When class was let out Greg, Samantha, Aaron, and I all ran home. But when we got there Ma and Pa were loading things onto the carriage. "Littles, get in. Greg and Madelene are going to stay here and watch the place for about three days. We'll be back." Ma said as Samantha and Aaron climbed in. Then, they headed off. Greg and I stood there for about a minute, starring at the empty space that use to hold our family. Then, he grabbed my hand and drug me inside, ripping off his shoes and socks. We ran into his bedroom where he started to unbutton his shirt and pants. I starred, confused. "What are you doing?" I asked. I knew what he was doing, but I didn't know if I wanted to join in. He was almost sixteen and I would be eighteen next April. He stopped removing clothing and then looked at me, "Well...they're...they're gone and I just thought..." He stopped and put his head down.

I grabbed his hand and looked at him, "Not here." I said, leading him to my room. "Here." He smiled and shut the door. Only minutes later I was laying alone in the bed. Starring at the picture of Gaven I had on my side table. Greg opened the door and climbed behind me into bed, turning his back to me. I looked back to Gaven's picture and turned it over, making it face the table. It's for the best. I thought to myself. My heart sank to the pit of my empty, starved stomach that ached with pain of both guilt, and confusion. I closed my eyes and tried to erase the memories of Gaven. I sunk my sharp nails into my thies until I couldn't feel it anymore. I felt Greg get up and leave again, he hadn't sat still for more then a minute since we got home from school. I opened my eyes just in time to see him shutting the door. I jumped up and slid my pants on, I had been sitting in the bed without pants for a long time and I was getting cold.

After that I sat on my bed and put my elbows on my knees and shook my head, being disapointed in myself for doing what I had done. I began to get more angry at myself the longer I sat there, so finally I stood up and kicked my side table until I saw blood splattered on the front part of it where the hard wood had gashed my shin. I sat down and began to cry as Greg entered the room and ran over to me. "What's wrong?" "I didn't want it to be you!" I screamed in rage. "I never wanted you to be the one I gave myself up to! I hate you!" I screamed. Greg's eyes fell to the floor before I could take anything back. He stood up and left me alone in the dark room. I bit my lip in order not to scream in pain and anger. I stormed out of the room, throwing things as I went. Knocking things off their shelves and punching walls. I got into the kitchen and reached into the back cabinet and got some bandages for my leg.

Greg must have been in his room because no one was in sight. I plugged my ears and screamed as loud as I possibly could until I couldn't scream anymore. I tried to whisper to myself but nothing came out. Someone knocked at the door and I went to go open it, it was two of The Watchers. I tried to scream for help but no sound came. They grabbed me and headed off into the woods with me. When we got to their hide out they slid off their hoods and looked at me. "Why would you leave Gaven!" Lucy yelled in an angry voice. "You meant everything to him!" Thomas added in. "He abused me." I managed to make out. I pulled up my sweat pants and showed them the four finger nail scars on the back of my knee. "See? And these are only the scars he left. You should have seen the bruises." Thomas shook his head and covered his eyes and Lucy sighed.

I heard a familiar voice come in behind Lucy and Thomas and then I saw Gaven. I swung my arms every which way and kicked my legs at him. "Madelene please! Listen to me!" I stopped and looked at him, "What..." "I miss you. I love you. I need you!" "I don't miss you. Or need you. Or love you." Tears filled in his eyes and his voice became high pitched, "But Maddie! I love you!" He said, bursting out in tears at the end. "Too bad. You had your chance Gaven. You left bruises and scars on me." "I'm sorry!" He wailed back. "Sorry doesn't cut it." And without anyone else having anything to say I left. I didn't know my way back home. So I followed my instincs.

I didn't want to be reminded of Gaven every time I felt safe, I didn't even want to be reminded of him at all. I just wanted to forget everything that had happened with him, everything that we ever went through together. Even though this would destroy the last three years of my life, it was better then having a broken heart. Greg stood there, squeezing me gentley in his arms. Gaven had never been very gentle with me before. I thought about my brothers and my mom, and all of Gaven's brothers and sister. My stomach growled and Greg pulled me apart from his chest and looked at me sternly. Then, he pulled me close and whispered in my ear, "I saw you drop the rest of your bagel. Go make yourself another half." He said as he let me go, holding on to my hand as I went until I was out of reach. There was something about that moment that made me know I would never forget it.

