We're Nothing Short of Invincible

I quickly paced through the midnight air, tense and scared. I could hear footsteps behind me, following me wherever I go. Stalking me like I was their prey. As I sped up so did the footsteps, scaring me even more. I started to run down the sidewalk as fast as I could, prepared to yell for help. But even if I did it would just be a waste of air, nobody in this damn city cares about anyone but themselves. If they had to put themselves in danger then they would just let it be, sit back and watch things happen like a horror movie.

I glanced at my surroundings as I ran, watching the wind blow through the dying trees. I looked ahead of me and shook my head in denial. The sidewalk didn't end. It carried as far as the eye could see. My eyes continued to look for safety, but there wasn't any. All I could see was this never ending broken sidewalk surrounded in dying trees and broken homes. None of the streetlights were working, so I couldn't see that far ahead of me anyways.

The footsteps were right behind me now. A cold, strong hand grabbed me by the shoulder and spun me around. The only sound heard was my screaming…

"Beck wake up!" yelled a voice while gently shaking me. My body shot up in realization of what was going on. My breathing was erratic as I ran my hands through my messy hair. "A-are you ok?" asked Ian. I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head in response. "Come here," he whispered while widening his arms. I lunged forward and let him wrap his arms around me, the warmth melting off his body and onto mine.

"What, what was going on?" I quietly asked.

"I was sleeping beside you and I woke up because you were thrashing around and mumbling. You would stop for a few seconds, but then you just started to yell and throw your body against the bed," Ian explained while running his hand through my hair. "Were you having a nightmare?" he asked.

I nodded my head, "Yah."

"Do you have nightmares often?"

I bit my lip and lowly said, "Yes. I don't get that much sleep because of it."

"What are they about?" he whispered which earned a sigh as my response.

"Lots of things, the nightmares, I guess you could say when you think about them they show what I feel deep down." I could feel a pair of lips connect to the top of my head, Ian's lips.

"You going to be able to fall back asleep?"

I furiously shook my head, rubbing my head against Ian's chest since he was still holding me. "No, no I won't. I just… need some coffee, and some pills for this headache," I mumbled.

"Coming right up." Ian momentarily let go of me so he could stand up on the ground. He extended his hand which I gratefully took. As I stood on the ground I slightly swayed while moaning.

"Holy shit I have a bad hangover, it's not even morning yet," I grumbled.

"Well actually its 5:17 so it sort of is morning and maybe you shouldn't drink then," Ian stated while dragging me by the hand through his house.

"That's not going to happen," I scoffed. "Hey isn't your parents home?"

"Well my dad is on a business trip thingy and… well my mom is here, but she sleeps like a rock. We could have a party and she wouldn't know," he lightly laughed. "Just take a seat here and I'll make the coffee," Ian instructed while pulling back a chair for me to sit on. I immediately obeyed and rested my arms on the kitchen table, watching him begin to make the coffee. Once he started the coffee machine he walked over to where I was sitting, taking a seat across from me. I watched as Ian extended his hand across the table and latched on to mine. "You feeling any better?"

"I guess," I numbly responded. Ian's thumb traced imaginary shapes on my hand, subconsciously making me close my eyes and lay my head on the table. I felt his hand that wasn't holding mine tilt my chin up. He peered in my eyes as I gave him a confused look. "What?"

Ian sighed, "You still don't look too good. You didn't look like yourself when you came to The Exchange in the first place. Did something happen?" he asked, the care for me he was showing was almost uncomfortable. Nobody has shown me that since, well, my dad once again.

"Nothing, out of the ordinary," I carefully chose my words.

"Beck what-"

"I was high," I snapped and pulled my hand from his grasp, leaning against the chair. I thought back to the moment…

"Hey Jeff," I smiled while walking towards him.

"Oh hey Beck, here for your….uh….stuff?" he asked while laughing.

"Yah," I mumbled. He reached in his back pocket and took out the bag filled with white substance. He tossed it over to me and I caught it with one hand.

"That stuff is new, but I've heard it isn't that strong."

"Whatever," I shrugged, "at least it's free."

Jeff chuckled, "I guess you're right on that one." I sat down on the cement beside him, crossing my legs. I opened the packet and began what I came to do.

"You got high," Ian stated more then asked, taking me from my thoughts. "And that isn't out of the ordinary?"

