Broken

Spring had sprung in the small town of Kingshallow. The blue birds were out, the grass was green and the flowers were in full bloom. The sky was blue, not a cloud to be found. Running through the breeze, down the empty dirt road was a small child. A five year old, dark haired boy, one eye bruised and swollen. He was running as far as his short legs could take him. The boy turned off the dirt road and into the trees, to the edge of a lake. The water was clear blue, and placid. But, he didn't notice as he fell to his knees in tears, the salt burning his wounded eye. As he rested against the trunk of a tree he pulled hi knees up and to his chest, wrapping his small arms around himself. He laid his head on his knees and let the tears fall silently to the dirt. He struggled to breath through his nose as he fought off the sobs.

"What's wrong?"

A small, high pitched voice asked from above him. He raised his head and looked up. In the tree was a girl, a tad smaller than he. Blonde and blue eyed, she studied him from her perch. Her thin legs dangling freely in the air. When he didn't answer, she began making her way back to the Earth.

"You're all dirty." She only looked at him with curiosity. Nathan studied her too, he eyes red, cheeks stained with dust and tears. She was short, and her skin was slightly tanned,blemish free. Like she spent all of her free time playing outside. He envied her, Nathan spent most of his time locked in his room.

"Go away." He said as meanly as he could,his voice wavering. He balled his small hands into fist.

She only cocked her head to the side and shrugged her shoulders. Without another word, she reached forward and took his hand into hers. Nathan caught a glimpse of her bright pink finger nails. He scrunched his nose. She tugged him so hard he nearly fell face first into the dirt. She had jerked him to his feet. He stood only a few inches taller than her. She had the brightest smile he had ever seen.

"I'm Jenny, I'm going to take you home now.You'll be my new friend" She turned, his hands in hers, and towed him from the lake, through the trees and down the road.He struggled to stay caught up. She was pulling so violently he had almost stumbled into the ground more than once.

"Momma, I brought a boy home!" A loud bang, as if something heavy had been dropped on the floor, came from one of the rooms.

"What do you mean you..." A tall blonde haired woman came around the corner. She stopped mid step and gasped, bringing her thin , manicured fingers to her mouth.

"Jenny, go get a wash cloth." The woman knelt down in front of Nathan, her eyes held an emotion he had never seen before.

"What happened to you, baby?" She ran her finger over the bruise on Nathans eye, and pulled away quickly when he flinched.

"Never mind, come on."Her words stern, she took his smaller hand into her own, much more gentle than Jenny had and guided him into a kitchen. She placed him in a chair at a round table and turned to Jenny.

"I have the rag, Momma." Jenny stood in the middle of the kitchen, a blue rag in her hand.

"Thank you baby, now why don't you fix your new friend a PB&J?" Jenny nodded, her eyebrows furrowed. Her smile had dropped and she had taken on a more serious expression, as if she had a very important task to do.

Minutes later, Nathans face was spotless, minus the purple and blue around his eye, and his cheeks were full of bread, peanut butter and strawberry jam. Jenny sat next to him at the round, wooden dinner table. She was watching him, again, with curiosity. Her big blue eyes lit up bright. Nathan stared back, he chewed slowly as a smile grew on her face. He was weary of her, she seemed to nice, and very loud.

"What's your name?" She struggled to move her chair closer to him. He reacted by leaning away, sandwich still in hand.

"Nathan." He said between chews. Jenny giggled and covered her mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouthful,silly." She dropped her hand into her lap. Nathan felt her watching as he ate. She had tried to touch his bruise, he had only turned his head away.

"Don't worry, Nathan, I'll always watch out for you."

They had spent a sleepless night in Nathan's old house. Despite the fact that summer was at full mast in Kingshallow, the cool air of the night had kept them chilly as it seeped in through the broken windows of the decrepit building. Neither of them had been able to sleep, tossing and turning. They had each claimed a spot on the living room floor, and laid down a pile of blankets they had brought with them. Morning had come slowly, but when the suns rays poured through the windows the two men had jumped up and readied for the day.

"Man, I'm fucking hungry. " Chris was pulling on a black t-shirt.

"There used to be a small diner in the middle of town, pretty cheap." Nathan spoke as he pulled a grey shirt over his head. He tucked his leather necklace in and stretched his arms over his head.

As they left the house, Nathan pulled his black sunglasses over his eyes. He took a moment on the porch to look at the land. The grass was brown, the garage, from what he could see, was falling apart just as much as the house. After leaving the porch the two men straddled their bikes and drove towards their destination. Through Kingshallow, Nathan, from behind his sunglasses, surveyed the center of town. Nothing had changed, it was still a generic, small, southern town. If any strangers had driven through it,they'd think it was abandoned.

He despised it.

