1 Please Don't Ever Leave Me

The way we met was way too perfectly timed. Our hearts bonded easily and laughs and smiles escaped our lips too quickly. It was almost like group of people becoming a rock band, a small chamber ensemble. It was impossible to believe that no pain would spark. It was too hard to believe such fateful things happen... Was it really fated?

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"Eden! Eden!!" His voice echoed through the thick forest, puffs of breaths escaping his lips.

"Ni-Nixon... Wait up!" I cried out, rough pants escaping my mouth, my lungs burned as I ran after the brunette boy going even deeper in to the abyss like forest. His laughter echoed through the forest, chirps of birds sounding from the nearby big trees. Simultaneously our pace slowed down, my pace slowed mostly due to the fact of the soreness in my knees and feet from running.

"Woah," he breathed out, finally stopping and looking around the forest.

"Yah.. You're done right..?" I panted, holding on my knees, gulping down and then panting more.

"Psh... You're such a weakling, look," he slapped the back of my head, earning a side glare from me. I straightened my back and glanced around the forest, my eyes wandering around the forest. Silence fell over both of us as we both suddenly enchanted by the magical sound of the warm sound of birds soft chirps echoing around the forest. Leaves rustled as a light breeze blew through the forest, along with a distant sound of a woodpecker, pecking out his life. After a moment I glanced down at the ground, we had need standing in long grass, also surrounded by many different flowers, in the distance I also saw perhaps a berry bush?

"Do you think we can sit somewhere?" I asked, breaking the silence, my throat even feeling sore from the long break of not speaking. Nixon seemed to be snapped back from the other dimension his mind was in. He looked at me blankly and blinked a few times.

"O-oh, yeah," a smirk going to his lips as he raised his hand and pointed upwards. I gulped and followed his finger that pointed at the tree. He smirked at me competitively. He leaned towards my ear. "Race ya," and with that he was off with that climbing up the tree.

No way I thought as I instantly ran towards the tree and also started climbing with all my might. I felt my foot slip almost being close to the branch to sit on, and I squeaked, shutting my eyes. Nixon's hand supported my foot back to climbing, letting me win this race. He scooted over to me once I was sitting on the stable branch. "You let me win!" I whined, looking at him with anger. He laughed and stuck out his tongue.

"Heck no, I simply wasn't fast enough and didn't want to get blamed if you got hurt.." he started, leaning closer. "...since we're suppose to be in school right now," he smiled devilishly, showing off that he stole me away from my studies. I shoved him lightly, not harshly as I usually would due to my exhaustion. He chuckled in my weak abusive response and wrapped his arm around me.

"Hey, what the heck," I shoved his arm off, giving him a look of confusion. He wasn't looking at me anymore, he eyes were fixed somewhere far away.

"Man, we're only seven, I already got you to leave school, and.." he trailed off, almost as if clouds appeared in his eyes. I furrowed my eyebrows and smacked his head.

"And what? What?" I questioned him harshly, he looked at me irritated.

"Ah! Nothing!" he snapped and let out a huff of air. I crossed my arms and stared at him. He looked at me for a moment. "No, seriously, forget it," he shoved me lightly, with a playful smile. I clicked my tongue but didn't question him any further.

"Hey Nixon," I almost whispered to him, once again breathless from the green beautiful scenery of life. He hummed in response. Suddenly I lost my train of thought of what I wanted to ask him, and I pondered the thought I was abandoned by. "Is it possible for girls to like girls, and boys to like boys?" I asked him, sounding more childish than I intended it to sound. He cracked a fit of laughter in response to my question.

"Of course, why? You're in love with a girl?" He teased, knowing the answer. I gave him a hateful glance from the corner of my eyes. "Why didn't Ernest tell you something like that?" he asked, randomly pulling out a bag of nuts from his pocket. I stole a nut before he could take one for himself, it cracked under my teeth on it. I chewed on the nut for a few seconds, not responding, then swallowed.

"I don't know, I know my mom grimaces when she sees something like that, so I wondered if its a sin or something," I replied, stealing a handful of nuts from his bag receiving a hiss of dissatisfaction from him.

"You're mom doesn't get it then," he sassed softly, his comment made me chuckle.

"Doesn't school end soon?" I asked, briefly glancing the watch on his wrist. He looked at me finally and then lifted his hand that was resting against the branch to his face.

"And what about it?" he leaned back in his original position. I blew a raspberry as his response.

"Our parents will worry!" I complained in attempt to get him to go home.

"So? You're with me, not like I'll ever let you get hurt," he bravely responded and then kissed my cheek. I looked at him with a frown on my features, not amused. I kissed his cheek in response and both of us giggled.

"Why'd you bring steal me here anyway?" I swung my legs from the branch, a wave of anxiety rushed through me for a moment. He looked at me with boredom, as it the question was obvious.

