WARNING
This is the shortest chapter i have ever written, but it's got alot if information in it! ENJOY!
AC's POV
Oh no, my boyfriend's just said the four words that can make or break a relationship. 'We need to talk'. What happened? I mean, I know I kind of made fun of him for not fighting my brother back, but I really didn't care. I hope he doesn't dump me...I need him right now, especially with my mother trying to be in my life.
"Sure, what do we need to talk about?" I said, trying to sound casual.
"Why I never fought back when Matt attacked me." He said, now looking really anxious.
"Baby, I don't really care that you didn't fight back...I was just a little surprised about it." I piped up.
"No, there's a reason why I didn't fight back. See, I have a really bad temper, almost as bad as yours," I laughed at his feeble attempt at a joke. "And about four years ago, I let it get the best of me. See, I was about 14 or 15, and I was a sophomore in high school. I was trying out for the varsity wrestling team, and the guys were giving me a pretty tough time. They beat me up a couple of times, and I just let it go. I had this friend, Kara...she lived next door to me and was, and still is, my best friend. We've known each other since preschool. Anyway, she's like a sister to me, and one of the guys raped her. He almost killed her. I snapped, and at the next practice, I took one of the barbell poles and beat him with it. I was charged with attempted murder, but since I was a minor, and I pleaded guilty, I got three to five, and three years probation. I'm not allowed to seriously fight anyone, or I violate my parole, and I get eight to ten in the South Carolina Penitentiary."
I looked at him for a second. As I thought about it, what he did was brave; he was wonderful for doing that for his friend. My expression was still blank; I was still trying to let this sink in.
"Ari, will you please say something? I can't stand the silence." Shelton said, looking scared.
"Shelt... I can't believe you went to such lengths for some one you love. I really admire you." I said, finally finding words.
"So you're okay with the fact that I could have killed a guy?" he said, uncertainly.
"Yeah, Matt almost did, he would have too, had he been a little bit bigger, but he was only ten." I said, stopping my self be fore Shelton would ask for the whole story. I looked at him, and saw a look in his warm brown eyes that I had never seen before: regret and sadness. I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him, trying to show him with out saying so, that what he did was something anyone would have done; that if I was there and had the strength, I would have done the same thing. He hugged me back, kissing the top of my head, and I felt a drop of water hit my shoulder. I looked up, and saw that Shelton was crying. I just hugged him tighter, listening to him mutter, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, I should have been there...I'm sorry Kar, I should have been there for her. I squeezed him tighter, letting him cry. I knew what was going through his head. Matt went through the same thing when he was 11 and 12. He never stopped blaming himself.
"Shelt, baby it's not your fault. He's the one who did it to her, not you. Don't blame yourself, okay?"
He nodded, and then kissed me. We got up and we walked to his room that he shared with Matt, and I guess now me. We sat down and just cuddled while listening to music. Then he turned to me and kissed me. I kissed him back, and soon, we were making out on the couch. He went to un-button my jeans and I stopped him.
"Shelt, I'm not ready for that. I mean, I'm only 16, and I want to wait until I'm sure I'm with the right person. You understand, right?" I said, grabbing his hand.
"Yeah, I would never make you do something you didn't want to do. I'm gonna go get a shower and change into some pj's. I'll be back." He kissed my forehead, and went into the bathroom. I reached over and turned the TV on. I was halfway through an episode of Spongebob when I heard Shelton yell for me.
"Ari, could you look in my bag, and hand me those blue pajama pants out of my bag and a pair of boxers?" he yelled through a crack in the bathroom. I smirked.
"Get it yourself, Spongebob is on!' I joked. The next thing I know, Shelton is in the bedroom, clad in nothing but a towel. The water still on his chest and arms was making him look like a Greek god. For once in my life, I was completely speechless.
"I take is you like what you see?" he said, walking back to the bathroom.
"Who wouldn't?" I smirked at him.
"Good point, Shorty."
"Kiss my ass, Benjamin."
"Love you too, Cena!"
"Hurry up, I need to shower."
"I'm out, your turn!" he yelled, smirking at me. I grabbed my washcloth, toiletries, a pair of my boxers, (A/N: okay, you know the women's underwear that look like guys boxers, but sit tight on the waist, and stop right under your butt? Well, those are the boxers Ari wears.) and a tank top. I went in the bathroom. I showered, dressed, and came out to put lotion on my legs. I laughed inwardly at the look on Shelton's face. He looked like he was about to explode or something.
"What?" I said, trying not to laugh at his facial expression.
"Nothing, nothing."
I laughed at him, throwing my towel at his head. I connected, and when he pulled the towel off of his head, he looked like he was about to kill me. I looked in my bag, grabbed my low rise pajama pants, and tried to pull them on while turning around the hotel room. When I got my pants on (wow, who writes this stuff...that just sounds dirty) I ran out of the room, grabbing my card off of the side table as I ran past it. I ran towards Matt and Amy's room, knowing my brother was probably about to come looking for me. I turned the corner and knocked this older lady down. She had to be about the same age as my mom, or dad, maybe a bit older.
"I'm sorry ma'am, are you alright?" I asked, reaching out to help her up.
"I'd be better if filth like you weren't permitted in an establishment like this. Your like should be locked up some where. Why don't you cross the border and go back to where eve you came from, or go to one of your ghettos. Filthy Latinos, nothing but a bunch of thieves if you ask me. There's only one thing worse and that's a black." The second the said that, Shelton came from around the corner, looking furious; I knew he must have heard everything.
"You know, it's people like you that kept my people in slavery for almost 400 years." His voice was very calm, and even; but the volume of it was low and dangerous. "Ariel is a beautiful woman and she doesn't deserve anything like what you just said. I've never heard such blatant gestures of prejudice since I was four years old. Come on Ari, let's go." With that, we walked away, ignoring the calls of Spick and Nigger being shot at us. We made it to Amy's room, and when we knocked on the door, something happened that I swore would never happen again; I let one single tear slide down my cheek.
