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okay, so for the longest time, I've been working on chapter 3 or You need me & I really can't decide which I like better, the original version of it or the re - written version, only the re - written version isn't done. I just don't know what to do! @_@ xp so someone, please help me! I need an editor! STAT!

okay, so this is Chapter 3 but I don't know if I want to go with this version or if I want to use a different one that I re - wrote, the top part is exactly the same but about halfway through he second part I switched it up. I'll post that part too

Chapter 3

“Save yourself the trouble & just leave already.” Alic stated when he saw Simon open his mouth to speak. He was sick of kids coming up to him, trying to get him to talk, to spill his guts. Like they were even worth his time anyway. Like any of this was. Nothing was worth it any more.

“Look, I don’t know what your problem is, but –

“Then don’t bother. Just leave.” Alic cut him off quickly. He could feel the tension in the air. He smirked inwardly he’d snap sooner or later & then he’d leave. Sure Alic would have one more kid in the class hate him, but he could live with that. Except … Alic didn’t want to live with it. He didn’t feel like living for anything anymore. With his mother gone … there was nothing left. After his mother had been declared dead, the doctors asked Mrs. Samantha if she knew if his mother had left a will. She had shaken her head & answered no. That was when he had spoken up & told them if his mother had kept anything important it would have been in the shoe box under her bed, where she kept everything from the bills she had yet to pay to important documents to spare cash. It would all have been there under her bed.

“I … I can’t.” He heard the boy say finally. Alic could feel his eyes widen. He couldn’t? What was this kids’ problem? He couldn’t leave him alone? Him. He, who didn’t want anything to do with the outside world what-so ever?

“What?” He asked the dark blond slowly. “You can’t leave?” he chuckled pathetically. Simon nodded.

“I can’t.” he answered again. Alic looked up to him His eyes felt heavy, they were half – lidded & he just couldn’t understand.

“Why?” He asked as helplessly as he felt. Simon started to tremble, & clenched his fist. He swore if he ever heard that word said like that again he’d -

“Don’t say that word.” He said through clenched teeth.
‘I guess I struck a nerve.’ Alic smirked inward, triumphantly. He’d had gotten to him.

“Why?” He asked in the same tone. This time it was deliberate. Suddenly there was a stinging sensation in Alic’s cheek, his expression showed the surprise clearly, he sat there, too stunned to say anything.

“JUST SHUT UP ALREADY! I’VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF THAT WORD IN THAT VOICE IN THAT TONE & I CAN’T STAND IT ANY MORE!” he yelled. Alic stayed there for a moment, his hand on his cheek where Simon had hit Him, albeit, not that hard but hard enough that it hurt. He was stunned; as far as he knew he had never even talked to this kid, let alone asked him a question. Simon sunk to his knees next to Alic & started sobbing. Why did this boy care so much? Why didn’t he just leave? & what was he talking about?

“Why?” He asked weakly. Alic could feel Simon’s teary eyed glare on him.

“Want me to punch you again?” he asked weakly. Alic cocked his head to face him, his hand had fallen & his half lidded eyes seemed to gaze at nothing in particular, his hair falling slowly in his face, clouding his vision. All he could see of the boy were his Hazel eyes.

“Why?” it was the only thing he could think of to ask. As soon as the word had left his mouth Simon had hit him again.

“I told you, don’t say that word.” His punch was weaker that time. Alic’s head drooped.

“Why do you care? Why can’t you be normal & just leave me alone!” He stood quickly. “Can’t you see I don’t want anything to do with you or anybody else?!” He snapped loudly. His arms flew from the crossed position they were in when he stood, to his sides.

“I can’t” He repeated “I can’t leave you alone, you scared everyone else away!”

“Why should that matter to you, I don’t even know you!”

“But I want to know you. Everyone needs a friend, & from what I’ve seen you don’t have any.” He answered.

“I-

“Simon, your dad’s here to get you.” Mrs. Samantha said interrupting him.

“Oh, you’re talking to Alic?”

“No, I was just leaving.” Alic stated walking off to the other side of the room.

“I … I was trying to talk to him.” Simon stated to his teacher & dad. At said comment Alic spun around glaring at him.

“& like I said earlier, I don’t want to talk to you! I don’t need your ‘friendship’. I don’t need anything from you! Just leave me alone!” He stalked off fuming. Alic didn’t know what this kids’ problem was but he had punched him twice & he expected him to be friends with him? Hah, he was dumber than he looked.



