When Light Dies, Darkness Awakes

I woke up this morning with my head against Ren’s chest and his arms around me holding me close. I didn’t know until I opened my eyes that I was gripping my arms around his back tightly without realizing it. It made me wonder if I was holding him this tightly throughout the night, and if so, how was he still able to sleep? It is really warm being against him, and I feel really safe. I’ve always felt the safest with Ren, but maybe that’s just because he’s always been with me throughout my life. I can’t even begin to imagine where I would be if I didn’t have him.

I slowly started to move my arms back as I tried to get out, but I ended up waking him up.

“Mm…up…already Kari?” He mumbled out tiredly.

I couldn’t help but to giggle and say, “Its okay Ren, you can sleep longer, but I want to get something to eat.”

“Sleep more…I’ll make food for us later.” said Ren shifting himself to face me more and pulled me in tighter.

I smiled and caressed his cheek.

Last night I was really upset at what Shawn said, it wasn’t just that though. I just feel like I’m constantly getting underestimated because I always have Ren by my side to protect me. I rarely ever call over Ren to settle my problems, but people still think I’m depending entirely on him. I might depend on him for a few things, but they have it all wrong. Ren is the one who is highly dependent on me; it’s not the other way around. Since he’s always protecting me though, it appears to everyone else that he’s just my protector.

Last night I took out my anger on Ren, I didn’t mean too, I really didn’t. I just wanted to teach Shawn a lesson without getting any help. I wanted to prove that I’m not always calling on Ren to come on over and take care of my problems. I feel really guilty for how I behaved towards Ren; all he was doing was trying to help me. Ren never means to do any harm to me, yet I snapped at him. I know how Ren get’s when I’m upset, he gets really clingy and he won’t ever let me be left alone. Heck, I spend most of my time with Ren anyways.

“What are you thinking about?” Ren said bringing out of my deep thought.

“Just about the nickname we have at school.” I said back.

“What about it?” Ren asked.

“I hate it when they call us princess and prince. We aren’t stuck up, and we don’t act like we’re royalty. I don’t think we did a single thing to have earned that name. Do you like that nickname?” I asked Ren.

Ren placed his hand on my cheek and looked right into my light blue eyes with his blue ones, and said in a calm yet content voice, “I don’t really care what they call us. They can call us trash one and trash two for all I care. As long as I’m paired up with you, I’m happy.”

My eyes widened when he said that, his lips only formed an innocent smile and he then kissed my forehead and released me and got up.

“I’ll go make us some breakfast now.” said Ren as he fixed up his shirt and then walked out of my room.

I got up as well and went over to my mirror. I grabbed the brush and brushed through my silky thin black hair to get all the tangles out. I then made sure my makeup wasn’t smeared all over the place before I walked out of my room and down the hallway.

I saw Ren just standing there and staring right at Jayden who was talking…to his Mom.

She looked up and saw me, smiled and said, “You’ve grown so much Kari.”

My eyes went wide.

I’ve seen Vonia at least twenty times over that past five years, but every time she looks different.

Her skin was even paler than before, and her blonde hair didn’t go past her shoulders anymore. She was wearing a loosely worn light purple dress with small black heels.

I still am not sure what I should call her. I never did call her Mom, I don’t think…

“As have you Vonia. Are you going to be staying out of the asylum, or are you going to go back again and again like you always do.” I said in a serious tone looking right at her.

“Kari, don’t be rude to my Mom.” Jayden said snapping at me right away.

“I just would like to know since she always seems to leave right when we get our hopes up that she isn’t going back.” I said in an agitated voice.

Jayden doesn’t have to be an asshole about it. I’m just looking after him.

Vonia’s smile fell down to a frown.

I walked over to Ren who was standing there, his eyes were cold and he didn’t speak.

“I’m hoping I’ll be staying.” She said.

Vonia then looked over at Ren, and then walked over to him. Jayden followed her from behind.

Vonia looked right into Ren’s eyes and said, “Do you still hate me like you did when you were little?”

“Mom, don’t ask him that, let’s just go somewhere.” said Jayden.

Ren’s eyes suddenly gained back emotion, and his lips formed a somewhat sinister smile and he said, “I will always hate you, my dearest foe.”

Vonia’s eyes widened in surprise and then she spoke right away, “Since you’re older, I can ask you why you hate me. When you were little I couldn’t figure out why exactly. Was it because I didn’t give you much attention? Was it because you’re Mother and I didn’t get along? Was it because you were jealous of Jayden having me?”

“Why would I like someone my Mother hated? Why would I stop hating you for taking the man my Mother loved? I’ll always want revenge; I’ll always hold a grudge against someone I hate. Once I hate, I hardly ever go back on it. So watch the fuck out.” said Ren darkly, as he looked straight into her grayish silver eyes.

