No Strings Attached, Please?

The look in her eyes was glimmering, it invited me to lean in but I held back. Our eyes were fused together and I could see the deep contemplation adorning her face. I decided to step closer so it gave me a good view of how brown her eyes were. There were golden flakes around both pupils. Her shallow breath emerged as my hand framed her rosy cheeks.

Her cheeks became abashed the moment we touched. I wanted to kiss her so bad; she looked beyond beautiful and I couldn’t breathe. I liked the way she styled up her hair, her natural make up and her dress, even though somehow it looked revealing, it fit her perfect curves. The more I drank in her features, the more I got lost in it.

“Nat…” she slipped away from my hand and took off her eyes from me. “You.. you can’t lie to yourself. You’ve been chasing this girl for like six years, you love her. Your mind is playing some tricks on you when you said that you like me…” she said in whisper. I clenched my teeth together and grew irked at her stubborn mind. Did she seriously think that I was confused with my own feelings? Come on! Give me some credit!

“It’s not going to work, Nat, trust me…” she added. Her eyes downcast.

“Why? Why would you think that? Do you really think I’m still smitten by her? You have to live in my shoes once, Sav. Really. I don’t get you, you’re really sure that I don’t love you. Sometimes you can be so fucking dense! Open your fucking eyes. I’m trying to make things work here, I’m trying to tell you how important you are to me, how happy I am with you, but you are determined to toss me away. We both know there’s something between us. Why can’t you be honest to yourself for once?” I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. Really, this girl could make me go nuts! How could I get this through her stubborn head?!

Savannah backed up, her enthralled body went stiff as she twiddled her fingers, being on the edge. I reached for her face and cupped her cheek again as I caressed it tenderly.

“Just tell me how you feel about me, River. Please, it’s all that I need to know now…”

Savannah rose her head, giving me her hard frown as her eyes grew worried.

“I’m scared, Nat. I can’t”

I frowned back but didn’t let go of her cheek. “What? What are you scared about?”

“That this is just my illusion, fantasy, I don’t want you to lead me into an empty ending. I just can’t see myself hurting more. I want to believe you but—“

That’s it! I couldn’t take it anymore, I took her lips into a quick kiss and swallowed them with all the passion I had. I wanted to make her believe that it’s her that I need and want.

As I pulled away, she took my breath away. I watched her face silently and enveloped her with hug. I could feel her back was shaking but it erupted into silent cry. I softly stroked her hair and then sniffed into her musky red hair.

“I really love you, River and this is not just a fantasy that you want to believe yourself…” I said as she pulled away slowly. Our faces were only inches, her eyes eloquently lingered in mine then she reached for my face, taking a deep breath before she said…

“I love you too, Nat…” a tear lined down to her cheek. I swallowed hard and felt a heavy weight lifted upon my shoulders. The adrenaline inside me pumped up but I couldn’t lie that I was beyond happy to hear her voice silently tell me that she loved me back. It felt like a dream and I was such a foolish boy in love. A smile appeared on my face and I kissed her again, this time without doubt. I was smiling between our locked lips as I felt the same spark between us that I’ve felt every time we kissed in our most intimate moment.

We pulled away and struggled to breathe. I couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear, but I saw something different in her. I lifted her chin to see if she’s alright.

“What is it, Sav?” I asked with smile.

Savannah blinked her eyes, her eyes were sad. I didn’t get it, I thought she’s happy that we both were in love.

“I’m scared, Nat… what if it won’t work? What if you hurt me? What if I hurt you? We both know that I have Cam and you have Lynn… Well, I can take care of Cam because I’ll end it with him tonight”

I offered her my assuring smile. “Don’t worry, I told you I’m gonna break up with her by the end of the party, I’ll take all the consequences” I leaned in, my palms were on her cheeks as our eyes were only an inch away. “I’m not going to hurt you, Savannah. I love you, I want to make you happy…” then I kissed her again.