The sound of their motorcycles caused plenty of looks from the towns people. None he could recognize. Not surprising, he had done his best to forget anything about Kingshallow. He had succeeded too, all but one person.

The diner was small, the floors a sick red and white checkered tile. The walls were white, wide windows covered one wall, and a quaint bar sat in the middle. If he had wanted to, Nathan could have sat and watched the cooks do their thing through the square opening in the wall. Countless people sat, it was breakfast time. The smell of eggs, and coffee fogged the air.

"Look at the ass on that one." Chris and Nathan sat in a corner booth. He hadn't taken his glasses off yet. He wasn't sure he wanted to be recognized by anyone. He had a small white mug in his hand, filled to the brim with black coffee. He had been gazing out the window, watching the occasional person walk by.

"Hey baby" Nathan pulled at the strings of the waitresses black apron. She had tied around an entirely to thin waist. Her denim shorts exposed her tanned legs, her small red shirt stuck to her skin. Nathan shook his head, his friend was embarrassing. There wasn't a man or woman he wouldn't hit on immediately.

"Please, don't." Nathan sat up in his seat, and watched as the waitress turned. Almost as if in slow motion, Nathan watched Jenny Carter appear in front of him. Her hair was shorter, her body thinner. Nathan's heart paused, and his stomach jumped to his throat. When she raised her eyes to Chris, there they were, her big, round, gorgeous, empty, eyes.

Nathan scowled, since when had Jenny Carter's eyes gotten so hollow?

He had put his mug down, and parted his lips to call for her. He stopped,what exactly would he say?

'Hey Jenny, long time no see, by the way I'm in love with you, always have been.' Nathan settled back down in the booth, with a groan.

Chris looked at him, questions on his lips. Nathan held his hand up, a silent request for Chris to stay away from the subject. His friend complied and delved into the plate of eggs that had been sitting in front of him.

Nathan couldn't keep his eyes off of her as she turned and walked away after Chris had raised his hand in defeat. The fear in her voice, it struck something in Nathan, a need to protect. He could have planted his fist into Chris's nose right then and there, had his friend known who he'd touched.

She had turned from them, and was making her way behind the diner bar. She hadn't even looked at Nathan. He watched her, she moved nervously, not smooth and confident. But, slow and fearful, it was all very recognizable.She no longer held her head up in confidence, but down in doubt. From behind his sunglasses, Nathan watched the woman of his dreams for ten years, she had shown up to many times to count. She always seemed different. She never came to his dreams as the Jenny he had grown up with, vibrant and lush.
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"Jenny, that man is staring at you." Laura, another waitress, whispered into Jenny's ear as she reached for a ready to serve plate of pancakes and sausage. Jenny shrugged.

"Yea the blonde, tattooed guy."

"No the guy with dark hair and sunglasses on." Jenny turned, and thanked her lucky stars she hadn't taken hold of the plate yet. She was sure she would have dropped it to the floor. Her breath caught in her lungs.

Jenny felt her hands begin to shake, so many emotions crashed into her chest, anxiety, excitement and agitation.

Why was he back?

It had been ten years, surely he wouldn't remember her. She watched as he stood from the booth. He had gotten larger, he had more muscle than she remembered. His hair was longer, and he looked rough,like he hadn't slept in years. She stepped back, her hands behind her on the counter. Nathan was taking a step in her direction.

"Baby." Jenny's heart soared in the worst of ways.

Panic, like bile, rose in her throat as she turned to be greeted by James. Her boyfriend of five years. The bruise on her clavicle throbbed to remind her of who was in charge. Her eyes averted to Nathan, who stopped and was watching her intently.

Jenny swallowed and pushed from the counter. She returned her attention to James, who was looking impatient.His dark eyes on her, threatening. His jaw ticked. She hadn't moved fast enough.

"Hey" She stumbled out, and walked, on shaking legs towards her boyfriend.

She could feel Nathans, hard eyes on her , through his sunglasses, through her red shirt, he pierced. She struggled not to look back, as she was embraced, uncomfortably so, into James large arms and squeezed tight, a warning. She winced as pain shot through her chest.

"Get me a coffee." He pushed her away, a tad too roughly and slid into a stool at the bar.

Jenny only nodded, after stumbling on her feet away from him. She could see Nathan still standing in the middle of the diner, his chest visibly heaving. His friend with him watching him in confusion, cheeks stuffed with eggs and toast. If she hadn't been so terrified, Jenny might have laughed at the scene.

She closed her eyes as she held the hot coffee pot in her hand, and willed Nathan away. Something she had never done before. Jenny didn't want him to see her like this, broken and afraid. He'd have no right to an opinion.

He left her.

But still, she was not the same, and she was embarrassed by what she had become.

Battered and fragmented.