phantoms

It had been another gruesome day at school, and by gruesome I mean horrible.

The day started when my dad came barging into my room at about 4:45 that morning demanding that I make his something to eat before I head to school. The only problem was that I didn't go to school until about 7:30. The steam from the morning eggs stinted my eyes like needles and burned my hands with grease. I felt like I was dying of suffocation and yet I continued to fix my hung over father a great meal in the hopes that he won't bother me today.

After breakfast I hurried back to my room glancing at the clock I sighed. it was 7:01 and I had to get ready for the long day at school now without the sleep that was mandatory for a high functioning brain. At school the boys spotted me rather quickly, but who was I kidding, anyone who had any sense of vision could see me a mile away in the clothes I wore.

I was wearing a dress shirt with a pullover with kakis and my navy blue tie. My shoes were black and red converses with mismatching socks underneath peaking out of my shoes.

"Hey nerd," Bobby sneered. Bobby was the school's idol and captain of the football team, but he wasn't the brightest of the bunch. He repeatedly bullied me into doing his Physics homework just so he could stay on the team, "got my homework for Gorsy and Francis done yet?" I nodded while reaching into my bag for the reports that I did for the jock. I had spent the better half of the night making sure that the pieces were absolutely flawless.

They were perfection, I made sure of it.

"H-Here Bobby," I stuttered shoving the reports at him. Bobby had quick reflexes so it wasn't as if I'd never seen them. I restrained the look of amazement when he caught the fragile books from the sky. I hated the stupid stuttering that came involuntarily when I was nervous and in had no excuse for it.

I just hated my flaws.

After the encounter that I had avoided with Bobby and his gang of delinquents I managed to escape with no black eyes a I quickly ran to my first period class, which was Calculus with Distal. The day was looking up for once in my favor, but I didn't dare push it for I knew that the day could easily become my own personal hell like it always does.

My morning classes went by without a hitch and lunch was upon us. Everyone rushed to the cafeteria to be the first one in line for the hot and fresh food. I usually brought a packed tuna salad sandwich and ate in the library while study for the sat/acts to get perfect scores for the college I'm going to. I hated being weak, especially around bobby and his poise. I wasn't looking where I was going and bumped into someone on the 4th floor stairs.

"S-Sorry," I apologized for in hope that it wasn't Bobby, but that was wishful thinking. When I looked up I met eyes with the cold blood ass. He was flanked with his so called friends and for a moment I was jealous of them. Why did he have such loyal friends when I didn't even have a damn cat to talk to. I didn't even have a computer at home.

How sad was that?

Bobby wasn't looking too happy about with me holding him up and the expression showed on his face. His face was drawn up into a scroll and when he pinched the bridge of his crooked nose I knew what was coming next.

"I don't think he is sorry. What do you think Randal and Anthony?" I silently prayed to whoever is listening to my prays that they would see how sorry I was and let me go this one time, but that was praying for a miracle to happen.

"I don't think so Bobby," Anthony smirked at me.

"Yeah," Randal agreed, "if he was sorry, he wouldn't be looking so smudged as he does now. I couldn't believe them! I wasn't smudged, I was silently hoping I wasn't going to die soon. These boys were complete idiots and I was going to die.

I shut my eyes begging for my death to be quick and painless, but all I got was darkness...

The darkness slowly reduced until it was a distant memory in my mind, but the pain was still there. A sick gnawing in the back of my mind that I can't get away from. I finally decided to open my eyes to check out my surrounding. It was a bright room and solid white. I laid there in shock as I try to recall what had happened to me previously before the darkness swallowed me and left me hanging in the dark abyss. I remember wanting to live, and going to lunch, but after that my memory goes hazy on me.

Was I dead?

"Oh, you're awake," a naturally loud voice broke through my concentration causing my ears to ring. grabbing my ears I glared at the intruder in the room. She was a short woman in her mid to late 20's with bleach blonde hair and dark green eyes, which hid behind her thick glasses. She also wore a white long coat with a red dress underneath it. It wasn't cute at all in my opinion.

"Where am I?" I asked not liking the idea of being in a white room. The woman came closer to me and smiled at me like I was some lab rat in one of her experiments

"Why, you are in the clinic sweetie," I hated when people had little nicknames for others, it wasn't cute in the least bit and it was annoying, "you were hurt pretty bad and a boy brought you in,"

'a boy?' I thought as I tried to remember what happened, but no such luck.

