's really you." DANG, I'm getting famous. "How'd you get away from him? He won't let me get a peaceful sleep anymore, he's always in the same room as me, and he's always hugging or touchin' me. I'm never alone. And, he uses these girls." My eyebrows bunched together. "He's a human trafficker. How old are you?" "Eleven." I started seein' red as Demon came down. "C'mon, Rachel, I need you in the bedroom for a minute." She went submissively, her keys layin' on the ground. When they left, I squirmed over to the door, grabbin' the key and getting out. I untied myself, pulling Chris's knife from my shoe. Back-up, never fails. I walked down the hall, freeing the other girls in there. They were all in bathing suits, and most had been crying. We walked to the top of the stairs, where the room was empty. I led the girls to the door, letting them out, but I hung back. I snuck to the bedroom, where I heard Rachel cryin' out, tryin' to stop Demon from somethin'. I got pissed. I went to the bathroom, gettin' a rag covered in peroxide, and snuck back to the door, where I waited until Demon came out. I covered his mouth with the rag, hopin' to knock him out. He finally K.O'ed and I went into the bedroom, where Rachel was gettin' dressed. "C'mon, Ray, let's go!" I grabbed my board and we shot to the end, where the other girls were waiting. We rode to the Stormglider's old place, where I had stashed some old clothes for emergencies that they could wear. Then we dodged the enemy hotspots and hopped the bus to head home.
We got off at the empty park, where the mess was cleaned up. I led them to the skate shop, where they cleaned up in the bathroom. They got some boards to try out as I laid down on the bench. My broken rib jabbed something, makin' me cringe. I sighed and almost let it all out, but I knew I had to be strong. The dried blood on my face and neck was crusted on. I sat up, ignoring the pain as Rachel came over, tears slidin' down her face. "How can I thank you?!" I shook my head, smirking. "No need to. It's ok, I did it cause I knew how it felt. But, it's ok. Just stay away from him. Don't go back there." I took a shaky breath as the other girls came to me, huggin' me and thankin' me. I told them no problem and that I was okay. Then I remembered Chris, and I led the girls to the abandoned house across the street from Chris's house. They got situated and I told them good night. I walked over to Chris's, lookin' through the window. Chris was cryin', leanin' over a Bible and prayin'. Then he closed the book, put it up, and sat there, pulling his knees to his chin. He broke down, shudderin' and hidin' his face behind his knees. I looked down and saw I was covered in blood and bruises. I stood up in the dark, walkin' to the door, the movement causin' a sharp pain in my side. I opened the door, walkin' in. Chris looked up, his breath gettin' stuck in his throat. "Case... your side." I looked down to see blood buddin' through my shirt. I looked up at Chris, who shot to the phone. He called 9-1-1, gettin' an ambulance. Then everything went black as I hit the floor.
I woke up in the hospital bed, the moon shinin' through the window. "Here she comes." I looked over to see Chris and his mom standin' there, tear-stricken. Chris laid his hand on mine, and I jumped, feelin' sketchy. He pulled his hand back, hurt. I looked down and away, ashamed. Then the doc came in, settin' me free. As soon as I got out, I hopped on my board and flew home, where I walked into the backyard and laid down on the grass, staring up into the sky. I heard Chris's car pull in and I didn't move. He came out the back door, laying down beside me. His hand covered mine, and I let him, looking over to see him starin' at me. "What's wrong, girl?" I shrugged. "Nothin'." He scooted closer, makin' my heart race and my mind blow out. "C'mon, something's up. What's goin' on? Why you so jumpy?" I sighed, knowin' I had to tell someone. "Well, Demon's on the hunt for my blood. I took all his girls with my skillz." He chuckled. "Nice. Where'd you stash them?" "In the abandoned apartment next door." He nodded, then laid his arm behind my head. I was goin' insane on the inside. He put his lips on the top of my head, and I closed my eyes. I heard him take a deep breath. "I'm just glad you're safe, girl. I heard his plans while I was caught. He was goin' to use you to get money. He already had some men ready. Not teens, but full-grown men." I shuddered, images shooting through my mind. I snuggled to him, his warmth shocking me. He rolled to his side so he was facing me, and I did the same. He pulled me so close I could see that he had a fresh shave. "I don't want to lose you. Especially to some teenage human trafficker. I love you." I looked up to have his lips on my forehead, trailing down my nose to land a quick peck on my lips. Then he watched my face for a reaction, and I smiled shyly. He smiled, and I breathed "I love you, too.". He lowered his face to match mine, kissing me on the cheek. Then, as he went for my other cheek, I moved my face so they landed on my lips. I felt him smile as he went from the planned peck to a slow, long kiss as he pulled me to him, making me relax. His warm embrace made me wrap my arms around him, putting a little pressure into my part. Then I felt his toungue trying to break through, and I let it in slowly, cautiously. He smiled as our toungues touched, blowing my mind. This was some totally new territory. I've been kissed before, but that was out of greed on Demon's part. This was all chock-full of love. We kissed for another minute until we needed to breathe and then he pulled back. We were both out of breath, and I was lost. He hugged me, pulling me to my feet. I let him pick me up and carry me to my room, where he laid me down on the bed. I got back up and changed into my PJs while he did the same in his room. I sat down on the bed when he came in and sat down beside me, his hand on mine. I smiled at him, making him smirk back. We sat there for a minute before he left, goin' to bed. I fell asleep quickly, dreamin' of what happened.
I woke up to the pressure of a cold piece of metal to my throat. I looked out of the corner of my eye to see Demon, his moon-lit face covered in blood. My eyes widened as I felt a breeze blow over my exposed body. I tried to move, but he pressed the knife deeper onto my neck. "Nu-uh. You ain't getting away. I got you now." Then, as he pressed the cloth to my face, someone flicked on the light. As I drifted, I saw Chris's face twist in horror and he start to flip out on Demon.
"NO! It's MY turn!" I opened my heavy eyes to see two burly guys fightin' over something. I had been prisoner for a week, I think. Demon almost killed Chris, but then Tiger and Faith helped fight. Demon got away, with me in his body bag. We went to another place, somewhere more hidden, so no one could find us. Demon's already made seventy-five bucks off me alone. I'm sore to the bone, my body aching. I didn't know if Chris would ever find us, but if he did, then I wished it would be soon. Demon had thrown away my clothes and gave me a bathing suit, and then sent them in. After that, well... "I'm next!" Demon walked in, shooing out everyone. "GO! Out!" He slammed the door and then got undressed. I closed my eyes, sick to my stomach. I felt him sit on the bed beside my arm. "Casey." I opened my eyes tiredly, feeling lost and exposed- which I was. I raised an eyebrow, my voice almost gone from screaming. "Hey. Good news." I raised my head barely. "We made 130 bucks today!" My head dropped back down, hitting the backboard. The action made me wince. I heard him move to lay beside me, his arm going behind me. I couldn't do anything, because my arms were chained to the bed. I looked away from him as he tried to kiss me, and then it hit him. He looked at my body, bruised and broken, and he actually started to cry. I looked over at him, cocking my head like a puppy. A hurt, scarred, lost puppy. "I don't know what to do. I lost my whole gang in that battle yesterday, and I'm so confused what to do now." WAIT-The battle was YESTERDAY!? "How long..." "About a month, now." He looked at my shocked face. "I..." He shook his head. "They moved it. Nobody showed up, so it's moved to next weekend." I hit my head again, this time crying out from the headsplitting pain. I felt him doing something near my hand, and I stretched out submissively, only to feel my hand fall to the bed. It hit the board on the side on the way, making my cry out again. He unchained the rest of my body, and sat a change of clothes beside me. "Here. You're free. I'm sick of this lifestyle. Go on." I looked at him. "Have you tried Christ?" He looked at me, dumbfounded that I could speak. "N-n-no." I smiled. "Try it. Do your research, boy." I grabbed the clothes and went to the bathroom, painfully taking a shower. I checked out what damage I had taken, and I was really bad. I got dressed and Demon handed me his board and opened the door, giving me directions to the bus stop. I hit the ground flying, not looking back.
