This is Gonna Require a Little Finesse

I was petrified, tears were streaming down my face and blood was streaming down my left arm. I couldn't hear anything outside the door, just a deafening utter silence that was louder than any sound I'd ever heard.

Curled up on the floor of the closet, beaten to with an inch of my life at the age of 13 was not how things were supposed to go. My mom apparently hadn't had too much fun with her latest screw; that was evidently, "my" fault. She was high, and on an obviously bad trip.

My head felt like it was on fire and consciousness was getting harder and harder to hold onto. Looking at the sticky crimson blood on my long sleeve I rolled it up, stifling a cry of pain as I did so. There was one word carved into my arm by a knife, BITCH. She had carved that, time and time again on my arm in the past.Never all the letters at once though; this time it was all of them, and I was pretty sure this was the end.

I didn't know how much time had past by, but I suddenly heard a thump from outside the closet. My body went rigid, mouth went bone dry and my blood ran cold as I heard shifting and shuffling in my room.Please don't find me, I didn't do anything! Just leave me alone! I squeezed my eyes shut tightly like a child playing "invisible" (if I can't see you then you can't see me). The closet door slowly creaked open, "Shit..." I heard a voice whisper.

A male voice, "K...Kari, it's ok. ...Shit!..." he cautiously touched my shoulder.

I opened my eyes weakly, "...-ck..." was the only thing that came out of my mouth as I stared pitifully up at my friend.

Jack's arms slid behind me and under my knees, lifting me carefully and with ease. There was a fire-escape just outside my window, obviously how he'd gotten up.

Bobby stood on the ground looking up expectantly, "How're we doing, Jackie?" Bobby asked in a hoarse whisper, as to not alert my sad excuse for a mother.

"A whole world worse than you thought." was Jacks response as he lowered my fragile body to his big brother and hopped down off the ladder.

"You're gonna be alright, Legs. We're gonna get ya' over to Ma."

I woke up in an ice cold sweat. My left arm burned slightly, I rubbed the scars absentmindedly as I threw off the covers and slid my feet to the floor. The water was no longer cold but still felt good sliding down my throat. There was a soft knock on the door as it opened letting in the smallest sliver of light from the hall, "K? You up?"

It was Jack.

"Y-" I cleared my throat, "yeah come on in." I leaned back over to the bedside table putting down the water, noticing for the first time my shaking hands.

He closed the door behind him and clicked on the light. I winced and threw my hands protectively over my eyes.

"Sorry." Jack laughed and clicked the light back off.

I felt the bed move as he sat down on it, it took a few seconds for my eyes to readjust, "What's 'a' matter?" I asked him.

"I could hear you tossing and turning in here, you okay?" he asked. Worried, he touched the back of my shoulder gently. His fingers were cold and sent chills up and down my body. Although I had a pretty good idea that temperature didn't have a lot to do with the chills.

"Just a bad dream. Nothing new. I'm fine." I stated as I turned away from him.

"Bull." He told me pulling back his hand.

"I don't want to talk about it."I sighed. Then, " What the hell are you doing?" I asked, as he lay down on my bed and made himself quite comfortable.

"Well, you dragged me outta bed and I'm fucking tired. I'm going back to sleep."

"W--I didn't drag you outta no place! YOU got up."

"...Details..." he mumbled yawning. It was 4:00 am.

Frustrated, I rubbed my face and flopped down next to him staring blankly at the ceiling. I was silent for a while.

"That time where...where I almost died... I had another nightmare about it." I tried to sound uninterested, unemotional. That attempt apparently failed since Jack saw right through it.

"It's ok, Kari." He stroked my hair softly, "Nobody's gonna hurt you anymore." I closed my eyes relaxing, slipping off into sleep.

*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*((Jack's POV))*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!
Kari's breathing slowed and became even, she was finally asleep. I had planned to stay until she told me what was bothering her, but now I had no intention of ever getting up. Well, there was that, and the fact the she had rolled over and my arm was pinned under her.

Her face was so close to mine, it was hard not to notice her breath tickling my lips, or the soft scent of peaches that floated from her hair that tickled my face. I couldn't help it, a smug smile spread across my face.

I draped my left arm across her waist and shifted so my chin rested on the top of her head. I liked it, I felt like I had to protect her and I wanted to do that. When I'd first moved to Evelyn's everyone was always protecting me. Now I wanted to protect someone... Kari. I kissed her forehead softly and closed my eyes.

She shouldn't still have those dreams; she shouldn't have ever had to have those dreams.

When I woke up a few hours later I jumped at the sight of Kari's eyes looking back at my own. "Don't do that!" I told her rubbing your eyes, sure that I was going to die of a heart attack on the spot.

She laughed, "Sorry, but when I tried to get up you had me in a pretty tight grip."

"Yeah well, I can't feel my fingers anymore."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" she requested, taking offense.

Shit. "That's not...uuhh" I fumbled. She started giggling and in the process rolled off the bed with a soft thud. I leaned over and just shook my head at her. "What are we gonna do with you, Kari?"

"Lock me in a crazy house would be your best bet." She told me with a grin.

I loved that grin.