didn't proof read this one. Violence, and romance ._. but also violence :3 HOORAY FOR NIHLISTIC INFLUENCES! ._.

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Chapter three: This is How it Goes

I sat in the kitchen, if that’s what you’d call an apartment with part of the floor that’s tiled and a few kitchen appliances, and a small table bought from IKEA. It had been a good few months since that night and I had managed to start getting out more with Tyler and his friends, or were they my friends too now? I couldn’t tell.
The summer was starting to come to a close and the windy nights began to gust in again. Not cold, but windy and warm. School was going to be starting soon and that meant another year of countless teachers bickering about me not listening, and jocks calling me fag behind my back. I didn’t care anyway, I had friends for once, I was living with Tyler, and I was happy again.
The days started getting shorter as school neared closer. Tyler was anxious because this was his last year, and as for me, I was as emotional as I was the last two years of high school: Not at all. I didn’t like, nor dislike school. I needed an education, but I hated the conformity of it all, but I’m not going to start on that.
One long weekend and the bells were ringing in the school. Tyler pulled into the parking lot and stopped in the place he normally parked every year, untouched by any other car since he started driving. He stopped but didn’t get out. He looked over at me and sighed.
“You know, you don’t have to come here, I’m not going to force you, and you’re not living with your parents anymore, you don’t have to go through all the shit you have been the past couple of years. I know how it is for you,” he was calm.
“I know I don’t, but getting a job nowadays is impossible without some sort of education. Besides… I’m used to the ridicule,” I lied.
The conversation ended there with a sigh from Tyler and we got out and headed towards first period: physics. Upon stepping through the door I already knew where I’d be sitting. Alone and in the back. Not like I didn’t listen, but I never had to look the teacher in the face. I sat down and took out a pencil, tapping it against the table.
The door swung open, “Sorry I’m late, being placed on hall duty on the first day of a new year with every freshman in the building frantically trying to find their class isn’t what I was looking forward to,” the hyena stepped behind his desk and laid down a messenger bag and cussing under his breathe, everyone heard it though.
Hm, clearly hates his job, has a sense of humor, maybe physics won’t be such a horrible way to start off the day. Then again, coming to school was bad enough. The class went on with the usual introduction to the course and all the other “safety regulation crap”, the hyena, Prof. Ed as he told us to call himself. None of the other teachers were as interesting as him. The rest of the day went on about the same. I have the same lunch as Tyler…and everyone else.
Weeks had gone by and I was starting to get used to the usual routine again, waking up, next to Tyler of course, that was always a highlight. Forcing myself out of bed, however, eventually I had to get used to. Go to school, get through 5 classes, have lunch, then a few more periods and it was off to the apartment, I had to walk home when Tyler had work right after school because his job was on the other side of town from where I was heading. It wasn’t a long walk so I didn’t mind. Then again I never paid mind to what part of the city we lived in, and as I’ve mentioned, its not good.
The streets were smothered in crime. The police were horrible at their job, and only a few people would do vigilante work. None on our side of the block. But none of the thugs would come out in the day, not like there was any difference, I guess it was just something they were drawn to. Darkness. It was an odd subject on my part because I never found it bad. Never scary, even Will was frightened by it when he was younger. The lack of any light source. But yet all you see in movies and books and religious nut case lectures: Darkness is the root of all evil, its feared and is to be avoided. Maybe that’s why thugs were drawn to it.
It was a Friday afternoon, English class. A teacher was chewing Pat out and there was no way I was going to stand for someone yelling at Pat because he won’t speak up, because everything scares him. Pat had tears running down his face and the teacher just rambled on about how Pat might as well be a mouse, offending the mouse sitting in the third row. I stood up. The teacher, Mr. Wright, looked at me sharply and told me to sit down.
I told him, “Go to hell you sick fuck. Leave him the fuck alone or so help me I’ll make sure you never speak again. I’ll tear your throat out with my bear hands. Then you can go on talking like Larry.” Noting the mouse again in the third row, still offended. With that I sat down. Mr. Wright walked over to his desk and picked up the phone, dialed the office and told them I’d be there in a few minutes.
I was sent to the guidance counselor. An ocelot, she was nice, pretty and had a smile that for some reason could cheer anyone up. She wasn’t but just out of one year of college when she decided that she’d get a job as a counselor and help out anyone while she was still young enough to understand what any of us went through these days.
“So cussed out a teacher hmm?” a bit of a nonchalant tone from the feline.
