Finding Beauty

Chapter 18

~Beauty~

It's about 8 at night when I give up on sleeping early and wander into the living room to watch tv. I curl up into a ball and watch the silly cartoons do silly things. I actually start to drift off when the creeking of the floor boards startle me.

Gale is standing behind the couch wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants with his hood down. He taps the couch in a nervous rhythm. "Can we talk?"

I shift into a normal sitting position while keeping my guard up. "Okay."

He sits on the far opposite side of the couch and grabs one of the pillows. "About earlier today, I think you were right."

I tilt my head to the side, feeling a little thrown off. "Really?"

He nods, not meeting my eyes at first. "For most of my life, when I didn't look like this and I wasn't "The Beast", looks were really important and I never payed attention to who I was on the inside, I guess."

I watch him as he plays with the pillow's loose threads. "I just . . . I feel like if my looks don't define me, who I am does. And I feel like who I am is just as ugly." His piercing blue eyes shly meet mine and again I'm struck with how normal they are, how humane. They could belong to any person but they don't. They belong to a cursed murderer.

Figuring he needs to get some stuff off his chest, I lean back and wait for him to continue.

"I kidnapped you when you didn't do anything wrong! And then threw you in a basement to rot. What I do to those criminals, I feel like I can justify. I mean, they're drug dealers, rapists, murderers! But you're . . . you're just a girl."

Hiding a sniffle, he puts his elbows on his knees and stares at his shoes.

"You know, I take back what I said earlier- about who you are on the inside not being able to change," I blurt out. "Who you are, can change over time. Like when you realize you're doing something wrong. You can always fix it."

He nods and looks to me again, his mouth shifted to one side. "I hope so."

~The Hunter~

The chips and dip are spread across the table. The gun shots echo as men fall to their knees, blood dripping down their skulls. They're dead.

"Dude, we're about to beat our high score!" Carter exclaims eagerly. He jumps to his feet to get a better view of the TV screen.

"Yea..." I force out a chuckle and continue pressing the buttons on the controller.

I didn't want to have Carter over to play video games. It was my mother's idea. She thought it would be good for me to do something "normal" for a change. It's her way of keeping me from looking for Belle.

The screen goes black as the words Game Over pop up.

"Grayson Bolton! We were doing so good! You got to get your head in the game!"

I place my remote down on the table and shove some chips in my mouth with a shrug.

Carter takes a sip of his soda before saying, "Okay, you have to tell me how you busted your face and pretty much everything else! What are you gonna use to win over the girl's now?"

I laugh at his comment and then answer, "Some gang beat me up."

"What?!" Carter's eyes go wide but he continues to laugh like a big goof. "Dude, don't get yourself involved in that stuff. You're obviously not tough enough considering the beating you took."

"I'm not involved in anything like that," I say rolling my eyes. "I was actually looking for Belle."

Carter's face scrunches up in confusion. He's heard about her getting kidnapped so I'm not sure what he's so confused about.

"You were willing to almost let yourself get killed for that girl? I mean, she's hot but... she's trouble. If she didn't get kidnapped now she would have later. She'd probably end up in a drug ring like her mother."

I feel the anger bubble inside me. "Do not talk about Belle like that," I say through gritted teeth. "She is one of the best girls out there! I can't believe you right now."

Carter dismisses it with a shrug. "If you say so." He take another look at my face and realizes how cross I am. "Look man, I didn't know you were that serious about Belle. I thought you were just hanging out with her because she was pretty. I mean, I've wanted to hang with her plenty of times but not to talk-"

That is the last straw. "Get out," I command.

Carter lifts his hands up in frustration. "Come on, man! Don't be so uptight!"

"I said leave!" I reinforce. "Just go."

He slams his soda can on the table. "Fine." He walks out shaking his head and I hear him slam the door from downstairs.

I kick the can to the side and collapse onto my bed. I find my laptop is on it and flip it open to listen to some music or something, anything to calm me down. I can't believe how insensitive Carter was and how little respect he had for Belle.

On the laptop, the app Mirror Mirror is still opened and my eyes land on the one of the contacts, Belle. I wish I could just call her and she could answer. Then she could tell me everything is alright and she's okay. She could tell me where she is and I could bring her back home.

Even though I know it's going to hurt when she doesn't answer, I press the microphone button anyways.

"Belle," I speak her name. The screen turns gray and the arrow spins around and around for a while. I reach to shut my the screen. What was I thinking? That she would just randomly answer? Maybe I am going crazy.

"Grayson?" A small weak voice calls.

It feels as if my heart has stopped beating in my chest and my bones are frozen under my skin.

"Belle?"

Author's Note- What do you guys think is gonna happen next? Are you excited? Let me know! Byes!