It had been a few days now & Simon kept trying to talk to Alic, Each time he would get a few words from the brunette like “Go away.” Or “Leave me alone.” Or his personal favorite, “Can’t you just be normal & leave me alone?!” it was the most anyone was able to get from him at any one time, so in Simon’s book it was pretty good. Alic’s Mothers' will had been found by now & it stated that Alic was to go to her best friend – Mrs. Samantha. So he’s been living with her. Alic didn’t talk much & he didn’t eat much, he was getting thinner & Samantha was worried. She’d made a promise to Emily at the funeral to take good care of Alic, she tried to get him to eat … to even cut his hair maybe, but he wouldn’t have it. She’d seen how persistent Simon had been trying to befriend Alic & how Alic acted towards him.

“Alic, darling?” Samantha asked kindly. No answer. "Alic, why don't you try being nicer to Simon, he's making an effort to get to know you & you keep pushing him away."

"I don't care I don't need him." Alic huffed. Samantha sighed, this was how it always was. She got up & walked over to Simon & kneeled down next to him.

"Simon, thank you for trying to get through to Alic, I know it doesn't look like you're getting through but I can see that there's just a little change in his behavior. If you'd like maybe you could come over & play with him some time?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah, that sounds good." He smiled. Mrs. Samantha smiled.

"Great, I'll talk to your father when he comes to get you later." Simon nodded & ran over to Alic.

"Hey, Alic, Mrs. Samantha said maybe I could come over to your house sometime to come play with you, doesn't that sound like fun? Is your mom & dad nice?" he asked. Alic visibly tensed. & looked up to Simon.

"That won't happen. ... & just so you know that's not how you say that, it should be are instead of is. " he snapped effectively avoiding the question entirely. Simon scratched his head.

"What? " Alic didn't answer. Simon just shook his head, Alic did that sometimes he'd say things that no one knew & then wouldn't explain them. "Why won't it happen?"

Alic scoffed.

"Come on, Are your mom nice?"

"No that time it was supposed to be is not are."

"Make up your mind! What one is it? Are or is?!" Alic smirked.

"The correct way to word that sentence was 'Which one is it?'. & it varies by what you're trying to say."

"Huh? I still don't get it. Will you just answer the question please?!"

"There you go, that one was fine." Alic said going back to looking through the books Mrs. Samantha had put in the book case, looking as though he really could care less about what he was talking about.

"Alic, come on, tell me about your family!"

"What's there to tell? It's only me."

"You don't have any brothers or sisters?" Alic shook his head.

"Well what about your mom & dad? What are they like?" Simon questioned on.

"Doesn't matter." Alic quipped. He really had had enough of this. Simon's questions were starting to get to him.

"C'mon, please tell me." Simon plead. Alic turned around swiftly & looked him in the eye with a glare, tears threatening to fall at any given moment.

"Fine, you want to know so bad? They're both dead, there, ya' happy?!" & with that Alic ran off out the door of the classroom, not caring if school was over yet or not, it didn't matter, he was already eligible to skip a grade if not two. Mrs. Samantha & his mother had just not seen the need for it, deciding that rather he should be with kids his own age than with kids closer to his intelligence. Simon stood there, stunned for a moment but quickly snapped out of it opting to go fallow after the brunette.

"Simon? Where are you going?" Mrs. Samantha asked as she spotted Simon leaving the room. Simon was never very good at lying but he figured that telling the teacher one of her students had run off was a worse idea than just saying that he needed to go to the bathroom. At that Mrs. Samantha nodded.

"Ok, but next time I'd like you to tell me before you just dart off, ok?" She smiles.

"Yes ma'am." He responded quickly running out the door. in the back of his mind he could hear Mrs. Samantha's voice telling him not to run in the hallways. Then it hit him, He didn't even know what way Alic had gone. How was he supposed to fallow him if he didn't know where he went? He stopped suddenly & looked around to try to think it out but let's be honest here, logic wasn't one of Simon's better subjects. in fact, whenever Mrs. Samantha asked him questions that required logic he usually got them wrong. But hey, there was a first time for everything, right?

'Ok Sai, let's think this through, if you were Alic & you ran out of the classroom in a fit where would you go?' he thought to himself. 'somewhere quiet maybe?' he looked around. The library was down the hall a bit, that seemed like a place that he might have gone. Simon thought about it & figured that he couldn't think of anywhere else the small boy would have gone so he started for the library. When he got to the door Simon poked his head into the room first then fallowed with the rest of his body, hesitantly at first, then gaining more confidence, he strode into the room looking through all the books on the shelves; going down each row he looked for Alic. The boy had to be somewhere, he couldn't have just disappeared into thin air. then it hit him, duh, just go ask the librarian if they'd seen him! he walked over to the front desk. There were two librarians in the school one for the lower grades from kindergarten to third grade & then another one for fourth grade to the sixth grade. Simon walked up to the librarian for the lower grades & tugged on her sleeve to get her attention.

