When it happened nobody ever saw it coming. Nobody guessed that something like that would ever happen, and nobody believed it when it actually did.
We all stopped believing it happened, if only for a second. When reality sinks in it's like being punched in the stomach. You're slightly winded and disoriented. You can't find your footing, and you may stumble. You reach out to grab something only to fling it away from your grasp when you can stand up again.
We couldn't believe the randomness of it all. How someone like that who was barely in our lives be affected in a way that nobody had even thought was possible. But it hurt us to know that it hurt him.
And he hurt. Hurt the most he had ever felt in his life. He couldn't believe the bad luck of it all, why things, bad things, always had to happen to him. We tried to assure him that bad things didn't always happen to him, and that we were here for him. But he wouldn't hear it. He wouldn't, and he didn't want to either. He felt that the world conspired against him and only him.
It came as a shock to all of us when Warren's mother died in a car crash.
But it didn't shock anyone more than Warren.
I remember it vividly, we were all at Will's house, studying and hanging around and just enjoying our time as teenagers. Our majority of the group consisted of Zach, Ethan, Magenta, Will, Warren, and I. But that night it was just me, Warren, and Will. I was doing the last of my homework while Will and Warren talked about anything; cars, clothes, teachers, students, girls, I couldn't help but roll my eyes when they talked about the girls. We were close, all of us, but some force of nature felt that Warren needed a reason to leave us all behind. Even though, we wouldn't let him do that.
"Mr. Boy is a great teacher Warren, you're not allowed to say bad things about him because you've never had him. You don't get to judge." Will said while shoving popcorn into his mouth.
"Yeah, but it doesn't take a student of his to know that Mr. Boy is slightly off his rocker, Will." Warren counterargued while frogging Will on the arm.
After that I remember they stopped talking, I didn't know what they were doing but I just remember silence. And how it didn't belong, and how it felt wrong. When I looked up to see what was going on, Will and Warren were both staring at Steve and Josie. Josie looked about near tears, and Steve's face was crestfallen. The pain in their eyes were not for them, but for him, for Warren.
"Mom? Dad? What happened?" Will asked, becoming even more anxious and nervous as each second passed.
"Warren" Will's mother started "Something has happened, and it's, it's about."
Josie couldn't bring herself to say it, she went inside to the kitchen, the grief she felt for the boy was overwhelming and she knew that he didn't want to see that.
Warren looked nervous, he had had these kind of speeches before, they were never good, and they always meant heartbreak. And breaking off from people. He stood up slowly
"What happened?" His voice was deep with curiosity and wariness.
"Warren your mother. She died in a car accident." Steve said, looking down to the ground before turning around to also head to the kitchen, looking for his wife, so they could grieve in silence for the boy. Who might have been a man now.
I remember taking deep, painful breaths to try not to cry. I looked to Warren who was slumped over, hands on his knees staring at the ground. He looked like he was about to fall in his daze that he was currently in. So I put one arm around his shoulder and one on his arm and put both of us on the couch. I looked to Will who had the same amount of grief in his eyes. He looked at me and we shared the same grief for Warren.
When his arms started heating up, I knew to take my hands away from him. And as soon as I did, he stood up abruptly and opened the door to the front house and slammed it on his way out. I remember bursting into tears as soon as he left. And I remember Will coming over to me and hugging me tightly. And we both held on to each other as tightly as we could, fearing what Warren would do, what he would try to do.
"He's gonna try to leave us all behind Will." I said from where I was resting on his shoulder.
"Don't worry Layla, we won't let him, no matter what he does, he needs to know we'll always be there for him."
And all I could do was nod.
The next day when I got off the bus I looked around for Warren. He was sitting on the ledge, reading a book, clutching it more like it. His eyes held anger, not pain. I don't think he knew how to grieve properly, all he knew how to deal with things was anger.
I walked up cautiously and slowly to him, I sat next to him and said "Hey, watcha reading?"
What he did then, did not shock me, but didn't upset me any less "If you know what's best for you hippie, stay away."
