The pact

Vic's POV
When you get ignored by everyone you kind of live inside your own bubble. You're going to see the world as something you're watching, not something your living in.
It had its pro's. For an example, I became very good at observing. I noticed the smallest things about people as individuals, but also in general.
And today something was different.
I was walking towards my locker in the break when I noticed people holding red flyers in their hands. Everyone seemed excited about something. They were gossiping out loud, whispering in each other's ears.
Normally people were also gossiping and talking, but not this intense. Something had happened. Something big.
Also I noticed people looking at me. They looked away quickly, but they were still looking. Normally people were too scared to even try to look. I couldn't blame them. I would've done the same. I never blamed the people in school for my situation. As a matter of fact, I did think that I deserved what happened.
As I reached my locker, I opened it to find an equally red flyer. I took it out and what I saw broke my heart. The front page was covered by Luna's picture.
I read the flyer and as I finished it, I couldn't believe this had happened. This would ruin her life at this school. And some things weren't even true!
Me and Luna weren't dating, I mean I wish we were, but we weren't. Although I could understand why people thought that by the picture that was enclosed of me and Luna on the roof.
The thing about her friends in England wasn't true either! She had told me that she never kissed her best friends boyfriend. They just didn't believe her.
The thing about Jaime was true, but it's not her fault that she isn't in love with him!
The thing about Jessie was also true, but let's be honest, Jessie deserved it. Especially after all the people she bullied, including me. I was actually happy that Luna had ended their friendship. Although, ending it did lead to this.
I felt so incredibly bad for Luna. She didn't deserve this. I mean as every other person she had her flaws, but why did they have to point them out like this? Making her more insecure than she already was, practically beating her to the ground.
I just wanted to run to her and hug her. I wanted to tell her that everything would be alright, but I would only make things worse if I did.
I had this struggle a lot. To me she was the best thing that had ever happened to me, she made me better. I felt happy when I was with her. She made me feel like I was worth something.
But in the end, I was only making things worse her. Our friendship was dangerous. I thought a lot about leaving her and going back to my bubble of isolation, so she could live a safe, happy life without me, but I never did it. I guess I was just selfish like that, wanting her near me.
As I entered the cafeteria I looked to the spot were Mike, Jaime, Tony and Luna were always sitting. She wasn't there yet. The other boys were. Jaime and Tony looked worried and I trusted them to be there for her when I couldn't. From my years of observation I had learned that they were to be trusted. I would've probably been friends with them if I could've and if they would've wanted to.
Mike at the other hand look contained, but furious. 'Don't ruin this, Mike. She needs you now.' I thought.
I walked over to my usual spot and sat down on the ground.
I suddenly remembered a day of a few years ago. I was twelve and Mike was ten.
He ran to me as I was sitting in the garden making my homework. ''Vic! You need to help me!'' he yelled desperately waving his small arms up and down as he stood in front of the table I was studying on.
''Ugh Mike, go build that LEGO train by yourself, I'm busy now.'' I said irritated, not looking up from my books.
He kept standing there and put his little fists on his hips looking angry at me. ''It's not about LEGO, Vic!''
I looked up at him slamming my pen against the table. I looked inside his brown eyes and saw desperation. I sighed. ''What's wrong?''
He smiled at me. ''It's a girl, she...''
''Aren't you a bit young to have girl trouble, Mike? I'm two years older than you and I don't even look at girls yet.''
His face looked disgusted. ''Ewww, no I don't want to kiss her! That's gross, Vic!'' He shook his head.
I rolled my eyes. ''So what is it then?''
''Well, we always play soccer together, but lately she doesn't want to anymore! She's always crying! I just miss playing soccer with her, the other guys are too bad at it!'' he said.
''Have you asked her what's wrong?'' I asked. I had the feeling Mike hadn't shown much compassion towards her.
''Well yes, her father died two weeks ago.''
I sighed. ''Listen Mike, losing your father is really sad. I understand that you want to play soccer with her, but she is probably too sad for that now. You have to be there for her now, talk to her. That will make her less sad.''
''But I don't want to talk. I just want to play soccer.'' Mike pouted as he folded his arms.
