Die Trying

chapter two.

Peter kicked a tiny pebble out if anger. He had went and found a group of kids smoking behind the school, and had spent so long that he had missed the bus. He didn't know what time it was, but he knew it was getting late as cherry-red licked it's way into the sky. He was currently walking down the long stretch of pavement, desperately trying to find his way back home. He hadn't bothered remembering the route from his apartment building to his school, and he didn't have a phone, so there was no way of getting help.

"Okay... the bus went down there... and then..." He raised a finger, drawing an invisible line from the entrance to the school to the long stretch of road, trees hiding the black gravel. "Fucking shit!" He cursed loudly.

He felt chills run up his spine. "Marina I need you." He closed his eyes, the scar-faced girl entering his mind. He took a deep breath, starting himself. He walked faster and faster, breaking into a determined run, following the school gates and last the abandoned road. Night threatened to beat him in this race, but he pushed on, his lungs screaming as his legs felt like they were on fire.

He carried on.

He didn't stop until, with great relief, he found the familiar bus stop. I'm almost home!

He stopped running, his heart aching in pain, threatening to beat out of his chest. His legs felt heavy from the sudden crash when he stopped. He layed on the pavement, not caring if he looked crazy to those few cars who were driving down the road. His backpack dug painfully into his back. When he felt better, He shakily got up. He craned his head to look at the moon, breathing in the crisp night air.

The darkness of the night always had a place in his heart. He didn't know why, but it was a safe place for him. He thought people who were afraid of the dark were simply insane, and didn't want anything to do with them.

He stuffed his chilly hands in his pockets, now taking his time to get to the dingy apartment. He turned the corner, past a dark alleyway.

"Fucking bastard, I knew you were setting me up!"

He stopped, walking back down, peering into the darkness of the corner.

"Yeah? Better get outta 'ere before I call the cops on ya, I'll tell them that you're trying to sell drugs to a minor and that you were going to do bad things to me." He heard a male say calmly in response.

He looked around, before entering the  darkness, squinting as it engulfed his body.

"Whatever! Rot in hell."

A pair of footsteps departed, fading away into the dead air.

Peter kept going. He seen a somewhat familiar blonde boy leaning against the brick wall, who had put a toothpick in his mouth, his hands rustling through a stack of money as he counted. The buildings parted perfectly to let the moonlight seep into this spot. He jumped, his pale hands flying to hide the money behind his back when the brunette entered into the moonlight.

"Ah, it's just rag boy. Come 'ere to steal some money for some new clothes, eh?" Louis chuckled, immediately relaxing. "Thought you shove your grimy little fingers in those coin slots down the road to get money." He burst out laughing, the sound bouncing off across the walls. "Never thought you had you in you to-"

He was cut off, unaware of the approaching brunette, who had punched him in the face, his whole head forced to the left by the heavy impact.

Peter looked down, his heart racing. He stared at his split, bleeding knuckles. Adrenalin suddenly pumped through him, ecstasy licking their way through his veins, pleasure kissing his new wounds that fed the hungry fire that was deep inside him. His attention flickered back to the blonde, who had spit out a tooth.

"You asshole!" A sudden fire burned in Louis's eyes as he punched Peter in the face, staggering a bit as he was stilled dazed.

"Damn!" Peter chuckled, his eyes widening as he felt pain pierce his face. He hasn't had this feeling in so long... He missed it so much. It was like a long lost friend had made their way back into his life again.

Oh how he wanted to hurt this boy so badly.

"I've missed this. Thank you." He grinned, before lunging.

Blow after blow, blood splatter after blood splatter, the sound echoing off the walls as Peter's fist kept raining down on the boy beneath him.

"Fucking... kill you..." The boy said weakly, and Peter felt a burning sting in his stomach. He rolled off of the blonde, who gasped in pain as he tried to get away. He watched, an expression of fear and rage in his eyes as Peter stood to his full height, a hand against his bleeding stomach, as he pulled the ripped fabric of his shirt away from his new wound.

Peter gasped softly in surprise, his long, slender fingers gingerly touching the wound. He winced from the pain. His eyes bore deep into Louis's skin "You... can go." He said, barely audible. "I'll do worse to you if you tell."

The blonde scrambled up, the best he could considering...before stumbling away, down the same path the stranger from before went.

Peter smiled weakly in satisfaction, turning around. He bent down, gasping in pain as he grabbed the stack of money, shoving it into his pant pocket. He kept walking, past the darkness and towards the entrance until the moonlight kissed his cheeks.

"This shit hurts like a... bitch." He chuckled, his words slurring.

"I think I'm gonna-"

He fell to the ground, his whole world crumbling as darkness fought it's way in, obscuring his whole vision.

Little did he know about the boy who was jogging down the grey sidewalk, his body sleek with sweat as music pumped in his ears.

Little did he know about the boy yelling in terror at the sight of Peter'a body, blood slowly leaking from underneath him, almost taking the same deep shade of red as the bookbag that weighed him down further to the Earth.

Little did he know that he was being rushed to the hospital, nurses yelling at eachother for help.

He knew nothing of what was happening at that time. Knew nothing of what Marina was going through, knowing they barely survived on money for the bills. Knew nothing about Marina's scarred face contorting to pain as her "little brother" never came home that night after he promised that he would always come home no matter what. Nothing about her rising panic as she paced back and forth in the apartment.

Knowing nothing about his survival.