"I wanted to, is all," his response sounding more harsh then he seemed for it to sound, as he flinched from his response. I sighed in response and pursed my lips, once again gazing at the beauty of nature. In a moment we were both giggling again from a weird sound a bird made. We both looked at each other and smiled, the sweet chirping of the birds relaxing us from the height we were sitting on. He leaned in and pecked my lips. "In the future, I'm always gonna bring you here!" he exclaimed. I rolled my eyes in response.

"Yeah, sure, whatever Mr. delinquent," I teased him. He noticed my joking tone, the disbelief in my voice.

"Eden, I mean it," he responded, looking at me sincerely. "We should always be together."

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"Eden~" the voice itself sent shivers down my spine. Hesitantly, I turned around, turning my head towards the source of the voice. A smirk played at her lips as she started towards me, her heels clinking. I wondered why no one around the corners ever did anything. I wondered how she was never alone, but someone close to me was always on her side. I felt both my arms being pulled and my books crashed to the ground.

"Katie, will you ever stop?" I whispered to her, she blonde short hair shook as she laughed. I felt kicks in the back of my knees making me fall down to my knees, a soft squeak escaping my lips.

"That's completely up to you, my dear Eden," her eyes sparkled with something I wished I could've looked away from.

"You know I have no control ov-" I whimpered at her glare that had more then just hatred in them. She scoffed, brushing some hair behind her ear.

"You'll never get it through your head will you?" one of the girls pinning me down laughed, but it wasn't a happy laugh but one of disgust.

It was moments until pain spread through all my body. The kicks at my body starting to become numb with every kick rather then more painful. My back, stomach, chest and head complained with the pain that was spreading through my body and eventually turning in to a numb feeling. I attempted to cover my head with my arms, hoping to build a little protective layer like that. I only realized they stopped kicking when Katie grabbed my collar and threw me against the wall. I can't imagine how painful that would've been if I wasn't only nine then. I heard the sound of their footsteps against the schools hard floor departing. After coming back to my senses I got up and collected my previously dropped books. I rushed to the washroom and grabbed toilet paper I could find and soaked it in water. I softly dabbed at the bruises that covered my face. I exhaled a long and deep sigh. "I can't let Nixon see this," I whispered to myself rather then to anyone else to hear.

"Maybe you should just do what they say then?" I was startled by one of my friends who exited the stall from behind me. She walked up towards me and turned the sink on, washing her hands.

"You know I can't do that, mentally nor physically," I whined to my ginger haired friend. She heaved a long sigh.

"Eden, I'm tired of your excuses, you can just end things, clearly you just don't want you, you're choosing to get hurt," she explained bluntly, not blinking an eye. She turned off the water and walked over to blow dry her hands, almost muting my attempts to utter a word. With that, she left the washroom without letting me explain to her again what I meant.

I was only nine. What was I supposed to know about friends, Nixon or anyone in the school? Exactly, absolutely nothing. I walked out of the washroom, getting ready for many scolds from my best friend, who was maybe even more then my best friend at that time.

"Good morning Ede.." his voice trailed from running to be upon seeing the many bruises on my face. He instantly paced towards me, he grasped my hand and pulled me away.

"Wait.. Nixon!" I called out, he continued dragging me until I we got to the nurse's office.

"Stay," he commanded with a harsh look, then walking off once I sat on a bed. He came back with a first aid kit and placed it on the bed beside me and started clumsily dabbing some substance over my face. I winced at one point, but not from the pain from his medical help, but from his physical touch. He gave me a twisted look before looking down, where his hand was. His hand was on my arm, holding on to it. Before I could stop him he pulled up my sweaters sleeve. His face twisted from a serious gaze in to a look I've never seen before. He didn't look at me in the eye as he dabbed the wounds on my arm now as well.

"Nixon," I started, shook his head.

"No, shut up, I'll find out myself what happened and I'll hurt them," he snapped harshly. I flinched at his sudden harshness. His eyes still didn't meet mine, continuing to tend to my wounds. He put the first aid kit away and before he was able to sit I hugged him. My arms stretched behind his back, my face against his chest, with him bringing his arms around my body. Silenced etched it's way around the room, it was a bad silence. It was a silence that wasn't supposed to be there. I patiently waited whilst still hugging him to suddenly burst in to a fit. But he didn't. I gulped hard, tightening my hold on him. "Hey.. Eden?" he questioned, letting out a choked question from my tight hold. A few tears escaped my eyes he didn't see, I made sure those same tears didn't damp his shirt.

"Nixon..." I whimpered, pulling away from the hug, and gazing up at his eyes. Looking in to his grassy green eyes always reminded me of the times we'd go in to the forest, holding hands, silence making its way around us. Yet still a silent conversation amongst the two of us.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice smooth and sweet.

"I wish--"