Pain
Chapter 7

"I wish you'd stop that."

Stop what? Wait, who is this? I turned around to see Nick leaning against the door frame of the drama room. He sneered at me and walked arrogantly forward.

"So, babe. Have a fun time with Neutron last night?"

I stopped sorting the papers and heard my heart beat wildly in my ears. How did he find out? It was two in the morning... We were there for ten minutes... There was no way he could have found out...

"I have eyes everywhere."

He smirked and shook his head, leaning forward and using the desk to support himself. Then he suddenly stood straight, launching a fist at my face.

"You do not do things like that!"

His spit landed on my cheek and I wiped it away, feeling a tear getting wiped away along with it.

"I told you, I will not let you do that!" He jerked my head back, grasping my hair tightly. "You little bitch."

I took a shallow breath and felt a tear slide off my nose and on the floor. Everything was going in slow motion, Nick's open hand getting ready to slap me, the tear falling down, my mouth opening, my tongue moving to form words..

"Stop it."

Nick's hand stopped, and his shock was visible on his face. Then he laughed loudly, throwing me down and then squatting down next to me.

"What did you say?"

His rage soon consumed him, the red appearing and taking over his face. He struck out quickly with his fist again, catching me on the side of my jaw. It ached where he hit me, where he had hit me so many times before.

"Stop!"

Nick stopped breathing. He stuck a hand inside his jacket pocket and then drew it out, a shiny object in his hand, a tiny noise heard before someone appeared by the door.

"What the hell are you doing?"

No. It was Jimmy. Not again. Will he ever learn that he can't help? That he can't do anything at all?

"I'm teaching this little bitch a lesson, Neutron, and you're gonna get it right after."

Jimmy took a quick step forward, anger showing on his darkened face. He pulled me up on my feet as Nick stood up, that object hidden slightly by his sleeve. I saw a glint of silver, a razor sharp edge cutting my tie with reality, making me feel everything stop.

Nick smirked and slowly drew his hand forward, or so it seemed to me, and I launched myself at him, screaming. But Jimmy pulled me back, an odd look on his face.

He took a large step forward, striking out with his hand, trying to catch Nick on the side of his head. But luck will never be on my side. Nick suddenly stuck his hand out, shoving his switchblade deep into Jimmy's abdomen, the time suddenly resuming.

"You do anything like that ever again," hissed Nick. "I will kill you along with everyone involved. Fucking slut."

Then he left, leaving me to tend to Jimmy, his blood blossoming on his t-shirt, a green one this time..

Time never stops for pain. It never stops when you're having fun. It doesn't stop for anything you want it to stop for. Maybe it's better that way, maybe it isn't...

"Miss Vortex?"

I raised my head, wiping my tears away with the tissue I got from the front desk, and walked toward the nurse who was looking at me expectedly.

"Umm, James Neutron will stay in the ICU until maybe next week, when he'll get transferred to the recovery ward. He's awake right now, and he said he wants to see you. But just so you know, you'll have to leave in about.." The nurse looked at her watch, then sighed. "..Twenty minutes. Visiting hours will be over then. You can come back tomorrow."

Then she left me standing there, left me wondering what I would say to Jimmy when I went to see him.

I sighed and walked up to the lady at the front desk, wiping my hair away from my eyes before asking her where Jimmy's room was.

"Room 134, Room 134, Room 134, Room 134..."

I crept quietly and worriedly down the corridor, stopping once I got to the open door of Jimmy's room. He saw me standing there and waved weakly.

"Come in," he wheezed. I choked back my sobs and walked forward, slowly, ever so slowly.

When I finally got to the side of his bed, Jimmy took my hand in his and smiled. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done those things. I shouldn't have acted on instinct."

"Stop."

"Huh?"

"Stop apologizing."

"But I really am sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"But-"

"Just stop!"

He settled down on his pillows, letting go of my hand. He looked down, staring at his sheet-covered feet. The gloom settling on his face, he turned away.

"There's a reason why I do these things," he whispered, sounding sort of watery. I placed my hand on his cheek and turned his head toward me, feeling my heart flop as I saw his teary eyes.

"It's because Hugh does it too."

I stood there, shocked.

"What?"

"Hugh beats my mom."

Hugh? He always had called him Dad...

"And I'm tired of it. I want it to stop."

"Jimmy..." I placed a hand on his arm and blinked. "Stop beating yourself up over this. None of this is your fault."

Then it hit me. I had never realized I had never liked the pain. I realized I had never just thought it as nothing. I had realized it was because I had grown to not mind it.

"But it is!" insisted Jimmy as my mind raced with the thoughts of my sudden epiphany. "It is my fault! I cause all the trouble at home and Hugh beats Mom for it! God! I hate him so much!"

I stared at him, stared at his hate-filled face. He took a deep breath and looked at me, his watery eyes starting to leak tears.

"I'm sorry for blowing up like this..."

I placed a hand on his arm and stared straight into his sapphire blue eyes, the ones I had always dreamed of since I was a little kid. Now was the time to let it all fly.

"It's not your fault. It never was, never will be."

His jaw slackened, and he gripped my arm tightly. Staring back into my eyes, he whispered with hate pouring out of every pore in his body.

"It is."

Then he let go of my arm, letting his head roll back onto his pillow. I sighed and turned his head toward me again.

"You shouldn't be the one apologizing, Jimmy. I should. I'm sorry for making you go through this, so sorry for letting myself go like that. I'm really sorry. But words really don't mean anything, do they?"

He chuckled, then wheezed and coughed, his body wracked with pain.

"Yeah," he sighed. "You're right."

I leaned over his body, so that my face was right in his face. I leaned even closer, letting my hair fall over my face and shroud us from the real world.

"I love you, Jimmy. And I'm sorry for not saying earlier."

Then I felt myself kiss him, felt myself put my lips on his. I felt myself push myself harder on him so that he groaned, so hard that he pushed me off.

"That was a lot of ground to cover in ten minutes," he whispered happily.

He let go of me and kissed me again, nibbling my bottom lip and making me tremble. He drove his tongue straight into my mouth, not even waiting for permission. I stroked his cheek, feeling his skin grow warmer.

"Visiting hours are..."

I heard the nurse gasp, but I had a feeling she was smiling as she closed the door. I pushed myself away from Jimmy, although it was hard to do so, and sighed.

"I should go now."

He looked at me with a pained expression and grabbed my hand.

"Will you come visit me tomorrow?"

"If I can."

"If you can?"

And I only had to utter one word for him to understand.

"Nick."