B
Besides the brief exchange when Elsie first arrived, I haven't talked to her. In fact, I make a conscious effort to stay away from her-I don't understand girls at all. However, one day I can't help but to interact with her, and surprisingly, L too.
Before classes, I sit with A and Matt in the living room. Matt staring down at some video game with immense concentration, and A staring blankly at a wall like he's seen a ghost-something he does a lot now. I simply bite the sleeve of my black t-shirt idly until I hear a loud thud upstairs. Curiously, and perhaps out of boredom, I leave the room to see what's going on.
I get to the corridor, peering around the corner. Unsurprisingly, a couple of boys are there- One pinned to the wall by the other, significantly larger boy. L, of course being the one against the wall, has blood running down the left side of his head from a small cut on his eyebrow. But to my surprise, L tilts his head, even laughing a little, but sadly.
"What did I do this time? It would be interesting to know." He coughs from the boys grip on his throat.
"I don't have to explain myself to you." The other boy-(Jack, to die in 50 years,) growls back. L shrugs
"Fair enough. Go ahead and snap my neck or something then. As you lack the intelligence to realise that im used to this by now and it doesn't even hurt." He coughs violently again. Jack smirks.
"Then why are you coughing? Surely this grip hurts." L stares at him, and with a straight face replies:
"Im coughing because im allergic to idiocy. Being so close to it makes my throat swell up." Jacks face contorts angrily. He promptly punches L in the jaw. It's at that moment that another person appears in the hallway. She stands there at the end of the corridor for but a brief second, noticing that im there. Her eyes flick back as Jack goes to take another swing at L, who looks nearly unconscious. She runs at Jack, deflecting his punch by putting her whole weight on his arm, and twisting it behind him quickly. Breathing heavily from the effort it took, she leans closer to Jacks ear.
"I can smell the alcohol on you. If they weren't going to send you away for that, they will for this. You stupid troll." Jack struggles against Elsie's grip, managing to get free, and dumbly going for L again, whose head is rested weakly against the wall behind him.
Despite my hatred for L, an instinct kicks in, like when I saved Elsie. I launch myself at Jack. Im stronger than Elsie, so I easily grab jack and punch him in the face, bringing him to the floor. I turn calmly to Elsie, who looks bewildered, then at the unconscious L.
"Take him to Watari, I'll sort this fucker out." She nods pulling L to his feet and putting his arm over her shoulder, disappearing down the hall. I do exactly what I said. I don't hurt him seriously, but I do keep him down until Watari comes to deal with the issue. Jack is sent away promptly, and L was already unconscious when Elsie and I stepped in, so doesn't know about it.
Elsie and I decide to pretend it never happened. Simply because I don't want everyone to ask questions, and L just sits in his room alone again. I feel a surge of sympathy towards him, which im grateful for. At least im not a complete monster. Yet.
"Beyond? Are you okay? Oh my god! Wake up! Wake up!" My sister cries terrified, holding my face between her tiny hands. My stomach is dripping warm blood down my sides in crimson trails from a gaping wound. A knife still stuck there. I try to open my eyes. Desperately wanting to tell her that im okay, that I'll be fine, but I can't find the energy to as much as blink. Maybe I shouldn't have struggled when he slammed me against the wall, I could have saved my strength to run away. But I was scared and didn't think straight, and he stabbed me. I start to drift unwillingly into hazy sleep, forcing myself to stay awake. Forcing my eyes open, but everything is blurry. I hear Alodia call an ambulance. While she is doing so, Kara kneels by me, stroking my hair comfortingly.
"You'll be alright B, I promise. Just concentrate on staying awake ok?" She soothes. I nod weakly. As the paramedics come through the door, so does someone else. A's eyes widen in shock at the scene whilst im lifted into an ambulance, of which, he and Alodia both come in too. The paramedic gets to work bandaging around the knife, and asks me what happened. I hesitate. I know I can't tell them the truth. Father would be furious.
"The knife was sticking out of the draw and I fell into it." I lied. She looks as me suspiciously, but doesn't say anything else except,
"We'll have to question your father, he shouldn't be leaving two young children at home by themselves." A gives me a sympathetic look and hugs Alodia as she cries quietly into his shoulder.