Savannah hugged me tightly and quietly sobbed. “I love you too, Nat. I’m sorry, I’ve been such a selfish bitch. I’m just scared that you don’t really like me the way I like you, love you…”

“It’s okay, at least I can finally convince you, right? Finally you’ve come clean and we’re gonna get together again” I said as I kissed her forehead in a lovingly way. I love her so much; I don’t want to crush my chance with her again. Savannah smiled at me and gave me a kiss, we made out as we battled for dominance. We’re melted in each other arms as our feeling fused together in unity.

Savannah pulled away with an enchanted smile, “I’m gonna get back and find Cam now. I want to clear things up with him and break up”

I went giddy, finally our time had come, I’d be back to Savannah’s arms again. “Me too, I’ll get Lynn and explain everything to her. If this time she threatens to commit suicide again, I’ll let her.” I chuckled “I already had enough and I don’t even think she would do it. I can’t believe that she had me wrapped around her evil little finger. I should have done this a long time ago!”

Savannah giggled, “Alright then…”

“When the party ends, meet me at the front of the school. I’ll take you home”

She nodded and gave me her biggest smile. She leaned in and pecked my lips before she walked away and sent me her last flirty smile.

I sighed, I could tell my face was now love struck. I felt like a love fool but I was happy because finally, I got to know that she felt the same way with me. I knew it!

Dancing my way back to the party, my heart stopped.

There stood Cam with pure malice placed on his face. He crossed his hands over his chest and walked up to me with a killer glare.

Shit.

He probably heard everything. Shit!

He stood a foot ahead me as I could hear the growl under his breath.

“Look, Cam—“

Cam grabbed my collar roughly and then dragged me by collar as he walked in silent. I struggled beneath his grasp but it failed. Well, what could I expect from a quarterback? He’s a fucking giant! I might go to gym sometime, but I wasn’t a real athlete like him!

Cam didn’t answer as he dragged me in silence, he led me to an empty hall and found my adrenaline pumped up again, but this time in fear, because at the far distance, I saw three guys stood in their prom dress coat. They turned their heads to Cam and I as we reached them. I knew some of them, but didn’t care about their names. They were Cam’s teammates and suddenly cold sweats crawled down my spine.

“What is it, Cam?” one of them asked.

Cam released me and threw me to one of them in the midnight blue coat.

“I need you all to get rid of him tonight” Cam said venomously. One of them snickered and got ready by cracking their fingers.

“Ooh, this is fun. I haven’t beaten someone for a long time” he said, smiling showing his bucktooth. One with a ridiculously gay spikey hair grabbed my collar and dragged me to one of the vacant dark classroom.

“Look Cam, you don’t want this. You could be expelled, you know…” I tried but spikey hair threw me to the floor. I saw the one who was fat and big lock the door and just stood there guarding it.

Cam walked toward me and kicked my face, sending me to the floor.

“FUCK!” I screamed in pain, I could feel my nose was broken. Shit, the guy surely had a killer kick. Before I turned my face back to Cam, I saw he kicked my forehead as I was thrown back.

“LOOK CAM, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS!” I yelled and moaned in the same time. My head hurts a thousand times worse than a headache.

“I need to fucking kill you, Nat. You stole my girlfriend! You have no idea who you’re dealing with.” he spat furiously.

I weakly tried to get up just to find the four boys watching me. I was huddled by danger. “I didn’t steal your girlfriend, listen, she never loved you, she’s only using you for her rebound on me—“

I was cut off again this time by the bucktooth, Cam whispered something to him and Bucktooth ran up and punched me like a punching bag, slamming his head against mine making me wobble back. My head was spinning, and I was trying to gain my balance.

Spikey hair ran to me and tried to punch me, I grabbed his hand and twisted his fist pushing him aside. He turned furious and came back, he wanted to punch my face but I held his fist again, this time he gave a blow to my stomach with his other hand. When I lost my defense, he kicked my shin. I moaned and bent down making spikey hair easily elbow my back and with that I helplessly dropped on the floor.