His voice was low, menacingly low. I tried to touch his shoulder but I recoiled instantly at how hot it was. Scalding, really. My palm resembled a bad sunburn. Except on my pointer finger, the tip was burned pretty badly. It hurt, but not as bad as Warren was hurting.
I walked over to Will who had witnessed the scene and gave him a sad smile
"We'll keep trying, one day, maybe not so soon, but one day he'll come back to us." I reasoned, trying to stay positive. Will nodded and said "I hope so, we need him, almost as much as he needs us."
I nodded also and Will said "Let me see your hand."
I gave him my right hand and he cradled it "Ouch, Layla, you should see the nurse."
I took it back and said "No point, the burn will heal on it's own."
And that's all we said as we made our way to class.
When lunchtime came around Warren sat alone, when he previously used to sit with us. He wasn't reading this time, just staring hard at his plate. Not really eating it, just working around it.
Will sat across from me as the others crowded around us.
"He flamed anybody that tried to even walk his way in classes, let alone touch him." Will said.
"Maybe you should go talk to him." I reasoned "Maybe what he needs right now is time with a man friend, not a girl who sympathizes for him."
Will nodded and made his way over. I watched closely as Will sat down across from Warren and exchanged a few words. Warren didn't say anything, just pushed around his food and listened. And when Will was done talking, he waited for Warren to say anything, and when he didn't Will left.
He sat down, and I asked "What did you say to him?"
"I told him that we weren't going anywhere, and that we would always be available to him because we're his friends. I told him that he shouldn't have to go through this alone, and when he was willing, so would we."
I smiled lightly for the first time today "That's making an improvement right?"
He smiled too "I think so, Layla, I think so."
"It's not going to be easy though" I said "You know how stubborn he is, it took him two months for him to actually admit we were his friends."
"He's allowed time though." Will said, while pouring ketchup on his fries "He needs time, and that's what we're going to give him."
"Time." I agreed. It was the only thing we could give him. We couldn't make his mother come back to life, or his father come out of jail. He was legally an adult at 17 and a senior with a place of his own above the Paper Lantern.
He had nobody except us, and there was no way in hell we were letting him go.
For the rest of the week we didn't bother him. We didn't approach him at lunch , or outside of school on the mornings, or at the Paper Lantern. We gave him space, and some time, because we knew more about Warren than he thought. We knew he didn't like people, and we knew he liked space to think things out. He would only ask for help on his own, we could provide the help, we just had to wait until he would seek it out.
But on that Friday, I couldn't help but think how lonely Warren must have felt. The weekends are a terrible time to be alone, there's no escape. So I told Will I was going over and he said "Be careful."
I made my way over and sat in front of him like Will had done on Monday. And I just watched him, he didn't look up from the book he was reading. So I pulled out a book of my own from my backpack. I didn't want to be the first one to talk because I didn't want the moment to be ruined. He was letting me sit here, letting me keep him company. And so for the of the lunch period I just sat with him, reading a book, the sound of our turning pages the only white noise provided. And when the bell did ring, he looked up to me and quickly put his book away and left.
"It's an improvement." I said, as I felt Will's presence behind me.
"Yeah." Was the only thing Will could say as he put his arm around me comfortingly, escorting me to my sidekick class.
The rest of the day was a blur. My classes seemed to pass in a hazy fog, I could see the people moving and their lips were making words. But my brain was in a daze and I just couldn't wait to get our of their.
When the bell signaled the weekend, I walked down the halls to my locker and spotted Warren walking. I looked at him as he passed, but he didn't make eye contact, I could feel my frown as I opened my locker. Will walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder.
"I'm getting so discouraged Will. What if we don't get him back?"
Will sighed and opened up his own locker "It hasn't even been a week Layla."
"He needs time. A lot of it. Most people don't even get over their parents death before they die."
"Yeah." I agreed. "I just wish there was more we could do."
Will closed his locker and looked to me "Unfortunately I don't think that there's anything else we can do. I think he's gotta do it for himself first."
I smiled lightly and said "Will, a man of words."
