Irrevocably HERS

Chapter Two

Two weeks.

It's been two, long, arduous weeks since the girl whose claimed a part of my soul, which I still can't understand how, has come here, and to think I could stay away has been harder than I thought. She is practically everywhere I turn. If I am hungry, she is right there in the kitchen making herself a sandwich. If I am completely bored being alone in my room, which I refuse to share with anyone else, she is downstairs in the common room watching television with some other kids who maintain distance from her. I actually haven't really seen any of them give her the time of day since she has arrived, which shouldn't bother me as much as it should, so I try to smash the feelings circling within me deep deep down where they need to stay. For my sake, and hers.

Here I am, finding solitude outside in the back yard of this house, and what do you know? There she is, sitting under the tree, head down, eyes closed, moving her head up and down to whatever she is listening to through her headphones. I light my cigarette, literally the last one in my pack till god knows when, just watching her sit there. Either she doesn't want to acknowledge sharing the same air with the asshole who so much as disregards her existence every day, or she is just blatantly unaware that I am actually here.

I continue to watch as the listens, scrunching up her nose at some points or just sighing to herself at others. Part of me wants to go over and strip off one of her ear pieces to see what exactly has her captivated, but the asshole side of me lays claim to ignoring everything about her, yet, I can't. Obviously, you can see which side of me is winning since I am still staring at her at a serious stalker creeper level.

"Do you have a phone on you?" Her voice snaps me out of it as I draw my eyebrows together, taking another drag of my cigarette. I hold it in far longer than I should and finally release it, watching as a cloud of smoke appears before me. My jaw clenches at the fact that she has noticed me and now is speaking to me. Just to keep this going for a little while longer, I decide to answer, which is another thing that is weird because I don't converse.

"Uh, no?" I say back because how the hell would I have a phone? I don't even have a job. We only have one phone here and that is a damn land line. Yeah. The phone old timers used.

"Too bad. A picture would have lasted longer." She spits back as she stands and wipes the dirt off her ass. That sentence clearly takes me for a loop. She knew I was here all along. Go figure. Maybe she feels the pull just as much as I do with her.

"What makes you think I'd even want a picture of your weird ass?" I spit back, wanting nothing more to do just that because something about her draws me closer, wanting to ignite her anger, or any other damn emotion honestly. She tears out her headphones and shoves them inside her pocket while walking straight towards me.

"For one, you have been doing nothing but stalking me wherever I go. Like seriously, is there no one else in this house or school or town even to capture your undivided attention?" She says still watching my every move, staring at the cigarette that is almost at the filter so I fling it away. My nostrils flare at her attitude yet on the inside, I am gleaming that she is just as affected by me as I am by her. Will I let her see it? Not a chance in hell. It's for the best she stay away from me so before I can even contemplate stopping myself from talking, I spit out the worst comment I possibly can.

"Not even sure why you think you are the center of my world sweetheart. If you couldn't even keep your parents attention, what makes you think you'd have mine?" Before I know it, a smack that could be heard around the world lands across my face. She sure as hell can hit like no other. Why am I not surprised?

"Thanks for the reminder asshole. Not like I am not reminded every damn day of my life. Oh, and news flash. You might think you are better than me but looks like you weren't wanted either so hop off your high horse and leave me the hell alone. Don't follow me wherever I go. For once I would like for you to not be wherever I go." She says with I know are tears forming in her eyes, yet not one has fallen down her cheek. She storms past me and runs inside to probably hide out in her room and cry into her pillow undoubtedly. The sudden sting of hurt whips against the organ that I have been safeguarding from everyone since the day I wound up in the system and I swear a piece of it cracked from what I said. I said it because I want her to stay away from me. I know. I'm full of bullshit.

Some unknown force carries me back into the house, gunning straight for her, to her room below mine, but then a shrill scream from that point makes me stop dead in my tracks. I force myself out of my paralyzed state and move swiftly up the stairs and immediately find her in her room on the floor crying hysterically. I rush to the ground beside her not knowing what to do but dying to somehow help her. Soother her. Calm her. Anything to make her stop crying. It's like I can feel her pain straight to my bones.

"What happened? Why'd you scream?" I say softly, oddly confused myself with the tone I have. She looks to where I am but doesn't meet my eyes. I don't blame her. I wouldn't want to look at me either. I'm a total shit.