A has always been there for me. But I see him in pain every day and have no idea how to help.
I sit in silence, playing darts with Matt, who occasionally looks over at me and sighs, like he wants to say something. On his turn he gets the dart in the bulls-eye. I smile at him.
"Nice shot Matty." He smiles lightly back but doesn't look to be feeling it at all. I frown and tilt my head a little, analysing him.
"What's wrong Matt?" I ask gently. Matt is one of the only people im never aggressive with. I spend a lot of time around him now that A spends more and more time locked away or in counselling. So I can tell when something is wrong. But as I ask the question, and think about it, I know what he's going to say.
"I never see him anymore…He won't speak to me…He doesn't even notice when im there." He whimpers, lowering his head to hide his tears. I bite my lip to hold back the sudden anger I feel at A. He still has family and he won't even acknowledge him? I'd do anything to have mine back. Except my father. I move closer to Matt and hold out my arms to him. He falls against me sobbing with shaking shoulders as I hold him-the only thing I know how to do to comfort someone.
"I know Matt, I know…He'll feel better soon. Im sure he will." Trying to sound reassuring, I cradle him until he stops crying.
"Thank you B…" He mumbles shyly, wiping the tears from his eyes and throwing another dart.
Later on as I walk through the hallways after putting Matt to bed, I bump into Elsie rushing through the hallway.
"Oh im so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!" She proclaims, out of breath. I shake my head and laugh.
"It's fine. Where are you rushing of to anyway?" I ask curiously. She looks around hesitantly.
"Im following L. I saw him take off into the woods. Im worried about him. I heard him have an argument with Watari." I frown a little, but correct it with a smile hoping she doesn't notice.
"Oh, ok. See you later then." She nods and runs off again shouting as she disappears down the corridor.
"Yeah see you later!"
I frown again when she's out of sight and lean against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. Kara looks from where Elsie just was to where im standing with a smirk.
"You like her don't you?" I glare at her.
"No. of course not." She raises her eyebrow at me.
"Fine. Maybe I do…" I confess in a gentler tone. Kara smiles and nods.
"But she seems taken with this L kid doesn't she." Kara taunts almost. I silence her with another glare and a harsh sigh.
"Yes I know. Don't rub it in. Anyway, I don't want anything to do with her, or anyone else. We both know I'd only ruin their life." I push away from the wall and continue on down the hallway.
"Besides, I have other things to deal with."
4 months later- A
I stare at the pills in my hands. Stolen from the medicine cabinet in Watari's office. I can't believe how stupid these people are. I laugh a little manically. I'll be dead soon. This will all be over. Tears stream down my face. Im not in my room as usual. It would be too easy to find me once they realize the pills are missing. So I sit on the roof where no one usually goes. As I sit there simply staring at the pills, someone else appears on the roof. I don't know him, but I do recognise him. Distinctive white hair. Grey eyes full of sadness. Skin unnaturally pale from never seeing sunlight and bruises peeking out from his sleeves-like he looked when he looked all those years ago in school when he asked if B was ok. That was the day B couldn't walk properly from all the beatings. Coby Rivers.
"Alejandro? What are you doing?" he yells as I go to swallow the pills before he can stop me. Im not quick enough. Coby runs at me grabbing my arm and knocking away the tablets. I scowl at him.
"Why did you do that?" I growl angrily. Coby blinks confused. Panting from the sudden run over the wide roof.
"What? You think I would let you kill yourself? Dumb moron." He tugs me to my feet and drags me away from the roofs edge as I try to jump off as plan B. I keep struggling as he yells for help. Minutes later the first people passing by to hear me are L and Elsie, and they climb the hatch to the roof, both grabbing onto me and pulling me back inside. I lose control of my actions. Frantically struggling. Soon enough there is an audience of people gathered around to see what's going on. I hear L sigh. Now a famous detective, L tends to carry handcuffs around just in case he ever goes out to solve a case in person. My hands are restrained and I feel a needle piercing my skin. As I fall unconscious I hear L speak gently.
"You helped me once before A. I don't intend on letting you die."
The last thing I see is Matt and B running towards me from the crowd…