I wish I could be with Greg the way I was with Gaven, only Greg and I would have worked out better. And I wouldn't be heart broken. The only thing I had to remember Gaven by were four scars he left on the back of my left knee from him digging his non existent finger nails into. I ran my fingers across the scars as I sat down to eat another half of a bagel. Pa looked at me and smiled to see that I was eating. "Papa!" Samantha screamed as she ran in the room, "I don't know what to wear to school today!" It was just then when I realized she was only wearing her underwear. I covered my mouth so my smile wouldn't show as Pa asked me to go with Samantha and help her get dressed. I nodded my head and followed Samantha into her room. We picked out her white  knee top socks and her red apple dress, and black buckle shoes to wear.

"We need to do something with my hair Maddie." She said, rolling her eyes at me like I was stupid for thinkning that first. "Okay!" I yipped back as I pulled her hair into two pony tails on the sides of her head. She smiled at herself and then walked out of the bathroom, yelling thanks when she got upstairs. "You're welcome!" I hollered back as I took the brush and began to do my own hair. I had never put my hair up, so I took the whole bundle of my hair and twisted it to a bun and then put about seven bobby pins in the back to keep it up. When I came out, all eyes fell on me. No one said anything, but they all opened their mouths to try and say something. "Is...Something wrong?" I said as I began to put my head down. "No!" Greg yelled before I could take it down. "You, you look beautiful." He said, smiling at me and taking my hand.

"C'mon guys! It's time to walk to school!" He yelled as everyone fled twords us, grabbing lunch bags as we past the counted. The walk to school was great, it was so beautiful. There was a long stream that led us to the school and back, but it was one of the most beautful things I had ever seen. There were pink wild flowers growing all around it. Greg saw me looking, as I did every day, and bent over and picked me one of the flowers. He smiled at me and tuked it in my hair. I blushed and covered my smile until he pulled my hand away to see it. I hated my smile, but every time I'd try to hide it, Greg would pull my hand away and look at my smile as long as he could. My whole life people had complimented on how horrible my teeth looked and how my front teeth were big. So, naturally I hid it to keep the bad comments away.

When we finally got to school Greg led me to my chair and then pulled it out for me and gestured for me to sit down. When I sat down he scooted in my chair and then sat down beside me at the table. Everyone eyeballed him, whispering things in each others' ears. I didn't know what they were saying, and this bothered me alot. Are they talking about me? Is it my teeth? My hair? I wondered for the first five minutes of class before the teach yelled for my attention. "What Mrs. Rams?" I asked, feeling stupid. "What is fifteen times three." She said, getting impatient. "Uh. Fifteen times three would be..." I grabbed out a piece of paper and wrpte down the numbers. Fifteen plus fifteen equals thirty, thirty plus fifteen more equals... "Forty five!" I yelled. Mrs. Rams nodded her head and moved on to asking other students that weren't paying attention questions.

I sighed and looked down feeling embaressed. Greg moved his hand over to mine and place it over, holding my hand for comfort. I smiled, and didn't cover it. The smile that grew on his face was to die for. I never knew my smile could make someone so happy. By the end of class I had learned absolutely nothing, Greg and I were passing looks at each other all day and refused to listen to whatever important announcment the teacher was making at this time.

After a while of sitting there, nibbling on my bagel Aaron snuck up behind me and stuck me in the lower back with Ma's sewing pin. "Ow! Aaron!" I screamed, hoping Greg would come beat him up or something. Sure enough, when I looked back over at Greg he was angirly marching up the stairs heading after Aaron. "Aaron! You leave her alone you hear me!" Aaron hung his head down and walked away into his room. I rolled my eyes as he shut his door and Greg sat down on his knees infront of me. He rested his elbows on my legs and looked at me with his puppy dog eyes. I laughed and shoved him off my legs before anything too deep happened. He smiled and wiped his shirt off as he stood up and looked back at me. He was trying his best to laugh along with me, but you could tell I had ruined a big moment for him.

