K O A

Opals green swollen eyes threaten to let a few tears rollout. I grab her tiny hand, giving it a sympathetic squeeze. She wipes away her tears with her pale finger. "Is he still alive?"

I turn around and lightly punt him in the side, but no movement occurs from my touch. "Um... I'm not sure." I grab his arms and drag him under a over hang, "He'll be fine."

"Should we call someone?"

"Who do you suggest we call?"

"The cops, maybe." She shrugs.

"I don't think that'd be a good idea."

She kneels down beside him, her white dress black from the dirt marks on the side of Marks car. She lifts her trembling hand and presses two fingers to his neck. "I..I can't tell."

I grab her wrist forcefully, bringing her up against my body. Rain droplets descend from the dark sky, drenching every inch of our bodies. I lift her chin to look at me. "Opal," I brush her vibrant red hair from her eyes, "take a deep breath."

She nods and does as I tell her, her breath hits my lips as she looks back up at me, her eyes flutter between mine. She crosses her arms as her teeth chatter, haze forms from her exhaling. "Ok-k-kay."

I pull my jacket off and place it around her shoulders, I rake my fingers through my soppy wet hair. I grab the little red gas tank off the pavement. "Is this yours?"

She shakes her head and reaches for it. "I'll carry it." I tell her, readjusting my grip. "Did your car break down?"

"Iris's did. It's not very far."

I watch her shiver as we walk side by side. I place my hand on her shoulder, startling her. "It's okay." I murmur. "Let me... warm you up." I wrap my arms around her back, underneath my coat, smushing our bodies together. She lays her head on my chest, snuggling into my body for warmth. Her body melts in my arms. Her cold fingers prickle my skin, causing goosebumps. "Put your hands under my shirt."

"What?" She asks without looking up at me.

I grab her hands and place them on my skin against my back. My heart races at her touch, her skin against mine.

"You're so warm." She coos.

-

I walk into the jack and jill bathroom that Princeton and I share. He flexes his abs in the mirror and sings into a bottle of hair gel with a towel around his waist. His head snaps in my direction once he hears the door squeak open. "Whoa, Koa, what happened? Why are you soaked in blood?"

I pull my shirt off and toss it in the sink. "I may or may not of killed Mark."

His mouth drops, "Geiger?"

I nod. "Why are you taking a shower so late?"

"No no no, don't try and change the subject." He crosses his arms and straightens his back, "Why would you be covered in his blood?"

"Because I beat his ass."

He clears his throat, "That's not what I mean."

I unbuckle my belt and place it on the black marble counter top, "He tried to rape Opal."

His jaw drops and his hazel eyes widen. "What! When? Where?"

"At the gas station on ninth. It was late and there wasn't anyone around. But I stopped him before anything happened."

"What time was this?" He inquires, pulling boxers on underneath his towel.

"About eleven, I think."

"So is Mark alive?"

"I didn't bother checking."

"What!" He yaps, rubbing his face. "I'll be right back." He tells me before stepping out of the bathroom.

I close his door and pull my jeans off, tossing them on the floor and starting the shower water. The door busts open, Knox's face bright red. "Whoa, leave a dude to shower in piece, unless you like lurking like a pig."

Knox hits me upside the head, "What the hells wrong with you?!"

"What was that for?!"

"For leaving a boy to die in the road." He seethes, waving his arms about like a mad man.

"Hey, I dragged him under cover so he won't freeze to death." I inform him, "Now, will ya get out?"

"No!" He snaps, "Look, you did a good thing, but leaving him there not knowing if he's alive isn't good."

"Aye, I'm sure he's alright."

"I'm not so sure Koa, when your adrenaline kicks in, your a lot stronger than you realize. You in particular."

"Would ya let this go?"

"You should have called the cops, Koa."

"Karma, Knox. He gets what he deserves."

He sighs, "God man, you're a mess."

"Yeah I know, that's why I'd like to take a shower!"

He glares at me, grabbing the door handle, "Make it quick."

-

O P A L

I glance around the crowded hallway, hearing all the latest gossip about Mark. "Where's Mark?" I ask Lucy Ching, head of the cheerleading squad.

She dries her tears with a tissue and sniffles, "My babies in the hospital." She cries, " He was beat up, he's on life support. The doctors don't know if he'll wake up."

My heart sinks and my stomach aches, knowing that he's in that bad condition. I grab her hand and give her a sympathetic smile, "I hope he pulls through Lucy, I wouldn't wish that upon anyone."The bell rings, signaling for first period. Kids flee the hall and into their classrooms.

She gives me a small smile and hugs me tightly before letting go, "Thank you Opal." She tosses her tissue in the trash and heads to her class.

I clasp my stomach as my mouth waters. This is all my fault. I place my hands on my throbbing head and stumble outside, trying to catch my breath. My hands shake violently as I gasp for air and my vision fades to black.

I feel a pair of hands grab me, "Shh." A deep voice hushes, "Take a few deep breaths. Close your eyes and focus on breathing."

-

As lunch rolls around my stomach gurgles, not for food, but from the guilt. I feel sick to my stomach, knowing Marks state, it's better than dead, but I can't imagine how his family must be handling all of this.

I brush my hair behind my ear, gaging at the thought. Marks face keeps flashing in my mind. His bloodied face, if you saw him he'd be unrecognizable. Koa kept his promise, he made him roadkill, at least that's how he looked.

I rush to the empty bathroom, kneeling on the tile floor, completely emptying out all my stomachs contents. I clean my mouth out and wipe cold water on my sweaty pale face. I rake my hair into a tangled bun.

I make my way outside and sit on a patch of grass beneath the bleachers, twirling the sage colored grass around my fingers. I lean against a metal bar and close my eyes, breathing the pine scented air in.

"Hey."

I flick my eyes open and look to my left, "Hey Koa."

"So..." he trails off, looking at the trees a few feet away from us. He combs his fingers through his hair before rubbing the back of his neck. "How are you?"

I give him a small smile, "Fine and dandy. How are you?"

He shrugs his robust shoulders, moaning lightly, his face scrunches like he hurt himself.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He shakes off his pain and continues to stare at the forest before us.

I place my hand on the back of his hand, dragging my fingers gently across his bruised knuckles. "Come on, talk to me Koa."

He chews on his lower lip, staring at our hands, "Mark broke a few of my ribs, that's all."

"Oh. That sounds painful."

"It's nothing compared to what I did to him."

I breathe in the frosty air that nips at my bare skin. "True." I pull my hand from his and fiddle with a piece of grass. "Thanks, again."

"Opal, how are you really feeling?"

"I don't know."

"Sick to your stomach?"

I gulp and nod slightly, "Yeah."

"I know the feeling."

"How did you know I was here?" I inquire.

"I was sitting at our usual spot, and I saw you rush over here. I just wanted to check on you. If you don't want me around I understand."

I grab his hand just as he's getting up, "No."

He twists his head to look at me, his lips twitch into a smile, quickly forcing it to disappear. "Of course I want you to hangout with me. I've wanted to hangout with you since you didn't want to be friends with me anymore."

"Oh." He mumbles.

His blue eyes stare at our intertwined hands, I quickly pull mine away. He grins, pulling my hand back into his. "Thanks for.. being there for me, Opal."