I roared in pain, the pain I held was dreadful. I didn’t think I could stand up again.

But it came again, as I attempted to stand up shakily, I could see the big guy running towards me and giving me his furious death swings with his powerful hand. I saw stars and was thrown into the desk. It fucking hurt my back.

The grumbling in my chest finally erupted into a terrifying cough. I just spat the blood and saw that this time Cam came to me and with gloated eyes, he knocked me out, giving a deathblow to my face. God knows how horrible I looked with the bruises now. I just had the feeling my nose was broken and blood was running.

I dropped limply on the floor, feeling like a weak cockroach, I couldn’t stand it. I felt useless, I was not a man, I couldn’t fucking defend myself from them. My chest hurt, I guessed they'd broken some ribs but I didn’t fucking care anymore. I felt like shit, I was just hoping they would stop.

In their stupid junk of brain, they should have thought that I was not their match.

I felt one of them stomping on one of my hands, I screamed in pain. Two guys lifted my hand and held me up so I could see Cam Faggotson was standing in front of me. He still looked furious.

He folded his sleeves up to his elbows and loosened up his tie. He strolled down to me, grabbing my jaws and suddenly spat on my face.

“She fucking rejected my proposal because of you, faggot! I don’t know what she saw in your shitty face. How do you think Lynn would take it if she ever found you’re fucking my girlfriend? She would destroy you and destroy Savannah” he said. I clenched my teeth when he said that he just proposed to Savannah. Wow, just fucking wow.

“I fucking love her, and you wouldn't dare steal her away from me.” he said as he threw my bruised face away from him. He turned his heels but only to give me his hard knee to my stomach and then his fist connected to my face again and again, and somehow I felt numb but then again my eyesight got blurry and I winched to the pain that bruised my eyes. Then blood spattered out from my cough again.

“You’re fucking pathetic, Garretson, really. I don’t think I would see the day you would turn soft over a girl. I feel sorry for you, she never loved you because the only one that she loves is me.” my reckless mouth said. I knew I shouldn’t have said that but I did it anyway. I probably wouldn’t see the sun the next morning, they’re totally killing me.

Cam glared at me turning to the big guy and bucktooth that had been holding my hands. Suddenly I felt the pain in my shoulders ligament. Both of them had twisted my hands in different directions till I heard a loud crack.

Officially, I was a freaking fag. I cried, and there was the evidence of my tears on my bruised face. They just dislocated my shoulders. Fan-fucking-tastic.

Cam and the three guys erupted in loud laughter when they saw me crying my eyes out. I couldn’t stand it, I couldn’t hold it anymore. I couldn’t feel my arms but the guys still held me steadily.

Then, I saw spikey hair appeared next to Cam, he brought something. I believed it was a bat even though my eyesight was blurry. Cam got the bat and hit me in my stomach. I vomited blood instantly when I felt that the pain. Cam and the three only laughed.

“That’s for stealing my bitch” Cam growled. “I want to kill you so much but I just like to see you living in gruesome pain, McGregor” the three guys laughed.

Big guy and bucktooth dropped me to the floor and I was unable to move my arms, I only laid there like a dead fish. My breath was uneven, I could smell my own blood on my running nose, I felt like shit. I was dead meat.

Then, a weight was pushing my back. Cam put his sharp shoes on my back and trampled on it. After he’s satisfied, he bent down and squatted next to me, taking my face so I could see his stupid face.

“If you ever come to my Savannah again, trust me you’ll regret it. You’ll get worse than this…” he spat on my face, the liquid of his saliva ran down my face. “And of course, I won’t hesitate to fuck your sweet sexy sister and make her life a living hell” at the mention of Kat, I screamed and tried to grab him but I couldn’t move, I only happened to let out tormented growls. Then Cam left me there while the three guys came to me, putting their sharp shoes on my back, trampling on me, kicking my sides until…

I felt so sleepy, I felt numb to the unbearable pain then I passed out on the cold class floor.