Boy
Douze.
Ryan was whipped in the face with a branch as she ran at full speed. Away from the trailer park, through the woods, down the steep hill off the cliff, and into the city, to where she would find home. She hadn't decided to listen to Brandon's explanation. At the sight of a dead body and his guilty face, her first instinct was to run.
She ran on the sidewalk to her apartment, and as she was getting close, she slammed into someone and fell backwards onto the pavement.
She looked up and saw Eric standing over her with his hand extended. She took it, stood and dusted herself off.
"Sorry…I was going to your place…Why were you running?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
"I…well Brandon…" Ryan could barely get the words out of her mouth. She watched the events replay in her head and started panicking again.
"Ryan? What did he do to you!?" Eric asked, a million possibilities running through his mind.
"He--" she was cut off at the sight of Brandon running up to them. Eric didn't even know what had happened, but he immediately put Ryan, who was shaking, behind him.
"Stay out of this, Eric," Brandon said, glaring at him.
"What did you do to her!?" Eric asked, raising his voice to sound threatening.
"It's none of your business," Brandon said. He cocked his head and looked at Ryan. "Ryan, please hear me out? I love you."
"Well that's a load of shit," Eric said, cutting in again. Brandon snapped his head and looked at Eric with a look that seemed as if it could slit your throat, which in his case, probably could.
"You're so pathetic, you know that, Eric? You've know the girl since foster care, and you still haven't expressed yourself. Your mommy didn't love you, you're daddy died drinking, and now you live with people who think you're as worthless as your mom did. Ryan's the only person you can talk to, isn't she? You loveRyan? Well Ryan doesn't love you, and she never will. Like I said, you're pathetic." Eric didn't respond right away. He just stared at Brandon. No one knew anything about him, yet this boy was able to summarize his life in a few seconds. He felt pathetic.
"Ryan…talk to your boyfriend," he told her before walking off down the sidewalk, his eyes burning.
"He's crying," Brandon said, watching him walk away.
Ryan had forgotten temporarily about Brandon's dead grandmother and pushed him as hard as she could. He didn't budge, though.
"Let me explain," he said, grabbing her and wrapping his arms around her. He stared into her eyes for a few seconds, and it was all he had to do to convince her. She nodded.
"I didn't mean to kill her, or Vino, or anybody else, okay? It just…happens. But when I'm around you, I don’t think about it. I got voices…telling me it's okay to get mad and do these things, but they just go away when I'm with you." Ryan's eyes were watery.
She had no clue what she'd gotten herself into. Her first instinct was to run again.
She ran on the sidewalk to her apartment, and as she was getting close, she slammed into someone and fell backwards onto the pavement.
She looked up and saw Eric standing over her with his hand extended. She took it, stood and dusted herself off.
"Sorry…I was going to your place…Why were you running?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
"I…well Brandon…" Ryan could barely get the words out of her mouth. She watched the events replay in her head and started panicking again.
"Ryan? What did he do to you!?" Eric asked, a million possibilities running through his mind.
"He--" she was cut off at the sight of Brandon running up to them. Eric didn't even know what had happened, but he immediately put Ryan, who was shaking, behind him.
"Stay out of this, Eric," Brandon said, glaring at him.
"What did you do to her!?" Eric asked, raising his voice to sound threatening.
"It's none of your business," Brandon said. He cocked his head and looked at Ryan. "Ryan, please hear me out? I love you."
"Well that's a load of shit," Eric said, cutting in again. Brandon snapped his head and looked at Eric with a look that seemed as if it could slit your throat, which in his case, probably could.
"You're so pathetic, you know that, Eric? You've know the girl since foster care, and you still haven't expressed yourself. Your mommy didn't love you, you're daddy died drinking, and now you live with people who think you're as worthless as your mom did. Ryan's the only person you can talk to, isn't she? You loveRyan? Well Ryan doesn't love you, and she never will. Like I said, you're pathetic." Eric didn't respond right away. He just stared at Brandon. No one knew anything about him, yet this boy was able to summarize his life in a few seconds. He felt pathetic.
"Ryan…talk to your boyfriend," he told her before walking off down the sidewalk, his eyes burning.
"He's crying," Brandon said, watching him walk away.
Ryan had forgotten temporarily about Brandon's dead grandmother and pushed him as hard as she could. He didn't budge, though.
"Let me explain," he said, grabbing her and wrapping his arms around her. He stared into her eyes for a few seconds, and it was all he had to do to convince her. She nodded.
"I didn't mean to kill her, or Vino, or anybody else, okay? It just…happens. But when I'm around you, I don’t think about it. I got voices…telling me it's okay to get mad and do these things, but they just go away when I'm with you." Ryan's eyes were watery.
She had no clue what she'd gotten herself into. Her first instinct was to run again.