I looked down at my bagel and traced the outside of it until Greg returned to the garden to help Ma. As Greg was walking away I noticed a note lying on the floor infront of me. I leaned over from my chair and picked it up. It was adressed to me. I slowly opened the note and saw the whole paper was covered with fancy cursive letters that I could not read. I scanned the paper, top to bottem, trying to find some words I reconized. But there were non. Until at the very bottem of the letter I could make out three words, I love you. I pulled the note away from my face and folded it back. I got up and walked down the stairs to the garden and held it out to Greg. Horrified, he yanked it away and shoved it in his back pocket. He kept his eye on me as if I had just read something top secret of his.

I turned around and walked back to the house, dropping the bagel on my way so the birds could eat it. I looked around, hoping no one wold notice. But Greg did. He didn't say anything, he just looked down and continued trimming the rose bush. I let out a sigh of reliefe and headed back up the stairs. Just when I got in the door Henry began to scream as loud as he possibly could. "God damn you baby! Shut up!" I yelled, covering my ears. Pa glared at me and then froze, "What?" I said before I could hear the hissing sound behind me. I turned my head just to see the head of a rattlesnake slitthering behind me. Shit! I thought as the hissing got louder and seemed to be getting closer.

I closed my eyes and try not to move at all, please let me live! I thought to myself as the hissing stopped. I felt hands grab my shoulders and I turned around, ready to punch whatever was grabbing me. Greg shoved me away and stepped back as I swung my fist at him, "It's just me." He said with a scared look on his face. I looked up and then let myself fall into Greg's arms. It felt safe there, but safe reminded me of Gaven...

I closed my eyes and rested my head on the back of the head board on my bed as I dreamed of Ferris and I playing hide and go seek again. It had been nearly a month since I last saw Gaven and I had no idea where he was or if he was alive. It was just a month ago I walked out of the hospital parking lot, Gaven watching me walk away from out his window. He had tears in his eyes and running down his cheeks then. I dream of his smile and his beautiful eyes, and how we use to play together. I loved Gaven, but I couldn't take the abuse. And leaving him killed me inside. It still hurts to think of him or how he is now. What if he's dead because he doesn't know how to take care of himself without me? I thought.

I dug my nails into my lower wrist until it went numb with pain. I had cuts running up and down my wrist on both arms, I cut myself with hot metal that Pa made in his garage. Pa wasn't really my dad, or even related to me. After I left Gaven he found me sleeping in the woods while he was hunting he took me home and made me part of his family. I have two sisters and three brothers, and a Ma. The oldest is Carolina, she's fifteen. Then Greg, who is also fifteen but a few moths younger. Samantha, who's thirteen. Aaron, eleven. And then, the youngest would be Henry. He's only a year old. They all have firey red golden hair and emerald green eyes that were beautiful. I loved them all dearly, even though I had only known them for a short time.

Samatha was my favortie, mainly because she wasn't a brat like Carolina was. And the boys were too rough and Henry is too noisy and cries to much. Someone knocked on my door as I stood up to change clothes, "What!" I yelled as the door flung open. Aaron was standing there with a bowl of cereal in his hand and a spoon in his mouth. He pulled it out and rolled his eyes at me, "Hey. Loser. You need to come to the kitchen and make some break fast." With that, he turned around and shook his butt at me before walking all the way out of the door. "Aaron!" I yelled as he ran away down the hall. Aaron was an annoying rbat that thought he ruled the house. He was the smartest. He was only eleven and was finished with school. I wasn't even finished with middle school! Of course, how could I be? They just got me enrolled in middle school this month.

It was weird being older then every one in your grade. And beign a foot taller and three years older. No one talked to me, I was feared. Except from one boy. His name was Collier Jame. He was my best friend, but nothing like Gaven. No body is like Gaven . . . After sitting on my bed for a while more I got up and walked to the kitchen to make something to eat. I opened the top left cabinet and pulled out a bagel. Not even having to ask, Greg reached in the fridge and handed me the sour cream and a knife. He smiled and nodded at me before going back outide to work on the garden with Ma and Carolina. It was pretty. Small, but pretty. The day I came here I helped Greg plant the red rose bush in the corner, it was beautiful!