He lightly told me to shutup before smiling and walking with me out to the bus.
We stepped on the bus and took seats near the back. Even though we were allowed to fly, well I was allowed to fly with Will, a lot of our friends took the bus, and it really didn't make a difference to us.
It's October, and we are currently in our Junior year. Nothing has changed. My hair is longer. Will is taller. Nothing except Warren of course.
On Sunday evening I was trying to do my homework. I normally do it on Friday but I was too exhausted to function and on Saturday I spent the whole day with Will. But even now, I couldn't get my head around studying. It was the one week anniversary of Warrens mothers death. I remember him one time saying that his mother cooked his meals because he didn't like the food at the Paper Lantern.
Walking down into the kitchen I made him dinner. I know it's a pathetic attempt, but in all honestly. I was really worried about Warren. For all we knew he was falling apart. Skipping meals, not doing homework. I just hated to see him struggle when I had opportunities to make things just a little better. A small improvement is better than none at all.
Walking up the stairs to Warrens apartment with the courage I never had before was the most terrifying thing of my life. Even more terrifying than homecoming, at least then I knew Warren wouldn't fry me, now it was up to fate.
I knocked on the door, let out a whimper, and waited. Warren opened the door with the most shocked look of his life, which quickly turned to anger
"What are you doing here? Don't you bother me enough at school?"
I ignored the stinging bite of his last comment and put on a smile
"Hey, I remembered when you told me you hated the Paper Lanterns cooking so I made you dinner." I held up the plastic bag for emphasis.
"I don't want your cooking and I don't want your help." He turned back into the apartment but I quickly grabbed his hand. I turned him around and he grabbed my wrist and yanked it off of his with such vigor I bit my lip to stop from yelling out at the pain.
"Umm, I'm gonna leave this on the front step. I'll see you in school."
I turned around quickly so he wouldn't see the tears falling from my eyes, but I can't help but think that maybe he did see them. I walked down the steps with tears running down my face, partly because of the pain in my wrist, and partly because of what I was doing wasn't helping.
I couldn't help but reprimand myself as I walked home. What did I think he was going to do? Invite me in and talk about his problems which he has never done with me or anyone before. Maybe I was being too positive about this all. I decided that night to leave him alone for a little while before going back. At least until my wrist healed.
When I got home I wrapped my wrist in an ace bandage, tight enough to keep it from moving around, but not too tight so that it cut off my circulation. It was swelling now, and a bruise with finger marks would probably show up tomorrow, but not if I kept the bandage on.
The next day at school Will asked about my wrist
"I hurt it doing some chores for my mom."
And at the time he believed it.
I left Warren alone for a month. Because that's how long it took for my wrist to heal. And that was how long Will was making attempts with Warren, who seemed to have better luck than I could ever have.
He was talking to Will now, when he went over to his table at lunch. A couple of time he asked me if I wanted to come but I declined every time. Warren didn't need me anymore. And at the time I tried to convince myself I didn't need him, but I did. I always had.
In the mornings Will would walk over to Warren and say hi. It was amazing at the healing power Will possessed. He had managed to get Warren talking to him again. And every once in a while he would smile at something either Will or himself said.
I couldn't help but feel sadder everyday, knowing that I couldn't do anything. That he didn't want me around, and that I meant nothing to him.
It had been 3 months since his mothers death. Warren and Will were best friends again, Warren had even gone over to his house a couple of times.
"He's been really cool, the progress he's made is amazing." Will is telling me. I'm nodding every once in a while, marking his progress in my mind as well.
"Has he talked about his mothers death with you?"
Will shook his head "No, I think that will take more time. Lots of time. He's healing right now, he's getting himself together. And he's acting more and more like his old self. We just have to be patient."
In my mind I tell him that he has to be patient. In truth, I haven't talked to Warren since that night. I haven't made eye contact, and I haven't tried to make him feel loved.
"But" Will says "He did tell me that his mothers funeral is this weekend. This Sunday. He asked me to go so I'm going."