"Um, miss library lady, have you seen my friend Alic in here?" he asked cutely. The lady looked down to him & smiled sweetly before answering.

____________________________________________________

He sat there, breathing hard, but still smiling.

"Well that could have been bad, no?"
Alic glared at the dark blond boy The glare though, wasn't as affective he might have hoped, the bruise stung after all & he couldn't hold the look for long, then opting to return to his original neutral look.

"I didn't need your help" Simon scoffed

He had come running when he had heard Alic was in trouble. It had always bothered the other students when said boy acted so apathetic but really, did it always have to come down to physical abuse? According to the student who was talking to his friend; Alic had bumped into an upper classman & when said upper classmen had demanded an apology Alic had just looked at him blankly & then started to walk away without saying a thing. Simon, knowing Alic the way he did didn't doubt that part & wasn't too worried, but when he'd heard that the other guy had gone & hit Alic, well that set him off. He had stopped & asked the students where Alic was, after learning of Alic's location he ran as fast as he could. When he had gotten there The older teen was standing above Alic; in one hand he was holding the front of his shirt, the other was formed into a fist. Alic looked like he'd already taken a few hits, he had a large bruise forming on his cheek.

"I'll say it one more time you little punk, say you're sorry & we'll forget this even happened." The boy hovering above Alic said, albeit through clenched teeth, & quite strenuously, but still had said it non - the - less. But it didn't faze Alic, nothing did. He just sat there slumped against the wall with his empty gaze not even looking at the boy.
Simon was appalled by what he saw, was this really necessary for just a small bump of their shoulders? So he did the only thing he could think of - he ran up and punched the guy himself, & for a brief second there was a look of genuine shock etched onto the delicate features of the smaller of the three. But as soon as it had come it was gone, instead, replaced by the cold indifferent front he always wore. The boy he'd hit stumbled back away from Alic letting his grip on the brunette's shirt slip. He was holding his head where Simon had punched him.
<********! Who the hell are you? & what the hell was that for?" He asked more aggravated now that he was to start out with. Simon smirked, it wasn't rocket science to realize that Simon was much stronger than Alic, much more of an even challenge for the other. What Alic had him beat in brains he made up for in athletic ability & brute strength.

"I’m Simon” He paused before continuing. “& well you see I kind of have this thing where I get a little upset when I find out that there are people beating up my best friend, so when I heard that you were doing just that, well, I wasn't too pleased." Simon stated. Alic could hear a bit of a light under tone to what the other had said. Honestly how many times did he have to say it.

"Can't you just leave me alone?" came Alic's weak voice. Both teens looked to the smaller. Simon just grinned.

"Nope sorry, can't do that. It's against my 'protect Alic from everything' policy." he chuckled. Alic just rolled his eyes & averted his look to the other side of the hall. They were currently blocking the way to the front entrance of the high school that both he and the older boy attended. Simon would move up next year. so as it stood he'd always meet Alic halfway back to his house where Alic was staying with him. There were a few bystanders but for the most part everyone had opted to go home. Simon ducked as the older of the group swung at him, narrowly missing being hit in the eye. Simon took the chance to then swipe his leg underneath the other & trip him, which he succeeded with doing, knocking the boy down to the floor. The boy got up & grumbled something he couldn't quite make out. But it didn't matter because at the same time one of his friends walked in.

"Jake, just let it go. He's not gonna apologize & his friend seems to know a little something about fighting." The boy - Jake, as he came to find out - turned around & glared at him. He pulled his arm back & then before Simon could react, he'd punched him. After that it was a full out brawl. Simon threw a few punches, even a few kicks. Though for every hit Simon landed, Jake landed one too, & harder. After a while three other guys came in & pulled Jake away from the fight.

"Dude, calm the ******** down!" one of them yelled.

"What's your problem?" asked another.

"Just leave the kid alone, you can't afford to be suspended again." at that one Jake stiffened, even Simon could see that. he jerked himself free from their hold & growled, walking off fuming. & that was where the fight had ended, which was where Simon & Alic found themselves now.

"Sure you didn't, just like you were letting him beat the crap out of you." Simon smirked. Alic just glared in response.

"Shut up before I hurt you."