Greg was one of the best guys you'll ever meet in your life. He was handsom, nice, caring, and sensible. I sunk my teeth into the bagel and tore off a piece with my front teeth as I pulled up a chair to watch Greg work on the garden. He was trimming the rose bush we planted on the third day of me being here. He planted it for me to show that I was welcome in their family and he accepted me. Ever since then Greg and I have had a deep connection inside of us. If I catch him gazing at me he'll blush and quickly turn his head away.

Everything was quiet when I had finally realized Gaven was fast asleep. I looked down at my wrist which was throbbing in pain, but when I looked, I wish I hadn't. There was a big purple circle all the way around my wrist, Gaven had left another bruise. I closed my eyes as my body began to ache. I looked down at the bruise, *bruises*, that covered my body. The harder I tried not to cry, the worse the pain behind my eyes got. So finally I let my tears out, I had been crying alot lately and it needed to stop. Was this really the first time I had reconized the abuse evidenc that covered my body head to toe? I sobbed but then stopped breathing, praying that he hadn't heard me as Gaven shifted onto his side in his sleep. After almost a minute of holding my breath I let it out and felt reliefe run through my body.

If he had heard me cry he would have asked why, and I would have had to tell him. I shuddered at this thought, he'd probably cry. That night I didn't get the least bit tired, I sat, wide awake the whole entire night. Just watching Gaven. Why am I doing this? Why don't you do something about it! Stand up for yourself! Slowly, I stood up and walked away. Leaves crunching under my feet with every step I took. I heard Gaven stand up in the back ground. "Madelene? Where are you going?" He called after me, but I didn't answer. I wanted to walk forever and never look behind me. Soon Gaven came to my side. I guess his hand wasn't all that bad now was it? I didn't hear him whinning about it now. "Maddie, talk to me." He whinned again. "Shut up Gaven." I said in the most bold, stern voice I have ever used with him.

Gaven hung his neck and contiuned to walk by me until almost three hours later. We had come to a super rich town with food and hospitals and everything. I motioned to Gaven to follow me into the hospital where they made him a room and bandaged his hand. Gaven hadn't spoke a single word to me since I had told him to shut up hours ago. When the nurse closed the door he looked at his hand and then at me, "Why'd you try to leave me?" He said in a sypthetic voice. Behind my eyes stung and my throat was sore and it was hard to swallow. "You abuse me..." I whispered in a pathetic voice. Gaven looked at me, scared and seriouse. "I don't...I never wanted to hurt you." With this I ripped off my shirt to my under shirt and pointed at the bruises that covered my arms all the way up and down.

"Really! Then what is this Gaven! What is it!" I screamed as his eyes filled with tears and his voice got still. "I'm so sorry Madlene....Please don't leave me..." I swalloed hard and looked away from Gaven, "I think we need-" "No! Please Madelene I love you! Please believe me Maddie! Don't leave me!" He screamed like a baby being dropped off for it's first day of school. I shook my head and tried to ignor his pittifulness. "No Gaven. We need to break up. End of story." The room got quiet and for the first time it was Gaven crying alone. He burried his face in his hands and sniffled. I didn't dare look up from the ground, certainlly not at Gaven. I took a few deep breaths and then left the room.

When the door slammed behind me I didn't feel like the same person. I felt like I was still standing in that room with Gaven, not walking away from him. I wrapped my arms around myself and closed my eyes, breathing slowly through my nose. It was for the best... I thought. My heart felt shattered inside. I wondered what Gaven was doing in that room...Did he miss me? Did he really love me? I turned around and grabbed the handle of the door, not ready to let Gaven go. But before I opened the door I stopped and looked at my hand. I let go of the handle and then walked to the waiting room where I found many people with inguries at. I sat down and watched everyone walk by me. The world seemed slow and full of sorrow. I finally stood up and grabbed the scissors from the counter and walked into the bathroom. I looked in the mirror for a moment and then grabbed my hair that now hung about two inches bellow my butt.

