Keep Away

I was surprised when after school came more quickly than usual. I was even more surprised when an angry looking Connor seemed to purposely shoved my shoulder on his way out the door. I watched as he turned a corner in the hallway, a scowl still firmly planted on his face.

What was his problem anyway? Why was he so upset after I took the blame? He should be the one thanking me. He had no right to be so ignorant, after I tried to protect him from ending up like a nobody. If only he knew how much trouble I was going through, just so he wouldn't be bullied. But now, stubborn Connor screwed up and it's officially his fault.

I let out a groan and left the school, heading home instead. As stressed as I was, I couldn't go over to the tree, not now. I just knew that mysterious boy up in that tree would annoy me more than I was now, probably taking Connor's side. Both of them were so stubborn and I just hated stubbornness.

“Soon the class will shun Connor, just as they're shunning me,” I murmured, coming home and collapsing on the sofa. “Danny might actually beat him up and no one will want to talk to him.”

It's not your fault. It's Connor's fault.

“It's his fault,” I told myself. “It's his fault. If he gets jumped by Danny, then that's his own problem.”

It's not your fault. It's not your fault. It's not your fault.

“God dammit!” I started rubbing the sides of my head with the balls of my thumbs. “He's just an innocent, kind hearted kid, coming to this town for a new beginning. Because of me, he's going to get hurt. Just because he got mixed up with me. Why do I cause so much pain when I'm just around?”

Why am I the victim?

I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths. I was over thinking this as usual, but I didn't know what to do about Connor's safety. What could I do anyway? I'm not strong enough. Tell him everything I've been trying to do? He'll just think I'm joking. I took another breath and I felt myself slipping into sleep.

Usually, I'd dream about Shamin and Edward, either talking to me or living their storylines. My last dream was a ballroom scene, where they danced and danced all night. Shamin would never be able to do that, but it was one of the wishes she had before she would die. This time, my dream was different. I was the one in the ballroom dress, standing around nervously on the marble floor.

Then Connor came in a suit and gave me the biggest grin ever. He glided down a pair of classy stairs and approached me, taking my hand and giving it a light kiss.

“Do you hate me Trinity Westley?” He inquired.

“I...um....” I suddenly felt nervous.

“Since we're both weirdos, I think we should dance.” He chuckled as he placed a hand on my waist. We danced like those movies back in the old days, exactly the way Shamin and Edward did. He looked really cute in the light, that Connor.

As we danced, suddenly more people started showing up in the background. Now people from my class, dressed in their own gowns and suits, were glaring at us. Instead of only seeing Connor, I was getting a terrible feeling of hate around me. It was all beginning to get to real as I suddenly stopped our dance.

“Trinity, what's the matter?”

“I.....I can't do this anymore.”

“Is it because they're here? Don't mind them, continue dancing with me.” Then he smiled like nothing was happening.

“Are you stupid?” I tore his hands away from my waist. “No, it's not worth it. You don't want to end up like me.”

“I rather be someone like you, instead of an asshole like – “ He stopped then coughed out a mouthful of blood. I screamed as he fell down, a bullet hole embedded in his back. I looked ahead and saw a smug Danny, dressed up, holding a silver pistol. I looked down at the blood forming around my heels and looked back up at Danny, who was now pointing the gun at me.

“Why are you even alive?” He pulled the trigger and I jolted awake, falling out of the couch.

“Holy shit!” Sweat was running down my forehead and I felt my heart pounding in my chest. “Since when do I have dreams about getting killed?”

I looked out the window and saw that night had already fallen. Was I really asleep for that long? That dream seemed to be about two minutes long. I picked up my notebook and pencil and walked outside, deciding to finally head out to my tree and take my mind off of things. I began to play the scenes of my novel in my head as I walked.

Like all rich girls, you'd think Shamin would have everything. She had nothing, which was exactly why she wasn't carrying a single thing as she forced herself out of bed. She didn't realize she had this much strength as she put feet down, seeing as how she's never escaped her bed in a while.

She was going to run away, complete all her wishes, and die peacefully in a meadow of some sort.

I looked up into the tree and the cool night air brushed against my skin. “Hello?” I got no answer. For the first time in four days, he's never been up there. I felt a little sad, naturally, but quickly shook it off. I should be rejoicing instead. For once, I can get some peace and quiet instead of some smart ass remarks.

With my notebook in one hand and gripping wood in the other, I hoisted myself onto the tree. I squinted, trying my best to see the branches, but darkness was definitely winning. I groped around, trying to feel for that one branch to get me onto that spot. I felt a sense of familiarity, as I climbed on. My foot slipped but I gripped the branch as tightly as I could, managing to pull myself up. I snuggled into the space between two branches and grinned happily, thinking about how much I missed my old spot.

Shamin sucked in a large amount of breath, staring at the freedom she's longed for. Just one step through the door and running as fast as I could, she could never go back to the hospital life and she can never go back to staring longingly out the window again. She can find a friend or maybe a guy, anyone nice will do. After all she'll never be lonely again.

I stared at the one branch that my feet were touching, the one where the stranger supposedly carved his name. I shifted and leaned forward, still keeping my balance, running a finger through my name that I immediately recognized. I raised my hand above my name and felt a carve.

The scene changed when she was meeting destiny, or what she assumes it is. A man, her age, was staring straight at her. His wavy black hair looked absolute perfect than her messy strands. The two were locked eyes. In his eyes were curiously, in her's were a spark of hope.

Suddenly, without warning, I felt my foot slip and my body tumbling down to the Earth below. A surge of pain ran up my leg and I groaned loudly. With a shaky hand, I touched my leg and the burning sensation grew even more worse. My breathing was way more heavy than it was when I woke up from that dream. I tried to let out a scream, a cry for help, but only huffs of breath did. I was sweating more than ever, rolling on the grass, my mouth twisted in a wide expression of terror.

Shamin then felt a wave of sickness come over her as continued to get lost in the man's hazel eyes. Her wobbly knees fell to the pavement. She was almost there. Just a mile and she'd be gone forever. Her breathing went shallow and she was now slumped on the ground. The world was spinning and her vision began to blur.

Now I felt like a Shamin, seeing the world zoom in and zoom out before her eyes. I've never broken a bone before, so I've never felt this much pain physically. I might have also received a concussion, when I hit my head, now feeling something knocking on my skull. The world started to turn a shade of black and for a second, I hear footsteps.

Shamin was close to blacking out, when he ran over to her. The man picked her up in his arms and he shook her gently, but urgently. She could barely hear anything now, especially his now panicked calls. Although she was in a state of fatigue, she could only think about she's never been held like this. By another man especially.

Then she passed out, with his hazel eyes still in her mind.

I opened one eye, my world nearly covered in darkness. I felt someone's gentle arms scoop me up into their warmth and a cry of panic. My eyes were beginning to close and I saw his face for a split second.

I slipped into darkness, with a familiar face and brown hair in my mind.