Wires wrapped around my throat and I choked for what seemed for hours stuck in utter darkness while words from the past flooded in me as I was raped again. I felt a poke and slowly opened my eyes, I looked to see Scotty and I was laying on him I jumped up. “I am so sorry.” Scott patted my head I looked around to see the others were gone. “I get em too.” He said looking down on me, “Get what?” I said looking at him confused “Nightmares.” He said touching my face I looked down and turned away “Everyone else already left do you wanna go to class or the nurse’s office?” I rubbed my head and sighed regretting coming here “I need to go to class I have a lot of work to turn in.” He nodded and looked at me “Can I see you again?” I looked at him and chuckled “I guess.” I then walked down the bleachers and to my classes and sat through them hours dangled in the air as I tried to stay awake through boring lectures of things we would never use in life and things I already knew. Engineering class came along I walked in quite relaxed finally the only class I liked the teacher looked down on me as I walked in and stopped me before I sat down. “I have heard about your assignments from other schools and would like you to turn in a fully functional robot in order to take a trip to the military base to look over their robots.” He held out a paper with the rules of the contest, I pushed it away not wanting to go to a military base just to see creatures like Muscle who was at home waiting for me “I am good.” He rested a hand on my shoulder “look I know things may be hard right now I think putting your mind on something else will be just the thing you need to get back on your feet.” I looked at the teacher and brushed off his hand staring him down “ I said I am good.” I went to go sit down but he got in front of me “It will be 80% of your grade and if you are able to be in the top 15 it goes on your record for colleges.” I grit my teeth knowing how much I would need that later on “I don’t have the money to go.” The teacher put his hands on his hips looking down on me “it’s free.” I clenched my fist “I rather repeat the grade then go to some military base. Using robots to kill people is messed up they shouldn’t be asking schools to bring kids in.” I glared at him and walked away he once again got in front of me “Most of their robots are made for speed and to carry people. So few of the robots are for killing and they don’t show those ones to the kids anyway.” I looked at him “I don’t care I am not supporting anyone who using robots to kill it’s messed up.” I glared him down and went to sit down he grabbed my wrist “Fuck off.” I screamed and pulled my arm away “I don’t wanna go! And guess what I don’t fucking have to I rather fail than watch people make machines to kill people.” I thought about Muscle “THey program them to feel and to connect then just control them as they want it’s fucked up.” I stared him down and he scoffed “Young man you better go cool off before I write you up for your language.” I stormed out of the room the late bell had yet to ring so students still filled the halls some of them who had heard me yell made a passage as I stormed down the hall. I felt my phone go off a bunch of times, I didn’t look to it and went to the nurse’s room I saw Scotty sitting there with an Iv in his arm he looked at me and covered the IV. “Hey Cinnamon Roll what’s going on?” He looked a little pale and tired the school nurse looked at me “What are you doing in here?” I looked to the nurse “I need a nap.” I laid in the bed and the nurse looked at Scotty, “You let me know if you need anything I will be up front.” She walked off and I looked to the IV “So what's it for…” He covered his arm.“I am fine I just didn’t drink enough water and passed out during Gym.” I looked at him and he glared me down “What about you are your nap?” I sighed and rubbed my head “My teacher wants me to try out for a spot on the field trip to the military base and kept pushing and pushing despite the fact I told him I didn’t want to go.” He looked at me confused “Really? Man, I wish I could go every year I try out I am way too stupid for it though.” I looked him up and down “you like robots and stuff?” He chuckled “No not really. I just wanna see what all is at the base...Anyway we are going to have a bit of a party at my place tomorrow. Nothing crazy like you see in the movies or anything I live near the woods so everyone always comes over and it just kinda became a thing every week.” He handed me his phone “Can you give me your number?” I looked to the phone and gently took it from his grasp. I typed in my number “And if it feels too awkward it’s cool if you leave your brother will be there to.” I passed him back his phone and thought of the time that Cole showed up all beat up “Not long ago