"Come to think about it," the nurse said placing her finger on her chin, "he seemed a bit worried about you,"

"Worried?" I asked bewitched that such a person actually existed in my life. Surely if such a boy saved my life I would remember his face at least something to prove that I wasn't imagine things.

"Yes, poor thing ran you all the way here covered in your blood. And right on time might I add," she answered handing me a glass of milk, "because a moment later you'd be dead now," I couldn't believe it. A mysterious boy saved my life. I glanced around the room looking for my hero to tell him how much I appreciated his hospitality and give him my thanks.

"I'm sorry," the nurse frowned at my actions, "but the boy left as soon as he knew you were stable," if possible my heart would have collapsed and I would have turned into a pile of skin on the bed from the disappointment I felt. I tried to keep it together in front of this woman, but there's only so much you can do before enough is enough.

"Don't cry young man," she projected in a motherly voice. I wasn't even aware that I was crying until she pointed it out, I felt pathetic crying in front of this woman. I should be stronger, after all the abuse I receive from my father this should be nothing, but it was so much more then nothing.

"I'm fine, when can I go?" I asked trying to ward to attention away from me, I wasn't one to like being the center of attention. She looked me over doubtfully and checked her notes.

"Now," I jumped up from the bed and ran out of there like a bat out of hell.

Finally getting home I was greeted by a heavy fist connecting to my jaw.

"Where have you been?!" my father yelled dragging me in the house by my hair and throwing me in the front room. I could tell he was drunk just by the smell of whiskey on his breath and the slurring of his voice. I thought for a moment of standing up for myself, but decided not to for I was too small to take on my drunken father not to mention that in this state he'd probably try touching me again.

"In the clinic," I replied gasping for air as his foot connected with my lower stomach taking the air out of me. He growled in my ear and I had to restrain myself from puking right there.

"I'll make you pay for making me wait my wonderful boy," I flinched at the tone of his voice knowing very well what was to come next. I was prepared to protest, but I was forced quiet by my fathers smothering mouth covering mine. I hate taking the role in my father's sick little fantasy, and what made it so bad my father when sober hated men who used their sons as sex toys, but my father wasn't sober at all unless mom came over for a visit.

Mom left my dad when I was 5 years old, granting my father custody over me with the exceptions of her monthly visits, and she had no idea what her so called ex husband was doing to her one and only son. I felt validated whenever he touched me, it was sick and unnaturally in my book, but what could I do to make him stop? whenever I try he was always rougher with me and used even more force with me.

After the events of the night he left me on the floor of my room and left. I cried my heart out curled up in a ball filling vile and dirty as I slipped into a deep troubled sleep thinking...

Will anyone save me?

The next day at school I sat alone during the day when I could help it. My morning classes went by pretty quickly and lunch was here before I knew it, but I chose not to eat that day. In stead I skipped lunch all together and went to the library to study for my upcoming tests. I wanted to get a good head start so that I could graduate the top of my class with perfect scores for college. I had a few years before I graduated, but that didn't stop me from taking all the major test so I could perfection my scores to the highest grades possible.

In the library I was greeted by the last person I wanted to see now, Bobby... but somehow it was different now, in stead of harassing me he seemed to be waiting for me. He sat at a lone table towards the back of the room with some thick books on his table looking as if he was taking notes. As I signed in the log book I heard him call out my name.

"Jace," I froze. It had been the first time he had called me by my name since preschool. For the first time in over 10 years Bobby was the nice one to me. Me, a nerd, can you believe it, because I couldn't.

"Bobby," I acknowledged as I made my way over to the table he was at, "what are you doing in here? the whole point of skipping lunch was to avoid you," I stated. For a moment I thought I saw a flash of hurt in his eyes, but it was gone before I got a good look at them. I must have been seeing things, I mean it isn't possible for the school bully to feel hurt or any other emotion except rage and fury.

"I heard about your accident," ok now I was confused. I thought it was him that almost killed me. Then my thoughts shifted to the mystery boy that saved me, was he cute, or ugly?

"What accident? You almost killed me!" I hadn't realized that I was shouting until the librarian currently on duty shhed me. I could feel the heat rising on my face as Bobby chuckled, he was clearly enjoying my embarrassment.

"I admit I did almost kill you, but then some kid swooped out of nowhere and defended you," my heart picked up the pace and I was hoping that Bobby wasn't lying to me. Now might be the perfect time to know what my hero looked like. Taking the seat beside Bobby I demanded answers from him.

