Chapter One: Together

Amber walked across the part to where Alex sat on a hard wooden bench. She figured she'd find him here; it was his favorite place to skate. Her pale skin seemed white in contrast to his tanned face as she straddled him with her thighs rubbing upon his.
"You're in a good mood today." He said. His statement was met with a devilish grin as she bent in to kiss him. It first it was a gentle, playful caress nipping at his lower lip. But she deepened it, opening her mouth, inviting him to explore. That was when Alex broke it off, not meeting her eyes.
"Sorry." She mumbled, getting off of him to sit down on the bench. The two sat there awkwardly not sure as to what to do or say to each other. They had been finding themselves in similar situations more and more often of later. Amber soon became lost in her own thoughts. *Damnit, I've done it again. I really gotta learn to control myself better. It's not my fault I can't keep me hands off of him!* Alex looked down at his watch absently only to find it was half past four and he had to be home by five.
"Shit! I'm gonna be late, I gotta get out of here." He got up fast, slung his bag over his shoulder and grabbed his board. The rush of movement startled Amber out of her thoughts. She reached out to grab his arm nothing the telltale wince that meant she'd just touched a bruise.
"You gonna be around later?" She asked.
"I don't know. I'll try and get out but no promises."
"Okay." He bent down and pecked on the cheek before rushing off to catch the metro.

The T.V. was blaring when he got home. The loud volume of it told him his mother was drunk, again. A common occurrence in his household since his father had left. He did his best to make it to his bedroom without being noticed.
"You're late! I thought I told you not to be late!" His mother slurred from where she was sprawled on the couch. He'd been caught again and not was angry.
"There was an accident on the 2-20, it was total grid lock out there." He tried defending himself.
"I don't care!" She was standing in front of him now. "You're ten minutes late. That's unacceptable." The flat of her hand made sharp contact with his face as she began to shove him against the wall with all her force. He cowered away from her, edging his way towards his room. His sanctuary, the one place his mother hadn't ruined for him in this house. That was all it really was to him any more; just a house. He had no home.
"If you had been a better son he wouldn't have left!" Her shrill voice cut through his sad thoughts. He hadn't noticed that they were now right by the open door of his room. Before she had time to react he was slamming the door in her face. She continued to pound on the door but he paid no attention to it. The CD player was turned on, however Alex didn't here the loud punk music it was pumping out.

His room was in shambles and it was obvious that his mother had gone through all his things. His sanctuary had been defiled, his last bit of home destroyed. He sank to the floor, his breathing ragged and tears filling his eyes. He could feel more bruises forming and knew that by morning he would be black and blue all over. Anger swelled inside of him. Anger towards his father for leaving, anger towards his mother for doing this to him. And an anger towards Amber. that thought filled him with a deep despair as violent sobs raked through his sore bruised frame. He let her down every time he couldn't give her what she wanted. He had worked so hard to get her attention and now he was blowing it. He figured she was losing interest every time she tried to get close and he pulled away. He didn't want to lose her, not ever. What he needed was an escape. Everything was pressing in on him and he didn't know what to do. In the fading light of day overturned objects cast menacing shadows. As he stared at a blank piece of paper at his feet an idea began to dawn on him.

"Krystal, if something were wrong do you think Alex would tell me?" Amber sat at her desk talking to Krystal on the phone.
"Where is this coming from, girl?"
"I just get the feeling that he's hiding something from me. He's been so distant lately and he won't tell me anything. It's like pulling teeth just getting him to talk about anything in general."
"Maybe he just needs space. Let him come to you."
"Probably. Do you think something's up at home?" There was a pause before Krystal responded.
"What happened to giving him space?" Krystal tried to dodge the question.
"You know something don't you!"
"No."
"You do too!" Amber couldn't believe it.
"Even if I did it's not my place to tell you."
"So you do know something."
"Why do you want to know so bad? Usually you could care less if someone had a secret."
"Well Alex isn't a someone. Besides I'm really worried about him. I mean the guy wears more clothes in the middle of July than most people will wear in January. That's just not normal."
"Give him time, he'll come around. He just needs some space, that's all. I don't know why you are so worried."
"If you say so."
"Trust me."
"Nothing good has ever come out of you saying that." Krystal laughed, "Listen girl, I gotta go. I've got a hot date to get ready for."
"Eww! I don't need to know these things! He's my brother!"
"You know you do, you nosy creature!" Amber hung up the phone, tossing onto her unmade bed. Over the summer her room had become over run with clutter as she spent more and more time there. She couldn't help but sigh. Since Phoenix left she didn't have a partner in crime who would pull stupid stunts with her on a warm Saturday night. She had tried earlier on in the summer to get Alex to come with her but he refused to break curfew. She wondered what had come over him, he used to be such a bad boy.