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Alyssa stared at the new moon; longing for the kiss it promised her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, heavy against her. She turned and looked at the owner, a man a year older then her. She knew him, the curve of his face, the way his hair fell in his eyes, the man she loved dearly. He placed his other hand gently on her neck, looking into her eyes. He pulled her closer softly, their faces apart by a mere inch. Alyssa rested on hand on his knee, the other on his cheek to urge him closer. She inhaled, tasting his breath. They got closer, now only centimeters of air between their longing lips. Alyssa closed her eyes with the knowledge of a much longed for kiss only seconds away. She felt his lips press against hers. Her eyes fluttered open, looking around franticly. A desk, chair, closet, and the bed she was laying upon.
“A dream… It was— a dream… Damn.” She slipped out of bed, continuing to look around. Her roommates were still in deep sleep, so she dressed silently and slipped from the room. She walked her way over to the cafeteria, grabbing some fruit to eat for breakfast.
“Hey Ally!!!” She heard the call behind her, and thought to run, but the attempt failed miserably.
“Hi. Why are you up so early?” She looked over at Jay, as he was called. He had a giant smile plastered on his face.
“You think it was a dream. Just wait and see.” He just turned and walked away. Alyssa looked at him, a bit worried and put the fruit back.
“What’s up with him?” She whispered to herself.
“Ally? Why are you up so early?” Alyssa turned at the sound of Julian’s voice and smiled weakly.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she replied as he put his arm around her. He led her up to the stairs, taking her to the roof with bits of conversation. When she tried to speak, he’d shush her and she soon gave up.
They sat on the roof, the moon still out in the early morning sky with no sun in sight. 3:17 am was the time the courtyard clock read as she felt a hand on her shoulder, heavy against her. She turned and looked at the owner. Julian got up and walked towards the entrance back to the building.
He turned for a moment and whispered, “Be good to her.”
Jay sat beside her and pulled away a mask.
“I told you, Ash. I’d find you.” Alyssa smiled, looking over Jay’s true face as worry covered her own.
“Derek, you know we have to live as other people. Ever since the fire happened, we can’t be lovers. Not in the public’s eyes. Not anymore.” He placed his hand gently on her neck, looking into her eyes. He pulled her closer softly, their faces apart by a mere inch.
“Even so, I love you. I’m willing to love you in secret; for now.” She rested on hand on his knee, the other on his cheek to urge him closer.
“Ok, just make sure we wouldn’t get caught,” she kissed his open lips; tasting his sweet kisses once again. She broke away after a long moment, staying dangerously close to him. “Run, my love, before you get caught twice.”
“We won’t be caught, love,” he kissed her again and left her there, disappearing into the lit entrance to the lower levels of the building.
Julian returned, slumping down next to her. “You really love him, don’t you?”
“More then life itself,” she replied sounding broken and fragile. He nodded and placed a hand on her tearing face.
“If I loved you the way he did, I wouldn’t let you go so easily.”
“I know, Julian. I know. If you weren’t gay, you’d jump me in a minute.”
“More like a split second, but you have the idea.” Alyssa laughed, whipping tears from the corners of her eyes. “So, Ashley. That’s a beautiful name.”
She looked bewildered. “Never call me that. Someone will recognize me. I’m surprised they have not already.”
“What did you two do?”
“It’s a long tale. You don’t want to hear it.”
“Yes I do, we have a couple hours. Have at it.”
“Alright, well… Here’s what caused it…”


A year before:

“Ash, we can’t be sneaking out like this. Your father will beat you again,” Derek sighed, pulling her close and kissing her neck.
“I can’t stay in that house, mon amour. You know I can’t. I should just live with you. Your family loves me, even if you wish you to be gone.” She flinched as he hugged her tighter and his fingers stroked her side. He was constantly finding new bruises on her. She leaned back into him, her head resting in the crook of his shoulder. She could feel his head resting on top of her own.
“No, we have to run. It’s the only way both of us will be safe. Or we can destroy our homes and leave our idiot parents with nothing.”
“We can burn down our houses when no one’s home, and just skip town as fast as the fire spreads. They’ll think we died in the fires. We can make it look like it just spread from one house to the other.”
“I was only kidding but you make it sound like a really good idea.”

A few months later:

A high pitch scream was heard followed by streams of cursing with the sounds of beating leather against skin. Ashley ran from her home, clutching her music box, a bag full of clothing, and her little sister in her arms. She ran as fast as she possibly could, managing to get into Derek’s house. She had a fresh set of bruises and a busted lip. The little five-year-old girl, Alyssa, in her arms had a black eye and was shaking in fear.
“Mrs. Berkshire, please. Could you take Alyssa to the hospital? I think my dad broke her arm again. I’m going to call the police.” Derek’s mother glanced over her, taking the girl.
“Stay here. Derek should be home in a few minutes. There’s a medical kit in his bathroom.” Ashley nodded and watched as Mrs. Berkshire left, locking the door behind her. Derek returned home a few moments after she patched up her bleeding lip. He stepped into the bathroom, a little startled. He looked her over and hugged her lightly, as not to bruise her worse.
“Have you called the police?”
“Not yet. I was about to,” she replied, crying into her shirt. She stopped and walked back to the kitchen, where she first saw Mrs. Berkshire. She picked up the phone calling the police. “Hello, I’d like to file an abuse report against John Green. I’m his daughter, Ashley Green…. Yes, he has been hitting my sister and me for the past six months or so. Ever since my mother died… Yes… I have bruises and a split lip. My sister is at the hospital at the moment… No, I’m in a neighbor’s home… Yes, the Berkshires…. Yes, Mrs. Berkshire took her…. No… No, he couldn’t have hit her that ha--… Ok. Thank you. I’ll stay at the Berkshire home until a police car can get here.”
Ashley straightened up and looked over at Derek, tears on her face again. “That b*****d of a father hit Alyssa so hard he broke her neck… She had internal bleeding and the blood pooled enough for it to stop getting to her brain. She’s de-de-dead.”
She collapsed onto the floor, tears freely falling from her face. Derek sat beside her, holding onto her and trying to comfort her the best he could. Within a few minutes they heard a crash, and looked out a window. Ashley’s house was on fire; John Green lit a cigarette over a broken whiskey bottle, igniting the whole place. The police car was right outside of Derek’s house when the fire started. He quickly called for a fire truck and knocked on the door in haste. Ashley ran to it, throwing it open.
“The two of you, get in the car. We’re going to take you to the station before anyone knows what’s going on. We may be able to put you in a relocation system somewhere, saying you were in the home when the fire was started.” Officer Fredric Larker knew everything that happened to Ashley and Derek. Ashley being abused, but the lack of proof, Derek’s mental abuse with no one else around to hear it, all of it. He hurried them through the system, getting them to a city millions of miles away and into the same school. Derek was forced to put on make up to hide his identity, and Ashley used contacts and had a fake piercing on her lip to hide the scar.