Chapter 1: Reminiscent of the past (2)

[Last Time]

". . . Do you think?" Eric paused, hesitation and slight nervousness took root in his whole frame. He breathed in and out, trying to relax from the tension in his frame. ". . . Do you think Oliver would have liked our clan." Eric said uncertainty.

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[Present]

Allen paused for a split second. His mentality screeched to a grinding halt, his expression slacked and blanked, hands spasmed for just a split second. Then his posture straitened, his face relaxed and Allen smiled, and he resumed walking like nothing happened.

He remembered. . .

He remembered that dreaded name like the goddamn plague.

That name that he hated to hear, loathed it, a name that he wanted nothing more than scream in frustration, cry out in anguish, and rage at the whole goddamn world to hear.

Oliver

A name he wanted to hear, he longed to see the person of that name, he wanted to hear that person's voice again, and possibly punch him in the face for these damn complicated emotions they brought him.

His best friend, who was like a brother to him.

The very mention of his name was a touchy subject between the group of friends. It wasn't because he was a bad friend per say, or because he was hated.

On the contrary, he was the one that found them, he brought them together, and made all of them interact with each other.

He was the one that was the peacekeeper, helping the group no matter the circumstance involved, he was the one who made the group stick together and function without trying to kill or maim each other in the process.

He was the only one that truly made an effort to know each and every individual in the group.

It was a touchy subject because he was dead.

Oliver was and will be the most kindest soul on earth and the most badass motherfucker Allen was glad he met to this day. Oliver was of Japanese descent unlike everyone else in the group. Allen was a descendant from France, Eric was a descendant in Europe, and Tristain only has connections in America.

The very mental image and the thought of Oliver alway brings about remembering his death. Just thinking of that day was like driving a knife to Allen's heart, repeatedly. He was like a brother to him in all but blood. He was the one that brought him out of his solitary life. He was the one that got him friends, took the time to know him, and let him care about another human being besides his little brother.

Oliver, a good friend of theirs died about one year ago.

The day he died was supposed to be a boring/exciting day. Exciting, because you could bring your sibling over to the school and have bragging rights about them, with a parent's permission of course. And boring, because it's. Well. . . it's School. It's the very definition of boring in Allen's book.

Anyways, Oliver brought his 8 year old little sister over because she wanted to know what high school life was like.

Allen didn't bring his little brother over because he was sick that day.

{Should I say I was lucky, or unlucky of me} Allen thought bitterly.

Oliver died protecting his little sister from being shot at by a fellow student who was totally unhinged from the start and by official reports, was delusional.

Oliver wrapped his arms protective over his sibling, the bullet that was meant for her punctured his left lung. Traveling through and stopping at his rib cage, resulting in it being entirely shattered by the bullet and having internal bleeding.

The student that shot Oliver was a 17 year old sophomore.

It was Monday morning when the incident took place. The group of friends went to school like usual, with Oliver's sister tagging along.They wanted to show and let the sister experience the (disgusting) food known as cafeteria food.

As soon as the group sat down to eat their breakfast from the cafeteria. A sophomore with a scowl, walked up towards their table while looking at his phone and back at Oliver and back at his phone for 10 seconds.

The group was quite unnerved with the student and his behavior, when Tristan broke the tense atmosphere by pitching in if the student was garing for Oliver. The student twitched, ignoring the comment and the protest of the little sister.

He spoke up, asking if one of us was Oliver.

Oliver moved calmly and naturally when the sophomore came to their table. He positioned his whole body, so that his little sister was not in the line of sight. Allen watched sideways as Oliver slowly relaxed the tension in his shoulder when the sophomore stopped moving.

Allen watched as Oliver slackened his whole frame and gave the sophomore a calm smile, before raising his left hand and spoke in a calm civilized voice "And pray tell. Why are you looking for me."

The smile he wore was calm, yet it had an edge to it when he caught the sophomore briefly glaring towards his sister.

That reaction alone was odd, but not uncommon to see for Allen.

Oliver was the most perceptive individual Allen has ever met. He couldn't read people like an open-book. But he can know what their intentions were. So, seeing Oliver being on guard towards the sophomore wasn't uncommon.

Half the school basically knew the group because of the new MMORPG game that was released two months ago. They played nonstop on the weekends and killed anyone on sight. Whether they were hostile, standing by, or trying to avoid them. So it wasn't uncommon for students to be annoyed or down right hostile towards the group of friends.

However, the reaction of Oliver was alarming for Allen. If Oliver ever found himself in danger, he would relax and move towards the best option available for him. Allen rested both of his elbows onto the table and stared at the sophomore with a bored look.

He didn't know how to react or move in this tense moment. So, he would wait and see the outcome and help Oliver if the situation started to become dire.

As soon as the sophomore found his target, he took a lung full of air and went into a calm rational rant.