I held up the scissors and began to chop off my hair. It was dark, golden brown and wavy. Beatiful as everyone called it, but now it was to the bottem of my chin and uneven. I opened the toilet and threw the scissors inside, not caring what happened next.

"It breaks my heart when I see you cry..." He said as I guess he felt one of my tears fall on his chest. He tilted up my chin and looked me in the eyes, "Don't cry. I love you." "I love you too." Gaven was all I had now days. He gave me everything, even more then Adam. Adam never looked at me the special way Gaven did. When Gaven looked at me his eyes sparkled and were solem. "You know what I wished for my birthday last month when you made me a surprise birthday party and that blue cake?" "What?" "I wished that I would always have you. Not for anything else. Just you. You are my dream come true, my dream I had always wished for on shooting stars." I smiled and kissed Gaven, a long kiss too. When I pulled away he looked at me and smiled. "Gaven. Why do you love me?" "Because you are beautiful. You're funny and nice, you're a dream come true. You're my angle. I could say so many things but I love you says it all."

I would have said something back but there was nothing left to say. It was night and Ryly had parked the car to sleep for the night. Gaven got a good hold of me and then scooted us both down so we were laying in the back seats front to front. Gaven kissed my forehead at least three times and then kissed my cheek and lips. "I love you Madelene." "I love you too." That night I fell asleep to the beat of Gaven's heart pounding inside his chest. In the morning the sound of someone banging on the window woke me up. It was a little girl in a pink dress, she had her blonde hair pulled back in two pony tails and had a sucker in her other hand. For once Gaven was awake and not drooling, but looking at the girl. He looked at me, confused and reached to open the door. "Wait! Don't!" "Why? I mean seriously, it's a little girl." I shook my head, "No. It doesn't feel right." So for the next thirty minutes the girl stood there, knocking on the window mouthing something to us.

"That's it!" Gaven yelled as he opened the door and stepped out, "What!" The little girl stood there and then turned into some sort of demon. I screamed and grabbed for Gaven who was reaching his hand back for mine. "Gaven!" I screamed as the demon pulled him away. It occured to me that I had legs an I could, indeed walk. So I got up out of the car and ran after the demon that was dragging Gaven by the leg. I jumped and barley grabbed Gaven's hand before the demon turned around and hissed at me. I screamed as it ran across the top of Gaven and pried my fingers away from him. I took my fist and thumped the demon ontop of the head and it disapeared. Panting, Gaven wrapped his arms around my torso and plunged his head into my chest. I held his head tight and kissed the top of his head, "It'll be okay Gaven." I said in a shaky voice.

He nodded his head and then looked up at me. "Don't let me go." He said as if it was meant for only me to hear. Because after that his eyes locked on to something behind me and I felt the multiple hands grab my shoulders. He yelled and began beating the hands that were tightly gripped on my shoulders. I heard Gaven yell a curse word before he was attacked by demons. They had his legs and arms but he broke one of his arms free and reached out for me. One of the demons that was dragging me away leaned out and bit Gaven's hand right imbetween his thumb and index finger. I heard the cries of pain from him as he was blocked from my view by a large man in a black cloak. I could hear Ryly cussing at the demons some where behind me. "So. You think you can take him away from my demons?" I shook my head at the man as he knelt down to me, "No! No! Please! Let them go! Don't hurt them!" "I won't, I won't. But, you have to make me a deal." "Anything! Just leave them be!" I screamed back in fear, accidentally spitting in his face.

"You give me you soul and I will cause them no harm." "Deal!" "Good, now since you said I couldn't harm them. You have to kill lover boy by the end of next week." He snapped his fingers and disapeared along with the rest of his demons. I turned around and saw Gaven, frozen, looking at me. He had his right hand over his left where he got bit. After a moment of silence he wailed with pain and fell to the ground from his knees. I ran over to him and knelt down to him, "Gaven, look at me please." "Just kill me Madelene!" He groaned as he rocked himself back and forth, "No! I love you I can't do it!" Gaven stuck his left hand infront of my hand and screamed, almost sounding like a little girl. "It hurts Madelene!" Now, he sounded just like a little boy that had fallen and scrapped his knee. He had his childish voice again and was crying like a baby. I didn't want to insult him because this could be far more painful then I thought.

