The Beast Within: Chapter 1- Part 2

With me being 14 and Mark being 15, we had no real way of transportation. It was either ride bikes or walk since neither of us had money. His job was family owned, so he didn't really get paid in money. He got paid in having a house to live in and food to eat. That's what his mom always said, anyway. His paced quickend as we rounded corners, getting nearer and nearer to where Kyle lived. I lived in an apartment with my mom and went to spend every few weeks with my dad down in a single family home develpement. Unfortunately, Kyle had lived in the same buidling as my mother and I so it wasn't too hard to find out where he lived.

We had met a few years back, I was 11 and he was 12. I was playing outside with a soccer ball my dad had got me for Christmas. It was humid and sunny and smelled of rain but it was the sweet scent of summer. I didn't notice him at first, as he was walking out from his apartment. He never said a word but I knew he was watching me for more than a good minute. I was shy so I didn't turn around, just in case it was some pedophile looking for children to kidnap and rape. When I did turn around though, it wasn't a pedophile. It was a 12-year-old boy that was leaning against the brick wall staring at me. Me! Plain old me! Nothing more than brown-red hair and brown-grey eyes. That's where things started; and that's where things ended. I had seen him this morning, same position, staring at another girl play soccer. Only she was prettier, so much prettier. I don't think he even took a second glance at me when I walked past, but if he did, it wasn't with love.

I grabbed Mark's arm and spun him around. "Don't do anything irrational, Mark. It's not his fault. Maybe, I'm just not very interesting anymore." I looked him dead in the eyes and tried my hardest not to blink, not to make any tears come. His eyes locked mine and they didn't soften at all.

"Don't ever say that, okay? He's just being an ass and needs to learn a lesson in how to treat a girl."

I saw it. I saw his face soften just the tiniest around his eyes, those beautiful hazel eyes. Then it was gone, faster than it had come. We turned another corner and I saw my building and a figure leaning against the wall, as if expecting us to come. My breath came out fast and shallow as we got closer. I was having to jog to keep up with Mark, who was walking at an extrodinarly fast pace. Do something! I screamed to myself. Both boys were tense and both had enough strength to beat the crap out of each other. This is not going to end well...

They started before they even faced each other entirely. Yelling, everyone was yelling. I was standing next to Mark, quiet for a moment before I heard my name. Kyle was staring at me, anger flashing through his forest green eyes like lightning bolts. "You just have to go put our buisness out there, don't you? You can't keep anything to yourself." He shook his head but never took his eyes off of me. Mark stepped closer to him and basically growled at him. "First off, you guys have no buisness anymore since you broke up with her. Second, don't talk to her like that. At least she didn't break up with you because of something as stupid as 'finding someone else'. What? Is she not good enough?" Then more yelling, they were in each others faces, both red and both looking like they were getting ready to throw punches.

"STOP IT! STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT!!" I yelled.

I couldn't stand it, the arguing. It was making me mad and I was shaking from the anger I wanted to let out.They both stopped and stared at me. I was on the verge of tears again, and not from the breakup. I didn't want anyone getting hurt physically for me. I didn't want anybody to stand up to Kyle for me. It was something I had to do alone. Turning to face him, I tried hard to keep my face blank to feel nothing. I knew what I wanted to say and I was going to say it fast, so that he wouldn't have a reaction nor answer.

"Go to Hell." Then, without another word to anyone, I ran up the steps to my apartment, and slammed the door.