I flew into the house, my skateboard's momentum driving it to the wall. I didn't care. I ran up the stairs, barging into Chris's room, seeing nothing, and then dashed into my room, where it looked like a tornado blew in, destroying everything. Things were on the ground, and some of the games and stuff was broken. Then I saw my Bible, which was the only thing not screwed up, open to Psalms. I jumped out the window, landing on Chris's trampoline, and landing on my leg wrong. Pain shot through my body as the landing knocked me off-balance. I rolled off the trampoline, limping to the park, where JB, Alex, Marianna, and Chris were praying. After they were done, Chris stood up first, his face red and soaked with tears. He wiped them off his face as Marianna hugged him. "I miss her, too. But, we gotta go on." Chris shook his head, still denying it. "She's okay. We'll get her back. Even if it kills me." "Chris! We got the mofo letter saying she was dead. Come on, man, what more do ya need?!" Alex yelled, super pissed. What letter?! What the heck did Demon tell my friends? Chris shook his head. "She ain't gone. I would feel it if she was." I looked at the ground to see a pic of me, surrounded in candles. I started to cry, the tears sliding down my bruised cheeks. They didn't notice me come in, but when I got closer, Alex looked up, saw my barely-lit body, and cried out in surprise. I looked at myself, my torn tank-top and shorts leaving arms and legs exposed, showing the bruises and cuts. I held my broken arm as pain kept shooting up and down it. Marianna stood in shock, her mouth hanging open. "Chris....look." Chris shook his head, scared to look, but when he heard me whimper quietly as I took a step, he looked up, his eyes lighting up. I limped to him, the landing on the trampoline causing me to re-fracture my leg, which didn't heal right in the first place. He held his arms open as he caught me mid-fall, hugging me lightly, but keeping me securely close. I slung my arm over his shoulders, barely able to hold on. "I knew you weren't gone. I knew it." I looked up at him sheepishly as he picked me up. He held me as he carried me all the way to the hospital, where they cleaned me up and set my leg. They also had to re-break my arm that was hurting so bad, and my rib broke again. When the doctor went to ask what happened, Chris told him. It still hurt me to speak at all. The doctor gave me a look of horror and shock. "How are you holding up?" I smiled lightly, the muscles in my face saying "You're insane if you expect me to work right now!" and shrugged. "I'm doing alright. How long do I have left in here?" The doc looked at my leg and then my arm, judging the damage. "A couple of days." I nodded. "Okay. Thanks for patching me up." He nodded back, looked at Chris with a reassuring look, and left. Chris crossed the room with his chair. When he sat down and laid his hand on my cheek, I smiled and felt safe. "Girl, you scared me. I was serious about coming to hunt you down. How'd you get out?" I looked down at my leg. "Well, he came into the room, sending the two of his biggest buyers and biggest-built men out. They were arguing over who got to go next. He got undressed and sat down beside me, trying to kiss me, but I looked the other way, trying to fight one last time. If he did kiss me, then I was just gonna give in. I'm sick of fighting them. But, anyway, when I did that, he looked at my body and he started crying. Said he lost his gang in the fight. Then he let me go take a shower and leave. But, I told him about Him before I left. I wonder if he ever did his research. I dunno. Ouch." I tried to shrug. Chris suddenly went all protective, studying my arm and my face. "You okay?" "Yeah. Just tried to shrug. Didn't work out too well. Hahaha." He smiled, still tensed as he sat down, putting his head by his knees. I reached over to him, placing my hand on his shoulder. He looked up, fear evident in his eyes. I gave him a reassuring look. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. I'm getting outta here, we'll go to prom, and we'll keep the party alive all night long. Look." I nodded toward the window, where the sun was peeking through the clouds, which were moving out of the way quickly. "See? There's nothing to worry about. We got each other, and we'll get through this. Together." We both smiled and he hugged me, pulling back so his face was inches from my face. He put his forehead to mine, and I felt the heat rushing to my cheeks. His breath smelled like bubble gum. We stared into each other's eyes, not moving until he went in for the gold. He kissed me, the heart monitor jumping off the hook before it went flat. He tore back, his eyes wide with shock. "Casey! You okay?!" I opened my eyes, my breathing slowing down. "Yeah. Don't'cha know that's what my heart does when you get close?" I chuckled nervously, as he calmed down. "Sorry. Hey, we're in the hospital, so I'm a little jumpy." He sat down as the nurse came in, smiling. "Hi. How's our little resident?" I smirked. "Battling to stay alive. Hahaha. Seriously, it was a fight to stay alive." She smiled and read my heart levels. "Something scare ya? Your heart rate went insane there for a minute." She looked at me accusingly, then at Chris. "What'd you do?" She teased. He smiled, chuckling. "Just wanted to try something." I smiled. "Scared the heck outta him!" I burst out laughing, Chris snorting. She smiled, coming to the opposite side of the bed, where my IV was. She picked up a syringe. I looked at Chris, who looked at it like it was a gun. "What are you doing?" "Well, she's gotta get some rest." My eyes widened as my hand shot out to Chris's, grabbing it in a death grip. "Don't leave me or I swear, when I get outta this bed..." He kissed my hand, leaning over to hug me. "Don't worry, I ain't going nowhere. I'm staying right here." I felt the drug seep into my bloodstream, and my eyelids started to fall. I fought the medicine, trying to stay awake, but I eventually fell asleep.
