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Chapter Twelve

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Sunshine hit his face and made it warm. Marco's eyes squinted, adjusting to the sudden light. He rolled over on his bed, expecting Dylan on the other side of the bed. He wasn't there. Slightly perplexed, he sat up and looked around his neat bedroom before the door opened with a soft thump. The senior entered, holding out two trays of breakfast in his hands.

Marco frowned. "What's going on?"

"Well, Paige and I woke up around five this morning and we decided to make breakfast for everyone. She's giving your Mom hers. Do you mind if Paige eats with us in here?"

The younger boy shook his head and was given pancakes and eggs. He said surprised, "I didn't know we had pancake mix in this house."

Dylan smiled at him. "You didn't. I ran out and got some. Did you sleep well?"

"I think I should be asking you that."

He gave a one-arm shrug, a strange little characteristic Marco had seen in him lately.

"I slept fine, Kitten, thanks for asking."

The darker boy almost choked on his eggs, flushing bright red. "Uh...huh?"

"Kitten? Argh, please..." The female Michalchuk stood by the bedroom doorway in pink drawstring pajamas and looking even pleasant without her makeup.

Dylan smiled wider. "Don't you think it's cute? I was thinking that Marco and I should give each other nicknames. It fits him perfectly, shy, cute, very playful..." Marco turned the brightest red and Paige made a face. The blond boy laughed. The younger boy cleared his throat nervously.

"Uh, you can come in, Paige."

She shot him a friendly look and sat on the floor near the bed, muttering, "Just as long as you two don't start making out randomly, I can keep my food down."

"Someone's been getting in the Spinner mood recently."

"Oh no, believe me, Dyll, I think that it's absolutely sweet to see you both together but not every second of the day."

He obliged her with a grin, "Well, I can't ensure your statement."

This time, Marco did choked on his food and the blonde girl looked at him concerned, "Are you alright hon?" He stopped, getting up.

"Yeah, I...um, I...yeah." Marco walked out into the hallway and sat on the stairs for a little bit before his boyfriend joined him.

Dylan said, "I'm sorry for freaking you out back there."

Marco remarked weakly, "I wasn't freaked." The senior gave him a knowing look. "O-Okay, maybe I was, but you were only fooling around. You know just being the jerk you are." The blonde grinned and teasingly punched his arm. The younger boy retaliated by giving him a firm kiss. As it ended, Marco asked quietly, "Are you going to school?"

"Actually, I think I'm going to visit my parents then head home with Paige. You don't mind?"

Marco shook his head, "No, I don't mind."

The blonde gave him a small peck on the cheek before heading to the spare bedroom and the other boy changed for school. He got a ride from his Ma and walked in to see Ellie standing at his locker, worry etched in her face. As soon as she saw him, she demanded, "What happened to you last night?"

Marco was befuddled.

"What do you mean?"

"I called you and all of a sudden you hung up on me. What the hell happened?"

Comprehension dawned on his face. "Oh. Right. Dylan and Paige stayed over at my house. Their parents are in the hospital."

She looked less angry. "Why?"

"Someone hit them when they were driving home. Anymore dumb questions?"

Ellie looked ashamed. "How are they doing?"

"They seem alright this morning. I was just shocked when Dylan came to my door crying. I'm sorry I blew you off." She shook her head.

"Forget about it Marco. No problem." She smirked, "So, did you and Dylan have fun at this sleepover?"

He rolled his eyes. "Nothing happened, El." Ellie slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Whatever. Come on, class is about to start."

They walked into Mrs. Kwan's class. After the bell rang, their stern-faced teacher said aloud, "Calm down everyone. You all should remember that today we would read aloud our poems that we were suppose to have finished last night." Marco heard a snapping and looked down the row of desks to Ellie looking down and snapping those rubber bands on her wrists. He caught her eye and she ignored him, raising her hand. Mrs. Kwan raised her eyebrows. "Are you volunteering Ellie?" she asked.

"No, I just wanted permission to use the washroom."

The teacher nodded and she got up too fast, snatching her book bag with her. Marco watched her leave and after a few seconds, raised his hand too. The woman looked irritated. "Restroom too?" He nodded and got her permission, racing out of the classroom. Marco went up to the nearest girls bathroom and didn't bother knocking, just bursting in. What he saw horrified him.

Ellie leaned over one of the sinks, gliding her pointed compass over her arm. Sticky red slowly trickled into the ceramic white. But the noise he had made caused her to jump, making a deeper cut and droplets of blood gushed onto the floor. Her face went pale and he caught her around the waist as she sunk to the floor in a heap. Marco took off his extra shirt and pressed against the wound, bringing her closer. She began weeping against his chest and he used his free hand to set on the back of her head, rocking her slightly as if she was a child.

