Maybe You'll Be The One That Saves Me
Chapter 1: Don't Wanna See The Worst In You
Ronnie’s point of view:
I stepped inside my house, the door slamming shut behind me, Max by my side as I flipped on the remaining lights. Dad was still at work so I gently pulled Max along by the hand towards my room…He was hiding his face, probably crying still, and didn’t want me to see for fear I’d probably laugh at him, which was so far from the truth. I could never laugh at him, especially when he was obviously hurt and in pain. I had to help him as I heard another faint whimper escape his lips and I felt my heart break for him, unable to fathom just how much pain he was in.
I made him sit on the edge of my messy bed, as he looked down at his lap, sniffling. I knew he was crying, softly and I couldn’t stand it. I barely knew the kid but already his soft sniffles and gentle whimpers were like daggers to my heart.
“Hey, Max? You still with me?” I asked gently, offering him a soft smile as he met my eyes, his green ones were watery as another tear slipped to slide down his pale cheek.
Max gently nodded. “Ronnie…” he whimpered.
I was about to head for my bathroom to grab the first aid kit and anything else I’d need to help him, some warm water and a flannel when I heard his soft, broken voice.
“Yeah, Max?” I turned to look at him.
“I-it hurts…” he whimpered softly and I felt my heart break all over again.
“I know; I am gonna help you and try to make it go away, okay?” I said, gently, trying to offer him some comfort though I wasn’t sure about making it go away. Didn’t mean I’d sure as hell try, though.
He nodded, weakly, passing a hand across his eyes as I headed for the bathroom and soon came back with what I needed before kneeling down in front of him.
“Okay, I need you to tell me where are you hurt…”
He looked unsure for a moment but then he was biting his lip and pulling up his shirt to reveal a massive, ugly purplish blue bruise that covered half of his stomach and little cuts scattered over his torso, marring the skin there.
I gasped in shock and he just looked down in shame. He had nothing to be ashamed of though and I wondered vaguely who did this to him…But I’d ask later, first things first.
I gently cleaned the cuts before feeling the bruise, trying to be as gentle as possible, not wishing to hurt him. Max whimpered, closing his eyes shut but I didn’t find the damage to be that bad though it must have hurt like hell. I couldn’t do much for him, the bruise would just have to heal on its own so I gave him some Tylenol with some water which I hoped would help him somewhat.
“Thanks, Ronnie,” he sighed, gratefully, his lips curving into a small but genuine smile and I couldn’t help but to return it. He had such a beautiful smile; I wish he’d show it more often.
“Anytime, Max,” I responded as he gently maneuvered himself so he could lay down on my bed, closing his eyes.
When I was sure he had fallen asleep, I got up and headed to sleep in the spare room wanting to give him some space and privacy but before I could even reach the door, I heard a soft voice, almost pleading.
“Don’t go…please just stay with me,” his voice was so small, so sad that I couldn’t say no as his green eyes once again sparkled with unshed tears.
“Of course,” I said moving towards the bed and laying down next to him. He immediately snuggled up next to me, and I couldn’t help but put a gentle arm around his waist.
“Goodnight, Max,” I said with a deep sigh, pulling him closer to me but he was already asleep…
Sometime in the middle of the night, I heard Max’s scream. My eyes immediately flew open as I turned my attention towards the thrashing, whimpering boy beside me, his eyes clenched shut, his fists curled into the sheets, lost in his own personal nightmare.
“Oh, Max…” my heart ached as I gently began to pry his fingers from the sheets, sliding them between my own as he squeezed my hand.
“Please no…no, dad, I’m sorry…please, I’ll be better. I’ll lose weight and do the dishes and make dinner on time…please, and I won't play anymore if it's what you want...” Max whimpered and I frowned.
Lose weight? What was he talking about? He was already skinny already.
“Max, hey, wake up…” I urged gently, trying to keep my voice calm and soft.
But he continued thrashing and squeezing my hand. “Max, you’re just dreaming. It’s ok, he won’t hurt you here, not while I’m around,” I soothed, trying to get him to wake up but no use. He let out a piercing, heart-wrenching scream, tears forming beneath his eyelids.
I closed my eyes, feeling the moisture behind them. “Please Max, wake up, it’s only me…Ronnie, I won’t hurt you,” I begged, pulling him closer to me and wrapping my arms around him, not caring about anything else, as I held him tightly to me.
His fingers found their way on my shirt, clutching gently and then finally his brilliant green eyes opened to meet mine.
He was no longer thrashing but I could feel the little trembles coming from him. He was so weak and vulnerable even though he couldn’t be a year or so younger than me. He looked like he was carrying the entire world, all of its ugliness and grotesqueness, on his shoulders. At that moment, I knew I felt something powerful towards this boy I barely even knew. I had to get to know him and I would do everything in my willpower to help him and make sure he never hurt again.
His eyes met mine again, and he finally stopped trembling. His hand searched for mine and I automatically took it, interlacing our fingers together.
The next words that came out of his throat tore and shredded my heart into a million bits and pieces.