I opened my eyes to a bright ray of sun shining in my eyes, trying to blind me. I blinked, looking over to where Chris sat, asleep. Then there was a knock at the door. My eyes shot over there to see Demon there, dressed nice and holding a flower bouquet and a basket of stuff. Chris stood up, growling. "Chris...hold on." He looked at me like a dog would when you tell him to stay. I waved him over, and he obeyed, sitting on the bed beside me. "Hey, Demon." He smiled warmly. "Please don't call me that anymore. Could you call me by my real name?" "Lazarus?" He nodded. "That's your name? Wow." Chris put in, his eyebrow raised. I nodded. "Yeah. What are you doing?" He walked in, setting the stuff on the table. "Well, I know I can't make up for what I've done, but I wanted to apologize and to ask for forgiveness. I looked into Christ, and I don't know why I lived without Him for so long. I just never cared, I guess. But, please forgive me." I looked down and then at Chris, who was waiting for an answer, too. I sighed, looking back at him. "I forgive you." Chris jumped up. "WHAT?! HE FREAKING USES YOU LIKE A MOFO DOG AND YOU WANT TO JUST LET HIM GO?! WHAT THE HECK!" He looked down and then turned apologetic when he saw my face and saw me hyperventilating, the erratic beeping breaking through my eardrums. "I'm so sorry, shhh, calm down, it's okay..." He reached out to hold my face, but I turned away. My heart was still racing and I couldn't calm down. He sat down on the bed and tried to embrace me, but I moved so he was facing my back, pain racing around in my arm. I felt him slump down, hurt, and then stand up. I looked over to see him leave with his hands in fists. "No, don't..." I stopped, seeing he wouldn't listen. I stared at the roof, starting to cry, wanting to follow him and comfort him. I kicked the foot of the bed with my good foot and then broke down. I cried for a least a couple of hours before I finally fell asleep for awhile. When I woke up, I saw that I was still alone. I cried out for Chris, but I didn't get a response. I looked down, defeated. Then the doc came, examining my leg and arm. He told me to try to walk, and I could walk pefectly. Then he let me go. I walked out, the sun shining on my face. I went to the skate spot, hoping there would be someone there, but it was empty. I sat on the ramp, wishing I wasn't so alone. I tried to figure out what I was gonna say to Chris. I hoped he would understand. Then I decided to find him. I headed home to see that Tiger and Faith was outside, sleeping. I walked in to see Chris's Bible still on the ground. I grabbed it and climbed the stairs, knocking on Chris's door. The music paused as he moved to the door. "Who is it?" His voice was ice cold. I whimpered, scared that he was pissed at me. He opened the door and saw me standing there, holding his Bible. His face was twisted in worry, then frustration, then it went stone. His stare sent daggers into my heart. "Yeah? What do you want?" I felt the venom drip off his voice, and I backed up, frightened, my back hitting the wall. I was shaking so much that the pages of the Bible started to flutter. He raised an eyebrow. "Soo..." "Uh...well...I came to see....how.....well, what I mean....uh..." I never finished because I fled downstairs and out the door. His stare felt like he was stabbing my heart. I ran to the skate spot, grabbed my board, and flew downtown, heading into an alleyway. I hit a rock and went flying into the dumpster, hitting it with my head. I landed on the asphalt where I just laid on the ground. I started to cry, hugging my knees to my chin and buring my face into my legs. I cried all night, not being able to sleep. Thoughts kept shooting through my mind. What if he did kick me out for good? What if I lose him? Then what? When the sun rose into the sky, I wiped my face and tried to stand up. My legs shook in fright of having to face Chris again. I had twenty bucks in my pocket, so I went walking downtown and got me a new book, a headlamp, a journal, some dog tags, a bag of chips, a 2-liter of Mountain Dew, and some pencils so I could draw. Then I went back to uptown, where I went into the alleyway where I saved J.B. and them. I curled up in the corner, eating some chips and started drawing. I stayed there for a couple of days until Alex found me, covered in dirt and sleeping on the ground, using my hard-bound book as a pillow. She took me to her house, where I got cleaned up. "You know, Chris is searching all over for you." I sighed. "He sure didn't seem like it yesterday." Alex gave me a confused look. "He said he hasn't seen you since last week." I looked at her, shocked. "What's today?" "Friday." My eyes widened. I ran away on Saturday. "Why'd you run?" "Well, Demon- I mean, Lazarus,- visited me in the hospital, and he asked for forgiveness. I said yes, and Chris flipped out. He left the hospital for two days, then I was released, and I went home. I knocked on his door, and when he answered, his voice was dripping with hatred and anger, and he glared at me like he wanted me to die or something. So, I ran." She nodded. "Oh. Well, you might wanna go back and talk to him. When I talked with him yesterday, he looked worse then when you disappeared for a month." I winced. "Okay. I'll talk to ya later, then. Peace." I grabbed my stuff, put it in my gym bag, and set out, heading for home.
I opened the door silently, heading upstairs to see how Chris was doing. His door was open and I heard him barely crying under the music. I looked in to see his face buried in his pillow. I set my stuff down quietly outside his door, except the Bible, and walked in, sitting down on the floor. I shook like a leaf for about two minutes when he finally looked up. The motion scared me, making me shake worse. His face softened as he looked into my eyes, begging for forgiveness. I sat there, my body shaking like jello during an earthquake, not knowing what to do. I clutched the Bible to my chest. Chills kept running up and down my back. I looked at him like a scared, cold, homeless puppy. He smiled and moved to make room on the bed, but I didn't move. I couldn't. I was froze like a deer in headlights. He looked hurt, and then noticed how bad I was scared. I could see the hurt and shock of realizing what he had done in his eyes. He moved to the floor and sat beside me. When he put his arm around me, I jumped, the motion making me panic. I whimpered in fear and gripped the Bible with a death grip. I looked at him, hyperventilating, waiting for him to get mad at me for something, but he picked me up, carrying me to my room, the heat in there warming my frozen body. He laid me down on my bed, took the Bible, sat it on the intable, and laid down beside me, hugging me in his warm embrace. He kept on kissing my forehead, making me blush. I looked up into his eyes and he kissed me fiercely, making me so lightheaded that if he didn't stop when he did, I would've passed out. "Case, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get so pissed. Especially at you. There's no reason to be scared. It's okay. It's all okay now. You're safe." I was still a little shaky but, when he smiled, I stopped. He leaned in so his lips were at my ear. "I love you." He hugged me until I fell asleep in his arms, my body giving in to the warmth and love radiating off of him.
I yawned, my hand nudging a note beside my pillow.
Hey, went to the West Side to apologize to Demon Lazarus. I'll be back before dark. I love you.
-Chris
P.S. You know how cute you are when you sleep? <3 I didn't sleep at all last night cuz I didn't want to miss one moment of seeing you sleep.
I smirked when I read the last line, and I looked in the mirror. My hair was sticking up in the air. I burst out laughing, going to the bathroom to take a shower. The warm water woke me up and I got dressed, heading toward the kitchen. I made me a bagel and looked at the clock. I jumped, realizing it was 4:35 in the afternoon. I devoured my bagel and shot out the door, flying toward the bus stop, pulling out my MP3. It was gonna be awhile.
