Lost and Rebirth

I stood there, mulling over what he just said. I wanted to cry, scream, pull out my hair. He couldn’t keep me here. Screw that. I resolved that I would go talk to him, fight, argue, whatever I had to get home. I ran quickly up that stairs and found him in his room. He had his back to me. I knocked on the door; he only turned his head. He gave me an unimportant stare and turned back around. I straightened up and took a step into his room.

“I think we need to talk,” I said, stepping into the room. I had to admit I felt uncomfortable in his room. It was his territory, and I was breaching it.

“About?” he asked skeptically.

“I really am not staying here. I was fine for a couple of days, but that’s it. No more. I am going home.” I was proud of myself for clearly annunciating what I meant, that is, until he laughed.

“You’re not going home,” he smirked. “ You don’t even know where you are, and I brought everything that belongs to you here. No reason to leave.”

“Uh, yes reason to leave,” I was getting aggravated. “I have a life, a job, college. Those are reasons to go home. You cannot make me stay here against my will!”

“You’re not leaving and that is final. You’re just going to have to deal with that. Plus, I have already taken care of college and your job. No worries. You will be taken online classes.”

“What? How? Uh…if…why…ugh…huh?” I was incoherent. He has utterly changed my life without my knowledge. I was furious. “You can’t do that! Who do you think you are?! I’m going home! Screw you!”

Next thing I knew he was lunging at me. I ducked. He came at me again, and I ran across thee room. He kept coming at me, so I finally punched him. I don’t think he expected that because he fell onto his back. He looked at me perplexed and angry.

“What? Surprised I did that?”

“Actually, yes,” he answered, tripping me. I landed with a loud thud. I look up, flabbergasted. “What? Surprised I did that?” he threw back at me.

He was standing right in front. I looked at him like I was petrified, and he laughed. I kicked him as hard as I could where the sun does not shine. He landed with an even bigger thud, landing on all fours. I believe I saw tears streaming from his eyes. I got up quickly and jumped over his bed. I was about to walk out when he mumbled something that sounded like an apology.

“Wait, what was that? Were you apologizing?” I mocked.

“Yes, I’m sorry,” he said in-between breaths. He still hadn’t gotten up.

“About?”

“Thinking you can’t defend yourself.”

“That’s what you’re sorry for? Not for keeping me hostage?! Not for attacking me?!” I was about to kick him.

“I kept you hostage to protect you,” he winced as he tried to get up, “ and I attacked to demonstrate to you that you do not know how to protect yourself. Clearly, I was wrong.”

“Yes, you were. I’m a pacifist, kind of. I only fight when I need to.”

“Kind of?” he asked, his eyes blurry.

“I have a bad temper. I try not to fight when unnecessary,” I explained.

“Again, I am sorry. Damn, you kick hard.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have attacked me,” I protested.

“You could have kicked in my stomach,” he rebutted.

“You shouldn’t have acted like a crazy person trying to kill me.”

“I wasn’t trying to kill you.”

“Yeah whatever. Does this mean I can go home now?’

“No,” he answered quickly.

“Do I have to kick you again?”

“No, no, no,” he answered even quicker. I laid down on his bed, still grasping his loins. I couldn’t help but laugh a tad, causing him to send a demented glare my way.

“Need some ice?” I chuckled.

“You can leave now.”

“Oh, great. Nice knowing ya’.”

“Not what I meant, “ I heard him yell from his room. I was sprinting down the hall when I heard this. I stopped abruptly and snapped in reluctance. Almost had him.

Idiot I thought. How could he think that keeping me here protected me? Then attacking me? Ass whole.

He thought well, my conscience countered.

Hey! Whose side are you on, anyway? Hmmm? You’re in my head.

He’s only doing what he his doing to protect you, believe it or not.

Oh, shut up, I silenced it. Stupid conscience.

I heard that.

Of course you did. You’re in my head. Oh my gosh, I’m talking to myself inside of my head.

I decided to get Nick some ice. My conscience won. I walked into his room to find him still holding himself. A laugh escaped my mouth, and he glared at me again.

“What do you want?”

“I brought you ice.” I held the bag out sympathetically as proof.

His eyes sharpened, “You’re still not going anywhere.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Here.”

“This cannot help,” he said in an undermining town.

“Ice heals everything.”

“I think this is beyond the magic of ice.”

“Psh, even when you put heat on a m ore serious injury, you still have to put ice on it afterward. Ice is omnipotent.”

He pushed the hand holding the ice bag away and turned over, slowly.

“Stop being a baby. It’s not that bad. Take the ice!” I pushed.

“But it’s so cold.”

“I know. I used to tell my athletic trainer that they should make ice illegal, but I still used it.” He wasn’t buying it even though it was completely true. “Do not make me put it there myself!”

His eyes widened in shock, and he flipped back over. “You would not?”

“Yes, I would. And unnecessarily rough.” for some strange reason we were saying each word like it had it’s own sentence.

He rapidly took the ice bag out of my hand, which had gone numb, and placed it gently on his, well, yeah. “Thanks,” he muttered.

“No problem.” I left the room.