"Like you even could. look at you, you're covered in bruises & your own blood." Simon pointed out wiping the blood off of the corner of Alic's mouth with his thumb, chuckling. Alic growled.

"Well it's not like you look any better. Why would you even do that?! The fight had nothing to do with you."

"Well all you had to do to avoid it was say sorry."

"He purposely bumped into me, I see no reason in apologizing for something I didn't do." Alic crossed his arms in front of him. Honestly, the boy could be so damn stubborn sometimes. Even after eight years, Alic was still the same little anti-social brat as he had been in kindergarten. Though then again that hadn't stopped Simon from pestering the brunette beyond belief. He'd gotten to know the other like no one else had & so prided himself on being the one to, in his words, 'crack Alic open'. So as the one person to know more about Alic than anyone else, even Mrs. Samantha, he regarded himself as said boy's best friend. Though if asking the other, it would be promptly denied. according to Alic, he didn't have any friends. He had acquaintances & the occasional partner in classes. but other than that, Alic would deny having anyone who he regarded as a friend or someone close. Sometime in the third grade Simon had convinced Mrs. Samantha that it would be better for Alic to move in with him & his family. To Alic's dismay, she had agreed. So instead of living with his late mother's best friend & his once teacher, he was now living with the one person who seemed to be immune to his powers of the "leave me the ******** alone" glare, Simon Breeze, & his stupid always-has-a-date brother. oh & had he mentioned the over caring mother, the goody-two-shoes father & decrepit grandmother? Well if he hadn't then he had now.

"So? Why didn't you say it just so he'd stop beating you? Obviously you were losing that fight. Sure you can talk circles around most people to get out of things but when it comes to fighting, please, my cat can do better than you." Simon stated bluntly Resulting in Alic glaring at him again. pain be damned he didn't like being insulted.

"Yes well said cat also has you beat in the brains department." he scoffed. Simon merely rolled his eyes at the comment. He'd learned over the years that it was usually best to just not say anything when Alic was mad, he tended to use big words & then make you feel even more stupid than you would have been originally. Insults were usually a pretty good hint at when he was mad for Simon. for anyone else it'd seem strange he wasn't insulting them.

"Let's just go home. Mom's got to be worried that we aren't back yet." Simon sighed getting up & wincing a bit at the strain but ignoring it. he held a hand out for Alic to take though as expected the gesture had been duly ignored. Alic crossed his arms on his chest. The dead look in his eye coming back. Oh yeah, he'd forgotten about that land mine, & it seemed he'd just stomped on it as hard as he could.

"She's not my mother, she's yours."

"You know she thinks of you as her kid too."

"It doesn't matter what she thinks, it's not true."

"Alic, you know my mom is always telling you to call her mom instead of 'Mrs. Breeze' ... besides it's been eight years. when can I say "mom" without you getting all depressed?”

"I'll tell you when it stops bothering me." Alic bit. he could almost feel the acid behind the words. He sighed, smacked the back of Alic's head, took his hand & stated for the door.

"Get over it, or I'll make you." Alic glared at him as if asking him how he would though just complied with being drug back to the house he shared with the Breeze family.


When they got back Alic when strait to the bathroom to clean up dragging Simon with him on accident, forgetting that they were still linked by their hands. he started by dressing any open wounds he had had, which were too many in his mind. & then looking at the burses that had been left. sighing he reached into the cabinet above the sink took out a bottle of pills.

"What are you taking?"

"Painkillers." he answered simply popping three into his mouth, & swallowing.

"You can't take that many!" Simon exclaimed taking the bottle out of the smaller boy's hand & putting it back away. "Are you stupid?! you could O.D. on that stuff!"

"So?" Simon shook his head.

"Mom, where are Alic's anti-depressant pills?" Simon called out not leaving the room for fear of the boy taking more pills he shouldn't.

"In the medicine cabinet over the microwave, why?" came his mother's calm reply.

"Because I think he needs them." he called back.

"I do not. Just because I take one too many painkillers doesn't mean I'm suicidal." Alic stated before storming off to his - formerly Justin's - room, & slamming the door shut behind him. He walked over to the stereo system on the wall & turned it on. The soft violin & piano music filling the room & lulling him into a somewhat comfortable sleep.


Fin Chapter 3

Hmmm, I think the second one showed a little more about the characters themselves. But the first explains more of the fight.
Mabye combine them? Thats some advice that I got when I was having the same problem. Find the best parts of both, and combine them as best you can.

Ah, I see. then I think that I like the second one is the one I like.