9:30 rolled around, and Chris still hadn't came back yet. I sat there, listening to "Say" by Skrip featuring Andy Mineo when I looked at my watch. I groaned and got on the next bus, the bus driver paying for my trip. I thanked her and got off at Winston-Salem, Lazarus waiting there. "Hey, man! Wh-" "KC! I was just coming for ya. We got a problem." I looked at him. "Well, aren't you just a little ray of sunshine." He snorted. "Yeah, right. Anyway, Chris got jumped." My eyes widened as I stared at him. "Where is he?" "At our place." As soon as he said that, I was gone. He caught up and gestured for me to follow him to the new spot. He pointed to it and I burst through the front door which spooked everyone out. "Where is he?!" I asked, my heart racing. Razor pointed to the stairs and I flew down them. "Thanks!" I managed to get out as I passed by. I rode the rail down to an open room where there was a row of beds. Chris was in the last one, sleeping. I shot over to his side, tears starting to slide down my face. His face was swollen and bruised, and he looked in pain. I laid down beside him, snuggling close. I felt him move beside me and my eyes shot to his face, which was twisted in pain. I moved back a little bit, shushing him and calming him down. His face straightened out and he smiled. I smirked and kissed him on the cheek, and he opened his eyes. He looked down and grinned. "Case..." He whispered as he brushed the hair from my eyes. I grinned sheepishly and he wrapped his arms around me. "You came. I thought you weren't gonna come." I snorted. "I ain't going nowhere. You're stuck with me. And, I was getting worried. I thought you two got in a fight or something." He smiled. "Nah, we're good. We smoothed things out. He's really changed." I smiled. "That's good to hear." He wiped a tear from my face. "Why are you crying?" I looked down. "It's killing me to see you like this. I hate it. I'm usually the one in the bed, near death or, at least I look like I am." We both chuckled as he pulled me close, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "I'm glad you came. I didn't know if you were still scared of me from before. I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to go off like that. It's just what he did to you...." He shuddered and pulled me so that I was on top of him. I rested my chin on top of my hand, listening to him go on. "I don't want to lose you. I mean, you already lost your innocence. So have I, but that doesn't matter. I'm all you got now, and you and my mom are all I got. And, after she's gone, then it's only you. And I can't imagine what I'd do without you, Case. I love you, and I'll keep on loving you. There ain't nothing you can do to stop me, either." I smirked. "Why would I try to stop you? I love you too, and we're sticking together til the end." He smiled and I threw my arms around him, hugging him. He hugged me back, squeezing my chest to his body. Then we both got up and headed upstairs. Everyone looked at me accusingly. "What?" I questioned, and Chris glared at them. "No we didn't, stop that, pervs." I snorted, it hitting me. "Well, we're heading back, so I'll talk to you guys later!" We left and went home, talking on the way home. When we got there, Chris turned on some slow music, and I looked at him, confused. He gestured me to stand up. He grabbed my arms and put them around his neck, and I got the idea. He looked into my eyes for a reaction, and I smiled, looking down. He used his finger to lift my chin, and then I let my defenses down for once in my life. It felt great to be able to relax without having to worry about someone attacking or getting hurt. I looked into his eyes, and noticed he was still trying to hide. I grabbed his arms and wrapped them around my waist, laying my arms around his neck again. He looked away, but my whine brought him back. He looked deep into my eyes, and then he saw me searching. He slowly backed down and we stood there, captivated by each other. Then he put his forehead on mine and started to sway from side to side. We synchronized movements and danced for about four hours. We just danced. Didn't talk or anything. Just danced. Then, after 3:30 A.M. rolled around, we went to sleep, and I slept the greatest I've ever slept in years.
I woke up to the smell of pancakes and I shot out of the bed and followed my nose to the kitchen, where Mrs. Macheffer was cooking breakfast again. Chris was sitting at the bar, sipping an espresso. "Hey, Case. Sleep well?" He hugged me. "Best sleep I've ever had." I smiled and hopped into the other bar seat while Chris slid down my espresso. I took a gulp and sighed. I stretched, yawning. Chris chuckled as I scratched my arm, and I looked at him, confused. He shook his head, and I shrugged. We ate our food and then shot out the door, heading to the skate spot, where I met up with the girls to go prom dress shopping. The guys went suit shopping. The girls would not stop talking, and I sighed. This was gonna be a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG day.
Chapter 7
I stepped around the gate, headin' toward my booth, where there was a crowd. Alex saw me comin' over and smirked. She stood up and we fist-bumped. "Thanks, Killer." She shot a thumbs-up and dodged through the mob to Derek. I smirked and sat down at my booth, takin' care of the lines. The last person caught my eye. She looked like she was a fighter. She had long brown hair with blonde highlights infused into it with matching eyes. She carried a black scooter that was decked out with TFK stickers. She wore biker gloves and a white and black TFK tee with some jeans. I guessed she was the chick I tweeted a long time ago when I was thirteen. :P S/O to 1/6 of the inner CMFanClub tweeps! I smirked as she slid forward something with a pen. "Hey, are you the WG chick?" I nodded. "Can you sign this?" I looked down to see a Sharpie and a blank sticker. I signed it and slid it back. "Hey, I gotta Q." She looked at me quizzically. "Is your nickname Ari?" She smiled. "Arial." "Cool! You probably don't recognize me, but I'm Manafestfan1423. Ring a bell?" She smirked and we highfived each other. "Hey, time to set it off!" A guy popped out behind her, smirking. He had choco brown hair with matching eyes. He wore a black tee under an unbuttoned plaid shirt and black jeans. He looked 18ish and he had a pair of sunglasses in his spiky hair. He had a black bike leaning on the raill by the side. "Hey girls! What's new?" I shrugged as Arial smiled. "Hey, Lee!" They hugged as I signed some crazed fan's board. The fan squealed and ran away, probably goin' to tell her friends about it. I felt great and turned to Ari and Lee, who was laughing. I heard TFK playing their last song and I excused myself to practically fly to the stage. They just strummed the last note when I made it to the steps. "Thanks, Morganton!" Trevor high-fived me when he stepped off, the band following them. "A'ight! That was off the charts! Thanks, guys! Okay, now, here's a really talented man with an awesome band. I was raised on this guy's music. I mean, the music speaks for itself. So, without anything else jumping in the way, here's.....tobyMac and DC!" They came out and Toby actually hugged me. "What's up, Morganton? Thanks for the great intro, Case! Glad that you love the music, but honestly, it's not me, it's God speaking through me. I'm the hollow vessel for Him. So, this show for you guys, I'm blessed to be performing tonight." I smiled. "You're welcome!" I waved and walked offstage to see Ari. I asked for a minute and went to go get a V.I.P. pass for her. I held it behind me as I walked over to her. "Close your eyes." She closed them and I tossed the pass over her head so it hung at her neck. She opened her eyes and they lit up as she saw what it was. "Wow. Thanks!" She hugged me and I lead her backstage. I hunted Trevor down and tapped his shoulder. "Wha- Hey, Case! What's new?" I shrugged. "Nothin' worth talkin' about. Hey, I got someone for you to meet. Ari, this is Trevor McNevan, though I don't think I need to say it. Trevor, this is Ari, one of your biggest fans." Ari was frozen with shock. "Hey, Ari." He smiled and Ari hugged him. I smirked. "I'll see ya later." I left them and went to welcome Family Force 5 on stage, Soul Glow Activatur fist-bumping me with his U.S.Cray Hulk Gloves on.
After the concert ended and the crowd diminished, I closed shop at my booth, packing the merch into their boxes. I finished putting the stuff away as Chris, Alex, and Tiger came over. "Sup, Case?" I shrugged. "Closing shop. You guys cruisin' around?" Chris nodded. "Yeah. Hey, you got any plans tomorrow?" I shook my head. "Nope. No school or anything goin' on. Why?" "Well, I was wonderin' if you wanted to hold a skateboardin' class. We got more fans for tomorrow." I smiled. "Cool! Sure, why not? We need as many peeps as we can get." Then Marianna came over to us, flyin' like a bullet. "KC! I gotta tell you something!" She looked panicked. "What's up?" "The other side is movin' the fight to next weekend. They're mad at us. Especially at the Stormgliders." I nodded, comtemplating the next move. It was like a huge game of chess, and I was the player in control. I hated this position.