''That time will come. In times that someone you care about is sad, you have to put the things you want aside and put your needs before theirs.''
''Why?'' he had asked.
''Because you would want them to do the same for you. How would you feel if your friends would let you down if you were sad?''
His face got less angry and he let down his arms. I was getting through him. ''Not good.'' he said.
''Exactly, now would you want that girl to feel that way?'' I asked.
''No...I want her to feel happy.'' He said and he looked like he finally understood.
''She will play soccer with you again, Mike. Just not now.'' I said leaning back in my chair.
A smile crept on his face as he started to walk out of the garden. ''Thank you, Vic!'' He yelled as he started running.
''Where are you going?!'' I had yelled at him and he answered back. ''I'm going to talk to her!''
A satisfied smile grew across my face and I continued studying.
A scream pulled me out of my flashback. ''''Bullshit, Luna! I saw the fucking picture!'' It was Mike. It doesn't seem like he remembered our conversation of four years ago.
I looked at Luna. Her make-up was under her eyes and her nose and cheeks were red from crying. I hated seeing her like this. I would've given everything to make her feel happy again.
''I'm not dating Vic!'' she screamed back at him. ''We are friends Mike. Nothing has happened between us!'' She looked really angry. It was weird, I had never seen her angry before.
''Do you think I fucking care whether you are his friend or his girlfriend? You talked to him, that's enough to lose my trust! You know how I think about him!'' Mike screamed. He could be so creepy when he was angry.
''You are blowing this up way too much, Mike. I can be friends with whoever I want to be friends with. You're not going to tell me how to live my life!''
I noticed that the whole cafeteria was listening to their conversation. I didn't think Mike or Luna noticed though.
''You have to chose. Me or him. You can't be my friend if your friends with the person that ruined my fucking childhood!'' Mike screamed and the sound of his voice echoed around the quiet cafeteria.
''That person is you brother, Mike! You're own flesh and blood, your family. You used to look up to him. He ruined your childhood you say? More like you ruined his! You fucking asshole! You just stopped standing up for him, leaving him to rot!'' Luna yelled.
Oh god, she was standing up for me. She shouldn't have done that. Not only could that cause problems, I also didn't deserve it. Mike had reasons to ignore me.
Mike laughed. ''You think that's how it went, Luna? Did he tell you that or did you just assume? Do you really think I was the one that started ignoring him? Did he actually tell you his part of the story?''
My heart sank. I should have told her. I should've told her the truth about everything. Then maybe, she wouldn't have stood up for me in front of the whole school. Then maybe, she wouldn't even be friends with me anymore, like she was supposed to.
''It doesn't matter.'' I said. ''I don't want to be friends with someone who threats his own brother like this. Fuck, I don't want to be friends with anyone who threats another person like this. He would never make me chose between him and you. You just do that because you're selfish.'' Luna said.
I noticed now that there were also a lot of people watching me. I suddenly realised that I was the topic of the argument.
''If you walk away now, I never want to see you again.'' Mike said calmly. 'No Mike, don't do this, you'll lose her and she can't have that now' I thought.
''Same goes for you two. You either chose for her or for me if she leaves.'' he said towards Jaime and Tony.
They wouldn't leave Mike. I mean, I'm sure they really care about Luna. They just knew Mike longer. And of course they were afraid of the consequences if they chose for Luna and because of that for me.
I was right. Tony just looked to the ground and Jaime whispered ''I'm so sorry Luna.'' as tears streamed over his cheeks.
''I see.'' Luna said. ''I didn't expect that from you guys, but I guess that only makes it hurt more. But it's okay. I'll do this on my own, like I did everything on my own, my whole life. It's time that this pact is broken. ''
No please, Luna. You do not want to do this.
But my prayers weren't heard. Luna started walking towards me and I tried to sign with my eyes to tell her to stay away. She ignored me and sat next to me on the ground.
Fear rose up in me. This wasn't supposed to happen. ''No, no, no!'' I said probably looking frightened. ''Don't this Luna. Stand up, walk away! They'll hurt you!''
She didn't look afraid at all. She laid back her head against the wall. ''It doesn't matter. They will anyway.''
''They will ignore, just like me. You'll be all alone.'' I said. I didn't want that faith for her.
''Yeah, I will be alone. But remember, Vic, we're alone together.''

