Break- A Novellete, Part 1

A/N Thanks so much for reading! Please, be as critical as possible, I want to improve and being harsh with my writing would be much appreciated. Thanks!

The gun started to get slippery from the sweat on my hands. The cold metal was slowly warming up, and I gripped the handgun tighter. I was holding a device of pure power and innovation. At any moment I could take a life, no one could stop me, at least, not before I stopped them.

Our teacher, Mrs. Rug, smiled half heartedly at me. She was used to me causing trouble. “Yukiro, do you want help from the instructor? You’re too tense, this is a fieldtrip about gun safety, remember, so try to be loose..” Fine, if you’re that concerned, you think I’m gonna shoot someone.

Mrs. Rug called over one of the instructors, he didn't seem to happy about a bunch of highschoolers coming to the shooting range, he was probably exhausted. He tried to smile, but it looked more like he was about to sneeze.

I turned away from the pair, uninterested, and prepared to shoot. I made sure to focus right over the gun barrel, and carefully place my finger on the trigger, my hand shook slightly. I suddenly felt someone grabbing me from behind, I turned, lowering the gun.

A shock went up my arms, and they suddenly felt numb, I heard someone cry out, and the instructor fell to the ground, wide eyed.

Mrs. Rug looked at me, and she looked to be in as much shock as the guy on the ground. One of the employees came running over from the front desk.

“Nik? Nik? Oh my… someone call an ambulance. Nobody panic, he’ll be fine.”

I stared at the blood spreading on the ground from the bullet wound. I’d just shot him. I felt the gun taken from my hands, but I was in too much shock to notice. I was led over to a chair, which I slumped into. I think someone started yelling at me, but soon realized I wasn’t listening, so they left. I heard sirens, and a lot of people moving around and shouting, but I wasn’t really paying attention to that.

I’d shot someone. I was careless… and I pulled the trigger. I sat quietly as people bustled around me. An ambulance came, and left, and I was led to the school bus with little ceremony.

I flipped the switch on in my apartment and blinked a few times in the light. I was still in shock, and I’d probably ruined that mans life, there was nothing for it… and I’d probably never see him again, I could only pray that it wasn’t too bad, I’d heard it had been to the leg, but I didn’t have a clue how severe it’d been.

The next day, I walked to the school at around eleven. I knew I’d be suspended, so I didn’t bother getting up early.

The principal wasn’t cold, just flustered, I’d imagined it must have been a headache to deal with everything. He sighed and explained that I could just graduate early, with my grades the last few weeks of school were unnecessary anyway. I didn’t argue.

I turned a corner in the hallway on my way out and immediately noticed someone- a man- slowly rolling along the hall in a wheel chair. He was muttering to himself, and the rate he was going at was almost painfully slow. Once he got closer, I realized it was Nik, the guy I’d shot.

“Hey, it’s you.” I exclaimed, moving closer and trying not to look to closely at his right leg, which was heavily bandaged. “You’re out already?”

He looked me up and down, brow furrowed. “You are?” He asked.

I hesitated, “I’m Yukiro, I- I’m the one who shot you.”

“Really? I don’t remember it very well, I thought you were a guy.”

This kinda irked at me, but I pressed on. “What gave you that impression?”

“You’re not very feminine.” I frowned.

I tried to smile, but I’m certain I was scowling. “I see, what are you doing here?”

He smiled happily. “Looking for you, actually, I was afraid I’d have to ask the principal, what luck.” He drew something from a bag hooked on the wheelchair. “My hospital bills.” He held it in front of me.

My jaw dropped and I started blabbering, I really hadn’t expected this. “Don’t you have insurance? I can’t pay this, and I don’t have anyone who could… what about your work, won’t they pay?”

That brought a nasty look to Nik’s face. “Those bastards wiggled out of it through this paper I signed when I got a job there, something along the lines of ‘no compensation for injuries of any kind’ or some crap.”

“Well, regardless,” I felt horrible, but it was true. “I can’t pay this, I’m sorry.”

“Oh, I can pay this.” He stated. “The problem is, this-” He gestured to his leg. “Will take about six months to heal. During that time, I either need to stay at the hospital, or have someone take care of me. I don’t have anybody, and I can’t work either, so I can’t pay the bills. So you,” he pointed at me. “Will have to take care of me for that period of time.”

“What? Don’t be ridiculous. I barely know you, surely there’s someone…”

“I’ll press charges.” He interrupted.

“What do you mean?”

“If I press charges, you’ll have to pay the hospital bill for six months of me staying there, goodness knows how much it’ll cost.” He shrugged.

I sighed and lowered my head slightly in defeat. “Okay, I guess.”

“Whatever, just be sure to come here…” He scribble an address on a spare piece of paper. “Tomorrow, or I press charges.”

“Fine, I’ll be there.”

He grinned, and nodded. “See you then, Ro.”