I walked into the house, Tiger blowin' past me. He ran out the back door as I smiled, takin' my stuff to my room. I flopped onto the bed, my shoulders aching. I laid there for a few minutes before my phone started going off. "Hello?" "Yo, dog, it's me." "Sup, Thunder?" "Well, let's say Houston, we have a problem." I sat up. "What!" "Yeah. They came and trashed the park. They also kidnapped a few of our guys." "Who?!" "Alex, JB, Marianna, Drept, basically everyone in the park. They gassed the park and took them." Holy mother- Chris was there. "They got Chris, too?" "Yeah." I started seeing red as the anger and adrenaline started seeping into my blood. "Gather the rest and meet me at the park. Now." I growled, and hung up. I grabbed my board and my knife, flying out the door. I hit the streets with the scent of burnt rubber as my tires slammed the pavement. I flew to the park, being the first one there. I stopped in my tracks cause I was about to lose it. There was paint and even blood at the park. I roared, kicking the trash can at my feet. Then I heard wheels behind me, and I whirled around to see the other skaters coming. "Get ready for bloodshed, cause that's what they're getting." Thunder looked at me, confused. "Why-" Then he saw the blood. "Woah." "Let's go." I shot out the park, flying toward Winston-Salem, my knife feeling ice-cold in my pocket.
I rode into the tunnel, the gray flashing by me. The others trailed me, keepin' back from me. I broke through the door, seeing the all-too familiar room. I couldn't see the others, but I did see Demon and his gang. I whipped out my knife. "Where are they?" My gang shuddered when they heard the ice dripping from my voice. Demon smiled. "You came. Yay!" Then I heard muffled cries as I turned around to see my gang being carried away. "No!" Then a bag was thrown over my head, and I felt my hands and feet being tied up. I squirmed in their grasp, but then someone kicked my ribs and I felt one crack. I grunted as Demon cackled. "Yes! Now you're mine." Then I was knocked out.
I woke up when I heard Chris cry out as they tore off my hood to see Demon holding my knife to Chris's neck. My eyes widened as I felt fear overcome me. "You fight, he dies. But, if you stay, they all go free." I was dead. I looked over at Chris. He had a black eye, his head was covered in blood, and he had a slash on his bare chest. I could see multiple bruises on him. I saw fear in his eyes, but I also saw pleading. He was pleadin' for me to run, to fight back. But, I shook my head. "Let them go. I'll come with you." Chris cried out. "Case, no! I'm not worth it! Come on! Please, go!" I shook my head as Demon threw him to the ground and he ran to me. He hugged me, covering me in blood. "Please, girl. Please..." He looked into my eyes and saw my fire gone. I felt like I died on the inside, but I still knew I was living. He knew he couldn't change my mind and he started to cry. Demon's guys threw him out with the others and, as the door shut, I knew I was stuck. Crap. Demon came close to me. "So, what do you want with me?" My voice scared even me. His eyes widened, but he had a big grin slapped on his face. "First, I want you to fight for us. We just drafted you." I snorted. "Hi Hitler!" I said sarcastically. He glared at me and continued. "Second, I want your full submission. Everything I say, you do." He got in my face. "Everything." I so wanted to spit in his face, but all I could do was glare back. He kissed me and then turned to the armored guard. "Take her to the place I prepared for her." The guard picked me up and carried me downstairs to a jail cell, where I was thrown into. Hm. It had a homey touch, with the metal bars and the moldy toilet. The blood on the floor and the wall added to the whole prison-vibe it had. The door slammed shut as the guard pulled off it's helmet to show a girl, about my age, maybe younger, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She sat down and sighed, lookin' at me. "Name's Rachel." I nodded. "KC." Her eyes widened. "Woah. It's really you." DANG, I'm getting famous. "How'd you get away from him? He won't let me get a peaceful sleep anymore, he's always in the same room as me, and he's always hugging or touchin' me. I'm never alone. And, he uses these girls." My eyebrows bunched together. "He's a human trafficker. How old are you?" "Eleven." I started seein' red as Demon came down. "C'mon, Rachel, I need you in the bedroom for a minute." She went submissively, her keys layin' on the ground. When they left, I squirmed over to the door, grabbin' the key and getting out. I untied myself, pulling Chris's knife from my shoe. Back-up, never fails. I walked down the hall, freeing the other girls in there. They were all in bathing suits, and most had been crying. We walked to the top of the stairs, where the room was empty. I led the girls to the door, letting them out, but I hung back. I snuck to the bedroom, where I heard Rachel cryin' out, tryin' to stop Demon from somethin'. I got pissed. I went to the bathroom, gettin' a rag covered in peroxide, and snuck back to the door, where I waited until Demon came out. I covered his mouth with the rag, hopin' to knock him out. He finally K.O'ed and I went into the bedroom, where Rachel was gettin' dressed. "C'mon, Ray, let's go!" I grabbed my board and we shot to the end, where the other girls were waiting. We rode to the Stormglider's old place, where I had stashed some old clothes for emergencies that they could wear. Then we dodged the enemy hotspots and hopped the bus to head home.
We got off at the empty park, where the mess was cleaned up. I led them to the skate shop, where they cleaned up in the bathroom. They got some boards to try out as I laid down on the bench. My broken rib jabbed something, makin' me cringe. I sighed and almost let it all out, but I knew I had to be strong. The dried blood on my face and neck was crusted on. I sat up, ignoring the pain as Rachel came over, tears slidin' down her face. "How can I thank you?!" I shook my head, smirking. "No need to. It's ok, I did it cause I knew how it felt. But, it's ok. Just stay away from him. Don't go back there." I took a shaky breath as the other girls came to me, huggin' me and thankin' me. I told them no problem and that I was okay. Then I remembered Chris, and I led the girls to the abandoned house across the street from Chris's house. They got situated and I told them good night. I walked over to Chris's, lookin' through the window. Chris was cryin', leanin' over a Bible and prayin'. Then he closed the book, put it up, and sat there, pulling his knees to his chin. He broke down, shudderin' and hidin' his face behind his knees. I looked down and saw I was covered in blood and bruises. I stood up in the dark, walkin' to the door, the movement causin' a sharp pain in my side. I opened the door, walkin' in. Chris looked up, his breath gettin' stuck in his throat. "Case... your side." I looked down to see blood buddin' through my shirt. I looked up at Chris, who shot to the phone. He called 9-1-1, gettin' an ambulance. Then everything went black as I hit the floor.