"They.....they took my stuff. They tore apart whatever I had. I don't get it. I've kept to myself. I haven't bothered anyone. Why? Why would they do this? It's all I had Hunter. All I had." She says just above a whisper while she sniffles and wipes her nose with the back of her hand. I didn't think that I would ever see this girl break. For the past two weeks she has held her head high and it looked to me like she had everything under control. Like me, she fakes being okay too. I carefully drop to the ground and wrap my body around her, hoping on everything that she doesn't pull away from me. I haven't had any contact with anyone nor would I even allow anybody to touch me, but for her, I think I would do just about anything. The moment I latch onto her is the moment that I am forever a goner.

To me she is like a wounded bird, butterfly, any innocent beautiful creature. There is something possessive within me. Something telling me she needs to be protected at all costs. I guide her to stand up, not allowing her to let go and lead her to the only place I know that will allow me to protect her further. My room. A room that has never had anyone else inside. This is one of many barriers that I know I will allow to be broken.

I lead her inside and close the door. I make sure to carefully sit her down on the vacant bed and she just immediately recoils within herself and cries herself to sleep, instantly forgetting that I am with her. My heart bleeds for her. My head is fogged by her hurt. My veins are bursting with rage knowing someone in this house intentionally hurt her. Where the hell was Sophie when this was happening? My anger gets the better of me but before I become more unhinged, I grab my blanket from off my bed and wrap it around her small frame. Thankfully she doesn't stir so I can unleash bloody havoc on those responsible for her heartache.

I slip out of my room without so much as a peep and close the door gently before I storm downstairs only to hear the undeniable laughter of the three morons that think they run this house when Sophie isn't watching. They are the little shits that think their shit don't stink. Little do they know that I'm the one they should be afraid of. I haven't felt the need to ever show my crazier side. He has just been dormant in me, until now. Not until I had a purpose for it. I bide my time lurking in the shadows of the dark unlit hallway while the three assholes talk about how what they have done was the best prank ever. My fists clench and unclench by my sides needing to enact revenge. I may be an asshole to her but what I am not is a heartless prick like those three. They should know better than to mess with peoples stuff. Do they not realize they were and still are in the same boat as the rest of us?

Once I have heard enough of the damning evidence, I storm in and grab the smaller one of the group by the back of his neck and shove him into the wall, holding onto him tight, making his face press even further into the wall that it might leave an imprint.

"Mind telling me why the need to harass the new girl?" I grit out with a growl, my eyes must be conveying all out psycho because the other two look two seconds away from pissing themselves. They each point their fingers at each other and I tsk at their need to be snitches towards one other.

"I don't take kindly to bullying and I really don't take kindly to mistreating a female. Go near Amber or any other person within these walls whether they have been here for years or plain new arrivals and just watch what will happen. There will be more of an indent on these walls but there most definitely will be blood coating them also. Blink so I know you two dimwits understand." I grit out, still trembling on the inside. I watch as they both blink like ten thousand times within a second. I press the one I am holding against the wall more into it and hear him cry out.

"Do we have an understanding or should I paint this wall red with your blood and make an example out of you?" I say and he just tries to shake his head against it. I loosen my grip and watch him fall to the floor with a thud. His friends don't move to help him. I watch as he crawls to where they are and once he is close to them, they help him up and scatter away like the rodents they are. I smirk and turn around making my way back to what was her old room and try to collect whatever is left to bring to her new room, with me. I can't seem to want to let her go. Not now. Not now that she is closer. So much closer.

Sadly, it wasn't enough I could salvage for her, having picked up every ripped shred of paper, but maybe I can tape them back together? It's a solid thought. I enter my room and see she is still asleep. I quickly stash the pieces away in my drawer for a later date. I make my way to my bed to sit only to hear her whimper softly. I'm not sure what to do of the situation. I have never wanted to console someone so much in my life but there is this need within me to try and make all her demons disappear. I kick off my shoes and move across the room to slide in bed with her and pull her body into mine. She doesn't even flinch or wake up but what does happen makes my breath hitch. Somehow, someway, her body knows that it is safe, safer than it was before when I was away, and she stops whimpering.

This is all foreign to me. This shouldn't be happening but I can't stop. I won't stop. Instead of overthinking what is going on within me, I simply pull her closer, lean my chin on top of her head, and close my eyes, only to be taken into the deepest sleep I have ever had, in years.