my brother was attacked… Do you know who did it?” He looked down as he set his phone down, “He took a beating for Sticks… Sticks got into some money troubles and Bass jumped in and just told them he was Sticks and they beat the shit out me and Sticks, Bubbles managed to pull us away but couldn’t get to Bass. And when they found out they beat up the wrong guy they offered him a job I don’t know what but I know he needed a gun for it… I am sure what happened but them he started to get sick and wasn’t looking good. Then suddenly when he came to the gym and changed his shirt his wound was bandaged up really good and he started acting a bit better. Not so fucking down all the time and a bit brighter. Do I get to thank you for that?” I shook my head “Well shorta I have a doctor friend that was able to keep things on the down low.” He nodded and I saw the disappointment in his eyes “Is this doctor friend just a friend or a boyfriend?” I looked at him shocked not really thinking he was into guys, “He is just a friend but he likes me I am still figuring my feeling out for him. Why are you interested?” He looked down “I can’t get into a relationship…” I watched as his cheerful mood was overtaken by a flood of depression. “What happened…” I said looking at him wanting to know what could cause such a difference in his mood. “Just can’t handle stuff like that right now,” I thought about myself and rubbed my hands. “Yeah I should say the same but people seem to bring out a new side to me…” Scotty looked at me “But we have to get better right despite what everyone tells us… We have to change things we can’t control for the sake of other people.” I thought about me trying to kill myself and this war of life my family wanted me to fight against. “It’s not fair no matter what when we want to stop fighting everyone swarms you and drags you around no matter what you say…” Scotty clenched his fists as he looked down, “yeah it’s not fair and it sucks…” I said thinking about no matter what Muscle would never let me die… “You wanna get out of here after I get done with my treatment?” I looked at him confused ‘treatment’ brushing it off I nodded “Sounds good?” He nodded we sat and talked for a while until the nurse pulled the Iv from his arm. We walked out of the building without problem I pulled out my phone and texted Cole letting him know that I was with Scott and we were leaving the school. I followed Scott around in the parking lot and he walked to a red 1967 Mustang Gt500 Convertible with two white strips, I ran to it and began to nerd out. He gently patted the car as if it would the last time he ever would, “Anyway you wanna get some ice cream?” I thought about all the sugar and heaviness of ice cream and paused. “I am not hungry actually but if you wanna get food I don’t mind” He looked at me scanning me and then nodded “Okay then can I show you a really nice place?” I nodded and we got into his car I watched as he turned it on as we got in. Hearing the deep echo of the car I chuckled and we went down the road he had a CD of sweet guitar music of gentle love. I didn’t recognize any of the singers and when I asked him about them he told me they weren’t well known at all and didn’t even get paid to make music. I was rather shocked, “So what do you plan to do when you get older? Do you plan to follow music?” He paused and kept his eyes on the road “Look there it is.” I watched as we pulled over on the side of a hill. I looked at him confused as we got out, a chain locking the gate in front of us, I watched as he pulled out his keys and unlocked the chains and got back into the car. Pulling up a little then getting out again and closing the gate, he got back in and pulled up into a more level ground. I got out following him to a tree that overlooked the town, I watched as he gestured to the city. “We can own the city,” He looked out and I crept to the edge of the hill and looked down on the town a slight breeze blew the tree and I took a deep breath. Scott went to his car and pulled out a blanket and a speaker, laying the blanket down ever so gently in the wind we sat down and he hooked up his phone and played the same type of music that was in the car. “So you play heavy metal but listen to this?” He shrugged “I play both but no one knows about the soft gentle side of me.” I looked at him and he got up and grabbed a big pillow from his car. Laying it on the ground he laid his head on it then looked to the sky, I slowly laid my head next to his and looked to the sky the clouds drifted by and formed different creatures as they swam in the endless sea of blue sky they owned. “So why me…” I said looking to creatures of the sky, “I don’t know there is just something about you that makes me want you. So I guess I am trying to get close to you despite the pit in my stomach