Gaven hadn't cried of physcial pain since the second grade, so I imagin it hurt pretty bad. Ryly ran over to the car and then ran back with a pack of first-aid crap. She was running when suddenly someting ran by and swooped her up, leaving the box behind. You could hear Ryly scream in pain in the distance. I just stood there, unsure of what to do. Quickly, I ran for the box and drug it over to Gaven. There was gause in there so I took the gause and got ready to wrap it around Gaven's hand. When I looked at it there was green ooze leaking from it and it looked horribly infected already. Gaven's cries sounded like a three year old being cut in half. I covered my mouth and plugged my nose, blocking out the foul smell. "Oh God!" I said as I reached in the box for some clear liquid in a bottle. I opened it and poured it on Gaven's hand. Gaven's eyes got red and his face turned white. He arched his back up and let out the most blood kurdling scream I had ever heard in my life.

Tears filled in my eyes as I tried to ignor his cries and screams. I started to cry as he seemed to be in more and more pain. "Madelene!" He would scream as if I was his only hope in life. This reminded me of the time Madison was falling from a twenty foot tall tree, I caught him and some how and he was fine. But I couldn't catch Gaven, he wasn't falling. He was dying.

Ryly looked at me and then sighed and lit another cigarette, "Don't deny it." "Shut up! I don't love Gaven!" Ryly opened her mouth and then covered it and looked at the ground. I knew what had happened, I turned around the saw Gaven who had a sad expression but was trying to hide by looking angry. He walked my way and gripped my wrist, cutting off the circulation in it. "Come on. Let's go." As we walked past the car I pointed to it, hoping we would drive to where ever it was we were going. Gaven looked at me and gave me a dirty look and then squeezed my wrist harder. "Hey kid. Get in the damn car." Gaven moaned and then ripped the car door open. He slammed his door and crossed his arms when he sat down. When I sat down he tried hard to not look at me. After a long time of just staring at him I finally looked away, out my window.

Ryly stopped the car and told Gaven to get out. Confused, Gaven muttered something and got out. He leaned up against the door and Ryly turned around to look at me. "You really hurt him. I know he means the Earth and Heaven to you." I snarled and crossed my arms. "No." "Fine. Whatever." Ryly knocked on her window letting Gaven know he could get back in and that was it. I wasn't going to admit I was in love. I've been there, done that. Just once, but it hurt enough to know I didn't want it to happen again. Adam was his name. He killed all the feelings I use to have for love. After him, I never wanted to love another person. Adam told me we would get married some day, he even had me write his last nam eon my papers. Madelene Kari(Car-ee) is what I wrote. Adam did everything to show me that he loved me. He'd cry when I cried, he said I was beautiful every single day, and he made it seem like it'd last forever. Until summer came, that's when we grew apart. I never saw him, I never talked to him. And then, I found out he was dating my best friend. Reiko(Ree-ko Ad-mar-ace) Admarais.

Reiko, I grew up with her. She knew all my secrets and she knew how much I loved Adam. But she still stole him from me. One day, I got a letter from Adam saying he never loved me and Reiko was his dream come true. A week before summer started he cried at school because he thought Gaven and I had something special that him and I could never have together. He always saw Gaven and I together, we always saw Gaven touching me and tickling me and making me laugh. I did like Gaven, Adam was right about that. But I didn't love him at the time. I tried my best to hate Gaven. He broke Reiko's heart. Twice too, once in sixth grade and once in fourth. He never really loved her, he wanted me all along. He has liked me ever since I beat him up in sixth grade at the first football game when he spilled Sprite all over my shirt. I got him on the ground and sat on his chest ad punched away at his chest and arms. He had a bruise the size of a baseball for three good months.

