Bulletproof Love

Chapter One:

I burst through the door, the cold, hard wood, bruising my skin. But I didn't care, I've had worse. I look over my shoulder and see his silhouette following after me. No! I pick up speed and turn on the all too familiar corner. I look back and see I was losing him. Why couldn't he just have stayed passed out after I hit him with the frying pan? I look back to my house, the one I was currently running from, and frowned.

The house with the front door wide open. The house with all my stuff that I didn't think about as I escaped him. After knocking him out, all I ran for was my book and left. Too bad he didn't stay passed out. I passed another block. I had the route memorized since I've been on this road one too many times. I trip, falling and hurt my knee. "No," I murmur, quietly. My voice strained from all the screaming. I start crawling and I gasp as I feel his arms wrap around me and he pulls me up in the air.

I fuss around in his arms and kick and punch at anything I can hit. No, I was so close. Then he drops me on the ground rather roughly. I hear a belt buckle coming undone and I tense up. I start trying to crawl away, but he grabs me from my thighs and pulls me back. He starts undoing my skinny jeans and I panic and kick out. I hit him square in the nose and he's knocked out again.

I buckle my pants and grab my book and run. Only a few more blocks. I look over my shoulder and I don't see him. My legs hurt from the running, but also from how he's grabbed me before all this happened. He got a good number of punches and kicks, and also hand prints. I shudder. His disgusting caresses on my skin. Trying to take advantage of me. I feel like vommiting. He made my skin crawl.

Run, Kellin, don't stop. Keep on running. I pushed my legs on, willing them to go faster. I kept looking over my shoulder to see if he was following, but didn't see anyone. I couldn't take that chance, though. I kept running on the familiar street, in the middle of the night. The Michigan chill nipping at whatever skin was exposed, which was my arms and bare feet. I keet panting and shivering.

My bare feet hitting the sharp and cold street. But I couldn't bring myself to care, I needed to keep running. I needed to escape. Tap, tap, tap, tap. That's all that I could think as I ran from nightmare. The noise my feet made against the ground. He was so close to taking the thing that is most precious to me. I barely got out alive. I shiver, remembering.

I cry remembering what he almost did to me. I cringe at the memory of him touching me. Oh, God. But it wills me to go faster. I see my breath in front of me as I pant, out of breath. I look around and see I was so close. The familiar street name coming into view. The lamp posts guiding me like a moth to a flame.

I ran until I saw my friend's house. I ran to the door and knocked away, probably waking him up. I pounded on the door. I kept looking over my shoulder as I waited for him to open up. Come on, open up. Please. I kept trembling as I looked over my shoulder, expecting him to appear. Until the door opened and I jumped into his arms. "Jesse, Jesse. Please, I need your help."

"Kellin, what's wrong? Why are you covered in blood," he asked me. "You know why. Please, Jesse, help me escape." I begged and he nodded and told me to shower and he'd bring me other things to wear. I walk into his bathroom and stare at myself in the mirror. My entire face was smeared with blood, I had blood running down my arms, and my clothes were sticking to me because of the blood. I'm going to miss this shirt. I remove it, along with everything else and step into the shower.

A knock on the door catches my attention. I half expected him to walk through, but then Jesse's voice rings out, "Kellin, I have the clothes. Can I come in?" I turn off the water and wrap a towel around my waist. "Yes." Then Jesse walks in. "Here. I also have a hot chocolate for you when you're finished getting ready." I nod.

"Thank you, Jesse."

"It's no problem, Kellin. I'm just glad you finally ran away." I smile - a small, tired smile - but a smile all the same. "Me too, Jesse." He smiles and walks out and I start getting ready. When I finish, I walk out. I reach the kitchen and Jesse was leaning against his counter. "Kellin, hear you go," and he hands me a cup.

We were drinking quietly when I hear, yelling coming from outside. I tense up and Jesse noticed. "Kellin, calm down, okay? I am going to get you out of here alive." I just nod at him. "Good," he says, firmly. He walks off only to come back with an over-sized hoody and Converse. I want my TOMs. I put them on, shakily. "Ok, now, we're going to get in my car and I'm going to drive you to the bus station and you're going to go far away. As far away as possible."

I look at him, tears filling my eyes. "But... Jesse, I don't want to leave you. You're my only friend. I love you." I see tears fill his eyes and he looks at me. "I know, Kellin. I don't want you to leave either, but this is for your safety. I need you to survive and live your life. For once, with no fear. I love you, too, Kellin. You're my best friend." I feel the tears pour out and Jesse hugs me to his chest. "I'm going to miss you, Jesse."

"Me too, Kellin." And he leans down and pecks my lips. I smile and kiss him back. His mouth devouring mine. He puts his hand at my waist and I put one on his shoulder and the other wrapped around to his back. He continued kissing me and he licked my bottom lip and I gave him entrance. He pulls me closer and pull him lower. We pull back and he smiles sadly, tears still glistening in his eyes. "Time to go."

He pulls the hood over my head and leads me out to his car, avoiding him. Jesse turned on the ignition and we were off. He sped off and I watched as I left everything I have ever known. I watched him and realized he didn't want to stop at red lights, he wanted me away from here as fast as possible. "I wanted your best friend to be your first kiss," I hear him say.

"I know, Jesse. I'm just glad it was you."

Then he stops and I realize that we'v reached the bus station. We ran to the line and since it was late, not many people were out. "I need a ticket for him. What's the farthest place you go," Jesse asks, urgently. The lady answers, "Mexico." And my jaw drops. "We'll take it." And he pays for my ticket. "Ok, your bus is boarding right now. You have ten minutes."

Jesse pulls me to the bus and I stumble behind him, unshed tears clouding my eyes. He doesn't stop until he sees my bus. The doors were open and I step in the first step. But I turn around peck Jesse's cheek. "Bye, Jesse. Thank you... for everything. You are the best best friend ever, better than I could have ever hoped for. I love you, so much. I'm going to miss you."

He smiles and the tears fall. "You're welcome, Kellin. You deserve to be happy. I'm just glad I got to help. I love you, too. And I'm going to miss you more." I laugh through my tears and hug him one last time. "Bye, Jesse."

"Bye, Kellin." And I board the bus and find my seat. I watch Jesse from my seat and he smiles at me. I smile back. "I love you," he mouthed. And I mouthed it back. When the bus rolls away, I wave. And so does he. And when he's out of view is when I look foward. "Bye, Jesse." And I know he's saying it back. Even if I can't hear him. Even he can't hear me.