"No," I told him. Ian sighed just as the coffee machine stopped, signalling it was ready. He got up from his position and walked over to the cupboards, taking out two glasses. He then walked over to the coffee machine; picking it up and pouring the almost black liquid into the cups. I averted my eyes to the table as Ian walked back over to me, setting a cup in front of my hands and two Advil as he sat down in the chair he was in before.

I quickly grasped on to the pills and swallowed them dry. I coughed then grabbed the hot mug and carefully sipped the contents of it. Once I set it down I saw Ian looking at me with both his hands firmly wrapped around his mug. "What Ian? Just say it," I snapped. He sighed in response and looked inside his mug.

"You know, I don't like you getting in that kind of trouble," he whispered. While peering up at me, into my eyes, he finished, "I care about you." Being my fidgety self, I tapped my fingers on the table while looking down and scoffed. Immediately I felt Ian's hand once again grasp mine. Against my better judgement I snapped my attention to him. "Honestly," he whispered.

I half-heartedly attempted a flicker of a smile, "Right." Ian nodded his head, taking that as a thank you. He began to trace shapes on my hand once again with his thumb.

"You know," he whispered, "we have school today." I looked at Ian in utter distaste, and then decide to slam my head against the table. Just as quickly as I did that I shot my head back up and rubbed it with my free hand.

"Bad idea," droned out of my mouth as Ian chuckled.

"So I get the feeling you don't want to go?" he asked.

"Your feelings are correct," I mumbled, still holding my head.

"We can just skip then," shrugged Ian. My eyes gleamed at his suggestion, but I quickly hid that with a shake of my head.

"I haven't skipped with somebody before," I pondered out loud.

"While I guess you are now," Ian smiled, showing off his straight white teeth.

What every happened to, I'm-a-cocky-jerk-and-can-get-any-girl,-you-know-you-want-me personality? Did my little display of drunken antics completely change his approach with me? And why the hell am I telling him personal stuff? He could turn around and back stab me tomorrow.

"Beck, hello?" Ian waved his hand in front of my face.

"What?" I snapped.

He held his arms defensively in the air, "Whoa, just making sure you're alive." I sighed and stood up in my chair. "Hey where are you going?" he asked.

"My house to get a jacket."

"You can just borrow one of mine," Ian stated while also standing up from his chair."

"No, I want mine," I stubbornly said.

"Fine, I'm coming with you then," he stated while smirking. I mumbled profanities under my breath while walking out of Ian's house, him right behind me. "So where do you live?" he asked.

I stuffed my hands in my jeans pockets as I explained, "About fifteen minutes walking from here. It's not exactly the bad part of the city, but it isn't the good part."

"I don't think there is a good part of this city."

"True," I agreed while nodding my head.

"So, why couldn't you go home last night?"

"Dude, you already asked me that question. Why would you ask me again?"

"Well maybe you changed your mind on telling me?" he asked more then stated.

I sighed, "Look, you know I was drunk last night. I was just making a big deal out of nothing and overreacting. True, I didn't want to go home. But I was borderline hysteric, it isn't a big deal."

"Well then just tell me!" he groaned.

"Fine!" I snapped while kicking a stone in front of me. "I just didn't want to see my mom and the bad kinds of druggies hang out by my house at night. It doesn't matter if you're in a car or what, they will try to mug you or do some damage. In the time I could have walked in my door one of us could have gotten shot. They just don't like when people walk out of their homes and see them," I stated while shrugging in annoyance.

"Oh," Ian muttered.

"You now know some things about Beck Dalle! Yay for you," I grumbled. "Now you can leave me alone and stop asking me questions." I went to jog ahead of him, but he grabbed my arm.

"Hold on a second here. Maybe you just don't want to believe it, but I want to hear about you Beck because I care. I want to be your friend. Yah I may be an arrogant jerk sometimes and it seems like I just want to get with you so I can say I did. But that's just the way my personality comes off. So don't go start thinking I'm going to turn around and back stab you, just give me a chance." Only after he stopped ranting did I notice that we stopped walking, his hand still latched onto my arm. It surprised me that he knew everything I was thinking.

"Fine," I pulled my arm out of his grasp. "Here's your chance, don't screw it up," I snapped while I continued to walk. Ian laughed to himself as he walked beside me. "What?" I snapped again.

He widely smiled, "No matter what I say you seem to have something to say back to me in an angered way."

I really had nothing to say to that.