"You saw the boy?" I asked as he shifted uncomfortably at how close I was leaning to him, I mean I practically was right on top of him, "well... what did he look like?" I was dying to know what my hero appeared to be.

"Sorry Jace," there was my name again, "but I didn't get a good look at him, he was gone before I could see. I'm sorry," I wanted to scream in frustration, "I did see that he had black hair and blue eyes, but that's all. I'm sorry," I threw my hands up in frustration and walked out of the library in anger. I was so blinded by fury and rage that I wasn't watching where I was going and sort of I bumped into someone on the way out of the doors.

"Ouch!" this person said as they, along with their books, hit the floor. I glared at the person in front of me not being able to see their face clearly for it was blocked with tossed black hair.

"Are you alright?" the voice was male and it sparked something deep inside me. I frowned, I was the one that knocked him down and he was wondering if I was alright. What a strange boy.

"I'm fine," all my previous rage melting at the sound of his voice, "are you fine?" the boy on the ground chuckles and said looking up at me,

"You know," his blue eyes seemed to dance with amusement, "for someone who almost died you sure are heartfelt," I was lost.

"I'm sorry," I smiled helping him up, "but do I know you?" he did $seem strangely familiar, like distant memory trying to claw its way up to the front of the mind.

"You should," he grinned while finishing picking up the fallen books, "I did save your life,"

I gasped...

It's him...

I couldn't believe that the boy that saved my life was standing right in front of me.

My Hero...I didn't know I was staring until the boy shuffled on his feet uncomfortable with the sudden attention he was getting for all the staring that I was doing.

"So, what's your name?" I was froze, unable to respond or move. All I could do was just stare at this boy. A boy, whom I had no idea what his name was.

"Wha..." I was so embarrassed, "my what?" the boy looked at me doubtfully and I suddenly found interest in my shoes. I thought for sure the boy would walk away laughing and report back to his friends on how much of a dork I really was. I could just hear the rumors now, rumors about how the nerd panicked and how he lost his nerdy smarts. I'd cower in embarrassment unable to meet any one's eye at this school, not that I could already.

But he didn't...

"Your name," I quickly looked back up to see him smiling at me, "what is it?"

"Jace," I mumbled feeling stupid.

he smiled back sticking his free hand out.

"I'm Xavior, it's nice to meet you Jace." I smiled back for the first time in almost 10 years.

"it's nice to meet you to Xavior," for the rest of the day I would talk to my new found friend any chance I got.

And that was the beginning of our first and last adventure together...

I was smiling like a fool when I got home that day unaware the my mom was there, waiting for me.

"Sweetie, what's got you so happy?" I stopped smiling when mom came around the corner. She hasn't been here in a few months and I thought she finally gave up on her worthless son, but no such luck.

"Nothing" I mumbled hating to lie to her, but she'd probably ruin that too along with my life, "why you ask?" she pinched my cheek and smiled at me.

"Can't I ask about my favorite son?" my eye twitched out of annoyance. Grabbing her hand I glared at her with a look that literally killed in my mind.

"Mother, you haven't seen me in 4 months. What do you want now?" I didn't hate her she just pissed me off to no ends. she didn't speak for a moment looking slightly hurt it make me want to laugh, because the woman carried no such emotions as hurt.

"I'm coming back. I have decided to give your father a second chance," I rolled my eyes.

"sounds great, bye," and left the house.

At the park sitting on a swing I let my thoughts run wild with my imagination.

'a second chance,' the though made me laugh, 'yeah right and hell froze over. You're not here to be apart of my life, you're here so you can make my life a miserable hell and collect my life insurance when I died,' the thought, although very unpleasant, was true. she didn't love me and she knows she doesn't. She's a money hunger bitch who deserves every god awful thing coming to her.

"Hi Jace," the voice made me smile as I turn around.

"Xavior," I replied with a full blown smile. He was wearing faded blue jeans and a red pullover with pink converses and purple framed glasses. In short he was gorgeous, "what are you doing out here?" no one typically comes to this park with the new one about 3 blocks down the street, and here I felt that no one can hear me cry.

"Just in the neighborhood and saw you sitting alone and thought you'd like some company," he shrugged and took the some what decent swing beside me, "so, was I right?" I frowned.

"About what?" I felt like an idiot for zoning out his questions. He giggled and took a hold of my swing blocking any escape I could have made.

""Would you like some company?" I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but if it were anyone else I wouldn't have cared about their feelings. Xavior was different though. He saved my life and I'll always be forever in debt to him, and if it takes the rest of my short life then so be it.