"That's really good." I say, trying to keep the pain out of his voice "You play the supportive friend type, and Warren might get some closure."
I turn to my locker and pull out some books
"Hey Layla have you tried talking to hi- "
"I've really got to go Will, I forgot to do a couple of questions, I'll see you later."
I rush off before he can call me back.
Making my way to the other end of the school, I realize the halls are empty and that I'm late. I walk faster and faster until two people step out in front of me.
"Well, well, well, who do we have here?"
Damien.
"It's appears it's Little Miss FlowerChild."
Roy.
These two were like the replacements of Speed and Lash, except for the whole villain thing. They played heroes in Save the Citizen, but came out bullies after that.
Damien had the power of the wind. Roy's power was strength. Like Will, except Will was stronger.
I tried to move around but Roy put his hand on the locker, blocking my path.
"And where do you think you're going?" He asked
"To class." I said, I didn't really know what to do because I had never really been in one of these situations. Until now, at least.
"We haven't bullied anyone all day, as you can imagine we're kind of craving some kind of mischievous fun on lower classmen." He was in Warrens grade. God I couldn't wait to be a senior.
"That's nice." I tried, and moved around them again. But for them, this would not do. Roy pushed me back roughly into the lockers and I let out a small yell. His hand quickly covered mine.
"Now, now, now." Roy cooed. "That will not do."
"Layla, has anyone ever told you how pretty you are?" Damien asked, inching towards me until he was right in my face. My eyes went wide and screamed against Roy's hand as best as I could, but it ended up being muffled anyway. I squirmed and I fought as best as I could but it was no use, Roy pressed his large body up against mine, preventing me from moving any further. I started crying, large, hot, tears, oozed down my face and onto his hand that still covered my mouth. My mouth let out large sobs.
"Layla, calm down sweetie honey." He said in a falsely sweet voice. Wiping my tears from my face, which made me turn my head and cry even more. My muffled sobs, filling the surrounding area.
Damien's hand went to the sides of my head and he said threateningly "Shut up you little bitch!" He banged my head against the locker, causing me to cry even more, if it was possible. Every time he hit my head against the locker I felt myself letting out squeals of pain, hoping, praying anyone would come along. I felt his hand sneak its way up and squeeze my breast. My sobs were as loud as I could make them with Roy's hand still covering my mouth. And each time he hit my head against the locker, telling me to shut up, I lost a little bit of consciousness.
Damien was about to hit my head again when both of them all of sudden screamed out in pain and let me go. I crumpled to the floor and fell against the cold tile. My lips were dry and my face was dry and itchy. There were flames, lots of them, as the two boys managed to escape and run as fast as they could down the halls.
Warren.
He got down on his knees and cradled me.
"Layla, Layla come on wake up."
I opened my eyes slightly before falling into unconsciousness.
He picked me up and took me to the nurse quickly. And while waiting in the nurses office as I was checked in one of the stalls, he couldn't help but feel concern and worry like he had never felt before. He held his head in his hands.
Soon, Principal Powers and Will came in and sat down next to them.
"Warren, man, what's going on?"
"It's Layla." He said.
The nurse came out and they all proceeded to the Principals office.
Powers started "Nurse, why don't you tell us what's the outcome of Layla's condition."
Will and Warren sat anxiously in their seats, wanting to know what was wrong with me.
"She was unconscious when she arrived here and she still is. The back of her head is bruised and bleeding. And" She said the last part quietly, and sadly "Parts of her clothes were ripped, it appears to me like rape."
At the same time, Warren and Will both had rage flowing through their eyes. Will asked quietly "Who was it?" But his voice was anything but calm, silent rage was embedded and threaded into the words.
"Roy Delane and Damien Grunt." Warren said.
Principal Powers looked angry as well "Don't worry Mr. Peace and Mr. Stronghold. I can assure you that a maximum punishment will be supplied for this. You may visit Layla at the end of the day, she'll need someone to take her home."
"We both will." Will replied. And Warren nodded.
At the end of the day the two boys went to see me. The nurse told them that I was conscious, but dizzy, and to not speak loudly or upset me.
