Catching Shadows

Chapter Seven

A/N :: I'm not even going to begin to try to explain all the hell that's been going on around here lately. Suffice it to say that life sucked and in turn sucked all the muse right out of my brain. However, thanks to a certain someone (-cough- AcademyPrincess -cough-), I found some incentive to get things moving a little bit. This is, as always, unedited. Feel free to leave me comments! Seriously. I love them. Like, a lot. Like a lot of a lot. Anywho...! On with the chapter!

Featuring Julian Hernandez
~ as ~
Nathan Griffin

After everyone had settled down, most of the boys retreated from my room. The revelation that I didn't know who they were seemed to temper them somewhat, and without my saying anything the sensed that all of them together were overwhelming. No one mentioned my dream, which I was thankful for. No one mentioned how it was I came to be in the hospital, either. That was strange, considering the backpack propped in the corner. It was the one I'd taken with me, stuffed full of my meager belongings when I'd made my escape. I could see the boys glancing at it curiously every time they thought I wasn't paying attention, but it never bubbled over into words.

I wasn't sure what to make of it.

Things quickly settled into a routine of sorts. I was never alone, and there was almost always at least two of them with me at any given time, sometimes three. I was still nervous when they come together in large groups, so I didn't know if this was their way of giving me space or just coincidence. Somehow, I doubted the later.

I wondered occasionally if this was how a normal young woman's life would be if she'd suffered a serious injury. A constant rotation of friends coming in to check up on her and worry about her, bringing her things to cheer her up and keeping her company. It would have been nice, if not for the constant worry that niggled at the back of my mind, the anxious jump in my heartbeat every time the door swung open as I wondered if this was the moment my mother would take everything from me again.

It was for that reason that I tried my hardest not to get too attached to these spectacular boys who were making me understand what normal must be like. The more time I spent with each of them, the more I found myself craving them. It wasn't even their attention that I seemed to need so badly, it was simply their presence. I'd even caught myself watching them when they occasionally napped in my room, feeling a smile on my face that was completely foreign to me.

Watching them became my favorite past time. How such different people seemed to blend together was a fascinating mystery that I was determined to solve. It helped that, even though they were each so unique they all seemed to fall into certain categories.

Luke, Gabriel, and Sean were the bright and vibrant souls. They were always ready to smile and joke and play, with an energy around them that drew people in without fail. It didn't matter who came into my room while they were there - and a few of those nurses were rather grumpy - when they left, they were smiling and happy. When they were around, they entertained me with their antics and games. They'd taught me how to play so many things that I'd lost count, and I loved every minute of it.

North, Silas, and Nathan were the complete opposite of them in most ways, though North was the only one that seemed completely unwilling to take part in the 'foolishness'. They were calm, focused, and completely grounded. I could see why people tended to be afraid of them. Where the others radiated joyfulness, these three were more... intense. Being the focus of their attention was unnerving, and yet it made me feel safe. I knew without a doubt that because I had somehow earned their friendship, they would stand by me even if the very world crumbled around me.

Kota and Victor were somewhat of a middle ground between the two groups. Both were quiet and observant, but certain things made them giddy. For Kota, it was knowledge. He was constantly teaching me random facts about everything, encouraging my questions. Sometimes he had to find answers for me, and I expected him to get irritated at having to take time and entertain my random musings. Yet he always seemed even more excited when he came back and was able to hand me an answer. It reminded me of a puppy, eagerly awaiting praise from its owner. Victor was a bit of an enigma. He seemed to like giving me things, and I just didn't know how to handle it. He'd seen the stacks of books that Kota was leaving with me, and the next time I woke up there was an e-reader by my bed. I was excited to play with it until I remembered just how much they cost. When I tried to give it back, he simply laughed at me. It seemed the more I tried to get him to stop spending money on me, the more he as determined to do exactly that. It had almost become some sort of game for him, and I had to admit that the charming smiles he gave me every time he handed me something new were making it awfully hard to protest.