Do You Have a Soul to Spare?
Home at Last
When Serena turned around and waved to her friends on the bus, she actually felt happy. In fact, she practically skipped to the door! She fumbled with the keys for a little bit before finally getting the door open. All she had to do was wait and someone would make life okay; she could get everything off her chest. She threw her book bag on the couch and ran up the stairs, planning on changing out of her uniform.
"Only a few hours or minutes...and it'll be all okay..." she said to herself, opening the bedroom door.
"Finally. I've been waiting for forever!" She immediately turned around to see Zane smiling into her eyes. She couldn't believe it.
"How did you--"
"Shh. We have a project to work on. And I think you wanted to tell me something really important."
Serena got really red, but remembered something.
"Why are you in my room?"
He looked shocked and seemed to be caught off guard.
"I...um...I was waiting so I..."
"You were going through my stuff?!"
"WHAT?? NO!!! Of course not..." Zane was red now. "So...your parents...?"
"Oh...That. Right. Well, the thing is...I never really cared if they were dead until they actually were. I feel so guilty. My mom was so mad at me because I stayed out late. She and dad went to 'cool off' and then..." She burst into tears and Zane wrapped his arms around her to console her. "A drunk driver--he ran into them...They couldn't have lived anyway! They spiraled into a gas station and the tanks collided with the car and it all burst into flames!! I never once just told her I loved her!! I never said I was sorry!! I'm so -so pathetic! And now I'm crying because I hated them! I'm so stupid!!"
"Shhh. It's okay. No. You're not. Things happen for no reason. It's not your fault. Shh. Please stop crying."
After ten minutes of sobbing she finally managed to stop.
"Better?" Zane asked. She nodded and he grabbed her hand. "Come on. We can work on the project in the living room." He led her to the couch and sat down. He pulled her down onto his lap and she instinctively leaned on him, so tired of being all alone. "Questions?"
"Yeah. Why are your eyes so, unnaturally ocean like?"
"Um. Seriously? I...don't know...Next question." He seemed to want off that topic. He was looking away now.
"Yes. Why? Why aren't you telling me? What is it?"
"I said next question!" Serena flinched and backed off a little, afraid of being struck. "No! I mean. I'm sorry." He pulled her close again. "It's just...I don't think you'd like me anymore...If I told you you'd freak and run away."
"No. I promise."
"Please. At least not now."
"Fine," she agreed: she'd make him talk about it later. "How old are you?"
"Uh...Ok. Let me ask the questions first." She started to object, but he continued. "How old are you?"
"Fine! I am 15. My birthday is March 17. I like PONIES!" She turned away from him, pouting playfully.
'Truthfully now.'
"What was that?" She asked, but he merely shrugged. "Ok. I am seriously 15, but I don't really like ponies. I like yo--yos. Yoyos." He looked suspiciously at her. "Next subject!"
"Ok...How about your favorite colors?"
"Black and I kind of like ocean blue, too."
"Um...Ok. How about we continue this at my house? I am soooo tired!" He yawned for effect most likely. "Aww, I don't think I'll even be able to drive without crashing--I'd better go." He stood up and the image of a car wreck and screaming filled her head.
"No!" you scream. "Don't go! Don't leave me too! I don't want to be alone!" She sprung up and had him in an embrace.
"Ok, but I can't sleep on a couch."
"Ok! I have a queen size. You can sleep in mine!" She smiled up at him wearily.
"Come on. We better get you to bed." She nodded and he picked her up to carry her up the stairs.
"You'll still be here when I wake up, won't you?" Serena asked when he lay down beside her.
"Yeah."
'I couldn't leave if I wanted to...' She shook the voice out of her head.
"Good night." She lay her head against his chest and fell into a dark, deep sleep. No car crash nightmares of fire dreams. Just darkness and the sound of his heartbeat.
"Only a few hours or minutes...and it'll be all okay..." she said to herself, opening the bedroom door.
"Finally. I've been waiting for forever!" She immediately turned around to see Zane smiling into her eyes. She couldn't believe it.
"How did you--"
"Shh. We have a project to work on. And I think you wanted to tell me something really important."
Serena got really red, but remembered something.
"Why are you in my room?"
He looked shocked and seemed to be caught off guard.
"I...um...I was waiting so I..."
"You were going through my stuff?!"
"WHAT?? NO!!! Of course not..." Zane was red now. "So...your parents...?"
"Oh...That. Right. Well, the thing is...I never really cared if they were dead until they actually were. I feel so guilty. My mom was so mad at me because I stayed out late. She and dad went to 'cool off' and then..." She burst into tears and Zane wrapped his arms around her to console her. "A drunk driver--he ran into them...They couldn't have lived anyway! They spiraled into a gas station and the tanks collided with the car and it all burst into flames!! I never once just told her I loved her!! I never said I was sorry!! I'm so -so pathetic! And now I'm crying because I hated them! I'm so stupid!!"
"Shhh. It's okay. No. You're not. Things happen for no reason. It's not your fault. Shh. Please stop crying."
After ten minutes of sobbing she finally managed to stop.
"Better?" Zane asked. She nodded and he grabbed her hand. "Come on. We can work on the project in the living room." He led her to the couch and sat down. He pulled her down onto his lap and she instinctively leaned on him, so tired of being all alone. "Questions?"
"Yeah. Why are your eyes so, unnaturally ocean like?"
"Um. Seriously? I...don't know...Next question." He seemed to want off that topic. He was looking away now.
"Yes. Why? Why aren't you telling me? What is it?"
"I said next question!" Serena flinched and backed off a little, afraid of being struck. "No! I mean. I'm sorry." He pulled her close again. "It's just...I don't think you'd like me anymore...If I told you you'd freak and run away."
"No. I promise."
"Please. At least not now."
"Fine," she agreed: she'd make him talk about it later. "How old are you?"
"Uh...Ok. Let me ask the questions first." She started to object, but he continued. "How old are you?"
"Fine! I am 15. My birthday is March 17. I like PONIES!" She turned away from him, pouting playfully.
'Truthfully now.'
"What was that?" She asked, but he merely shrugged. "Ok. I am seriously 15, but I don't really like ponies. I like yo--yos. Yoyos." He looked suspiciously at her. "Next subject!"
"Ok...How about your favorite colors?"
"Black and I kind of like ocean blue, too."
"Um...Ok. How about we continue this at my house? I am soooo tired!" He yawned for effect most likely. "Aww, I don't think I'll even be able to drive without crashing--I'd better go." He stood up and the image of a car wreck and screaming filled her head.
"No!" you scream. "Don't go! Don't leave me too! I don't want to be alone!" She sprung up and had him in an embrace.
"Ok, but I can't sleep on a couch."
"Ok! I have a queen size. You can sleep in mine!" She smiled up at him wearily.
"Come on. We better get you to bed." She nodded and he picked her up to carry her up the stairs.
"You'll still be here when I wake up, won't you?" Serena asked when he lay down beside her.
"Yeah."
'I couldn't leave if I wanted to...' She shook the voice out of her head.
"Good night." She lay her head against his chest and fell into a dark, deep sleep. No car crash nightmares of fire dreams. Just darkness and the sound of his heartbeat.