When Night Breaks

I pulled into the parking lot outside of the commons building on campus. I seen Lacey's car a few spots over, and beside her was Shane's. They were standing outside of the vehicles talking, and I all could think was, "Poor Shane. Lacey's probably scaring him."

I had asked Shane a few days before if he wanted to go to The Rush with me and some friends. His face turned bright red as he pushed his big framed glasses up on the bridge of his nose. He finally agreed, and we decided to meet up in the parking lot.

"Hey guys." I walked up to Lacey and Shane and smiled. Lacey hugged me and Shane gave a shy wave.

"You guys ready to PARTY?!" Lacey screamed out, causing other students to glance in our direction.

"Gosh Lace, are you ever calm?" I asked, jokingly.

"You know that answer!" She grabbed both mine and Shane's hands, and drug us to the main festivities.

Surprisingly, Shane was a lot of fun. He loosened up after about an hour, and found a new talent at throwing darts at balloons. He won a stuffed monkey and offered it to me as a gift. It was a kind gesture, and I knew I had made a new friend. Over the speakers, the infamous "Cha Cha Slide" came on; a must have at any group event.

As the entire student body began "sliding to the left" and taking "two hops" Shane stood idly by.

"Come on, Shane. Do it!" I yelled out.

"I don't know how." He laughed.

"You've never done the Cha Cha Slide ?!" I asked in shock.

"Nope."

I grabbed him and showed him the dance moves, and soon he was Cha-cha-ing "real smooth".

We ate cotton candy and played a few more games. Shane had convinced Lacey to the bob for apples, which I thankfully got on video. It got late, and I knew I should probably get home.

We walked back to the parking lot, where Lacey got into her car and drove off after giving a wink and nod in Shane's direction. Shane walked me to my car and thanked me for inviting him.

"I would have never even had the nerve to come to this if you hadn't of asked me."

"Well I had a great time." Which was very true.

"I didn't feel like the nerdy kid for once. I felt normal. You're a good friend, Sam."
I smiled and told him so was he.

"Thanks for my monkey. I'll see you in class on Monday." I wasn't sure how to part, so I reached out for a hug, awkwardly. He hugged back, and smiled as be pulled away.

"See ya Monday, partner."

The whole drive home, my phone kept beeping to remind me that it's battery was low. I finally reached over and turned it all the way off. I pulled into the apartment complex and got out of my car. With stuffed monkey in hand, I got into the elevator.



As I stuck my key in the door, I heard something inside my apartment. I hoped it was Jay, and as I stepped in I yelled out.

"Ya know Jay, the fire escape entry is a little predictable now." But as I walked further inside, I felt an eerie sensation.

"Jay?" I yelled out.

"Nope, not quite." Ian stepped out of my bedroom into the hallway.

"Oh my God." I gasped and tried to run towards the door. Before I could make it, he grabbed me an pushed me against a wall in the kitchen.

"Now Sammy, why you running away?"

"Let me go!" I screamed. He leaned in and placed a kiss on my neck that sent disgusted chills down my spine. I caught sight of a gun in the waist band of his jeans.

"Expecting someone else, huh?" He said in a low, evil voice.

"What do you want, Ian?"

"I want you. But since I guess your monster boyfriend has taken you from me, I'm looking for something a little different now." He pulled away from me, but I didn't move.

"What?" I asked him, feeling the tears begin to form.

"Since I can't have you, I have to kill you." I felt my heart stop and my throat close. Inside my head, I was praying Jay would show up. If he could feel my feelings, surely he sensed my fear.

"Where's your boyfriend now? He isn't here to save you this time."

Dammit Jay, hurry I thought, as I felt my heart pounding against my chest.

"Ian please, just leave!" I begged and pleaded.

"I'm not a horrible person, Sam. I'm going to give you a chance to go." I was confused and knew he didn't really mean he would let me just go free.

"I'll give you 30 seconds to get out of your apartment and leave. If I reach 30, I shoot you." I felt my body go numb, as he pulled the gun out and pressed it against my chest.