Deep inside I knew I loved Gaven, I just refused to admit it. And there I was, the luckiest girl in the world. Also the most stuborn. I had someone that loved me, someone that when I cried would  hold me tight and told it was going to be alright. That would  kissed me on the forehead to be shown respect and love. I was one of the lucky girls that could look in a boy's eyes and see them yelling, I love you! Not many girls got that at my age. Unless he was just saying those things to get in her pants. But Gaven, I knew he meant it. "Gaven..." "What." "I...I love you. I do, I do." Gaven turned to me with his tear filled, blue, green, beautiful eyes and choked out his senetnce, "They why'd you say you didn't!"

"I didn't want to be in love again! After Adam I couldn't afford to be hurt!" "I would nver hurt you, and you know that Madelene! I love you with all my heart and nothing is ever going to change that!" I smiled, "I know. I know now..." Gaven scooted me to the middle seat and wrapped me in his arms, holding me and kissing the top of my head. I felt safe, as I always did in his arms.

I closed my eyes and rested on his chest, he took deep, long breaths. After a while he moved me off and held out his hand to me, "C'mon, we have got to get going." I nodded and took his hand. When he opened the door Ryly was sitting on a bench with a white stick thing in her mouth. She removed it from her lips and blew out smoke. "It's a cigarette sweet heart." She said with a smile as she pressed te tip of it on the bench and threw it aside. "Hang on, I'm going to use a restroom while I still can!" Gaven said as he dropped my han and headed back inside. Ryly smiled and me and crossed her arms. "You're in love aren't you two." I violently shook my head and stomped my foot. "No! No man is even worth that aggrivation." I said, rolling my eyes.

In the morning I could hear silenced footsteps scruing about the house, if I hadn't taken a moment to think about where I was I would have paniced. Gaven was still asleep, drooling again. I laughed to myself and wiped the drool off his face with my jacket sleeve. I had done this so many times I couldn't look back on it and count. I put my head on his chest and waited for someone to walk by me to tell me good morning or something. I heard footsteps coming and I squeezed my eyes shut to make it look like I was sleeping. Someone was standing infront of us. "Don't hurt her!" I heard Ryly say in a hushed voice. I opened my eye just enough that I could see the old lady with a small sewing needle coming for my arm. Without even looking at me she stuck it in my arm multiple times.

After a while she would dip the needle in the bowl she held infront of her. When she was done she wiped her forehead off and looked at my arm. "Now for the boy." She said, heading for Gaven's arm. I flashed my eyes wide open and she stopped dead in her tracks. "Touch him. I'll kill you." The sterness and coldness in my voice was enough to scare away just about anybody. I could feel Gaven shifting as he streched out his legs beside me. We're on a couch? Well, when'd we get here? I thought. Gaven moved so his stomach was pressed against my back and he took his right arm and wrapped it around me. Pulling me in close for saftey. My eyes haven't left the old woman's just yet, before she turned away and disapeared somewhere in the house. I looked at Ryly, who was covering her mouth as if she had been caught doing something horribly wrong.

She looked down and walked to the end of the hallway, opening the black door and walking inside the room. My arm started to sting as I moved my head to look at it. It was on my low shoulder, and it hurt horribly. It was a blue swirly mark with dots surrounding it. I took my hand and tried to rub it off but it just made it hurt worse and didn't remove the mark at all. Gaven's cold nose pressed into my neck and he began to say something to me, since his lips were practicly on my neck I could feel them move. I laughed and asked him to start over, "We have to get away from here...it's not safe..." I looked around for a moment and then responded. "What do you mean?" "Hush! Keep your voice down, they'll hear you...They're dangerous Madelene. Trust me, I know who Ryly is." Without arguing I nodded my head and he kissed my neck. Gaven put one hand under me and began to turn my body, facing him. He smiled with his eyes shut and then pressed me against his chest.

