Held [Completed]

Ten.

Ten.

"Who do you think the visitors are?" I ask while combing through my newly colored hair. It falls in dark waves just past my shoulders. Rich broke all of the mirrors so I'm looking at my reflection through a shattered one in his room.

"Not sure, but I do know that we need to form an escape plan anyway. We can't count on anyone saving us." Jake's hair is now dirty blond and shorter than before. I watch him run his fingers through it and note how unusual he looks with lighter hair.

"But what about the gun?" Everything changes when a gun comes into play. We're stomping on dangerous ground whether he knows it or not. 

"Guns don't scare me." He admits quietly. I watch him stare off as if he's contemplating on whether he should say more.

"It's the people behind them." He looks up at me with honest eyes. It's like we're thinking the same thing.

"Which is all the more reason why we shouldn't try anything." Rich is dangerous with or without a gun, and if someone else dies then I'll break again. Jake may be hot headed, stubborn even, but believe it or not he's the only company I have here, other than creepy Rich.

"Well, if you're waiting for your knight in shining armor to come and rescue you then you're just as psychotic as he is." He shakes his head with an aggravated sigh. I watch him struggle to remove his old shirt so I walk over to help.

"I'm just saying that waiting for help that will never come is pointless." He explains, causing a glare to form on my face.

"And I'm saying that the visitors could be people who can help us. We should wait." I clutch the hem of his shirt, contemplating on tugging hard enough to emphasize my point.

"You like him, don't you?" His lips curve suddenly, sending my eyes back to my task.

"No, what makes you say that?" 

"You always find a reason to stay." I can hear the uncertainty in his voice. It's as if he thinks I'm lying. 

"I'm not saying we should stay, I'm only saying that it's smarter to outsmart him. I've been with him longer so one would think you'd follow my lead." My eyes look up at him and for a second, I'm immersed in my dad's emerald eyes.

"Ha! What lead?" He scoffs. 

And just after he says that, my entire mood changes from hopeful to forlorn. What good is talking to him when he refuses to listen?

Without another word, I roll my eyes while removing his shirt. Earning a few stifled whimpers from him, I choose to ignore it. My eyes land on the purple bruises and bandaged cuts lining his abdomen and right side. All wounds consisting of deep red and purple shades; all polluting his naturally glowing skin with coppery blood.

"It's bad, isn't it?" 

Jake hasn't looked in a mirror since he got here and I know it's affecting him. He seems like the kind of guy who is obsessed with his appearance.

"You look... like you." I say while swiftly pulling his new shirt over his head. It's a gray Nike tee. 

"You won't hurt my feelings if you tell me the truth." He gives a timid half smile to reassure me.

"Well in that case..." I bite my bottom lip while frowning in thought. "You're ugly now." I hold back a grin. Satisfied that something will finally diminish his huge ego.

"So I was good looking before?" His dark eyebrows raise while he continues grinning at me. Even with a busted lip his smile is still magnetic.

I roll my eyes and decide that the conversation stops here. I know where it's headed and I refuse to stand around to be insulted by him.