Chapter 3

Waiting

Mina's lungs screamed for oxygen as she ran as fast as she could. She did her best of catch her breath but it was no use. The 11 year old girl wanted to stop to give her aching muscles and her tired lungs and dry mouth but she just couldn't; not now.

Not when Walter was being taken away.

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Two Days Ago

Mina held Walter's hand as the two of them crossed the street, well, rather he took her hand into a tight grip when were allowed to cross. Mina simply let him and followed him with a dimple filled smile. She looked up to find a determined look on his face.

Walter has always been so protective of her since the day they met. It was odd to others how such a violent, angry-at-the-world kind of boy could be so concerned about a gentle, I-love-the-world kind of girl. Things didn't change, no one came near them, but to each other, they were the best of friends.

"Walter, lets get some ice cream today! I saved enough money so I can get two!"

Walter shrugged, "you don't have to…" he spoke in a small tone.

Now that never changed, Walter was still incredibly shy when it came to spending time with people, let alone a girl such a Mina. One word answers had improved though, the Kovacs boy put more into his answers these days, sometimes he even struck up the conversation.

"But I want to! Please Walter, please…"

The red headed boy looked down at her big puppy dog eyes and pouting lips and he melted. How is it that one brown haired girl would know how to weaken him after only knowing each other for three months?

Never compromise. That's what he always believed.

Mina…well, she threw that philosophy out the window.

"…sure."

Mina Roberts jumped up and down happily, "yay! I'll be right back and then we'll go get that thing for your mom." She quickly ran down the street while Walter waited for her; originally unaware of the two tall boys walking towards him with cruel intentions.

She was only gone for a about ten minutes before she returned, two chocolate chip ice cream cones in hand, one bigger than the other was for Walter cause the boy was a bottomless pit. Mina smiled at the thought of them having their ice cream on this lovely day, barely aware of what was going on around her. When she arrived at the right place, her face dropped into confusion at the large crowd that had gathered there.

"Hold his arms! Hold his arms!"

Those people.

"-Htta be locked up. See him biting that-"

They were holding Walter.

"Like an animal. Like a mad dog…"

They were standing over a bigger boy with bite marks on his face.

"Blame the parents."

Walter looked so angry. He looked like he was ready to kill.

"Exactly like a mad dog…"

Mina let the ice cream fall from her hands before slithering her way into the center of the crowd, immediately blocking Walter from all the angry people.

"Leave him alone!"

"Back off kid that monster just attacked two kids."

"To protect himself, everyone picks on him he was just protecting himself!"

"I said get out of the way!"

"No! I won't!"

SWAP

Walter saw red when the man slapped Mina across the face, who gingerly placed her hand on her redden cheek. The boy would have killed him if not for the Roberts girl grabbed his wrist.

"Let's go."

Despite his anger, he couldn't say no to her. Walter quickly pulled them away from the crowd and down the street doing his best to ignore the shouts coming from everyone. It felt like forever before Walter slowed down, but when they did they found themselves in the back alley of his home. The boy proceeded to sit down on the steps and let his head drop.

Mina looked down at him with heavy breathe and wide eyes clutching the top of her rain coat as if it were her life line. Walter keep his head down, letting the fruit juices that the one kid smashed into his face drip off of him; he stayed perfectly silent as he did his best to calm down. The Roberts girl prompted to sit down next to him and clutch onto his stripped T-shirt. "Walter what happened?"

No answer.

"Did you really bite that kid?"

No answer.

"What made you so angry? Walter?!"

Again, no answer. Mina's eyes filled with blue sadness, loosening her grip on his shirt, knowing that she had lost this battle. She removed her hands and looked down at the dirty street; the two remained in silence. Finally, feeling she could do more, she pulled out her handkerchief and began to pat it on his face. This brought Walter from his thoughts as he looked at her with wide eyes, holding her hand.

"Don't, you'll ruin it."

"Walter no, you have to get this off before it gets all sticky."

"But-"

"No buts, now hold still."

Mina won that fight; Walter sat with his shoulders slumped in defeat as the frizzy haired girl wiped his face clean. "There, much better!" Mina said with a smile placing her hanky back in her coat pocket. She lightly gasped when she felt a weight on her shoulder, finding that it was the red haired boys head. Mina looked down at him with confused eyes.

"I had to do it…"

Mina slowly took his hand in hers, "…I know."

"It was the only way."

Mina rested her head on top of his, "I know."

"I'm so tired of it all…"

Mina's grip on his hand tightened. In that moment, Mina Roberts became Walter Kovacs secret keeper and unknowingly, the love of his life.

"I know Walter, I know."

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Mina let out a gasping breathe as she hunched over get some air. She grasped her knees with her hands so that she didn't fall over. Mina didn't have long though, she would only let herself take a quick breath or two before running after the bus that held her best friend captive.

She wouldn't stop. Mina wouldn't give up on him.

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3 weeks ago

Mina cried.

Mina hadn't cried since her grandmother's funeral, saying she would never cry again and yet here she was, curled up in a back alley with tears in her eyes.