Luna's POV
I’ve never really been a person to stand out. Even when I was new on this school, not really many people noticed me or talked about me. I was one of those people that disappeared in the crowd. Everyone knew I was there, but no one wondered who I was.
I was only a little part of a bigger picture. I didn’t mind it. I had painted my own picture in which me and the people close to me were the main subject .
I guess that’s how most of our life’s work. We’re all a very small part of a very big picture and only the parts with the brightest colours catch people’s attention. But if you come close and pay attention to the least noticeable parts, then you can see that they were a work of art too, individually.
Today, and the following weeks, were different for me though. I was suddenly painted in very bright colours. I had become a main character on a very tragic painting.
People talked about me. They stared. It made me feel like I didn’t had privacy anymore. I was watched every step, every movement.
I wanted to be part of the background again. No, I wanted to be erased. I knew my decision had been a good one, but I could feel everyone judging me.
Well some of them. A lot of people looked at me with disgusted looks and gossiped with each other about me.
But it surprised me how many people look at me with pity, like I could drop dead any second. I had even found a note in my locker saying: I’m not brave enough to tell this to your face in case someone is listening. But I just wanted to say that what you did was amazing. It was about time someone stood up for that poor kid. You’re a hero.
It got me thinking that maybe there were a lot of people at this school who saw that what the popular people at this school did was wrong. They just didn’t dare to stand up to them. I needed to find out how many people had this opinion. If a lot of people stood up against the popular people, then we could maybe make a change. They couldn’t really do anything if we were with more, right?
I woke up from my thoughts by something hitting my head. I looked beside me and saw that it was a chunk of paper. I folded it open and saw the words:Tell me what feels worse, being betrayed by your friends or being hated by the whole school?
I heard laughing from beside me. I saw Ryan and his friends Peter and Max standing at the place the chunk had come from. They were leaning on their bikes.
Was it going to be like this the entire year? Or would it bore them eventually?
I wish I didn’t have to sit alone here. It wouldn’t have been so bad then.
I was waiting outside the school waiting for Vic, instead of Jaime. We would go to his house to talk about what happened today. Vic and I didn’t have many classes together today, so after the break we hadn’t had much time to talk things out.
“Hi” I heard beside me and looked up to see Vic. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days, but he only looked like this since lunch break. I knew he wasn’t happy with what I did. He thought I had ruined my life by doing this, and maybe I did. But why can’t he see that it needed to be done? Someone had to change things.
''Hi'' I said and we started walking. We didn't say a word on the way home. I hope he wasn't too mad at me. I couldn't bare it to lose him too.
As we were walking into his house he immediately walked up the stairs without going to the living room to say hello to his parents.
I opened the door of the living room very quick, said hello to Mr. and Mrs. Fuentes and ran after Vic.
I walked into Vic's room and saw that he was already sitting on his bed, looking down to his knees.
I silently walked towards him and sat down next to him. He didn't move.
I'd never liked silences when someone was mad at me. I always wanted to make things right as soon as I could. ''I'm sorry, Vic. It had to happen sometime, though...''
For a while I thought that he wasn't going to answer, but then he slowly said without moving: ''Not it didn't. I just needed to live out my life at that school until college and then my punishment would be over. You just tried to free a prisoner and that's a crime too, you know.''
His reaction surprised me. ''Punishment? You agree with them?''
He sighed and looked up to the window in front of him. ''I punched a guy into the hospital, Luna. He was there for three months. It's no wonder everyone hates me. I hate me.''
I kind of knew he did, but to hear him say it broke my heart. I just wanted to hug him and tell him that he was the most amazing person I had ever met, but I knew that would just make it worse. ''There has to be something to it, Vic. I know you, you'd never do that on purpose. I'm sure it wasn't your intention to make it that bad.''
His face didn't show any emotions. ''No, but I still DID it.'' he said.
I sighed and moved my hand to take his hand. I tangled our fingers together. He looked down at our hands.
''Please open up to me.''
''You're gonna hate me.''
''I'm sure I won't.'' I said and I meant it. I felt like he could've killed someone and I still wouldn't have hated him.
His eyes shut and I saw tears rolling over his cheeks, down to his neck.
''Please Vic...'' I hated to beg, but I needed to know.
He was quiet for a while. I thought he wasn't going to say anything, but then he did.
''I was thirteen years old.'' he started. ''I was kind of an outsider. I had my own small group of friends and Mike, who was in fifth grade back then. Ryan was a grade above me, he had to do a year over that's why he's a junior now.
