Can't Stay Away

At night, Brendon would sneak into my room. We hardly saw each other during the day. Once in a while he'd be able to sneak out for a few hours, when his dad was at work.

One morning I had happened to be outside when Brendon's dad was leaving for work. He didn't even try to hide the glare that he was aiming at me. Just to have some fun of my own, I had smiled and waved at him. His face became a deep red color and he left quickly. I had laughed at how ridiculous he was. But then I remembered how he took care of his anger and I felt nervous.

When I returned to my room, I found Brendon waiting for me, already laying down on my bed. He sat up and looked at me as I entered the room.

"What were you doing?" he asked.

"My mom had to work today, so she asked me to bring in the paper when it got here," I said.

"Oh," Brendon said. "Your mom got a job here already?"

"Yeah," I said. "My dad got her a job at his company. As a secretary."

"That's cool," he said.

"Yeah," I said. Brendon smiled. It had been a week since Brendon's dad had beat him, and Brendon's bruise was beginning to heal.

"Well anyways," Brendon said, stretching his arms open. I stepped toward him and let him hug me, as I hugged him back. "Good morning, sunshine."

"Sunshine?" I asked as Brendon leaned back and I fell on top of him, still hugging each other. I lifted my head to look at him.

"Yes," Brendon said kissing me. "Sunshine is what I shall call you from now on."

I groaned.

"Please don't," I said. Brendon laughed.

"Fine," he said. "But you have to make me breakfast."

"Deal," I said. I got up off of Brendon before helping him off of my bed. He followed me downstairs and into my kitchen. I grabbed a bowl from one of the cupboards and a box of cereal from another. I poured the cereal into the bowl and put milk in it. I handed it to Brendon, along with a spoon.

He looked down at it and then back up at me.

"You know," he said. "I was expecting something a bit more complex. Like eggs..or pancakes or something that wasn't cereal."

"Trust me when I say this," I said. "You don't want me to cook you anything. In fact, you should be lucky I didn't ruin that cereal."

Brendon rolled his eyes and sat down at the kitchen table, eating the cereal. When he was finished, I took the bowl from him and put in the sink.

"Now what?" I asked him.

"I dunno," Brendon said, smiling. "Do you have any board games?"

I raised my eyebrows.

"Just kidding," Brendon said, laughing at me. "Umm..how about..hide and seek?"

"Um, how about no," I said.

"Oh come on," Brendon said. "It'll be fun."

I just stared at him, eyebrows still raised.

"Please?" he said. He reminded me of a little kid. Seriously. "If you don't play, I'll call you sunshine for the rest of our lives."

I groaned.

"Fine," I said.

"Great!" he said. "Now I'll count, and you hide."

I sighed and started to walk out of the kitchen slowly as Brendon counted loudly, his eyes shut tight. I didn't know where to hide. And I definitely didn't feel like putting much effort into it. I went upstairs and into the bathroom, climbing into the tub, pulling the curtain closed. There. Hidden.

I could still hear Brendon counting for a few more seconds before he yelled out that he was going to start looking. I rolled my eyes. I couldn't believe I had actually agreed to this. At least he wouldn't be calling me sunshine.

I listened carefully trying to see if Brendon was coming yet, but I couldn't hear anything. I sighed. I hope this doesn't take long.

After five minutes of not hearing anything, I was getting impatient. Ten more minutes and I was peaking around the shower curtain. Where was Brendon?

Another ten minutes and I was climbing out of the tub, creeping towards the bathroom door. I looked left and right, down the hallway, but no sign of Brendon. I walked quietly down the hall until I reached my bedroom. I looked in but it was empty. I sighed and turned around, letting out a yell of surprise as I saw Brendon standing in front of me.

"Jesus, Bren," I said. "You scared me."

Brendon didn't say anything, but instead smiled before leaning forward to kiss me. My eyes slipped closed as our lips met. We had backed up into my room, and Brendon was tugging my shirt upwards. I helped him take it off, breaking apart for only a second. Brendon's lips found mine again. All I could feel and focus on was Brendon. His scent. The way his lips felt on mine. The pressure of his fingers on my side, stabbing me almost. But then slowly, it was dawning at me, that Brendon's fingers were not what I felt poking my left side. I pulled away and looked down to see a knife in Brendon's hand and a thin scratch down my left side, a little blood leaking from the fresh wound. I looked at Brendon in shock. I could feel myself shaking.

"It's ok Ry," Brendon said, tracing a finger down the cut. I flinched. "You won't need stitches or anything."

He brought the finger he had touched my cut with to his mouth and sucked on it gently before kissing me again. I didn't respond and Brendon pulled away.

"Ryan," he said. "Are you ok?"

I focused my eyes on Brendon's before smiling.

"Yeah, Bren," I said, moving my lips close to his again. "I'm fine."