ashton ;
my eyes were closed, held tight. i couldn't look at luke crying over someone he loved. i couldn't look at luke and see me crying over someone i loved.
i could hear others talking. michael, marcel, the new voices i didn't recognise. reassurances i couldn't give.
i knelt down, guilt crashing through my bodies in waves. it drowned my voice, it drowned my ability to think. i knew we weren't safe here. i knew i couldn't tell them that.
the liability was me. me and my gun.
a hand on my arm made me blink open my eyes.
"it's okay," the young boy gripped my arm but it didn't hurt. it was a reassurance. i slowly stopped shaking, looking into marcel's hard eyes. he was telling me to take charge. he was telling me they would listen.
slowly, i lifted my head to look at luke. he wasn't screaming anymore, michael had his arms around him, holding him with so much force i think he was the one keeping them together.
i stood.
"i'm sorry, luke," marcel was holding my hand, a rock in all our madness. "she wouldn't want us staying here in danger..." i trailed off. luke sniffled.
"can we stay with you?" the voice was a girl from the other group. "i'm aylssa, this is blair." she nodded to the girl next to her.
"i'm ashton. this is marcel, michael, luke and cl-" i stopped abruptly.
"i'm calum." the boy stood tall, head high but i knew what his disgusting outfit meant.
"you're meant to be killing people. you, your kind break into homes and murder!" he was the one hanging his head now.
marcel moved to michael and luke who were standing to my left, slightly behind me.
"he saved me." aylssa stepped forward. "he's helped us both. his suit means nothing."
i seethed with anger but i was a hypocrite - i murdered just as they did.
marcel ;
ashton stood and after the new people were introduced i let go of his hand. sometimes dad knelt like he did, sometimes he even shook like ashton did. i knew it meant he was upset and i always told dad it was okay when he was upset about money or how he bought me up.
instead, i moved to luke. my dad still had his arm around him so i had to stand behind ashton, holding luke's hand. there was liquid and i tried not to think about clem by our feet, her blood on my hand. if i was upset, dad would be. if dad was upset, he wouldn't help ashton and if he didn't i was worried we wouldn't be safe.
"where are you going?" ashton had started walking away, the suited man was calling after him. he looked like he was cosplaying batman. awesome.
"i need to go to the middle of chicago. i need to put up my protest." he gritted his teeth, looking back at all of us.
"i have a friend near there, we can go there?" blair spoke up and calum nodded.
"okay well... stay by the sides." the two groups split to either side in two single file lines, ashton still leading.
i hope he keeps us safe.