"Ready. Set...." The cold metal jammed hard against my temple. The butt of the pistol struck me with such force it knocked me to the ground. In the haze and pain I heard Ian say "Go" as he began to count out loud.

Things were still fuzzy as my head pounded. I crawled on my knees towards the door. I knew I would never make it, so I turned towards my balcony.

five

I slipped and fell a few times, and blacked out. I regained my ability to halfway stand as I headed to my bedroom.

ten

He could have cheated me out of a few seconds and I would have never known it. I felt his shoe kick hard into my ribs as I reached the doorway of my bedroom. I should have known he wouldn't play fair.

twenty one

I was going to die here.

twenty five!

"Jay." I collapsed on the floor, near the foot of my bed when I watched a beast of a man rip through the balcony doors. His eyes were as white as I had ever seen them. Dark blue veins bulged from his neck. His arms were as round as my whole leg, with muscles ripping through his shirt. His teeth were sharp and his voice roared deep and mean as he grabbed Ian. Like before, I blacked out while he raged. I felt his strong arms lift me up and his huge hands stroke my face. He placed me on my bed, as he shook himself off, returning to normal.

"Are you okay?!" He touched my face and began rocking me against him.

"I'm okay. What did you do to Ian?" I frantically looked around the room.

"Ian will never hurt you again Samantha." I cried into his shirt as the event settled into my mind.

"Don't leave me." I cried.

"Shhh." He continued to rock me until I regained composure.

"Thank you. You saved me again."

"I'm so sorry it took me so long." He seemed worried that I may be upset.

"It's okay, you saved my life."

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" He moved my hair back and looked at my head. I could feel the knot forming and the pain was still strong.

"No, I'm okay. I'll take some Motrin."

"I don't want you alone tonight. You can stay with me and Leo." I was shocked at the very offer of going to Jay's house.

"No, it's okay. I know Leo wouldn't like that."

"Leo can get over it. I know you're still scared." He reached down and took me very visibly shaking hand.

"I'm okay. You can stay here, tonight." Now I sounded crazy.

"What? No. I--"

"Please. You can have my bed." I knew he would never accept that offer but I figured I would try.

"I'm not taking your bed, Samantha. I'll stay though, and make sure you're okay." He sat down in the chair beside my bed. It was strange having him inside my room. He had been on my balcony many times, and had even been inside. But never like this.

As the fear and shock wore off, things went back to normal. As normal as they could be with Jay. We talked, and he kept asking if I was alright. I asked him questions about his past, but he always said "later" and changed the subject. I knew a lot about this man, but I knew there was so much more I had to learn. I drifted off to sleep, and the last thing I remember is Jay turning off my light and kissing my forehead. It could have easily been a dream, but I told myself it was real.

I awoke the next morning and Jay was gone. In the chair where he had sat, was a cd with a note. In his neat cursive handwriting that I had seen so many times, he wrote: "Sorry I had to leave. Didn't want to wake you. This is for all the things I can't say. I'll check on you tonight. -J"

I grabbed the cd and stuck it in my laptop. I don't know where he got it, or when, but I knew it wasn't mine. The cd had one track on it. As I put my headphones in, I felt tears wet my eyes from hearing the words.

What if I told you who I really was? What if I let you in on my charade? What if I told you what was really going on? No more masks and no more parts to play

I knew this was his way of reaching out. He was telling me that he wanted me to know him. I felt his fear in opening up through the lyrics. It was such a perfect song that he had picked.

There's so much I want to say. But I'm so scared to give away every little secret that I hide behind.
Would you see me differently?

This man didn't have to be afraid. His secrets were safe with me. His past, his insecurities, his ghosts, they were all irrelevant to how I felt about him.

What if I told you that's its just a front to hide the insecurities I have? What if I told you that I'm not as strong as I like to make believe I am.

I had to tell him, that it was all okay. That I accepted every part of him.

I wonder what it would be like, if I told you.