I pouted to the side, “Yeah, he had it coming.” I kinda seemed like a pissed off eight year old who was completely confident of spilling his apple juice on some little girls dress in elementary school. But I was dead fucking confident.
“Well, that may be so, but is it really worth a week of detention?” concern but also confusion in her voice.
“A week? That’s all they gave me? Heh,” that ‘Heh’ wasn’t a good ‘Heh’, “Well no one makes Pat cry like that, Kris would have murdered him… and I’m not over exaggerating. “
“I wouldn’t be surprised, Kristophe comes in here to see me on a daily basis. And no a week wasn’t what they gave you, it’s what they would have given you. You’re being required to come and see me once a week for the rest of the year from now on.”
“What? Why? I cuss out a teacher and they give me a psychiatrist?!” I had never liked someone forcing me to open up to them about things.
“Just to talk. They want you to talk to me for the same reasons as Kristophe, not to force you to change, but to hear what you have to say. I don’t tell anyone anything the students tell me. It’s not like you’re going to get in any more trouble then you’re already in. I’m just here to listen to what’s going on in your life and to help you if needed.” That was her very job description if I’m correct.
I sighed. I suppose it wouldn’t kill me. I mean if Kristophe wasn’t talking to her there’s no telling what he could have done by now. So I told her everything. Well, as much as I could tell her in a few hours, by the time I was done it was late into the evening, Tyler was still at work so I had to walk home.
The streets were dark and all that lit it them were the street lamps that cascaded it’s length and gave not much but a dim spotlight circle under each one. I walked down the quiet, cracked concrete, sidewalk. The sounds of stray animals rummaging through trash. But it never hit me that, what happened next, would… well happen.
I was maybe 5 blocks from the apartment complex when a dark silhouette appeared in the distance. I didn’t pay much mind to it until I noticed it getting closer, and fast. I became so concentrated on the mass that was coming towards me that I didn’t notice I had stopped moving. Until it finally got close enough for me to see a familiar looking feline running towards me, screaming, “RUN!”, and then passing me without looking back.
I turned and looked at Pat run. Then turned back around only to see a fist directly in front of me. I was on the ground in an instant. I started to get up and soon felt the distinct feeling of rubber, to the face. Kicked. Down again. I felt my pockets being ruffled through. Was I being mugged? Was Pat almost or… was and was running afterwards.
I started to get up again, my face hurt and I’m pretty sure I felt blood running down part of it, wasn’t sure where, adrenaline was starting to rush through my body. But alas, another attempt to regain my stance failed and I felt a punch, much harder then the first, straight into my gut and the wind was knocked out of me. My vision blurred but I could see there was another figure, they were still searching my pockets, I guess I looked like the kind of kid who actually had some sort of possessions to his name.
Any money I ever got was a few bucks from Tyler to either run errands or get lunch. As for anything else valuable, well I simply didn’t have anything worth it. I was hoping that by the time they realized this they’d leave. They didn’t. It only pissed them off even more.
I found myself slammed up against a wall and then held there, I didn’t have the strength to resist anymore anyway. I found myself being punched repeatedly in the gut and in the face until I felt blood spurting from my throat and my face dripping all the same.
It felt like an eternity, blow after blow, these guys could have probably gone for hours. But something interrupted them. I collapsed to the ground, unable to see, speak or move. One of my assaulters asked who was there to no reply. Then I heard a brawl begin. I wasn’t sure who it was at first, until I heard one of them screaming bloody Mary that his arm was broken and I heard a few more punches, and I’m almost positive I heard teeth being cracked, and not against a fist.
Then I heard a laugh, almost too maniacal. Then it hit me, almost as hard as the punches. Using what strength I had left I looked up to see a familiar nihilistic canine looking down at me, blood dripping from his ripped knuckles clotting the fur on his fists. It was Kristophe. Pat must have found him and had him come looking for the two, or me, I’d never find out.
Concern in his eyes as he lifted me off the ground and over his shoulder. I heard a small conversation, or perhaps an argument between Pat and him. I blacked out, waking up the next morning in the bed I normally sleep in. Only a few hours had past, I could see Tyler outside in the hall talking with Kristophe, Pat was sitting on the bed side next to me, band-aid wrappers on the floor and a bloodied, soggy wash cloth on the night stand.
I figured trying to say anything was useless. Then again I couldn’t talk anyway, my throat burnt with my own blood. Tyler noticed my chocking whispers and turned, walking into the room and sitting down next to Pat, who left accordingly to talk with Kristophe, immediately I heard the two in the distance arguing over calling the police or not.