“Don’t call me Ro.” I grumbled. I couldn’t believe this guy.

“Alright.” He started to turn around.

I was going the same way he was, I hurried down the hallway.

“Could you push me out at least?” He called.

“No, I hope your leg gets infected and falls off!” I yelled as I picked up the pace.

“You’re so heartless, Ro.”

“Don’t call me Ro.” I shouted.

I kept putting off packing till late because I was so upset. Seriously, what was I going to do? I didn’t know this guy, or anything about him. I looked around the kitchen, would he have much of his own cooking supplies? No matter, I’d take my own.

I swept my brown hair into a ponytail, slipped into shorts and a tank top. I was going to have to organize and pack my entire three-room apartment, so I had to be ready.

Actually, I just stuffed everything into boxes. I couldn’t even label them, the stuff was so mixed up. But even after short cutting that, it was already four in the morning. I went into my bedroom and fell asleep on my bare mattress.

I woke up at noon the next day, my muscles were sore from sleeping without blankets or pillows, I really should have just packed those today. I called a local moving van, and waited for them to arrive.

Two men showed up with mid-sized covered truck. It took them less than two hours, and they had everything loaded up. I hopped into the back and we set off for the address, I felt anxious not know if everything was in order, nor the exact details of me living with him, but I didn’t see how I could do something much different. I definitely couldn't pay those bills.

I knocked on the door. “Hello, Nik?” I called, when no one replied, I did the sensible thing, and knocked much, much harder. “It’s Yukiro! Are you in there?”

I heard a loud thud. “Just a minute, I’m coming.” It was actually over a minute of frequent thuds, rattles, and bumps before he made it to the door. I heard him fiddling with the lock, and then he opened it, rolling back his wheelchair with one hand to let me in. “Hey, sorry for the mess.”

My mouth gaped, his apartment was littered with pop-cans, fast food trash, granola bar wrappers, and various other kinds of trash. I couldn’t see his kitchen, but it smelled like something nasty was fermenting in there. I don’t know how he got the wheelchair across, I suppose this is why it took him so long to get to the door.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be clean soon, all of your stuff can go in the back room for now.”

“Back room?”

“Down the hall, last door on the left.”

I have to admit, if it was clean, the apartment would be really nice. The ‘last door on the left’ turned out to be the first one, and all it was was a mid sized closet, but not a single thing was in there, so I had them stack my few meager boxes of possessions in their. How was Nik not rolling in his own fat by now?

The movers seemed concerned for me, and I suppose the situation was strange, but they left without asking questions. Me and Nik were alone in the apartment. I stood watching him as an awkward silence wafted between us, I looked at him, waiting for him to say something.

A minute later, he did. “Get this place clean, dwarf boy.” I turned to him with a sneer.

“Alright, limp old man.” He seemed as offended at this as I’d been with his remark, so I let him slowly push through the mountains of trash to his room. I had the whole day ahead of me, and I like to consider myself an efficient cleaner at least. Once I’d found the trash bags among the rotting fruits and vegetables in the kitchen, I got straight to work cleaning up the trash. I had the feeling he would have cleaned it himself, with me coming, if he’d been able to bend down and reach the floor. It took less time than I expected, and after thirty minutes I’d finished with the trash in the living room, three trash bags stacked up by the door. But doing that had only revealed a thin layer of crumbs covering the entirety of the room. A vacuum sat plugged in in the corner, it looked practically new, so I decided to put it to good use, and vacuumed, ignoring the complaints about the noise coming from Niks bedroom.

The apartment wasn’t very large. A kitchen, a living room, Niks bedroom and the closet. Since I’d cleaned the living room so quickly, I felt fired up to clean the kitchen, but I was working till evening, and I still wasn’t done.

“Hey, want me to go get some food?” Nik asked, wheeling out of his bedroom. He stopped short and looked around the living room. I’d say he was impressed. “Ew, you didn’t wipe off the coffee table, gross.” Was his only remark. Then he turned to me and, ignoring my scowl, continued. “You like subway?”

I jumped on the opportunity. “Yes.” I said, practically throwing my arms around him.

“Too bad, I’m getting Wendy’s.” He said, quickly looking away.

I was disappointed, but tried not to show it. “Okay… get me a chicken sandwich, erm, please.”

He wheeled himself, much faster than before, it seemed, to the front door. “I’ll be back in an undisclosed amount of time.” He said as he closed the door. And then I was alone in the apartment.

I sneaked over to his bedroom. He’d never said I couldn’t go in there, and it was the only place I hadn’t seen in the apartment, I opened the door slowly, not knowing what to expect.

It was equally littered as the living room had been, just plus dirty laundry and stinky, worn through shoes. There was a desk and a bed, both in disarray. On the desk sat a computer on screen saver. I shut the door quickly, I was sure that Nik wouldn’t like me in there.