At first the student was calm, talking about his day and his girlfriend to the group. Then he lost it when Oliver said he didn't know who he was talking about. The student was now shouting, being hysterical, crying, and spewing that Oliver took away the love of his life.

The group of friends were slightly dumbfounded, because they didn't know what the hell he was saying.

The love of his life?

Like WTF?!

They didn't even know him, less know the supposed 'love of his life'. The 3 friends in the group left out of the loop simultaneously turned as one and stared at Oliver for questions. (They avoi-ignored the sister that stared at her big brother with big green soulless eyes. That gradually became empty as the sophomore talked about how Oliver stole his 'girlfriend'.)

While the inse-(cough) sophomore continued with his little rant. Oliver's eyes gradually grew in recognition, weariness, and in pity.

In short, the student monologued on how Oliver helped a fellow student out that was apparently his 'self proclaimed' girlfriend.

Oliver was being his usual kind, helpful, and honest self. The student caught wind of the events and made assumptions. Questioned the girl on why she was with him, got angry because she said that she was in fact not his girlfriend and that they were nothing more than acquaintances.

The sophomore spoke unsavory words and grew more angry when he was ignored, then it got physical when the girl attempted to leave and be done with the sophomore entirely, and then a restraining order was ensured following the next day.

Because he was being and I quote from the victim "A creepy delusional pig, who should have stayed away and rot in whatever hell he crawled out from."

That whole event happened just yesterday after school.

{How the hell did she get the restraining order so fast.} Allen thought briefly in mild confusion. However, the events of that day came crashing down onto him again, before he could think too deeply on how that girl managed to get the restraining order so fast.

After saying his side of the story. The student, still crying, said "If I can't have my precious Songbird, then I'll take what you treasure the most." He snarled at Oliver with bloodshot eyes that contained such hate, envy, jealousy, and many other emotions that it borderline to insanity.

He reached behind his back and pulled out a metal object that glinted in the lights above the cafeteria. Students behind the sophomore sucked in a breath of fresh air, some gasped in alarm, many stood petrified, while others cried out in fear.

Allen was briefly confused and bewildered, when not one second passed did his brain decide to wake up and do a 180 on the metal object.

The metal object was rather smooth and glinted in the light. It had a metal grip, which the sophomore held with his right hand. Attached to the grip was a smooth metal cylinder- Yeah! It was a Fucking Gun!

In every single living organism that can think. There is a part of the brain where it tells them to either fight or flee. Yet, there is a majority of organisms that get so overwhelmed that they play dead or freeze up on the spot.

{move}

Allen is the latter. He hated himself for freezing. Even to this day, he hated himself for freezing and playing dead. His instincts overwhelmed his thought process as his mind flashed danger, danger, danger.

{Move.}

Time slowed down to a crawl for Allen. Yet, it passed faster than he could blink. Allen could only watch helplessly as he desperately commanded his body to move and stop what was about to be done in front of him.

{Move!}

His legs twitched and coldness washed over him. His senses heightened and the feeling of control over his body resumed. He zeroed in on his target, as soon as he was ready to tackle the insect that dared, Dared! endanger his family. His whole body unknowingly locked up. The student was already aiming the weapon towards their intended target.

{I said MOVE DAMMIT!}

He didn't have a second to spare. He commanded his body desperately, begged, and pleaded with his body to move. His body spasmed and convulsed to either move or to freeze.

and shot towards Oliver's little sister, yet . . .

Oliver's being the overprotective big brother he was. Instantly shielded and insured the safety of his little sister.

Tristan wasn't idle, it only took one second before he swung and bashed the bastard head with his 20 pound bag pack. The insect fell down like a stack of decks with a resounding crack to his head. Tristan showed dissatisfaction and bashed the bastard's head again for good measure, just in case.

Oliver died of blood loss that day.

Eric was already calling for an ambulance when Tristan knocked out the sophomore. Allen sprung over when he got control of his body again. He tore up his shirt and put pressure on the wound, trying to keep Oliver from going to sleep, and making him stay awake through the whole ordeal.

The group tried, they tried everything they could just to keep Oliver awake and conscious. However, their efforts were in vain. The bullet hit an artery in Oliver's lung. Blood clogged the air pipe and was slowly killing him from within.

By the time the ambulance came in,

. . . he wasn't breathing.

The student that killed Oliver had a crack to his skull and a nasty concussion. He was sent to the State Prison of Texas. Bastard tried to get into Juvie Hall and pleaded in court. However, he was sent to The State Prison because he was 17 and was legally an adult in the eyes of the law.

The one who killed Oliver was still alive. Allen narrowed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and clenched his hands into fists until they turned white.

{He should have been sentenced to death.} Allen thought with a snarl, wanting it to come on his face.