“Hey,” Tyler’s voice was calm, he stroked the top of my head and I think I saw a tear form in his eye, “c-can I get yah anything buddy?” He was shaking.
“Just some water,” my voice raspy, I coughed.
He simply nodded and left, coming back moments later with what at the time, looked like the elixir of the gods to me. Tyler sat me up and I drank the water as fast as I could, wanting desperately to be able to breathe without a burn in my throat. I brought the glass down gasping when I couldn’t drink anymore.
Tyler softly pat my back. It’s been months since I’ve seen him this worried about me. Though this time there wasn’t rage behind it like I sensed the last time. This time it was more concern for my well being. Then again, I had no idea if I was fine or not.
No words were said for some time. We just sat there. Tyler still stroking my back and me desperately craving a shower. I wasn’t going to take one until Pat left, his bandage work would go to waste.
Pat and Kristophe eventually left, I’m still not sure where either of them stay. They decided the police getting involved would only complicate things even more, besides Kris gave them theirs anyway. Tyler on the other hand didn’t care who got what, and it seemed like his soul purpose on life had just been decided: to stare me down, making sure I was O.K. Though, I didn’t mind that.
I had accepted my feelings for him, though I didn’t show them all that much. I never did know rather Tyler was interested in guys or not, we never talked about it. I never felt like I needed to know, but lately that’s been all I needed to know. He sat next to me, I was turned facing the wall, but I could feels his eyes burning a hole through me.
I eventually fell asleep, only to be woken up to find the wall that I fell asleep to, which was lighted, was now out of my vision. It was dark so I waited for my eyes to adjust before I thought about sitting up. While waiting however my concentration left the wall and focused on the faint sound of sniffing from just behind me. I think I heard a swear word or two in the middle.
I sat up, “T-Tyler?” reaching out into the dark until my hand caressed a back that I was all too familiar with.
A sharp gasp of surprise and Tyler turned sharply to see me. He cleared his throat, “H-hey,” a sniff, “you up huh? I, um, I wake you” yet another.
“Maybe,” I didn’t care, I scooted closer to where he sat at the edge of the bed and wrapped my arms around him and looking up at him, “this isn’t your fault you know. It- this- shit happens O.K.?” My words were stumbling.
“Yeah, I know,” he sighed, his voice still shaky, “I just can’t help but feel like I could have done something, though I know I couldn’t have. Kristophe should have gotten there so-“
“Kristophe isn’t to blame here either. No one is. It happened, I’m alright, and that’s what matters,” blaming Kris wasn’t didn’t seem normal of him.
“I- I know. I just…,” another sigh, “I don’t know, I’ve never seen you like this before. Even after you were,” he chocked on his words, “… well you’ve never been this hurt. When Kris brought you in and laid you down and I got a look of you… I almost asked him to let me borrow a gun.”
“Tyler…,” I knew he was serious. He’s told me before that he’d kill for the people he cared about, especially me. It was also a known fast that Kris, being the chaos loving anarchist he was, had a large arsenal, “don’t do anything you’d regret especially for me.” I leaned in and embraced him as tight as my weak body could.
“I know. But I still just wish I could have been there for you,” he returned the embrace, holding me like I was the most fragile glass on the planet at the time.
“Well, you couldn’t have been. But you’re here now and that’s what matters to me,” I looked up at him, the tears had stopped, one drop stopped half way down his face and I reached up and wiped it off, he had never, in all the time’s I looked him in the eyes, ever looked any more… words didn’t describe.
He chuckled and gave my forehead a friendly nuzzle. But it’s not what I wanted, and I was slowly beginning to realize that I couldn’t hold myself back anymore. I looked up at him and without thinking said, “Tyler….”
He looked down at me smiling, “Yeah?”
My mind went blank, “I love you,” my eyes never left his.
He didn’t even look confused, didn’t even cock an eyebrow, “I know,” he leaned down and almost whispered, “I love you too,” and with that he was kissing me before I even tried to him.
It was a simple kiss, nothing more to it. But it was the most intimate thing I had ever felt in my life and I melted into it. I fell into him and he accepted me. He fell onto his back on the bed and I laid on his chest as I normally did every night. But I never slept more calmly in my life that night.
With that I thought I was the happiest person on the planet. I had been raped, mugged, forced into involuntary therapy and had the worst and loneliest childhood someone could possibly have. But I was in love and actually happy.
I didn’t think life could get any better.


So it got worse...