The kids at school were picking on her again. The teasing had gotten worse and she was scared to defend herself. The girls were the worst, calling her 'dumpster baby' and 'stinky bitch' and other horrible things. Mina tried to ignore it, but it was no use.

Today she found herself in her parents room. Mina didn't know what prompted her to do what she did but she did it anyway. After a brief few minutes of not thinking clearly, Mina's body and clothes was completely soaked in her mother's perfume. Somehow, she thought that this would make it all better.

It didn't.

The jokes were worse then ever that day, the popular girl even threw her into a trashcan and left her there but not before throwing food and milk at her. When Mina saw her scrapped knee, tears began to fall down her face. She got up and ran out of school.

Mina Roberts just couldn't stop crying, no matter how hard she tried; if anything it got worse. People heard her and saw her but nobody stopped to see if she was all right. How cruel, leaving a child there to weep. This wasn't the world she had loved, it became tainted and left like an open wound to fester.

This world…it-

"Mina?"

The girl looked up in quickly at the familiar voice that called to her. Mina was stunned to find Walter there, looking down at her with wide eyes; wasn't he supposed to be in school?

"I heard that you ran out of school and-" Walter's nose crunched at the stench that hit his nostrils, quickly putting his hand over it, "ugh what's that smell?"

Hearing that just made Mina let out a loud cry, curling herself into a ball so that no one could see her cry. Walter jumped at the sudden outburst, feeling bad instantly, knowing that it was her. Walter kneeled down next to her, unsure of how to make her stop.

"I-I'm sorry…p-please stop crying…come on, please?"

Mina raised her head to look up him with red puffy eyes, "th-they said I was a stinky girl a-and they threw things at m-me," she gulped, "I thought putting my m-moms perfume on would help b-but it didn't!" her body went into tremors as she covered her mouth, "and they th-threw me in the g-garbage."

Walter fumed when he heard the girl's explanation, letting out a heated breathe, he planned to go and beat the living tar out of them but a delicate hand on his wrist made him stop. He looked down to see big blue puppy dog eyes; this caught him off guard. Walter Kovacs had just met this girl a week ago and already he was under her control; all with just one simple look.

"Y-you'll stay with me," she sniffled, "r-right?"

The boy looked at her and was consumed with sadness and, oddly, the need to protect, which was something he never felt he needed to do for another human being. He nodded and sat down next to her; he didn't even flinch when she rested her head on his chest.

The two of them sat there until Mina's cries had become faint little hiccups. Walter then proceeded to take her home. When she hugged him before running into her house, Mina Roberts was sure that Walter Kovacs was the boy that was created just for her.

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This bus would just not let up!

Mina pushed herself even further; she had managed to get closer, but it only looked like this mechanical contraption was just messing with her. Every time she was about to grab a hold of it it only went faster. Mina grunted in anger, something that rarely came upon that little pudgy face.

Then the bus was stopped by a red light.

The girl sighed in joy, giving her a chance to catch her breath again. Mina then got along side of the bus, looking up at the windows for her best friend.

"Walter…Walter!"

"Mina?"

The brown haired girl's face broke out into a smile as she looked farther down to find the Kovacs boy looking at her from out the window. Mina and him let their hands connect when she got closer.

"Come on, I'm gonna get you out of here!"

"I can't Mina, I have to go…"

"No! No, those boys deserved it! You shouldn't have to pay for their mistakes."

"That's not how the courts see it."

"How can you be so calm Walter? Don't you want to stay here? Stay here with me!"

"Will you wait for me?"

Mina gasped.

"If I go, will you stay here and wait for me?"

Mina was silent for a second, her grip tightening around his hand.

"Yes…yes I will!"

The bus started up again, fear spread across both of their faces.

"Walter!"

"Wait for me Mina! I promise I'll be back!"

"I'll wait Walter!"

Their hands slipped away from each other and Mina watched as the bus took her best friend away.

"…I promise…"

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5 years later

Walter Kovacs looked around as he stepped off of the Charlton School for Trouble Children. He shifted the strap of his bag on his shoulder before proceeding down the street, not even looking back as the bus drove away.

5 years. It had been five years since he walked down this street. He may have changed, but this place hadn't. It still was a dark, fear-filled, disgusting place. Walter considered not even coming back, to just start over somewhere else. The Kovacs boy knew he couldn't though, not when he had a promise to keep.

The 16 year old boy sighed as he pulled out the key to his apartment. When he heard his mother had died, they left him with the key so he would have a place to stay. Walter just wanted to get some sleep; he'd clean the place of whatever was left of his whore of a mother tomorrow.

The Kovacs boy made his way towards his apartment, unaware at first of the person that was standing there. The only reason he stopped was because he saw their shadow. Walter looked up, ready to fight if need be; his widened at the person.

Standing there was a 16 year old girl, pale and petite bodied. Her hair was frizzy and curly brown, draped below her shoulders, a red band placed in it. She wasn't dressed like anyone around here, not like a prostitute, she was dressed like a lady, dawned in a red dress coat and black slippers, barely any make up so it looked natural.

"I'd told you I'd wait for you silly."

Walter blinked, a small crooked smile came to his face.

"So you did Mina, so you did."

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End of chapter 3

Hope you guys liked it. More to come. Please review!