I woke up in the hospital bed, the moon shinin' through the window. "Here she comes." I looked over to see Chris and his mom standin' there, tear-stricken. Chris laid his hand on mine, and I jumped, feelin' sketchy. He pulled his hand back, hurt. I looked down and away, ashamed. Then the doc came in, settin' me free. As soon as I got out, I hopped on my board and flew home, where I walked into the backyard and laid down on the grass, staring up into the sky. I heard Chris's car pull in and I didn't move. He came out the back door, laying down beside me. His hand covered mine, and I let him, looking over to see him starin' at me. "What's wrong, girl?" I shrugged. "Nothin'." He scooted closer, makin' my heart race and my mind blow out. "C'mon, something's up. What's goin' on? Why you so jumpy?" I sighed, knowin' I had to tell someone. "Well, Demon's on the hunt for my blood. I took all his girls with my skillz." He chuckled. "Nice. Where'd you stash them?" "In the abandoned apartment next door." He nodded, then laid his arm behind my head. I was goin' insane on the inside. He put his lips on the top of my head, and I closed my eyes. I heard him take a deep breath. "I'm just glad you're safe, girl. I heard his plans while I was caught. He was goin' to use you to get money. He already had some men ready. Not teens, but full-grown men." I shuddered, images shooting through my mind. I snuggled to him, his warmth shocking me. He rolled to his side so he was facing me, and I did the same. He pulled me so close I could see that he had a fresh shave. "I don't want to lose you. Especially to some teenage human trafficker. I love you." I looked up to have his lips on my forehead, trailing down my nose to land a quick peck on my lips. Then he watched my face for a reaction, and I smiled shyly. He smiled, and I breathed "I love you, too.". He lowered his face to match mine, kissing me on the cheek. Then, as he went for my other cheek, I moved my face so they landed on my lips. I felt him smile as he went from the planned peck to a slow, long kiss as he pulled me to him, making me relax. His warm embrace made me wrap my arms around him, putting a little pressure into my part. Then I felt his toungue trying to break through, and I let it in slowly, cautiously. He smiled as our toungues touched, blowing my mind. This was some totally new territory. I've been kissed before, but that was out of greed on Demon's part. This was all chock-full of love. We kissed for another minute until we needed to breathe and then he pulled back. We were both out of breath, and I was lost. He hugged me, pulling me to my feet. I let him pick me up and carry me to my room, where he laid me down on the bed. I got back up and changed into my PJs while he did the same in his room. I sat down on the bed when he came in and sat down beside me, his hand on mine. I smiled at him, making him smirk back. We sat there for a minute before he left, goin' to bed. I fell asleep quickly, dreamin' of what happened.
I woke up to the pressure of a cold piece of metal to my throat. I looked out of the corner of my eye to see Demon, his moon-lit face covered in blood. My eyes widened as I felt a breeze blow over my exposed body. I tried to move, but he pressed the knife deeper onto my neck. "Nu-uh. You ain't getting away. I got you now." Then, as he pressed the cloth to my face, someone flicked on the light. As I drifted, I saw Chris's face twist in horror and he start to flip out on Demon.
"NO! It's MY turn!" I opened my heavy eyes to see two burly guys fightin' over something. I had been prisoner for a week, I think. Demon almost killed Chris, but then Tiger and Faith helped fight. Demon got away, with me in his body bag. We went to another place, somewhere more hidden, so no one could find us. Demon's already made seventy-five bucks off me alone. I'm sore to the bone, my body aching. I didn't know if Chris would ever find us, but if he did, then I wished it would be soon. Demon had thrown away my clothes and gave me a bathing suit, and then sent them in. After that, well... "I'm next!" Demon walked in, shooing out everyone. "GO! Out!" He slammed the door and then got undressed. I closed my eyes, sick to my stomach. I felt him sit on the bed beside my arm. "Casey." I opened my eyes tiredly, feeling lost and exposed- which I was. I raised an eyebrow, my voice almost gone from screaming. "Hey. Good news." I raised my head barely. "We made 130 bucks today!" My head dropped back down, hitting the backboard. The action made me wince. I heard him move to lay beside me, his arm going behind me. I couldn't do anything, because my arms were chained to the bed. I looked away from him as he tried to kiss me, and then it hit him. He looked at my body, bruised and broken, and he actually started to cry. I looked over at him, cocking my head like a puppy. A hurt, scarred, lost puppy. "I don't know what to do. I lost my whole gang in that battle yesterday, and I'm so confused what to do now." WAIT-The battle was YESTERDAY!? "How long..." "About a month, now." He looked at my shocked face. "I..." He shook his head. "They moved it. Nobody showed up, so it's moved to next weekend." I hit my head again, this time crying out from the headsplitting pain. I felt him doing something near my hand, and I stretched out submissively, only to feel my hand fall to the bed. It hit the board on the side on the way, making my cry out again. He unchained the rest of my body, and sat a change of clothes beside me. "Here. You're free. I'm sick of this lifestyle. Go on." I looked at him. "Have you tried Christ?" He looked at me, dumbfounded that I could speak. "N-n-no." I smiled. "Try it. Do your research, boy." I grabbed the clothes and went to the bathroom, painfully taking a shower. I checked out what damage I had taken, and I was really bad. I got dressed and Demon handed me his board and opened the door, giving me directions to the bus stop. I hit the ground flying, not looking back.
I flew into the house, my skateboard's momentum driving it to the wall. I didn't care. I ran up the stairs, barging into Chris's room, seeing nothing, and then dashed into my room, where it looked like a tornado blew in, destroying everything. Things were on the ground, and some of the games and stuff was broken. Then I saw my Bible, which was the only thing not screwed up, open to Psalms. I jumped out the window, landing on Chris's trampoline, and landing on my leg wrong. Pain shot through my body as the landing knocked me off-balance. I rolled off the trampoline, limping to the park, where JB, Alex, Marianna, and Chris were praying. After they were done, Chris stood up first, his face red and soaked with tears. He wiped them off his face as Marianna hugged him. "I miss her, too. But, we gotta go on." Chris shook his head, still denying it. "She's okay. We'll get her back. Even if it kills me." "Chris! We got the mofo letter saying she was dead. Come on, man, what more do ya need?!" Alex yelled, super pissed. What letter?! What the heck did Demon tell my friends? Chris shook his head. "She ain't gone. I would feel it if she was." I looked at the ground to see a pic of me, surrounded in candles. I started to cry, the tears sliding down my bruised cheeks. They didn't notice me come in, but when I got closer, Alex looked up, saw my barely-lit body, and cried out in surprise. I looked at myself, my torn tank-top and shorts leaving arms and legs exposed, showing the bruises and cuts. I held my broken arm as pain kept shooting up and down it. Marianna stood in shock, her mouth hanging open. "Chris....look." Chris shook his head, scared to look, but when he heard me whimper quietly as I took a step, he looked up, his eyes lighting up. I limped to him, the landing on the trampoline causing me to re-fracture my leg, which didn't heal right in the first place. He held his arms open as he caught me mid-fall, hugging me lightly, but keeping me securely close. I slung my arm over his shoulders, barely able to hold on. "I knew you weren't gone. I knew it." I looked up at him sheepishly as he picked me up. He held me as he carried me all the way to the hospital, where they cleaned me up and set my leg. They also had to re-break my arm that was hurting so bad, and my rib broke again. When the doctor went to ask what happened, Chris told him. It still hurt me to speak at all. The doctor gave me a look of horror and shock. "How are you holding up?" I smiled lightly, the muscles in my face saying "You're insane if you expect me to work right now!" and shrugged. "I'm doing alright. How long do I have left in here?" The doc looked at my leg and then my arm, judging the damage. "A couple of days." I nodded. "Okay. Thanks for patching me up." He nodded back, looked at Chris with a reassuring look, and left. Chris crossed the room with his chair. When he sat down and laid his hand on my cheek, I smiled and felt safe. "Girl, you scared me. I was serious about coming to hunt you down. How'd you get out?" I looked down at my leg. "Well, he came into the room, sending the two of his biggest buyers and biggest-built men out. They were arguing over who got to go next. He got undressed and sat down beside me, trying to kiss me, but I looked the other way, trying to fight one last time. If he did kiss me, then I was just gonna give in. I'm sick of fighting them. But, anyway, when I did that, he looked at my body and he started crying. Said he lost his gang in the fight. Then he let me go take a shower and leave. But, I told him about Him before I left. I wonder if he ever did his research. I dunno. Ouch." I tried to shrug. Chris suddenly went all protective, studying my arm and my face. "You okay?" "Yeah. Just tried to shrug. Didn't work out too well. Hahaha." He smiled, still tensed as he sat down, putting his head by his knees. I reached over to him, placing my hand on his shoulder. He looked up, fear evident in his eyes. I gave him a reassuring look. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. I'm getting outta here, we'll go to prom, and we'll keep the party alive all night long. Look." I nodded toward the window, where the sun was peeking through the clouds, which were moving out of the way quickly. "See? There's nothing to worry about. We got each other, and we'll get through this. Together." We both smiled and he hugged me, pulling back so his face was inches from my face. He put his forehead to mine, and I felt the heat rushing to my cheeks. His breath smelled like bubble gum. We stared into each other's eyes, not moving until he went in for the gold. He kissed me, the heart monitor jumping off the hook before it went flat. He tore back, his eyes wide with shock. "Casey! You okay?!" I opened my eyes, my breathing slowing down. "Yeah. Don't'cha know that's what my heart does when you get close?" I chuckled nervously, as he calmed down. "Sorry. Hey, we're in the hospital, so I'm a little jumpy." He sat down as the nurse came in, smiling. "Hi. How's our little resident?" I smirked. "Battling to stay alive. Hahaha. Seriously, it was a fight to stay alive." She smiled and read my heart levels. "Something scare ya? Your heart rate went insane there for a minute." She looked at me accusingly, then at Chris. "What'd you do?" She teased. He smiled, chuckling. "Just wanted to try something." I smiled. "Scared the heck outta him!" I burst out laughing, Chris snorting. She smiled, coming to the opposite side of the bed, where my IV was. She picked up a syringe. I looked at Chris, who looked at it like it was a gun. "What are you doing?" "Well, she's gotta get some rest." My eyes widened as my hand shot out to Chris's, grabbing it in a death grip. "Don't leave me or I swear, when I get outta this bed..." He kissed my hand, leaning over to hug me. "Don't worry, I ain't going nowhere. I'm staying right here." I felt the drug seep into my bloodstream, and my eyelids started to fall. I fought the medicine, trying to stay awake, but I eventually fell asleep.
I opened my eyes to a bright ray of sun shining in my eyes, trying to blind me. I blinked, looking over to where Chris sat, asleep. Then there was a knock at the door. My eyes shot over there to see Demon there, dressed nice and holding a flower bouquet and a basket of stuff. Chris stood up, growling. "Chris...hold on." He looked at me like a dog would when you tell him to stay. I waved him over, and he obeyed, sitting on the bed beside me. "Hey, Demon." He smiled warmly. "Please don't call me that anymore. Could you call me by my real name?" "Lazarus?" He nodded. "That's your name? Wow." Chris put in, his eyebrow raised. I nodded. "Yeah. What are you doing?" He walked in, setting the stuff on the table. "Well, I know I can't make up for what I've done, but I wanted to apologize and to ask for forgiveness. I looked into Christ, and I don't know why I lived without Him for so long. I just never cared, I guess. But, please forgive me." I looked down and then at Chris, who was waiting for an answer, too. I sighed, looking back at him. "I forgive you." Chris jumped up. "WHAT?! HE FREAKING USES YOU LIKE A MOFO DOG AND YOU WANT TO JUST LET HIM GO?! WHAT THE HECK!" He looked down and then turned apologetic when he saw my face and saw me hyperventilating, the erratic beeping breaking through my eardrums. "I'm so sorry, shhh, calm down, it's okay..." He reached out to hold my face, but I turned away. My heart was still racing and I couldn't calm down. He sat down on the bed and tried to embrace me, but I moved so he was facing my back, pain racing around in my arm. I felt him slump down, hurt, and then stand up. I looked over to see him leave with his hands in fists. "No, don't..." I stopped, seeing he wouldn't listen. I stared at the roof, starting to cry, wanting to follow him and comfort him. I kicked the foot of the bed with my good foot and then broke down. I cried for a least a couple of hours before I finally fell asleep for awhile. When I woke up, I saw that I was still alone. I cried out for Chris, but I didn't get a response. I looked down, defeated. Then the doc came, examining my leg and arm. He told me to try to walk, and I could walk pefectly. Then he let me go. I walked out, the sun shining on my face. I went to the skate spot, hoping there would be someone there, but it was empty. I sat on the ramp, wishing I wasn't so alone. I tried to figure out what I was gonna say to Chris. I hoped he would understand. Then I decided to find him. I headed home to see that Tiger and Faith was outside, sleeping. I walked in to see Chris's Bible still on the ground. I grabbed it and climbed the stairs, knocking on Chris's door. The music paused as he moved to the door. "Who is it?" His voice was ice cold. I whimpered, scared that he was pissed at me. He opened the door and saw me standing there, holding his Bible. His face was twisted in worry, then frustration, then it went stone. His stare sent daggers into my heart. "Yeah? What do you want?" I felt the venom drip off his voice, and I backed up, frightened, my back hitting the wall. I was shaking so much that the pages of the Bible started to flutter. He raised an eyebrow. "Soo..." "Uh...well...I came to see....how.....well, what I mean....uh..." I never finished because I fled downstairs and out the door. His stare felt like he was stabbing my heart. I ran to the skate spot, grabbed my board, and flew downtown, heading into an alleyway. I hit a rock and went flying into the dumpster, hitting it with my head. I landed on the asphalt where I just laid on the ground. I started to cry, hugging my knees to my chin and buring my face into my legs. I cried all night, not being able to sleep. Thoughts kept shooting through my mind. What if he did kick me out for good? What if I lose him? Then what? When the sun rose into the sky, I wiped my face and tried to stand up. My legs shook in fright of having to face Chris again. I had twenty bucks in my pocket, so I went walking downtown and got me a new book, a headlamp, a journal, some dog tags, a bag of chips, a 2-liter of Mountain Dew, and some pencils so I could draw. Then I went back to uptown, where I went into the alleyway where I saved J.B. and them. I curled up in the corner, eating some chips and started drawing. I stayed there for a couple of days until Alex found me, covered in dirt and sleeping on the ground, using my hard-bound book as a pillow. She took me to her house, where I got cleaned up. "You know, Chris is searching all over for you." I sighed. "He sure didn't seem like it yesterday." Alex gave me a confused look. "He said he hasn't seen you since last week." I looked at her, shocked. "What's today?" "Friday." My eyes widened. I ran away on Saturday. "Why'd you run?" "Well, Demon- I mean, Lazarus,- visited me in the hospital, and he asked for forgiveness. I said yes, and Chris flipped out. He left the hospital for two days, then I was released, and I went home. I knocked on his door, and when he answered, his voice was dripping with hatred and anger, and he glared at me like he wanted me to die or something. So, I ran." She nodded. "Oh. Well, you might wanna go back and talk to him. When I talked with him yesterday, he looked worse then when you disappeared for a month." I winced. "Okay. I'll talk to ya later, then. Peace." I grabbed my stuff, put it in my gym bag, and set out, heading for home.