"Shh, El, it will be ok. You'll be ok."

He licked his lips, wanting to cry himself. Gods, he didn't even know that she was still doing this to herself. He should have known, dammit... he was her best friend and he couldn't even stop this! Marco did feel several tears trickle down his face and kept a firm hand on the seeping red cloth. He whispered, "How long, El, how long?"

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They were sitting in the nurse's office when the lunch bell rang, Ellie in the right hand chair, Marco in the left. He looked at her. She was tracing her gauze bandage on her upper arm. Marco looked at the fading scars, healing pink scars, and the fresh wounds on her arms. They had made her take off her stockings to see the scars on her lower legs and ankles.

The cuts were gruesome and at the same time fascinating.

Still in a state of shock, he said to her, "Ellie, why?" She avoided his eyes, her face was smudged with her black eyeliner.

"Because... it felt... good."

The red-haired girl felt him take her hand and finally looked at him. Marco murmured, "I don't understand why..." Ellie shook her head, her face turning stony.

"Of course you wouldn't."

He began crying softly and her heart broke at the sight of him."El, I love you. I love you, and you're hurting yourself. I'm scared to lose you." Ellie began crying too and they hugged each other, crying out of desperation and sadness. After the tears stopped, Marco whispered, "Promise me something... that you won't take it too far. That you'll stop and think how much you mean to everyone. To Sean. To your parents. To me." She sniffled, looking down. "Please... Ellie... please..."

Ellie sobbed, "I can', Marco, I can't stop!" She ran from the nurse's office and he stared helplessly then burying his face into his hands. When the school nurse came back to check on them, Marco told him what happened and some teachers were sent around the school, looking for her. He was told to go back to class and that they would send her home once they found her.

Marco went to the last few minutes of lunch, having no appetite whatsoever.

He lay his head down on the table and found himself feeling very exhausted so he assumed once he woke up from a long power nap. The final bell had rung, ending school for the day and Marco dragged himself through the crowds of students, walking home. His Ma had came up to him later, demanding an explanation for the phone call she had gotten about him skipping some classes. Marco told her the truth and she went easy on him, looking a little worried for his best friend. His friends called him. Ellie didn't. He talked a little bit but really just wanted to be alone, to think, sort his thoughts about today. Marco laid on his back, on his bed, staring up numbly at the ceiling when someone stepped into his bedroom.

Marco rolled his eyes slightly and said faintly to Dylan, "What do you want?"

The blond answered, "I left my jacket here. Came to get it back before my hockey practice." He took it up and looked at Marco who did not acknowledge him in any way. "Can I ask what's wrong?"

"You can. I can't guarantee an answer."

A little frustrated with his behavior, Dylan frowned, going to the door to leave. Before he could the doorknob, Marco murmured, "I thought today would be a good day, you know. Nothing would go wrong." He shook his head slightly, his dark hair ruffling against the blankets. "I found Ellie in the bathroom cutting herself. When I saw her bleeding, when I saw her scars and all the shit she did to herself... I was scared. Dylan, I didn't know! I'm her best friend, I couldn't even figure it out. She was crying for help right in front my face and I couldn't even see it."

The younger boy bit his lower lip, holding back tears, waiting for Dylan to say something. Silence passed between them. The blond boy dropped the jacket on the floor and sat down on the bed. Marco looked up to comforting blue eyes above him and wrapped his arms around the other boy's neck, getting up and burying his face into the crook of his boyfriend's neck. "What about your practice?"

The senior said seriously, "Screw practice. This is more important to me." Marco let soundless tears fall and Dylan stayed with him.

As time passed, the blond watched the other fall asleep in his arms. Not wanting to wake him, he gently set his Marco's head on the pillows. Dylan saw the wetness of Marco's face and brushed them away. His tears reminded him of raindrops. When they came, noisy or not, they were fragile and warm against his fingers even if had been awhile when they spilled. He thought about last night and how wonderful it was to fall asleep with Marco in his arms. It had been the best night he had had in a while. He thought about that morning, how gorgeous Marco looked when he was deeply asleep, and how much he didn't want to leave the moment. He remembered what Marco had said to him before sleep came. Dylan fought back a smile. It wasn't an official, but it sure felt nice.

He said his thanks to Mrs. Del Rossi and left without his hockey jacket. It laid cozily wrapped around Marco.