“Ronnie, I want to die…” A tear slid down his cheek and I felt a sob rip through my throat as I gently reached out to brush the tear away…
A/N: Thanks to everyone who subscribed and thanks so much to my first reviewer: Dear? Drop Dead! It means a lot and hope you like this chapter just as much...I normally don't write it in first person but figured this was easier and better...Next chapter will be Max's. :)
I stepped inside my house, the door slamming shut behind me, Max by my side as I flipped on the remaining lights. Dad was still at work so I gently pulled Max along by the hand towards my room…He was hiding his face, probably crying still, and didn’t want me to see for fear I’d probably laugh at him, which was so far from the truth. I could never laugh at him, especially when he was obviously hurt and in pain. I had to help him as I heard another faint whimper escape his lips and I felt my heart break for him, unable to fathom just how much pain he was in.
I made him sit on the edge of my messy bed, as he looked down at his lap, sniffling. I knew he was crying, softly and I couldn’t stand it. I barely knew the kid but already his soft sniffles and gentle whimpers were like daggers to my heart.
“Hey, Max? You still with me?” I asked gently, offering him a soft smile as he met my eyes, his green ones were watery as another tear slipped to slide down his pale cheek.
Max gently nodded. “Ronnie…” he whimpered.
I was about to head for my bathroom to grab the first aid kit and anything else I’d need to help him, some warm water and a flannel when I heard his soft, broken voice.
“Yeah, Max?” I turned to look at him.
“I-it hurts…” he whimpered softly and I felt my heart break all over again.
“I know; I am gonna help you and try to make it go away, okay?” I said, gently, trying to offer him some comfort though I wasn’t sure about making it go away. Didn’t mean I’d sure as hell try, though.
He nodded, weakly, passing a hand across his eyes as I headed for the bathroom and soon came back with what I needed before kneeling down in front of him.
“Okay, I need you to tell me where are you hurt…”
He looked unsure for a moment but then he was biting his lip and pulling up his shirt to reveal a massive, ugly purplish blue bruise that covered half of his stomach and little cuts scattered over his torso, marring the skin there.
I gasped in shock and he just looked down in shame. He had nothing to be ashamed of though and I wondered vaguely who did this to him…But I’d ask later, first things first.
I gently cleaned the cuts before feeling the bruise, trying to be as gentle as possible, not wishing to hurt him. Max whimpered, closing his eyes shut but I didn’t find the damage to be that bad though it must have hurt like hell. I couldn’t do much for him, the bruise would just have to heal on its own so I gave him some Tylenol with some water which I hoped would help him somewhat.
“Thanks, Ronnie,” he sighed, gratefully, his lips curving into a small but genuine smile and I couldn’t help but to return it. He had such a beautiful smile; I wish he’d show it more often.
“Anytime, Max,” I responded as he gently maneuvered himself so he could lay down on my bed, closing his eyes.
When I was sure he had fallen asleep, I got up and headed to sleep in the spare room wanting to give him some space and privacy but before I could even reach the door, I heard a soft voice, almost pleading.
“Don’t go…please just stay with me,” his voice was so small, so sad that I couldn’t say no as his green eyes once again sparkled with unshed tears.
“Of course,” I said moving towards the bed and laying down next to him. He immediately snuggled up next to me, and I couldn’t help but put a gentle arm around his waist.
“Goodnight, Max,” I said with a deep sigh, pulling him closer to me but he was already asleep…
Sometime in the middle of the night, I heard Max’s scream. My eyes immediately flew open as I turned my attention towards the thrashing, whimpering boy beside me, his eyes clenched shut, his fists curled into the sheets, lost in his own personal nightmare.
“Oh, Max…” my heart ached as I gently began to pry his fingers from the sheets, sliding them between my own as he squeezed my hand.
“Please no…no, dad, I’m sorry…please, I’ll be better. I’ll lose weight and do the dishes and make dinner on time…please, and I won't play anymore if it's what you want...” Max whimpered and I frowned.
Lose weight? What was he talking about? He was already skinny already.
“Max, hey, wake up…” I urged gently, trying to keep my voice calm and soft.
But he continued thrashing and squeezing my hand. “Max, you’re just dreaming. It’s ok, he won’t hurt you here, not while I’m around,” I soothed, trying to get him to wake up but no use. He let out a piercing, heart-wrenching scream, tears forming beneath his eyelids.
I closed my eyes, feeling the moisture behind them. “Please Max, wake up, it’s only me…Ronnie, I won’t hurt you,” I begged, pulling him closer to me and wrapping my arms around him, not caring about anything else, as I held him tightly to me.
His fingers found their way on my shirt, clutching gently and then finally his brilliant green eyes opened to meet mine.
He was no longer thrashing but I could feel the little trembles coming from him. He was so weak and vulnerable even though he couldn’t be a year or so younger than me. He looked like he was carrying the entire world, all of its ugliness and grotesqueness, on his shoulders. At that moment, I knew I felt something powerful towards this boy I barely even knew. I had to get to know him and I would do everything in my willpower to help him and make sure he never hurt again.
His eyes met mine again, and he finally stopped trembling. His hand searched for mine and I automatically took it, interlacing our fingers together.
The next words that came out of his throat tore and shredded my heart into a million bits and pieces.
“Ronnie, I want to die…” A tear slid down his cheek and I felt a sob rip through my throat as I gently reached out to brush the tear away…
A/N: Thanks to everyone who subscribed and thanks so much to my first reviewer: Dear? Drop Dead! It means a lot and hope you like this chapter just as much...I normally don't write it in first person but figured this was easier and better...Next chapter will be Max's. :)