I opened the door silently, heading upstairs to see how Chris was doing. His door was open and I heard him barely crying under the music. I looked in to see his face buried in his pillow. I set my stuff down quietly outside his door, except the Bible, and walked in, sitting down on the floor. I shook like a leaf for about two minutes when he finally looked up. The motion scared me, making me shake worse. His face softened as he looked into my eyes, begging for forgiveness. I sat there, my body shaking like jello during an earthquake, not knowing what to do. I clutched the Bible to my chest. Chills kept running up and down my back. I looked at him like a scared, cold, homeless puppy. He smiled and moved to make room on the bed, but I didn't move. I couldn't. I was froze like a deer in headlights. He looked hurt, and then noticed how bad I was scared. I could see the hurt and shock of realizing what he had done in his eyes. He moved to the floor and sat beside me. When he put his arm around me, I jumped, the motion making me panic. I whimpered in fear and gripped the Bible with a death grip. I looked at him, hyperventilating, waiting for him to get mad at me for something, but he picked me up, carrying me to my room, the heat in there warming my frozen body. He laid me down on my bed, took the Bible, sat it on the intable, and laid down beside me, hugging me in his warm embrace. He kept on kissing my forehead, making me blush. I looked up into his eyes and he kissed me fiercely, making me so lightheaded that if he didn't stop when he did, I would've passed out. "Case, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get so pissed. Especially at you. There's no reason to be scared. It's okay. It's all okay now. You're safe." I was still a little shaky but, when he smiled, I stopped. He leaned in so his lips were at my ear. "I love you." He hugged me until I fell asleep in his arms, my body giving in to the warmth and love radiating off of him.
I yawned, my hand nudging a note beside my pillow.
Hey, went to the West Side to apologize to Demon Lazarus. I'll be back before dark. I love you.
-Chris
P.S. You know how cute you are when you sleep? <3 I didn't sleep at all last night cuz I didn't want to miss one moment of seeing you sleep.
I smirked when I read the last line, and I looked in the mirror. My hair was sticking up in the air. I burst out laughing, going to the bathroom to take a shower. The warm water woke me up and I got dressed, heading toward the kitchen. I made me a bagel and looked at the clock. I jumped, realizing it was 4:35 in the afternoon. I devoured my bagel and shot out the door, flying toward the bus stop, pulling out my MP3. It was gonna be awhile.
9:30 rolled around, and Chris still hadn't came back yet. I sat there, listening to "Say" by Skrip featuring Andy Mineo when I looked at my watch. I groaned and got on the next bus, the bus driver paying for my trip. I thanked her and got off at Winston-Salem, Lazarus waiting there. "Hey, man! Wh-" "KC! I was just coming for ya. We got a problem." I looked at him. "Well, aren't you just a little ray of sunshine." He snorted. "Yeah, right. Anyway, Chris got jumped." My eyes widened as I stared at him. "Where is he?" "At our place." As soon as he said that, I was gone. He caught up and gestured for me to follow him to the new spot. He pointed to it and I burst through the front door which spooked everyone out. "Where is he?!" I asked, my heart racing. Razor pointed to the stairs and I flew down them. "Thanks!" I managed to get out as I passed by. I rode the rail down to an open room where there was a row of beds. Chris was in the last one, sleeping. I shot over to his side, tears starting to slide down my face. His face was swollen and bruised, and he looked in pain. I laid down beside him, snuggling close. I felt him move beside me and my eyes shot to his face, which was twisted in pain. I moved back a little bit, shushing him and calming him down. His face straightened out and he smiled. I smirked and kissed him on the cheek, and he opened his eyes. He looked down and grinned. "Case..." He whispered as he brushed the hair from my eyes. I grinned sheepishly and he wrapped his arms around me. "You came. I thought you weren't gonna come." I snorted. "I ain't going nowhere. You're stuck with me. And, I was getting worried. I thought you two got in a fight or something." He smiled. "Nah, we're good. We smoothed things out. He's really changed." I smiled. "That's good to hear." He wiped a tear from my face. "Why are you crying?" I looked down. "It's killing me to see you like this. I hate it. I'm usually the one in the bed, near death or, at least I look like I am." We both chuckled as he pulled me close, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "I'm glad you came. I didn't know if you were still scared of me from before. I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to go off like that. It's just what he did to you...." He shuddered and pulled me so that I was on top of him. I rested my chin on top of my hand, listening to him go on. "I don't want to lose you. I mean, you already lost your innocence. So have I, but that doesn't matter. I'm all you got now, and you and my mom are all I got. And, after she's gone, then it's only you. And I can't imagine what I'd do without you, Case. I love you, and I'll keep on loving you. There ain't nothing you can do to stop me, either." I smirked. "Why would I try to stop you? I love you too, and we're sticking together til the end." He smiled and I threw my arms around him, hugging him. He hugged me back, squeezing my chest to his body. Then we both got up and headed upstairs. Everyone looked at me accusingly. "What?" I questioned, and Chris glared at them. "No we didn't, stop that, pervs." I snorted, it hitting me. "Well, we're heading back, so I'll talk to you guys later!" We left and went home, talking on the way home. When we got there, Chris turned on some slow music, and I looked at him, confused. He gestured me to stand up. He grabbed my arms and put them around his neck, and I got the idea. He looked into my eyes for a reaction, and I smiled, looking down. He used his finger to lift my chin, and then I let my defenses down for once in my life. It felt great to be able to relax without having to worry about someone attacking or getting hurt. I looked into his eyes, and noticed he was still trying to hide. I grabbed his arms and wrapped them around my waist, laying my arms around his neck again. He looked away, but my whine brought him back. He looked deep into my eyes, and then he saw me searching. He slowly backed down and we stood there, captivated by each other. Then he put his forehead on mine and started to sway from side to side. We synchronized movements and danced for about four hours. We just danced. Didn't talk or anything. Just danced. Then, after 3:30 A.M. rolled around, we went to sleep, and I slept the greatest I've ever slept in years.
I woke up to the smell of pancakes and I shot out of the bed and followed my nose to the kitchen, where Mrs. Macheffer was cooking breakfast again. Chris was sitting at the bar, sipping an espresso. "Hey, Case. Sleep well?" He hugged me. "Best sleep I've ever had." I smiled and hopped into the other bar seat while Chris slid down my espresso. I took a gulp and sighed. I stretched, yawning. Chris chuckled as I scratched my arm, and I looked at him, confused. He shook his head, and I shrugged. We ate our food and then shot out the door, heading to the skate spot, where I met up with the girls to go prom dress shopping. The guys went suit shopping. The girls would not stop talking, and I sighed. This was gonna be a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG day.
RSS Feed