The Echo in My Head

Our newly expanded group of friends had begun to hang out on a regular basis. Not daily, but regular. Most of the time Annie and Blaze didn't ditch with us. Annie also came from. A fucked up household like Blaze. Both was intent on getting out of and staying away from their homes.

On one of our many excursions, today the beach, i asked Annie for her actually name. She made a disgusted look before replying, " It's Alice Anne. Annie is just something that tooked because my stupid ex-boyfriend called me Annie to taunt me."

"How did calling you Annie taunt you?" I asked out of curiosity.

"He said that by calling me Annie it proved that I was lesser than him. He made sure I felt lesser every time he said."

Our little group of damaged misfits grew steadily silent. The sand seemed to heat up a little more as umcomfortable silence breezed through us. I cleared my throat as I gain the confidence to speak.

"Well from now on your came is care-ra-mel. To remind you how beautiful you are with your exotic skin."

She smiled as she hugged me and said that my coffee with vanilla creamer skin complexation was exotic also. I laughed as Echo's voice broke through the heartfelt moment.

"Hey Blaze how you get that name?" He asked. Blaze laughed as my cheeks heated up.

"Kitty gave it to me as a joke after a burned down my treehouse, my only escape from reality, in a fit of rage."

"What about you?"I asked him taking the attention away from Blaze. I knew he had lied about how he got his name, but I understood. Like many of us his his home life was a touchy subject.

"People say they can't get my voice out of their heads. Whether it's positive or negative. Either that or because I mocked the principal when I was in third grade like I was her own personal echo." All of us laughed and I knew it was only a matter of time before someone asked me.

"What about you Kitty? How you get That nickname?" I swallowed hard as my throat suddenly went dry.

"My late father gave it too me. He said even as a newborn I was fiesty and knew that what I wanted when I wanted it was the way to get ahead in life. I still Dont know what he meant by that."

"How did he die?"asked Grayson grabbing my hand. I knew he was trying to console me seeing that his question caused tears to well up in eyes.

"Car crash. Head on collision." I said barely over a whisper. "Excuse me." I said getting up and walking to where land met sea. I stood there breathing in and out as the tears slid down my face.

"You know to the naked eye you look like your at peace, but if you take a closer look you can tell you tensed?" I rolled my eyes. I wasn't in the mood to have him hitting on me. I hated how much attention he paid to me. All I wanted was my best friend, my razor. So that I could slice myself up and let the pain ooze out with my blood."

"What do you want Echo?"

"To get to know you on the inside." He said catching me off guard.

"Why?"

"Because you can't get to know a beautiful butterfly unless you take a closer look at its wings.* with that he left me stun and alone. So many questions ran through my head as I thought what he could've possibly meant. I knew at that moment that I would probably be getting close to Echo down the line. So close that I would tell him the dirty secret I his beneath my soul. That scared me.

Kitty, no one will love someone who can't or has forgotten how to love themselves. He the most abused, broken and/or defeated in all ways imaginable deserve love. No matter what do, did or have done we all need someone to love.

Again that voice floated threw my head. I felt the tears as I dropped to my knees exhausted emotionally. I felt as a pair of masculine hands lifted me up as the arms they were attached to wrapped around me. As his cologne filled my nose I knew it was Echo.

I am his butterfly. I thought to myself as our night slowly came to an end. For the first time since the crash, I didn't slice open my skin to relieve my pain.