"I love you." Gaven rubbed his nose into mine and waited for me to reply. After a moment of silence his eyes opened and he frowned at me. I began laughing as he wrinkled his nose and made angry faces at me. "So what! You don't love me back?" I almost died of laughter before I could spit out my answer, "Yes! I do! I just love not answering you! Because you get angry! And it's hillariouse!" I sputtered. Gaven rolled his eyes and leaned in for a kiss that I naturally gave him. Gaven made my day, every day. It didn't matter if he said he loved me or called me beatiful or simply just smiled. In school we would pass notes about loving one another. I have every note he has ever written me back at home in the wall. There is a hollow spot that only I know about. I keep my personal things there. And in that space there is a medium sized white, glass box that my father had given me for my first birthday. Tha's where all the notes Gaven has given me where.

I closed my eyes and thought of home, home. Home! The boys! Were they alright? Had mother gotten back home to feed them! I sat up in alarm and struggled to remain breathing as my heart began racing faster than ever. Gaven sat up after me and placed one arm around my shoulder and the other on my right arm that was closet to him. "C'mon Maddie, breathe!" I could feel my chest tightening as Gaven's face began to get blurry. He must have noticed something had gone wrong because he went into his startled mode. He began yelling my name and trying to open my eyes and keep me sitting up. "Madelene!" He choked out, I heard his voice crack and didn't have the energy to make fun of him for it. I let out a small laugh as everything went black and I felt my head hit the pillow.

When I woke up I was in an unfamiliar house. "Gaven..." I whispered, each time making my voice louder. I heard water running and a closed door with light coming from the inside. The door knob struggled to open but soon, Gaven stood at the door way with a smile on his face. "You're awake!" He said as he made his way over to the bed I was laying on. "Yeah...Where am I?" Gaven shrugged and then rolled his eyes, "Eh, you know. Just Thomas' house." Thomas...Thomas... "Who's Thomas?" Gaven's jaw dropped wide open as he looked at me like I had gone mad. "Thomas. Thomas and Lucy. My oldest brother and sister?" "Oh! Ha. Them. Sorry." Gaven rested his hand on his heart for reliefe and then blew out the air he had been holding in since I woke up. He smiled and brushed away the hair on my face with his finger tips. "Suffered from extreme ink poisoning and ya still look lovely!" He joked. "...I was poisoned?" Gaven nodded, "Yeah. That old lady tatooed your arm and used something called 'pen ink.'" I raised my eyebrows, I didn't even know what a tatoo was...

Not even ten minutes later I sprung back up into a sitting position and began to think about him again. He was in my dreams almost every night. I hated him and wished he would finally go away. I felt Gaven's hand grab my shoulder and pull me down, forcing me back up against his shoulder and neck. "Lean on me babe!" Either he knew I was cold, or he was cold. He does this alot. I smiled and thought about our old school and how they had these stupid pep rallies outside in forty degree weather. The last one Gaven and I went to it was twenty degrees outside. After my eyes started to water and my nose got red he shoved his forehead into the side of mine. "What's wrong?" "I'm cold..." "Why?" "Because it's fucking cold!" The sound of kids cheering for the football team made me sick. It was too loud.

"Lean on me babe. Lean on me." I tilted my neck slightly so it was just about two inches away from his shoulder. "Babe! Lean more, you're not leaning on me yet! Babe!" I finally rolled my eyes and bent my head into his shoulder until I was sure my neck would snap. There wasn't enough room on the bleachers to do much anything. "Why don't you just have her sit in your lap." James said from the other side of Gaven. "Because dude, we'd get in trouble." "So?" "I don't want to be kicked off the football team man!" James rolled his eyes and smacked in Gaven's direction. I would have laughed, but my face was so cold I couldn't move a muscle in it. The crowd grew louder and everyone stood up. Through the cracks of the people I could see someone on the bleachers handing out ice cream.

Ice cream? On a twenty degree day? Gaven's face lit up as he reached his hand in the air. "Why would you want one of those when you're half freezing to death?" I asked him. "Because I love ice cream." I smiled at him and then placed my head back on his shoulder. I was looking down, trying to keep the cold off my face. I could feel and half way see Gaven moving his head to mine, he placed his forehead on the edge of mine and kissed the top of my forehead. I smiled without raising my head and then snuggled closer to him.