Breaking All the Rules

"Chess?" I heard a voice calling at me, but I didn't look up. I just sat there and stared at the blank wall. It used to be painted white. But now was cracking and peeling, fading with the years. White was such a pure color, wasn't it? But now, it was greyish and covered in dust. Polluted. Defiled.

I felt warm arms wrap around me and someone murmur my name. It was Sisco. I could tell from the glittering bracelets on her arms. "What's wrong," she asked quietly, "Everyone's looking for you. The police, your parents, me, Max..." He arms tightened around me and her voice hardened. "And don't you dare tell me that nothing's wrong I know you so much better than that. You're not the kind of person to just go running off on your own. Though I'm glad I remembered our old tree house."

The tree house. Oh, I guess that was where I was. I really hadn't noticed. It had all been a blur. I'd lain there, in the ditch, for what seemed like forever. Until I was able to stand. After that, I couldn't remember anything. I just remembered staring at the wall.

Sisco came around in front of me and put her hands on my shoulders. She looked deep into my eyes. "What's wrong, Chess," she murmured, while her eyes started to tear up. I could hear the sobs in her voice, threatening to break forth. "I want to know."

"At least come home with me," she pleaded.

I got up slowly and made my way down the old rope ladder. Upon reaching the ground, I stared at the sky. The sun was just starting to set. Strangely, the golden color of the retreating sun reminded me of a pair of eyes. Max's eyes. I pictured him in my mind. His cocky grin, and shaggy hair.

But strangely... I didn't feel a thing. I just felt numb. Like someone had grabbed my heart, and yanked it out of it's place. Did I ever have a heart? I wonder.

Upon reaching home I was greeted by many tears of relief and smiles.

My mother looked like she was a bout to start yelling at me. About how horrible I was for just going off like that, not telling anyone. No one knew where I was. I had family that loved and cared about me.

But something in my eyes, perhaps the numbness stopped her. Maybe there was pain within my eyes I had yet to feel.

Throughout dinner I was silent and didn't touch my food. Sisco and Max both stared at me worriedly, they had been invited to stay for dinner, and the tension was so thick it could have been cut with a knife.

Sisco's eyes were that of a worried best friend..no. A sister. That ache to know what had happened to her other twin to make her act so. Her mouth quivered, holding unanswered questions he knew it would not help to ask. Yet she wanted to know so bad.

Max's were that of a close friend. Scared, and a bit apprehensive. Wondering if and when I would break down crying and tell them the whole story. Yet they were so soulful. Like that dog you never could get rid of, because every time you tried, it would melt you with those terrible eyes.

I'm sure before I would have been fainting continuously, my face beet red. But now, I felt nothing. He was simply a person. A nice boy who went to church and would never love a poor girl who had gone through what I had gone through. That was what my mind decided.