"Lex! Hey, Lex! Lex sweetie, wake up," her voice calls out to me, "I made breakfast. Bacon, eggs, and those smiley face hash browns. Just the way you like it~" her voice was sweet, and soothing.
"... He - Hello?" I mumble, as my eyes crack open, letting the world grace my consciousness.
And then, that's when I see her. Causing my memories to flood back to me, and I feel a sense of calm inside. Her beauty is like that of the sun warming my skin through curtains, first thing in the morning. Pearly white hair, soft skin, sky blue eyes, and a heavenly sounding voice. I could swear she's an angel, but no. The sweet lady's name is Inara, my girlfriend. And most definitely the girl of my dreams.
"Oh… Breakfast…" sitting up, I wipe the sleep from my eyes.
That's it. All of that must have been a bad dream. Here, I don't have to be worried about being on the run. I'm safe… Safe from Brett… What was he doing to me again?
"Honey?" she looks at me with a concerned expression, "Are you alright, something seems to be bothering you…"
"Oh, nothing." I reply, "Just a nightmare."
"Aw really? You slept like a baby last night silly~" she teases me, "How could such a cute sleeping face have a nightmare?" she giggles while pinching my cheeks.
"Aha… Yeah, you're right." I say with a smile.
She drags me out of bed, and takes me on the daily adventure through her house of getting ready in the morning. Feeding me the breakfast she cooked for us, singing to me while we bathe together, telling me about all the dreams and ambitions she has for her future as we brush our teeth. She's definitely a morning person, even if she's this energetic and happy all day. Another reason why I love her.
"Hey, Lex?" she suddenly turns to address me, as we put on our school uniforms.
"Hm? What is it, Inara?"
She walks over to me, and gives me a small peck on my cheek. Followed by a hug, one of the warmest hugs I've felt in my life. And with a smile, she begins to sing to me. A familiar tune, one she sings to me every day, one that will stick with me for the rest of my life.
"You are my sunshine~ My only sunshine~ You make me happy, when skies are grey~"
She continues to sing, as we walk to school. I just can't help but feel joy in a moment like this. My life is perfect. I have a beautiful girlfriend, at such a young age. Because of her wealthy family taking me in, I have a comfortable place to live. I get to listen to the sound of her singing every morning as I walk to school. And on top of it all, I'm her sunshine, as she is mine.
I don't know why she loves me though, it has always perplexed me. Because when we met, I was just another poor boy on the streets, recklessly living my life with Brett's gang. I didn't deserve to be saved by her innocence, I was nowhere near innocent. Even my own mom and dad believed I was only destined for ruin. Although, they were too busy either being drunk or beating each other for them to teach me any other ways of life. Serves them right to be locked up.
"Yay, Lex! We're here finally!" Inara exclaims, as we approach the entrance of our high school. "Phew, that walk is always tiring."
Lavonne High… Not exactly the place I'd be excited to see, but when Inara gets happy about something I just can't hate it. And aside from me, she's one of the only star students in the entire school. Even I used to flunk all my classes until she started helping me. I don't know why she loves this place, and I don't see why we can't just transfer to a different school… This one has juvenile criminals, corrupt teachers, poor sports programs, and to top it all off– Brett…
Brett…
Brett… What am I missing…
"Lex sweetie…" Inara's voice echoes, "Lex please!" she sounds… distressed, "Lex, please help me! Come help me, please!" she screams.
"You heard her... Go save her," says Brett, as he looks up at me from the phone's screen.
I come to my senses and see that I'm no longer at school… In fact, I don't know where I am. But what I do know is that I'm standing directly in front of Brett. My heart is pounding so hard it's as though it's trying to break free from my body. And the cold night rain soaks my school uniform. I look down into Brett's hands, glancing at the phone he's been holding up to me. And that's where I see her… Being recorded like a hostage.
...
"Wh- Why are you doing this to me!?" I shout, desperately, "I'm just trying to be happy, why can't you leave me alone!?"
"That answer should be simple to achieve, Lex." Brett says, glaring down at me as he puts away his phone, "You made me feel like we were family. We did so much together, we ran these streets... And now, you wanna go and switch yourself up like it never happened? You spill my crimes from your mouth as though you're innocent?? And on top of that, you take my girl!?"
"... Brett… Come on man. It's not that serious."
My reply was met with a harsh right hook to my face. Spit and blood hits the ground along with the rain.
"Come on, my ass! You know it's serious." his anger sends shivers down my spine, "You took so much away from me. Our alliance, my job, my trust in you, and on top of all that you ruin a business deal! She was my ticket to get out of this hell hole of a city Lexo! Don't you understand that?"
I look back at him, with a sorry expression on my face. And I could tell, he was utterly disgusted by me. He didn't even want to wait for me to reply. Spitting at my feet, he turns away and prepares to walk off. My legs are shaking, and the rain hitting my shoulders is beginning to feel like weights dragging my body to the ground.
"The old water treatment factory building." he says, "That's where you'll find Inara... But, you better hurry Lex." he glares back at me with hatred in his eyes, "I told the boys they could do whatever they wanted to her."
I couldn't reply, I was too drained to form words. But I remember, at that moment my body began to move itself. I turned, and ran off to the place Brett told me Inara was. I was moving without thought, driven solely by the motivation to get to her… To save her. I sprinted through the streets, stumbling and bumping into things and people in the process. I felt my bones aching, the cold air abusing my throat, and my feet wanting to buckle with every step I took. But I kept going, pushing myself.
It felt like an eternity before I got there, to the entrance of the building. But that's where I stopped. There was a reason I wouldn't go further… What was it?
"Lex! There you are!" a voice echoes down at me, "Hey- Stop touching me, let go!"
Looking up, I see a faint glimpse of what I know is Inara at the very top of the building. Though, my eyes were filled with a mix of tears, sweat, and rain. I could not fully recognize her.
And then, it happened.
All of it, right in front of my eyes. I was powerless, weak, I couldn't get to her in time. I failed. And I could do nothing but watch as she fell helplessly eight stories, impacting the ground right before my feet. I heard a visceral crack noise, and the color of dark red followed soon after.
I stand there, empty. My mind is blank, and my body is frozen stiff. I could do nothing but replay the memories I'd made with her over and over again, and down to the final moments, I realized something… I heard it, as she was falling. She didn't scream, she didn't cry… she was singing. To me. Until the very end, she called me her sunshine.
… What would you think of me now, Inara?