Vonia frowned and said, “You barely even know about the type of woman your Mother was, and probably still is. Its best not to be narrow minded in an area you know so little in.”

“Go back to the asylum, and don’t ever come back.” said Ren back solemnly.

“Don’t fucking talk to my Mother like that, learn some respect Ren.” said Jayden snapping at Ren and getting up right in front of his Mother.

“I’ll talk however the hell I want, Jayden. She isn’t my Mother, so why would I give a shit? If you’re going to talk tough, I’ll be more than happy to kick your ass and put you back in your place.” said Ren getting right in Jayden’s face.

“Put me back in my place? Shut up, I’ll put you in a place I should’ve put you in a long time ago.” said Jayden getting right back in Ren’s face.

He wasn’t going to step down…

“And where is that Jayden, hm?” said Ren to Jayden with a grin on his face.

“To fucking hell.” said Jayden.

“I’ve been there, I got kicked out. How about you get a taste of it?” said Ren as he gripped Jayden’s shirt and pulled him closer to his face.

“Stop it right now!” said Vonia in an authoritarian voice and she came right over.

“Come any fucking closer and I’ll do my Mother a favor.” said Ren with venom in his voice.

My eyes had been wide for a while and when I finally blinked I could feel the water in my eyes.

“You wouldn’t dare. I know you wouldn’t do that Ren. Your Father never hurt a female, not even the worst of the worst. I know you won’t.” said Vonia.

“Ren.”

I looked over to the direction of the voice and saw Reia there shaking her head, “I know what’s going on here, and I do not like it one bit young man.” said Reia.

Ren let go of Jayden and stared right at Reia.

“We’ll be going out to breakfast this morning; just you, Kari and I.” said Reia looking straight at him.

“Fine.” Ren said and then he turned and walked back to his room.

“Sorry about that.” Reia said to Vonia.

“It’s alright. Did you not tell him anything about his Mother?” asked Vonia.

“I did tell him things about her, but necessarily the details.” said Reia.

I turned around and went right into my room.

I got ready and when I finished I walked right out the door.

Ren stood there leaning against the wall near my door.

“Ready?” He said.

I nodded.

After we went out for breakfast, Ren went off to hang out with his friends.

I on the other hand, went right back home.

I guess you could say I was curious if she was still back at home.

When I got back I walked towards the bathroom and then stopped to see her staring at herself in the mirror.

She touched her face and her eyes looked somewhat devastated.

“You okay?” I asked her.

She snapped out of her trance she seemed to be in as she was looking in the mirror and looked at me.

“Ah, yes, I’m fine. It’s just, I’ve really aged throughout the years and I’m not even forty yet.” said Vonia in a low sigh.

“Oh…” I said.

“I wonder if Nate looks younger than I do, or if perhaps he is the same. I miss him more than anything. Throughout all these years, I’ve seriously been debating on giving up on his survival. It’s costing Reia so much money just to keep him in the hospital. Then she has to hire people to help move his body so that he doesn’t die from loosing so much muscle mass. I haven’t seen Nate even once, ever since he went into the hospital. Some girlfriend I am, right? I haven’t seen him at all in the past eleven years.” said Vonia as tears came into her eyes and slowly slipped out before she could wipe them away.

I looked at her sympathetically before saying, “If I may ask how come you two never married?”

She froze, and then she began to laugh as more tears spilled down her face.

“He didn’t like marriage; he thought a piece of paper shouldn’t be required for the world to know we love each other. I’m laughing because I tried so hard to get him to marry me. I wanted to get married more than anything, but he really wasn’t into it. He loves me, but he didn’t like marriage.” said Vonia.

I nodded.

“You know, Ren hasn’t gotten to see his Dad in so long. To be honest, I feel like I miss him even more than Ren does. He was so good to me when I was little.” I said sighing.

Vonia smiled and then came over and hugged me.

“Ren and Nate are really similar, I’d say it was odd, but it isn’t quite. What’s odd is he seems to be a mix of both of his parents, along with his own personality going on.” said Vonia.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well. Jayden told me a lot about Ren and how he feels about him and such. Nate was pretty good with getting a girl, many in fact. Nate was so good, that he probably did sleep with more than half the girls at school. Ren on the other hand, appears to be good at getting a girl, but he doesn’t seem to sleep with every girl there. Nate aimed for the girls a lot more than Ren does, but they both have that confidence. Despite what they have in common, they are still two different people with one big difference.” said Vonia.

“And that is?” I asked.

“W- “Hey Vonia, you mind helping me with dinner?” I heard Dolly yell out from down the hallway.

“Sure!” Vonia yelled back and then smiled at me before walking past me.

I stood there thinking.

“What kind of a man was and is now, Nate?”