that tells me to shut my mouth.” He looked at me and I looked at him, “I shouldn’t get close to people that’s what my family tells me but I can’t help it anymore I hate being so cold to everyone.” He touched my hand “Why does the future and past have to do with so much of who we are, everyone is so consumed by what people are worth and a few things they have done in the past it’s not right.” His eyes were so gently looking into mine full of so many different things, “That’s really deep you should be a poet.” He held my hand and I looked at our hands “I take my poems and form them into songs… What about you what do you do?” I looked back at him “I draw, paint, fix cars do school work ya know the nerd stuff.” He gently touched my face, “I would love to have you fix my car for me.” I looked at him and smiled, “Why does everything you say have to be so deep?” I said he stood holding his hand out to me “Will you dance with me?” I chuckled and took his hand pulling me up and pulling me to his chest we slow danced to the music that didn’t fit our rhythm. I felt my phone ring I stopped and looked at it Connor… “Go ahead I don’t mind.” Scott said smiling down on me a bit taller than me, his red hair flowing from his head. I answered it and cleared my throat as I stepped away from Scott “Hey what’s up.” I said as thought about dancing with Scott my face turned red and I felt my smile fade in and my cheeks began to hurt. “Hey wanted to see how you were doing your first day back at school right?” I nodded “yeah I ended up running out an hour or so early” I looked to the time and realized it was 5 had we really been out here for three hours? “Oh… Where did you go?” I thought about him freaking out that I was with Scott and paused “A friend of mine wanted to show me this cool place before he dropped me off…” I said thinking he would buy it. “So when are you coming home?” I chuckled and thought about dancing with Scott and I turned to him as he played on his phone. “No not just yet… Why what's up?” I said thinking maybe he wanted to go on a date. “Well, I thought we could hang at my place…” I looked to Scott and then thought about Connor and what had happened at the hospital he was a bit to fast and I kinda wanna hang with Scott “I don’t really wanna move that fast…” I said truthfully, knowing if I went to his house more things would happen. “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.” I thought about what happened at the hospital “I am hanging out with my friend right now and I don’t wanna be rude… So I should go.” there was a pause and I felt something sink in my stomach. “Oh okay by then…” I hung up and sighed and sat back down next to Scott “You look tired you okay?” I nodded and kinda explained things to him telling him I kinda liked Connor but wasn’t sure and told him how fast Connor was moving. “Well, you don’t have to jump into things and make sure to tell him you don’t wanna go fast and from what I hear he isn’t your boyfriend make that clear to him but like on the down low. And if he really likes you then he will wait. You said he is a doctor right so he is a little older so he might look at you as more mature for this and he might think you look like a mini adult and that may make you more attractive.” He said scanning me up and down, he held my hand “I don’t blame anyone who looks at you and doesn’t want to eat you up.Little Cinnamon Roll” I looked at him and then looked away his face was just too much and his deep voice and soft hair. “So I am just gay what are you?” I said the first thing in mind and instantly wanted to take it back “I am bi. And you are...” He gently came closer his breath on my ear, “So cute all I can think is about marking you up.” He blew on my ear and I covered my ear and looked at him he chuckled “Sorry I like to tease. I want to see what kind of faces you make…” He said biting his lip. I felt my face get redder and I stood, “the sun is about to set.” I said looking to the sky, trying to change the subject I like Connor… Right? “Wanna climb the tree to watch the sunset?” He said gesturing to the tree, I nodded and we climbed the tree I looked to see he had made seats in the limbs and cut away parts of the tree so you could see the sunset perfectly he must spend a lot of time here. I then saw an air tank next to one of the seats, I watched as he climbed up he sat down next to it and looked to the air tank. “My friend who needed air used to sit up here with me.” He gently patted the air tank and looked out to the sunset gently letting out a sigh he chuckled “It was all she had everything else she had to share... So now she can watch the sunset every night.” I looked at him as he held onto the air tank he lost someone close to him...“What was she like?” He held the air tank and hugged it as he watched the sun.