Your Protector

I woke up for school at seven A.M. to the beeping sound of my alarm clock. After resetting my alarm, I climbed out of bed and walked to my closet. It had taken me an hour to pick my clothes the night before and I hoped they'd make a good impression. Like most Juniors at Trescot High School I wanted to look good on my first day. I pulled on my black and red plaid skirt then tied the bow on the side. I slipped on my black and red, striped, knee high socks, my black shirt, and my red converse with black laces. I looked at myself in the mirror to see if the socks were too wild or not and decided to keep them on then I heard the doorbell ring and ran downstairs to answer it. My brother had gotten to the door before me and was letting in Alex and Zane. After my brother walked out the door to go to work I walked over to them and out of habit leaned into Zane, letting him put his arms around me. Zane kissed my forehead, let me go, and grabbed hold of my small hand. "Good morning." He smiled.

"Morning Zane. Hey Alex."

Alex seemed distant and took a while to answer me. "Hey Alexis."

I let go of Zane's hand and hugged Alex around the waist. "Something wrong Teddy Bear?"

"Nope. I"m just tired." He said smiling down at me. He hugged me tighter then let go, sighing.

"Okay." I said, not really believing him. "Let's get going."

Zane slung his arm around me and we walked out the door behind Alex. I told Zane to get in the truck and I'd just be a minute. He looked at me, curious, then got in the truck. I grabbed Alex's arm and got him to face me. "Are you sure you're okay Alex? Do you need a hug? You know you can tell me anything and I'll do what I can to help."

"I know and I'm fine. Thanks."

"No problem."

Alex stood there staring at me a minute then asked, "Could I still have that hug?"

"Of course." I smiled and hugged him tightly.

Alex let go and smiled back at me. "Thanks." He walked towards the backseat and opened the door for me, helping me into his giant truck, then climbed into the drivers seat.

Zane looked at me once I shut the door and asked, "What did you need to talk about?"

"Nothing important. I was making sure he was okay." I leaned my head on Zane's shoulder and shut my eyes. "I love you Zane."

"Love you too." He wrapped his arms around me and we stayed like that the whole ride to school. Alex usually talks on the way to school but he didn't and then I knew something had to be wrong.

We arrived at Trescot High and sat in the library. I decided on a way to cheer Alex up and whispered into his ear. "Hey, Zane said his penis is bigger than yours. Are you going to take that?"

Alex looked at me surprised then looked at Zane, amused. "Zane your penis is not bigger than mine so don't lie to Alexis." Alex laughed.

Zane looked confused but he got into the argument like I thought he would. I saw the cheerfulness spark back into Alex's eyes. I was practically falling out of my chair when Samuel, one of my best friends walked over. He took the seat next to me and leaned his head on my shoulder, acting as if he was too tired to hold it up. "How long have they been arguing?" He whispered, tilting his head to get his brown hair out of his eyes.

"About five minutes." I said after stopping my laughter.

"You started it didn't you Missy?"

"Yup."

Sammy lifted his head and leaned over the table to get in between the guys. "You know what?" Sammy asked, not waiting for an answer. "Mine is bigger than both of yours put together."

I literally fell out of my chair laughing. I climbed back into the chair gasping for air and turned back to the boys.

Alex and Jason looked shocked too see Sammy because they were too absorbed in their argument to notice him. Alex was the first to get over the shock and he said, "How would you know?"

"Uh let me think...Cause I'm gay?" He said, batting his eyes at Alex when he said gay.

"That's true but it doesn't prove how you'd know."

"Yeah it does." Sammy stated simply like it was obvious and they should know the answer. He put his head back on my shoulder, acting as if he was no longer interested in the argument and yawned closing his eyes slightly.

"How?" Alex said, clearly interested in what Sammy would say next.

"Well, Alex, it's because gays know all." He stated with his eyes closed, clapping his hands together.

"Whatever man," Zane joined in. You're all insane. Come on Alexis I'll walk you to class."

"Okay." I stood up and Zane slung my backpack over his shoulder then grabbed my hand. I said bye to everyone and walked out the door with Zane.

It was finally the last period of the day and it was my favorite. Art. Zane and Samuel were in the class with me but Alex had taken piano so he was in a different one. I skipped in singing We're Off to See the Wizard with Samuel's arm linked through mine. Zane refused to join the skipping and just walked behind us, acting as if we were strangers. When we reached the class I took a seat in the back row between Zane and Samuel. "Good morning class. I'm your art teacher, Ms. French. I would like you all to take out the sketch books under your desk and draw something you see."