"Sure," I sighed as he took the previous seat again. We talk for a while about everything I learned more about him, and he with me, but I feel as if with a moments notice he'll up and leave me. Everyone always did. Just like Anthony did...

After the sun started to set Xavior insisted on walking me home even though a gave I full blown reason why he shouldn't walk me, but he refused to be reasoned with so here we were. The house was lit up like the forth of July and I sighed slightly embarrassed that he would have to see this.

'Please be sleep' I silently prayed as the thought of my parents being up waiting for me to return home, but it was like finding a needle in a hay stack. The moment my foot hit the dead lawn of my yard the door flung open.

"Jace," my mother smiled as she seen Xavior standing beside me, "who's your friend?" I shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"Xavior, he saved my life back about a week or so ago. Xavior, this is my mother. She will be moving back in and try to make it work with my father." Xavior frowned at the tone of my voice as I hissed at the end, but chose to set it aside for the sake of me.

'Bless this boy' I thought as he left after some introductions to my dad. As I closed the door and turned around I was met with a blow to the face.

'Oh No,' was the only thought that passed my mind as darkness overcame me.

The lights were bright. Opening my eyes someone was holding my hand. Soft, tenderly, sweet, all the feeling I wanted from my parents. To accept me for me.

"Hey doc, I think he's waking up" the voice was distant and strange. One I didn't remember in my life.

" Hey Jace," turning my head my gaze fell upon blue orbs, the blue orbs that I come to love in the short time that I've known the boy.

" Xavior," I winched at the sudden pain shooting down my spin into my lower abdomen.

" Save your breath," he said, "I'm right here for you," I wanted so bad to tell him I was fine and that he was worrying over nothing, but the words wouldn't come. The truth was that I wasn't feeling my best and he knew it.

" What happened?" I didn't remember much after he went home yesterday, was it even yesterday that happened? Maybe I had been in the hospital longer than that.

" You didn't come to school for a week," Xavior started, " I came by worried. I found you on the floor in a pool of blood and a note from your parents," I felt sick to my stomach. What kind of parents leave their kid to die with a note like I was some dog.

"What did it say?"

"What?"

"The note," my voice dry and parched, "what did it say?" I already knew what it said, but I needed to be sure.

"this piece of crap is useless. He can't do anything right and if by some unlucky miracle that someone finds him before he's dead then you can keep him. We give up...signed his parents" I was crying by the end. Not because I cared but because I already knew what the note said.

"I knew it,"

"Knew what Jace?"

"What the note said,"

"How?"

"I know," I cried turning towards him, "because I wrote it."

The next few days were hell. Xavior stuck by me through it all as I made recovery.

"jace," I heard as the sunlight hit my face. It had been 3weeks since the hospital and it felt like an eternity.

"wha'" sleep thick in my voice causing my voice to sound deeper then it actually was. I heard a chuckle.

"come on, up and at em" I groaned as the cover was removed from my head and the sun hit me.

"Xavior," I whined as I struggled to pull the cover back from him.

"Jace, you moms here," blood drained from my face and I froze. Every fiber in my being telling me to run but my body wouldn't listen to my mind. "no," my voice was quiet.

"You have to face her sooner or later sweetie,""" he tried to console me but I was set in my ways.

"Not today, please." Every time I thought of seeing her again would be in hell or some body bag at the morgue. Somewhere in the house I heard a loud crash and rolled my eyes. Looking at Xavior I silently pled with him not to make me see that woman. As if reading my mind her shook his head and gently grabbed my hand and pulled me up out of bed.

"think of it being the last time so you can say what's on your mind, " he said looking in my eyes. With tears threatening to fall I just couldn't do it. Surely he won't force me to face the woman who tried to put an end to my life.

"I can't do it, it's too soon, " I cried as the crashing came closer. Looking over at the door it slammed open and Xavior shielded me from the impact of the door, "Xavior! " I cried out. In the door stood my mother with a less than perfect smirk on her face. She looked like my father on his drunk days.

"I have found you Jace, " I flinched as my name rolled off her tongue in such a sickly manner, "What's wrong my son? You look like you've seen a ghost. Well what can I say it has been some time since you've seen me after all. I've come to take you home," all color of my skin drained as the words rolled out of her mouth.

'She can't be serious right?' I thought as she came closer to my position. Xavior didn't budge as she came within arms length of us. He's stood his ground in protecting me and my mother frowned coming to a stop.