Allen wanted the student that killed Oliver dead. He wanted to kill that son of a bitch slowly. Skin him alive, rip out his throat, scoop out his eyes, let him bleed to death. Break both his legs and slowly crush him with a road construction vehicle.

He could visualize the insect screaming for help, begging, and trying to appease him not to kill him. He wanted to hear the pleasant sound of his bones being crushed, broken, and being grinded to dust.

He wanted that damn cockroach to know that he held his pitiable life in his palm.

He wanted. Needed. Desired. To see his face morph to that of despair as he is being slowly crushed to death. To see the blood slowly smearing across the pavement and dyeing the ground crimson.

he wanted.

He wanted.

He Wanted!

He WAnTeD!!

*Sigh...*

Allen sighed slowly, he took on a more melancholy expression as he couldn't, would not do that without breaking his promise to Oliver.

The group did everything they could to uphold their promise to him. Walking his sister to school, played with her, ensured her safety, and one of them from the group occasionally and always went to Oliver's house everyday to check on his little sister.

After Oliver's death, his little sister shut down and blankly started at empty space. She would move mechanically and go through the motion, looking more dead as the days pass by. Whether in the presence of her parents, other people, or with them.

She would stare unfocused and blankly at nothing. Staring at something that wasn't there and looking like the world had no meaning to it. Sometimes she would chuckle and get this look in her eye that slightly (Entirely) disturbed them.

They made a promise, a pledge, a vow towards Oliver the day he drew his last breath.

"Keep. . (inhale of breath) Keep my sister company. *Cough* . an-*Cough* (inhale of breath) And! Protect her while I'm gone. Kay guys" Oliver said with a pained bloody smile on his face.

That was the last time they heard him speak.

A cheeky bloody smile slowly spread across Oliver's face as he drew his last breath. "I'll see you on the other side."

That was the last time he smiled.

It was the last time they saw his eyes brighten.

The last time they saw him happy,

and it would be the last time they ever see him again in person

Allen wanted to scream, wail out to the world, cry until his eyes were red, rage and kill the bastard that killed him and damn the consequences.

However,

*Sigh*

Allen sighed again as he shook his head with a helpless expression on his face.

{No matter}

He breathed in and slapped his face with both hands. (He ignored the tinge of pain and the startled Eric who jumped slightly from the sound and action from him.) He needed to get his head straight. He could not stay in the past and brood over his best friend's death.

{It's not healthy thinking about this constantly} Allen thought bitterly.

Allen organized his thoughts and tried to calm down. He didn't need nor want to have Eric worry about him now.

*Slow intake of air . . .*

Allen closed his eyes as he prepared himself to answer Eric.

*Exhale of air. . .*

"Yeah…" Allen swallowed his nervousness, his fears, his doubts, and steeled himself. "I. . .I think. I think he would have." Allen opened his eyes as he spoke honestly.

He can still remember Oliver's excited voice of his. Explaining away a name and meaning towards the group about the name. It was the name he gave towards a Fanfiction he was writing about.

When the group inquired about the story, Oliver would be embarrassed and said that it isn't ready and that some scenes needed to be edited. Allen bluntly stated that it was smut. The amount of red on Oliver's face was priceless.

That's how Heaven's Wings came to be. It was a memory, a legacy, and a promise towards Oliver. A name Oliver thought of for a fanfiction that may or may not be smut.

A slight smile formed on Eric's lips as he too reminisced his time with Oliver. The bell already rang indicating that they have less than 10 minutes left until school starts.

"Still. . . he wouldn't have sucked and gotten defeated by a noob though." An amused smirk slowly formed on Allen's face as he spoke.

"*Groan* Why did you have to bring that up" Eric brought his left hand to his face, and glared irritably at Allen, as he half exasperated and half irately said.

The heavy atmosphere surrounding them lightened, both students reminisced and joked about the past as they continued walking towards school.

"*Chuckle* Because. You amuse me." Despite the insult. Eric wasn't entirely bothered by the comment made. After Oliver's death, Allen usually receded into his mind, looking like he was restraining himself from doing something he would later regret.

Eric was quite happy and content to see his friend that he considered family doing well.

. . . But still,

Eric sighed as he once more flipped Allen the bird.

"Hahaha" Allen laughed out loud as he slowly relaxed from the tension he didn't know he had. Both students walked quietly as they slowly made their way to the cross walk.

They would pass or be passed by other students walking towards school. Sometimes they would comment to one another, insult each other, or talk about which clan they should humiliate and maim over the weekend.

They continued to walk through the long sidewalk that ends with a street blocking the way to school. It was a peaceful, relaxed, and wonderful day for them.

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Yet, time will be short and eternal, life or death, real and fake, a trustworthy friend or the greatest of enemies. Time is both and neither. Because without time, there is no meaning to life or death. - The_Weaboo_Dragoon