The Rebel's Apprentice

I smiled at Ethan. The sun was beating down on us and it was a perfect beautiful day. His fingers were smooth against my face. He leant over me, the wheat standing tall and proud like soldiers around us, hiding us from view. It was how we liked it. I stared up at him. His handsome face. He traced a finger along my jawline gently as he watched me. I sighed in content. I didn't even know how we got here. But it was perfect nonetheless.
Ethan abruptly looked troubled. I asked him what the matter was.

"It's time for you to go," he told me. I didn't understand. Go? Go where? Here was the only place I wanted to be. I'd only ever wanted to be by his side. "They're waiting for you."

"Who?" I asked. He didn't answer. He sat up and I followed suit. "Ethan?" He didn't look up at me.

"I'll be there," he told me. "Waiting for you. I'll always be waiting for." I shook my head, worry on my face. "What are you talking about?" Ethan leant forward and placed a soft kiss to my forehead.

"It's time to go now." I shut my eyes and held on to him.

"But I don't want to go. I want to stay here with you." He looked down at me with a fond smile and brushed his fingertips across my cheek.

"No you don't. You want to be with me. And you can't be with me here. You know you have to leave now if you want to be with me." I shook my head and huddled against his chest. His arms didn't encircle me.

"I can't," I groaned.

"You can," he encouraged. "Just let go. If you don't, you'll never see this place again. Never see me." I looked up at him and trusted him. How could I not? I gently let go of his white v-neck and he smiled supportively. He stood up and turned around, walking into the wheat and disappearing.

"Ethan?" I called. I stood and went after him. I couldn't seem to find him. I ran, panicked as the sky turned dark and rain fell heavily.
Pain. There shouldn't have been pain. This was my heaven. Why was there pain and fear?
I felt it across my face. My legs ached and failed me. I fell to the floor, the wheat towering above me intimidatingly.

"Ethan!" I shouted over the rising noise of the rain. "Ethan!" My legs hurt so much. My head was fuzzy. My ribs hurt. I couldn't breath. Where was he? Why would he leave me in this place? 'Ethan!' I cried, unable to tell the difference between the rain and the tears on my face. He'd abandoned me in this horrible place. My heart ached worse than the pain that was surging through my body. I felt my heart quicken and my eyes grow heavy.
Just a quick rest and then I'd look for Ethan again. He couldn't possibly leave me here.

I shut my eyes and felt numb. Everything was dark and numb.
Then I felt something. A hand in mine, gripping it. I focused on that feeling and it grew. Feeling seeped back into my bones and I regretted it. I hurt so bad. All over. Where was I? Why was I in so much pain? Who was gripping my hand so hard?
I cracked open my eyes and looked at the plain white wash ceiling above me. The air around me smelt sharp and sterilized. It had a clear hospital smell.
The hospital? What did that mean? How was I here? Johnny had killed me . . hadn't he? Oh, Ethan must be so sad. My family. Mom, dad, Beth. And Chloe. Zach, Scott, Cookie. They'd miss me. I'd sure miss them.

But who was gripping my hand so damn tight? I glanced weakly down at my hand. A bigger hand was holding it. Bigger than mine. A man's hand? My eyes drifted up the arm to the owner.
Ethan. I blinked. His elbow was propped on the bedside, his head in his hand. I looked again at my hand in his.
I was alive? I looked back at Ethan. He was here and so was I. I was alive.
The thought echoed around my head.
I'm alive!

I smiled, despite my pain. My hand tightened weakly around his and his head snapped up from his hand. He looked first too our hands. Then in the next second he was looking at me.
He was looking at me! I was alive and he was looking at me. He got up and sat on the side of the bed. I sat up, wincing in pain, and we stared at each other a moment. He reached out a hand and brushed his fingers against the bruises on my face. I thought of the wheat field.

"You said you'd be waiting," I said gruffly with a weak smile. He frowned, not following. "I dreamt I was in the field with you," I explained. "You said you'd be waiting for me."

"I'll always wait for you," he said in a soft voice. I thought I'd never hear him speak again. His voice sounded perfect to my ears.

"Yeah, you said that too," I giggled. He couldn't seem to smile. I looked around the room. We were alone. Why were we alone? I looked back at Ethan to question this but stopped. He was staring at the bed sheets and sighed. He licked his lips and then trapped his bottom lip between his teeth.

"I thought you were dead," he said, his voice wavering. I frowned lightly and tilted my head at him. He shook his head. "They brought you out. Carried you out on a stretcher. I- I- I thought you were dead," he repeated, running a hand through his messed up hair. I leant forward and lifted his chin to look at him. His eyes were shiny and I watched as a tear escaped. I gasped and reached out to catch it.

"What's this?" I asked. "I've never seen you cry." he lowered his eyes. "Hey," I whispered. "Look at me." He did so. "You know you don't have to pretend with me. You can be yourself with me." He watched my intense stare and bit his lip again. His wet eyes darted to the window.

"I thought I'd lost you forever," he chocked out. "I thought you were gone and I never even told you." I held him and he held me back.

"Told me what?" I asked.

"That I fucking love you shortcake." My insides burned against my internal injuries. He loved me. He loved me!
I leant back and looked in his eyes. I giggled. Ethan frowned.

