• “I died, again.” She told him. By now he learned what that had meant. Looking around he rested his hand on her shoulder and began to lead her down a hallway and into the room farthest in the back.
    Opening the door he flicked the light on to reveal a room. Everything was black. The walls, the king sized bed, the windows, the pillows, and the furniture. Walking over to his bed she sat down. Leslie had known him for three or four years when she was in 6th grade and he was in 8th.
    She watched him walk to the opposite side of the room and bend down reaching under the bed. All she could see was his bobbing orange head as he searched under the bed.
    “So tell me what this one was about?” He said as he found what he was searching for and made a slight cheering noise.
    “A guy hits me with a car, then gets out and stomps on my face, but before he does that he says. ‘Happy 16th birthday.’ And then I wake up screaming.” She finished, she felt horrible because on Monday she would be sixteen and it was only Saturday, well technically Sunday but that wasn’t important.
    “I’m so sorry, love.” He said grinning as he sat next to me handing me a poorly wrapped present. She liked when he called her love, it made her feel wanted, feel special.
    “Noah-“She started to protest but he stopped her by holding up a finger.
    “Nope. You gave me my present last week, so here is yours.” He said as she sighed. Noah’s birthday was four days before hers, His being on the 15th of December and hers on the 19th.
    “Alright.” She said as she held the tiny box in her hand and shook it hearing the rattling. She smiled as she tore open the paper and took off the lid the box.
    Leslie smiled as she pulled the yin part of the yin-yang symbol. She smiled holding the thin leather band between two fingers.
    “Flip it over.” Noah said eagerly as she smiled and flipped it over feeling the cold silver in her fingers she looked down and read the engraving.
    You’re my good side.
    Leslie looked up at Noah as she slipped the necklace around her neck and smiled at him. Noah pulled something out of his shirt.
    She watched him produce the Yang part of the Yin-yang symbol. He then flipped it over and read it aloud to Leslie.
    “I’m your bad side.” He said as he let the sign drop.
    “That’s so sweet.” Leslie said as she hugged Noah. Noah smiled as she buried her head in his chest and he rested his chin on her head.
    “Your welcome.” He said. They sat there for a few more minutes until a loud bang hit the door repeatedly. Leslie jumped away from Noah as if she had just been burned. Noah just stood up and walked to the door pulling it open.
    “We need you now.” A guy said his hair was going in every direction and his eyes were dilated to the pint his eyes looked like black disks.
    “I will be out in a minute.” Noah said as he slammed the door shut before he could even protest. Turning towards Leslie Noah walked towards he. “You should relax a little, sleep. I’m going to get everyone to go home then I will be back. I can get you some clothes to sleep in.” He said as he walked to his dresser and pulled out one of his old shirts and a pair of his boxers. “You’re a lot tinier then I am so this will probably fit you like a dress, but just in case here are some shorts.” He told me as I grabbed the clothes from him.
    “Thanks Noah.” She said smiling as she waited for him to leave before slipping just the shirt on and then crawling under the covers.
    The entire room was black and Leslie felt her body relax in the security of Noah’s bed and room, within minutes she was asleep.