I took my book from under my desk and looked around the room then saw a book sitting by the window and read the title. The image that filled my mind almost brought tears to my eyes. I saw my mom and she was sitting on my bed and reading The Hungry Caterpillar out loud to my brother and I.

I started sketching my mom's face, trying to get it on the paper before I forgot what she looked like and just as the teacher walked by me the image vanished, causing silent tears to spill out of my eyes. A tear fell onto my paper and smeared the ink, making my mother's face blur. Ms. French stopped and knelt down in front of me. "What's wrong Alexis?" She asked softly, trying not to bring the students' attention to me.

"I was drawing my mom..and...she disappeared..and I can't... I can't remember... what she looked like. Why can't I remember. It...only..happened two years.. ago" I hiccuped, trying not to cry.

"Aw. Honey it's going to be okay. Why don't you step out in the hall. You can sit out there as long as you need too. I'm sorry about your mom." She said gently, guessing my mom was dead.

Zane kept doing his work, not even looking at me to see if I was okay. I kept telling myself maybe he just didn't notice me crying but I knew it wasn't true. Everyone noticed. Sammy gave me a worried look and I smiled through my tears. He nodded and went back to work.

After Ms.French shut the door behind me I walked over to the lockers. I slid down the lockers to sit on the floor then I pulled out my phone and messaged the only person who I would talk to when I was like this.
TEXT MESSAGE TO: ALEX TRIPP
MESSAGE: ALEX I NEED YOU! PLEASE COME MEET ME BY THE ART ROOM.

After messaging Alex I pulled my knees into my chest and buried my face in my hands.I thought about the day my mom died. That was the worst day of my life and I will never forget it.

I was fifteen and I had just gotten home. When I walked in it was oddly quiet and there was a weird atmosphere to the house. I walked upstairs and into the hallway. There in front of me was my mom, leaning against the wall, bruises and cuts covering her face. I gasped and she turned around with a finger to her lips. She mouthed the words, 'Your dad,' then gestured for me to follow her. I followed her through the hall, to my room, and into my dark closet. She didn't turn the light on and said no words to me as she hugged me as tight as she could, tears pouring out of her eyes.

I heard my bedroom door swing open and hit the wall, causing my mom to flinch. "I know you're in here Catherine. Come out now and I just might thinking about letting you die fast instead of torturing you."

My mom didn't move an inch as the footsteps got closer to my closet. All the sudden the door flew open revealing my dad. He grabbed my mom by the hair and pulled her from the closet then slammed the door. I looked through the crack in the closet and saw that my brother Jason was hiding under my bed. My mom probably called him over for help but got worried about his safety and hid him. I looked at my parents through the crack and my dad pulled a knife from his pocket. He stabbed my mom in the chest, making me scream and swing open the door. My brother crawled from under the bed and my dad turned on him with the knife. Jason slowly backed up against a wall and my dad turned towards me. I was on the ground crying and holding my mom's head saying, "No. Please no. Mom wake up. Please don't die."She looked so peaceful. Like she was finally happy. Once I convinced myself she wasn't alive I turned to face my father. "Look what you did you bastard! How could you? You killed my mom and I'm going to kill you!" I screamed and jumped up from the floor.

I started toward my dad, ready to attack. But he was stronger. He pulled my arms behind my back and held the knife to my throat. I looked up at him, pleading with my eyes for him not to do it and he dropped the knife, putting his hand over his mouth. "I'm a monster!." He screamed then ran out the room.

My brother and I stayed still until we heard a gun shot and a loud thud.

My dad had shot himself.

I fell to floor next to my mom and stayed there the whole time the police were at my house. Everything went to slow motion as they loaded my mom into an ambulance and took her away from my life forever. After I watched my mom being taken away I called the only person I could think of and he was at my house in almost five minutes.

Alex took me away from my house and to his. He carried me to his room never speaking one word. He pulled off my shoes and laid me down on his bed then stretched out next to me. I curled into a ball next to him and his arms went around me. I cried myself to sleep, him holding me and never speaking a word. He didn't have to speak to let me know how much he cared. I could see it in his eyes.

I heard walking and looked up to see Alex halfway down the hall. The minute my eyes met his he started jogging and sat on the floor, pulling me into his lap. I grabbed his shirt and cried into his chest letting all of my tears fall and he buried his face in my hair. Just like the night my mom died he didn't say anything, but looked at me with concern in his aqua blue eyes. When he pulled away slightly one small tear fell from his eye, sliding down his cheek and glistening in the sun. And that's when I knew that I really loved him from the bottom of my heart. And I think he feels the same way.