Sacrifice for a Dream

Chapter 6

My eyes opened when I heard a small shuffling sound. I sat straight up in my bed, expecting to see Gerald sitting on the bed next to me, until I woke up enough to know where I was and that there was no bed next to me. There was only a small amount of light coming from under the door of my dorm room. It was dark outside and as I sat there, I strained to hear what had woken me up.

I heard the sound again; it was clearly coming from the floor. I wasn't getting out of bed to turn on the room light, whatever it was could grab my feet! So, I leaned over and tried to see what was making the noise. I just prayed that whatever it was, it wasn't a rodent. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I was able to make out the form of a person, but without more light I couldn't make out who it was.

I was tempted to call out when I heard a masculine voice, "You awake Little Bird?"

I didn't say anything, just continued to peer over the side of my bed.

I gathered my courage, "Who are you and why are you on my floor?"

The shapeless boy reached over and turned on my nightstand light which I had forgotten in my fear.

A curly haired boy sat up, "I'm Saint. We met earlier, well we kind of met earlier. I brought you some dinner since you didn't show up to the cafeteria and you didn't eat lunch."

Saint gestured toward my nightstand. A turkey sandwich, an apple and some chips sat on a tray. Beside it sat carton of orange juice and some more medication for my foot.

My stomach growled embarrassingly. "Thank you, I didn't realize how hungry I was until I saw the food."

I sat up and leaned against the headboard. I strained to reach for the tray, but Saint took it and placed it on my lap. He was incredibly careful not to touch me.

He sat at my desk and kept me company while I ate. While I chewed, Saint sat and folded paper. He used the surface of my desk to fold, while I watched him. Fold after fold he worked until the paper became a butterfly. He pulled out more scraps of paper from his pocket. He smoothed out the wrinkles and started to fold again and again until another butterfly sat on my desk, and then another until my whole desk was covered in paper butterflies which reminded me of the paper bird that sat on my desk in history today.

I finished my food and set the empty tray back down on my nightstand. I leaned over to grab my backpack and I pulled out the small bird who had been slightly squished in my folder.

"Did you make this?" I asked Saint quietly.

He looked up and nodded, "Yes."

"It's beautiful, thank you," I turned the bird over in my hands. I didn't look at him.

"You're welcome," he replied but didn't look up from his butterfly.

"Why are you in my room and how did you get in here? The rules say no boys in the dorm rooms."

Saint finished his last butterfly. My desk was now completely covered by them. "This town isn't like other towns. It's dark."

I was completely confused, "What do you mean it's dark? How is it different? Also, you didn't answer my questions. What are you doing here?"

He shook his head, clearly deciding not to tell me his secrets, "It doesn't matter. You are not dark. That's why I'm here, to protect you."

I snorted, "I don't need you to protect me. I just need Glimmer to leave me alone. I don't even know why she pushed me."

Saint's eyes darkened, "I'm sorry she did that. She can be very territorial when she feels threatened."

I didn't really understand what he was talking about, "Thank you for the dinner and the bird but I'm tired and would very much like to go back to sleep now."

He nodded, turned and shut off the light. He laid back down on the floor.

"What are you doing?" I asked him. I leaned over the side of the bed again and tried to make out his features in the dark dorm room.

"You said you were tired, I'm getting some sleep," he told me as he rolled over.

"I meant for me to sleep in my bed and for you to go back to your room, before we both get in trouble," I explained patiently.

"I'm not leaving you here alone after what happened. You could have really been hurt," he said while trying to stifle a yawn.

"Why do they call you Saint?" I said. I had been thinking about it since the first time I heard him. His name on the roll sheet was Sebastian not Saint.

"Because I never get caught, and all my teachers think I'm a Saint," he told me on yet another yawn. "Can we please go to sleep now?"

I nodded but then remembered he couldn't hear me. I dropped down my blanket and one of my two pillows.

"Thank you, Little Bird, good night," I heard him say as he laid on my rug and covered himself with the blanket.

"Good night Saint," I replied with a yawn of my own.