"You love me?" I asked. He nodded, confused.

"That's good," I nodded. "Cause I've loved you for a lot longer than I care to admit." He smiled for the first time and captured my lips with his. It was the best kiss in the world. He was careful to be gentle with me. The medicine had worn off and I was in a lot of pain. But the pain could wait for now. Right now it was just me and Ethan and our love.

"I'm sorry I never said it sooner," he said after our lips parted. "I was scared to. After everything with Cookie . . " I shook my head.

"It doesn't matter," I sighed, shutting my eyes as I leant against his chest. His arms enveloped me. "My hero." He sighed heavily and rest his chin gently on my head. I was happy. I was safe and loved.
I felt tears spring too my eyes. Now I had to face the ugly truth of what Johnny may have done to me.
I chocked on a sob and Ethan held me tighter.

"Hey, hey. Baby, shhh. You're safe now," he cooed.

"What did he do to me, Ethan?" I wailed. "Tell me."

"Nothing," he said back instantly. "He didn't do anything. He just hurt you. You're dad and his cops got him out as he kicked the bathroom door down. He didn't touch you." Ethan's voice was soft, reassuring. I believed him. "He beat you up pretty bad though." I cried harder at the memory. The pain. The throbbing in my head. Ethan sighed. "I'm so sorry Alice. I couldn't keep my promise. But Johnny and Erin are gone. We're free. I'll protect you. From now on. I promise. I'll die before I let anyone hurt you again." He had begun to gently cry again. He rocked us back and forth. "I'll protect you always."
I cried against his chest and felt Ethan's tears drop onto my head. He felt my pain and I felt his. We were like one person. Though one part of that person was now pretty damaged. It would take a while before I regained my confidence. Stopped being scared. But with Ethan's help, I'm sure it won't take that long.

The door opened and voices flowed in. I heard the gasp of my mother and then her footsteps as she ran towards me. I felt Ethan's arms remove themselves from me and I reached out to secure him, but he was already up. Seconds later I was engulfed by my mother, talking over and over about 'the one moment we go to the bathroom, she wakes up'. I held her back and smiled at Beth, stepping up to the bed next to me. I looked at dad stood next to Ethan. He was watching him with a puzzled expression as he witnessed Ethan wipe at his eyes and try to look manly again. It made me smile. But the realisation, shortly followed by brief acceptance, that touched dad's eyes made me smiled more. Now he finally knew that Ethan cared for me and always would. Maybe things were going to be okay. I was alive. Everyone loved me. The bad guys were in custody. And I'd be home the next afternoon.
Yeah. Maybe things were going to be okay after all.



Ethan didn't go to school. Not when I wasn't going. Dad objected to the idea but mom persuaded him I needed someone to look after me and keep me company while they were both at work. I was pleased dad had accepted Ethan as apart of the family. He now treated him civilly, though he still needed to prove himself, according to dad. Like tears at his girlfriend's hospital bed aren't enough.
It didn't matter though, cause I had Ethan. And he was brilliant. He waited on me hand and foot. Even when I didn't want food or drinks, he still got them. I had to tell him to stop in the end.

"Please, I just want to sit with you," I told him. He'd found a dated B-movie and we giggled at the cheap effects as we curled up on the couch. He'd draped a thick blanket across our legs and held me close under his arm.

"What do you wanna do when school ends?" he asked suddenly, clearly not watching the movie. I blinked and wished I could just curl up into his side and disappear. I shrugged evasively.

"No seriously," he pressed. I sighed. "What did you wanna do before you met me?"

I shrugged again. "I was thinking about college, I guess." He nodded, his brain taking note.

"Which one?"

"Oh, geez, I dunno. Any."

"You should start applying, y'know, get in there before they fill up." His voice was light, indecisive. I frowned and sat up to look at him.

"What are you saying?" He was suddenly interested in the movie again and spared a shrug of his own.

"I'm saying . . . you shouldn't waste your life. You could make such a future for yourself. You've got the potential, don't waste it." I continued to frown at him.

"And us?" I enquired. He pouted lightly as he thought and I struggled to keep the frown in place.

"Well, I'm pretty certain that anywhere you go, I'll go too, so why not fulfil your own expectations and go to college?"

"You'd come with me? . . all this talk about my future, what about yours?"

"Way I see it is, you're the only future I got. I don't have one at college or doing anything smart. My future is just going where ever you need to go to have yours." I watched him a moment and cracked a smile.

"You've gone soft in the head, Ethan," I giggled. He smiled too.

"Maybe a little, but only since meeting you. I told you, kid, you're apart of me now."

"I love hearing you say that. Never gets old."

"Well, as long as I still get alcohol, cigarettes and those expert little kisses of yours, I'll say it as much as you like." I leant forward and kissed his lips softly. I leant back and smiled up at him.

"I wonder how school will go tomorrow?" I mused.

"Yeah, well just as long as they don't all think I gave you these injuries," he joked. I looked up at Ethan. Imperfect Ethan Kowalski who, despite himself, was perfect in every way.

"I don't think even the most gullible kids could ever believe you'd hurt me." He looked down at me and shared my smile.
Ethan Kowalski. Perfectly imperfect. And he was all mine.