Juvenile Delinquents

I love you

I was on cloud nine. His lips felt amazing on mind. It felt right. He knew about my split personality, he knew about my psychotic killing and yet, he was there. Telling me that he loved me with blood and tears smeared all over my face. He told me were were possible. We were meant to be together and push against anything. There was nothing we could run from. Fuck you Jackson! I thought to myself as another tear slipped down my cheek. Tyson pulled away and tried to smear the blood away. "Why are you crying?" He looked at me with worry.

     I shook my head. "You're kissing me with blood on my face and you're not repelled by it." Smiled up at him as he chuckled. "You actually love me? Even after everything I've done?" I sounded so broken and I couldn't believe that it took Jackson and his goons to make all of that possible.

     "Well all have a past. Some more damaged than others but yours isn't damaged." Tyson cupped my face and stared deeply into my dark brown eyes. "You're a survivor. Your past—your story, is worth telling. People would be so proud to hear about a girl surviving something as terrible as that." I began to cry again but they were tears of joy, not sadness. I never thought someone would actually love me, for me.

     With my past and the damaged life I held. One would look at me as damaged and destroyed but Tyson, he looked at me as if I were a hero. As if I were someone amazing. "Hey, it's okay." Tyson pulled me to his chest. He placed his head on top of mine. His fingers tangled in my red hair.

     "I-I just never thought someone would tell me that." I said honestly as I hiccuped a bit. I smiled through my blurry eyes. "You are the only one who told me I'm not damaged or destroyed."

     He captured my lips once more. "That's because you're not," he locked eyes with me. "You're a survivor and a hero. You saved your friends and all those other girls at that place, plus you were on the run for so long! And, no matter what, you always made sure that other girls around this world wouldn't go through the same thing you went through. That's what makes you both a survivor and a hero." He smiled as he pecked my lips.

     "I love you." I said to him as he pulled away.

     "And I love you."
***

     Tyson cleaned my room as I took a much needed shower. When I got out, Tyson had carried all my belongings out of the car and to my room. He brought in the giant teddy bear, as I closed the door behind him. "That's the last of it." He said proudly as he sat down on the couch in my suite before he threw my teddy bear besides him.

     Sighing, I sat down beside him and rested my head on his chest. His arm wrapped around my waist. "Are you sure you're not mad at me?" I questioned him for the third time that afternoon.

     Tyson kissed the top of my head. "Yes. I promise that I'm not mad at you." He squeezed my waist a little. "Besides, now that I know your past, it'll bring us closer together."

     I smiled up at him and gave him a soft peck on lips. "I'm going to make some tea. You want?" I asked as I stood up from beside him.

     He shook his head. "Nah, I'm good." Nodding my head, I made my way towards the door. As I reached for the knob, Tyson said "What did Jackson mean by he came to visit you in the hospital room?" My body froze as my hands started to tremble terribly fast. I turned to face a serious looking Tyson. He watched me shake furiously. His arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back into the couch.

     Not being able to look at him, I stared down at the wooden floor. "He came to tell me that he wanted revenge on what happened to Valentino. After Valentino's parents died, he moved in with his aunt and uncle who were Jacksons parents. Jack and Val were really close and when I killed Val, Jack cracked and killed his parents. Those poor people did nothing to help Valentino when he needed it." I shrugged and scratched my arm. "So, Jackson came to tell me how he wanted me to feel the same pain he felt the night he heard about Val's death. He wants me to understand how it feels like to have someone I love ripped away from me. I guess this was a way to try and make that happen but it didn't work."

     "Good. At leas—"

     "No not good!" I cut him off, my voice raised. "He told me that everyone I love will still be around me but I would no longer be apart of them!" The memory of that night, replayed in my mind. I was furious. "He told me to my face—more than once may I add, that he wants to kill me. And there's nothing I can do to stop him!"

     "Yes, there is!" Tyson jumped up from the couch and made his way over to me. Placing his hands on my shoulders, his tattooed arms engulfed me as I couldn't take my eyes away from them. Every time I look at those tattoos, I fell in love with him even more. "Let my gang help you. We can protect you. Plus, our alliances with other gangs will keep you doubted checked!" A smile was plastered on his face as it broke my heart.

     My family came to mind. I had to tell him about them. What I had found out. I sucked in a breath and pushed away. "Ty, there's something else you should know." That day kept getting longer and longer as more of my secrets were revealed. Jackson really had planned everything out properly.

     "Mel, please don't tell me you have pet zebra named Pablo. You have one too many secrets." He shook his head with a smile on his face.

     "My family—they're—we're—I'm. Mafia?" Was all I was able to say but he put the pieces together.

     His eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped. "W-What?" Tyson shut his jaw and shook his head. "You're telling me that your family is in the Mafia?"

     I nodded my head and took a step forward. "Yes. Bu—"

     "You're in a mafia!" He cheered. Tyson's arms were quickly around me and within seconds I was spinning.

     He was happy about that. "You're happy. Why the hell are you happy?"

     "Why wouldn't I be?" Tyson smiled as he put me down. "This is perfect! If we can get my gang and your mafia to work together, we can have all the protection we need! What mafia are you apart of?"

     I scratched the back of my neck. "I don't really know. They told me this morning but I stormed out of the hospital before they could finish explaining."

     "Well, I guess we're going to have to talk to them." Tyson said as he went around me towards the door.

     My eyes widened. "What?"

     "You heard me. Go change. We're going to visit your family to learn about the gang."

     "No. Ty. You don't get it." I said in a worried voice as I placed my hands on his chest. "I'm not in the Mafia yet, my family are and they're kinda the leaders."

     Tyson smirked. "Yet?"

     "Yeah, I freaked out earlier when they told me."

     "Well, I guess you'll have to say yes." Without another word he walked out the door and yelled over his shoulder. "I'll be waiting downstairs, be down in ten minutes. If you're not, I'm leaving without you." Groaning, I slammed the door shut behind him and headed upstairs to my room. Once I changed into a pair of black jeans, red Nike airs with a matching red hoodie, I threw on a bit of makeup to look less dead and to try to hide my swollen cheek and busted lip. Credit to Jackson.

     Exiting my bathroom, I jumped back in fear when I was faced with both Greta and Willow. They sat on my bed. Willow had her arms crossed over her chest. Greta sat beside her with her head down. "Greta just told me everything that happened. How can you not tell me!" Willow screeched as she gave me her signature glare.

     "Wills. I can't talk right now. But I promise, once I get back the three of us are going to talk." Without hearing her out, I ran out my room and towards Tyson.