As Everything Falls Apart

[WARNING: Bullying and School Violence]

"Stop!! Stop, please! Put the gun down!!"

I was frantic, trying to reach for Kai until I saw the barrel of the gun stare me down. I stopped in my tracks, but I felt like I couldn't breathe. It wasn't the first time that I had a weapon pointed at me, but it was the first time being in a situation where someone I loved was being threatened by one.

"Fuck, today is my lucky day." Darian smirked, turning his head towards me. "The prodigal son returns."

"What?" He wasn't making any sense.

Kai's eyes were shaking, but he remained stoic: as if he was shrinking away from the situation at hand. I saw the collar of his shirt wrinkled and a bruise the shone above on his neck. My eyes began to widen in distaste. He had no right to put his hands on my boyfriend!

"Kai, are you ok?" I asked, not getting a response from him.

"Kai, are you ok." Darian mocked as his goons laughed at me. "Wow, you sure as shit found yourself a loyal pup. Hell, if only my dad could see his fuck up squirm. Now that would have made this treat even sweeter."

Darian coked the gun, directing it at me as I snarled. "Pup? I'm not anyone's animal, asshole. I don't give a damn about your daddy issues or your psychological bullshit."

Darian's eyes flickered with rage at my words as Kai's ears perked up. I was never the outspoken type, but this situation only angered me even more. I had no clue who this kid thought he was, I just knew he was some school bully or gang member. But, I dealt with trash my whole life and today was no different.

"But you will," I said, pulling a pocket knife out of my pant pocket, "let my boyfriend go!"

Kai eyed me then, concern covering his face. "M...Max..."

Darian looked over at Kai and back at me, his gun not wavering an inch. Out of nowhere, he began to laugh. It was eerie, something I didn't expect to come out of a teenager. It was almost like a demon was wailing and that alone sickened me.

"Boyfriend? Wow...some ones been keeping secrets."

Secrets? I looked over at Kai, who's eyes were twitching in fear. What was he talking about.

Darian looked at Kai's frail form, "Well, Max, is it? The funny thing is, I thought Kai and I were dating. Hell, we have been for about two years now."

Two years?! What?! No...they couldn't have been. He was lying!

I looked over at Kai, who was hanging his head in shame. He wouldn't even look at me...or him. "Kai...what the hell is he saying?"

Darian chuckled, "Yes, Kai. Tell your dog the truth."

Kai looked up at Darian and didn't even acknowledge me. "Max and I are not dating. He's mistaken."

What?! What did he just say?!

"Today's are anniversary, Kai!" I yelled, suddenly angry and confused about what he had just said.

He had a bruise on his neck...maybe he was abused by that bastard. Maybe he has a concussion. I kept trying to figure out a logical explanation for the comment that he made.

"We ride to school together, eat together, sleep together! We've sat for hours and talked about our lives and how we want to grow up in each others arms. How can you sit there and say that we're nothing to each other!" I yelled, feeling heartbreak cloud my eyes. "I love you and I know more than anything that you love me too!"

Kai clenched his fist, finally looking straight into my eyes.

"I," he started as the world seemed to quiet around us, "never loved you."

I stood there in agony. I felt like I was going to throw up...worse, like my heart was going to explode. My breathing became heavy, my temples throbbed, and tears...tears streamed down my cheeks.

How could he say he didn't love me. Was everything we did a lie?! Memories just flashed through my mind as the knife dropped from my hand in utter disbelief. Why would he say those things to me? Why would he tell me he'd by mind forever, share a bed with me, rescue me from my captors if it was all a joke? Did the man I love really do all of that...just to throw me away? Was this always a part of his plan? JUST TO FUCKING THROW ME AWAY AGAIN?!

"Psh," Darian hissed, "fucking pathetic."

My rage built up from my core. This monster in front of me did something to Kai. He would never say those things to me. He would never be that cruel! So, I sprinted towards him, aiming to snatch away his gun when he was being lackadaisical, but the gun went off. The bullet whizzed by my ear, creating a piercing sound that deafened my eardrum as I fell to the ground in agony.

It was only later that I found out that the bullet that grazed past me killed a tenth grader. Nick Parson was his name. He was a basketball player who stayed late to practice at the gym and was on his way home. He wore Bose Headphones and most likely didn't realize anything that was going on around him...instead he was just humming a tune after a good day of practice. But that good day was taken away from him, and I was framed for his murder.

In mere seconds, Ian and Trevor were on me: holding me in my spot.

"Tear this punk to pieces." Darian spat.

I snarled at him, trying to get away from their grasps to pound the demon before me, but just my glare made me catch his boot to my jaw. My bone felt like it cracked as my eyes went black, only to be brought back alive by the beatings his goons were giving me. I gasped, only to spit up blood and over and over again fists and boots landed on my body. And through it all...Kai just watched. He never once tried to stop them from hurting me and that hurt worse than my broken and bruised body.

As I lay limp and bleeding, gasping for air, the gun Darian held was placed in my hand. He spat on me and as his last goodbye, I saw him walk away: holding Kai in his arms.

"Your boyfriend, huh? Clearly this isn't what he thinks, you deranged mutt."

"Kai..." I tried to make out, as my mind went blank on the school pavement.

----------------------------

"Max." I heard, but it seemed so far away.

"MAX!"

I woke up, sweating as I squinted to make out a house in the woods that shone beneath the full moon. My breathing slowed, as I regained my posture in the vehicle: realizing a blanket had been draped over me. I don't know how long I had been out, but the blood on the blanket was enough of a clue to me that I wasn't out in the clear just yet.

"Good, you're still with me." I heard Kai say, as the vehicle pulled to the stop in the driveway.

Yea. I thought...yea I still am.