Ryan always liked picking on people and I was one of his easy targets. He and his friends called me names, wrote loser on my head with a pen, pushed me over in the hallways etc.
That day I was walking home with Mike when Ryan suddenly showed up and started calling me all those things like emo, stupid Mexican, loser and more insults. I was especially mad at him because Mike was with me and he looked up to me back then. I didn't want him to see how his big brother was actually a big loser.
Then Ryan said something I can't remember. I must've blocked it or something. But it was the last drop for me. I've never been a violent person but, I turned around and punched him in the face, only once, but it was enough...He wasn't moving anymore.''
I was confused. ''How can one punch get someone into the hospital for three months?'' I asked pinching his hand a little.
He looked up to me for the first time since we were in this room. ''The doctors told me later that it was an unfortunate punch. I hit a fragile part of his skull, a piece of it broke and shot into his brain, causing a bleeding.''
My eyes widened. ''So you had just bad luck. I told you there was something to it!''
He looked and shrugged. ''I shouldn't have hit him anyway. I was so scared, Luna. And Mike was there and he saw everything. He's lucky he didn't turn into a violent person, because of me, because damn, I could've told him unicorns were real and he would've believed me. I told him to run home, but he refused to leave my side.
The ambulance came and after that the police. I turned myself in. My parents had to pay a fine and now I have a criminal record. I don't think any college will take me anymore, but it is how it is.''
''How did things end with Mike?'' I asked.
''Well, I know you think that he started ignoring me, but that's not true. The kid was ruining his life because of me. Even when the pact started he kept running after me and standing up for me before Ryan and Peter. I told him so many times to stop that, go on with his life and be safe. I would be alright. But he refused to. He said that brothers never abandon each other.
When I heard what Ryan did with all the people who broke the pact, I decided I needed to shake him off. With a heavy hearted I screamed at him that I didn't want him to run after me like a lost puppy, that I never saw him as a brother, that I found him annoying and more really terrible things. I won't ever forgive myself for the things I've said to him, but I needed to give him the safe life he deserves. I never meant those things, but I'm happy he is happy now.
He has been mad at me since then, but it's a good thing. At least no one will hurt him.''
He sighed. This was way worse than I had ever expected. I felt so bad for both of them. I could definitely see why Mike is mad at Vic, I mean he was only eleven and for all he knew, his big brother, his idol, broke his heart into little pieces.
But I could also understand why Vic did it. Mike was safe now and he wouldn't have stopped talking to him if Vic wouldn't have insulted him.
This was so typically Vic, pushing people away, afraid that they would get hurt. He tried it with me several times too, but I didn't give in and I will never give in. Certainly not after I had heard the real story. I wanted him to know that what happened wasn't his fault, no matter how long it would take.
''Wow Vic, what a story. I'm sorry you had to go through all those things'' I said. ''But you should know I'm not going anywhere.''
He sighed. ''You should though. I'm not worth it. And they will hurt you and I can't handle that.'' he said shaking his head. I blushed, I loved how he worried about me.
''It's too late for that now. All damage is done now, I can't go back now. All I can do is make the best of it now, with you. At least I'm not alone like you were.'' I said. he opened his mouth to say something. ''Don't you dare try to talk me out of it now, Vic. I'm not letting you push me away. You know it would be better for me now to have at least someone, right?''
He closed his mouth and he looked defeated. ''Okay, but if they try to hurt you, I swear I'll beat them. No matter how long they will end up in the hospital.''
I raised an eyebrow. ''I thought you would never punched someone except that one time?''
His eyes were filled with fire. ''Yeah, I will never punch anyone ever again, but if they hurt you, I'll make an exception.''
I hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. ''Thank you.'' I whispered to his cheek. I felt a smile grow on his face and I laid down my head on his shoulder.

Notes

Heyyy guys!!

Why doesn't anyone update on this site anymore? :( I miss my favourite stories!
I'm gonna give them a shoutout: Queen for a day, hold on till may, the chase, next to me, there's no such thing as too young...Yeah those are my favourites!

but okay. After this chapter the next will probably be called 'kick me' (sleeping with sirens) and then the one after that will be called sing (my chemical romance) and that's gonna be an awesome chapter :o. So go listen to those songs! and also go listen to 'the amity affliction-don't lean on me' because this chapter is based on it.

Why are my notes always this long?

well okay, vote, subscribe and comment (!) but only if you want to! ;)
xxx
Nicky