"Come now Jace, you can't honestly believe that your protecting your friend by staying here with him. I mean seriously it anything you're only causing him pain by you being here by his side. " I frowned as she said this.

'is this true? Am I only hurting him by staying here with him? Can I only protect him by leaving him forever? ' the thought was almost unbearable as I touched his arm and lowered it so I could see my mother's face. She has aged a lot in the past few weeks from the look of her. She had deep wrinkles set just below her brows and pale skin. 'did I do this to her by leaving?'

"Come with me, it's the only way you can protect him, " I hesitated as Xavior shook in front of me. Should I listen to my mother, the same woman who left me for dead in my own home?

"Ok, " I said quietly, as I stepped around my protector. "I'll go with you mother, " I reached for her hand when he stopped me.

"don't listen to her Jace, I don't need your protection I can protect myself." Xavior pleaded as I turned to face him. I shook my head and left with my mother leaving him standing in the middle of the room. He's protected me for so long it's time that I protect him.

I got in the car waiting outside for us to see my father in the driver side. I shuttered as the car door slammed behind me. My mother got in the front seat with my dad and we drove off into the distance leaving the house behind with my best friend standing in the drive way with a pained look on his face. Did I do the right thing? I hope so as I stared out the window.

"now that your back with us we have some things to go over with you dear" my mother chimed as the sign to town passed by. We were leaving town bit to where were we going? We pulled us to a big house a few hours later and I got out and follow them inside. The house was just as big on the inside as it was on the outside too. My parents showed me upstairs to my room. It was a large room with a wood themed bed and forest painted walls. It wasn't half bad. I felt a sharp pain in the back of my neck as I sat on the bed. Looking at my mother my vision went blurry, as I tried to speak I couldn't muster up the words. I just hit the floor with one thought in mind as everything went dark....

I am so sorry Xavior, please forgive me..

As the drug wore off I sat up in the room and looked around for a minute before it kicked in that I was being held captive by the people I didn't wasn't to be around, my parents. Tears stung my eyes like a thousand bees as I wiped them away in case I was being watched.

'I wont let them see me cry,' the thought came as a sound came from above me. The door flew over an they were right there in the doorway grinning like the Cheshire cat. I glared daggers at them and they just laughed.

"the boy doesn't understand his current situation dear," my father laughed as he threw me a pan of water. Glaring at the content in the container I shoved it away.

"I refuse anything you give me " I said defiantly. Mother sighed as I did this and then as if an idea popped into her head she grinned even larger than before. Shrinking back into the corner trying to make myself as small as possible to them.

"Honey, let's leave for now, we have hunting to do," as the words fell out of her mouth the color of my face drained as I pictured them hog tying Xavior up and dragging him all over the place. As the two left my father turned one last time as smirked,

"see you real soon son," I flinched as he said this for he never called me that unless he was about to hurt someone incredibly dear to me. What felt like hours could have only been minutes but I wasnt sure because I had no way of telling time in this room, no windows or clock. Just a plain empty stained walled room with patch or the floor missing. Looking down I just realized that my hands and feet were bound together with rope.

"What is this?" I growled as the rope dug into flesh. I tried taking it off so I could escape. Rope continued to dig into my wrist as I struggled and the more I did the deeper it went. 'This is impossible to get out of,' the bitter thought flew past my mind and I just couldn't shake it like I was being watched. Just as I had given up on taking the rope off the door opened again this time it was a different person than who I was use to seeing. It was the man I wanted to save me all this time, Xavior. Tears filled my head and I just couldn't believe my eyes.

"You came," I whispered as he cut the rope off of me and gently touched my face.

"I will always come for you Jace. You're my everything," saying as he wiped my tears from my face. But then I frowned.

"What happened to my parents?" He shifted his gaze elsewhere when I asked that I feared the worse and began to shake. He realized I was shaking and just held me close and began to whisper sweet nothings in my ear.

"They are gone," he answered and I didn't

press the matter not right now anyway. I wanted this moment to last forever and never leave but even that sounded ridiculous as it crossed my mind. So much I let out a cracked chuckle. This was perfect like this so nice and calm like the past day never happened. I could stay like this forever.

Just like this, here with Xavior.

The alarm buzzed, as I groaned I sat up and glanced at the clock. It was 7 am flashing in red letters and for some reason I began to cry.

'No,' I thought, 'no it was real,' the fact that the door of my room flew open made me realize something, it was a dream. All of it and now I will face the music of tomorrow, today...