They went in the stall where I was resting my on head on the pillow. Will closed the door and I opened my eyes. Warren went over to help me up but I held my hand out to stop him. It was awkward, and I for some reason I felt like dying. Something like that, when someone tries to rape you, it stays in your mind forever. And when someone tries to go near you, all of a sudden, every person you've ever trusted or relied on, has the possibility of hurting you.
"I want to go home." Was all I said that day. The nurse had tried to contact my mom but she was on a mission, and I hadn't told them but my father split. He left us a little while ago, it still hurts though, when someone who told you that he'd be there for you forever leaves, it's a lasting impression. But I like to think I'm over it.
They took me home and I said goodbye to them on my front step, telling them I'd see them tomorrow. And before that they could say anything I stepped inside. I needed to be alone, I wanted to be alone.
So I went upstairs, had a bath, pulled on my most comfortable PJ's, crawled into bed, and cried. Cried until I fell asleep, which was a few minutes before 7.
I cried for 3 and a half hours straight. I cried for everything sad I could think of. What happened that afternoon, my father, Warren, my disappointment, the stress, my failure. It fueled me until I had nothing left to cry about except that lingering sadness. So I cried about that. And then I fell asleep.
And when I woke up, that lingering sadness was still there, but not as much so that I could cry about it. My body felt tired, my eyes droopy, it hurt to breathe. Everything hurt.
I managed to get through the day, Damien and Roy had a special type of radar put on them that wouldn't allow them 50 feet of where I stood. At lunch time I wasn't hungry, and it shocked me when Will asked me to sit with him and Warren.
"I'm not really on the best terms with Warren right now Will."
He gave me a funny look before taking my hand and saying "It'll be alright, he wants you there."
I sat next to Warren and across from Will. I hadn't sat here since the time we read together. My heart still wept for Warren because of his mother. But not so much anymore.
After lunch went by and I didn't say anything Warren asked me to meet him at the Paper Lantern that night at 8. I nodded slightly, in shock of it and proceeded to my next class.
That night came all too soon for me. I stayed in the clothes I had and went to the restaurant at 8. He found me and sat across, his hair still in a slightly messy bun, and his work clothes still on.
"Don't they need you to work?" I asked.
"I asked them for a break ahead of time." He responded. I nodded and exhaled slightly.
"I'm sorry Layla." He said.
To say I was shocked would be an understatement.
"Warren you don't have anything to apologize about." I said back to him.
"Yes I do, Layla. Just because my mother, died" He faltered slightly on that word, it still tasted new to him. "Doesn't mean I'm allowed to hurt you, I saw the bandage Layla, and I saw you cry. I know I did it, and I can't tell you how sorry I am."
I looked down at the hands in my lap "You don't have to tell me you're sorry. You're going through a hard time, we all make mistakes."
He sighed and drummed his fingers on the table "That's not the point. Even though you could hardly tell. You are my friend, and I do care about you. For some reason it was just harder to become friends with you again than it was with Will."
I swallowed hard and cautiously placed my hand over Warrens. He did not pull away or flame, he entwined our fingers and placed his others on top of that.
I smiled for the first time in a long time and looked down at our joined hands, relishing in the sight of it.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be there faster yesterday." His voice was low.
My smiled faltered and I felt the tears well up "The fact that you were even near there was a miracle Warren, if you hadn't then I don't know" I stopped there because the tears were choking me up, and I felt like a fool crying in front of him.
"I'm just glad that you were there, I think you might have saved my life."
He looked at me then, and looked back down to our hands that were still joined. We stayed in relative silence while I pulled myself back together.
When Warren had to go back to work I gave him a hug which he returned. I closed my eyes for a moment, remembering how it felt to be in his arms, how his naturally warm hands felt on my back. I savored it all, and when he pulled out he hesitated slightly and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
He asked me to come to her funeral.
I accepted.
A/N: This will be a two part story. I'm quite proud of this one, and I don't know exactly when the other will be up.
RandR if you please