I sat down on the living room couch. What time was it? I didn’t know. My eyelids felt heavy, so I let myself lay down and fall asleep. Mere moments after I’d let myself sit.

Something wet touched my forehead, and I felt a soft ‘pop’, like a marker opening. My eyes cracked open.

Nik was about an inch from my face, his blonde hair brushed my forehead, and his hand was poised with a Sharpie marker. I sat up quickly, getting my face away from his.

“What are you doing?” I shouted, sitting up on my elbows..

“You’re sleeping face was so ugly, I couldn’t resist drawing something on it, shame you woke up.” He stated.

I looked him up and down, he was soaking wet, and a plastic bag from Subway hung at the side of the wheelchair. “I forgot an umbrella.” He said matter-of-factly, pulling out two, one foot sandwiches. He opened one of them, glanced at it, and then handed me the unopened one.

“Wait, did you go in your wheelchair?” I asked, amazed.

“Yeah, no big deal though, it’s just down the road.”

“It’s raining.” I stated.

“It was a short trip, anyways, I don’t mind the rain.” He left it at that and dug into his sandwich. I opened mine slowly, still unsure.

It looked to be the cheapest thing on their current menu, but at least he’d gone through the trouble of having them toast it and pack it full of what looked like everything you didn’t pay extra for on the menu. It looked really good, I realized how hungry I was and dug in.

“I figure you want to know the details of the deal, right?” Nik said, already done with his sandwich, I still had half mine left. I nodded. “Alright, I’ve been thinking about it all day, here’s what I thought. You cook, you clean, you don’t complain too much, and do everything I can’t do. In exchange, I pay for your food, and don’t press charges. Oh, and you also don’t have to pay rent, or any bills, really.”

I stared at him, it sounded too good to be true. If only it didn’t have to be with this guy… “Alright. but where will I sleep?” I asked.

“Here on the couch.” He said. It wasn’t uncomfortable, I guess… “What about my personal stuff?” I asked.

“Hang up your clothes in the closet, you can keep a box or get a shelf in here, and everything else can just be put with my stuff, I’d figure.”

Now it wasn’t the best, but no rent, cooking, cleaning, it wasn’t much different from my normal routine, I’d just have to do it a little more with this guy here.

“I thought you didn’t have any money?” I said.

“Hospital bills are way more expensive than an apartments rent and bills. I think I can manage this until I get a job.”

“I don’t know, I think it’ll take more than healing your leg for you to get a job.” I jumped to the side as he went to smack my leg. He made a face, and then wheeled off to his bedroom.

“Oh, and one more thing.” He said, pausing in front of his room. “You’re not allowed in my room, okay?”

I nodded, hoping that he wouldn’t notice that I already had. Once he’d shut the door, I finished up my sandwich and flipped off the switch. It was only eight, but I was absolutely exhausted.

A loud bang, like a gunshot, ripped through the morning air. I sat up, trying to find the source, I looked out of the window, where a group of kids were crowded around a smoldering remote controlled helicopter.

“Good morning.” Nik said, I jumped and turned round. He’d just rolled out of his room.

“Was that a gunshot just now?” I asked.

Nik shrugged. “The helicopter was making a buzzing noise, it was annoying.”

I glanced out the window, helicopter was near the edge of the parking lot, at least fifty yards from our windows. “You shot that?” I asked, amazed.

Nik ignored me. “Would you give me a massage later?” He asked.

I stretched, trying to clear my head, I was still drowsy. “No. Nik?” I asked.

“What?”

“What’s your name? Like, your whole name?”

“What a rude child…” he muttered. “My name is Dominik.” I waited, expecting him to tell me his last name. “Yours?” He said.

“Erm, Yukiro Fujioka, what’s your last name?”

“I’m not going to tell you.”

“Why not?” I asked, agitated.

“Cause you knowing my name could only bring trouble.”

I sighed, it wasn’t worth the effort, though it would continuously bother me. “What should we have for breakfast? The kitchen still isn’t cleaned.”

Nik shrugged, then he turned to me, and before i could say anything, he continued. “Go to Wendy’s and get us something.” He handed me a ten dollar bill. “And don’t ask, too many questions about me, I’m no obligated to tell you everything- or anything- about me.”

I speed walked to Wendys, ignoring the looks I got from drivers, I must’ve looked a sight, still in my pajamas. Dozens of questions swam around in my head. Was Nik seriously that good a shot? What did he have to hide? Why? I wasn’t sure I could stand six months with these questions.

I spent that day cleaning the kitchen, then I went shopping. My birthday’s in a few weeks, but I’m unsure if I should tell Nik or not. We’re not that close, but lately he’s been laughing more, and we talk more. He’s only nineteen, just out of highschool, even though he acts really mature for his age. I feel like… I feel like there’s an invisible barrier between us, the one border between being acquaintances, and true friends, and I just can’t seem to break through it.