Shatter .:8: Need:.

“So, you think you’d want to go? I mean, if you have some major hotty friends to invite I certainly wouldn’t mind.” I joke on the phone with Jacob. He laughs.

“Mrs. Night!” He pretend gasps. I giggle.

“Mr. Doughboy!” I say back, smiling like a flirtatious school girl. Lira is watching me with complete and utter happiness. Ami is giggling at me. “So, will you accompany me and bring a couple of friends to amuse my own?”

“I’m sure I could round up some sexy football players.”

“Football players?! PAH! Those meat heads?” I can hear the smile in his voice.

“Good thing you’re not a vegetarian.” I laugh at the lame comment.

“I’ll see you in a couple of minutes....or hours. You’ll never know.” I say and hang up.

“Mrs. Night?” Ami asks

“Mr. Doughboy?” Lira adds. I roll my eyes.

“I call him Jacob Night because he’s a creeper and roams around at night and, after coming over and watching me shovel food into my mouth, he calls me Trinity Doughboy.” They giggle.

“I call top bridesmaid!” Lira shouts. Ami and her fight over it while I run upstairs and change. When I walk downstairs they hoot and whistle. I've gone "all out" as they'd say. That never happens so they're enjoying it while they can.

I’ve dressed myself in a flattering V-neck T-shirt, black which happens to compliment my pale skin quite nicely. My jeans are my favorite dark blue stretch denim skinny jeans. I’ve borrowed Lira’s almost knee high designed black boots and my hair has been straightened. I have black liner on top and bottom of my eyes and mascara to top it all off. I even add just a hint of strawberry lipgloss.

“We are SO ready!” Ami says, hooking her arm through Lira’s. Lira suddenly swings her arm forward, thrusting Ami towards the couch. Ami catches herself and they start square dancing. I laugh and realize I’m having fun! I’m having a good time! These past few weeks that Jacob’s been in my life have been the best for me in a long, long, LONG time. My happiness has even rubbed off on my mom.

I laugh and grab my keys, letting them catch up when they’re through being geeks. I drop my keys when my eyes meet his own. I see him. I don’t just glance and see the body he inhabits, I see the full Dash.

His eyes are dark, clouded with hatred and sorrow. So much loss it’s like I’m being sucked into a black hole of horrid, never ending sorrow.

His body is slouched and I see he’s leaning on the doorframe for support. His body is nearly shaking with all the rage he has inside of him. There’s a NEED. A need essential to his life.

I gasp, stepping back, as I feel that it’s me he needs. He reaches out and I swat his hand. “DASH!” I gasp the name, as if he’s stealing my breath.

“Where are you going tonight?” He asks, his voice rough and barely audible.

“Out!” I tell him. I look back to Lira and Ami. Lira has stopped giggling but Ami hasn’t. Once she looks up she lets out a scream, quickly covering her mouth.

“Hello Dash, that was odd.” She says. I flip on the porch light and shove Dash out of the doorframe as I slam the door behind me. He spins me around with the momentum I gave when I shoved him and slams me into the side of my house.

“Where are you going tonight?” He asks. His eyes have darkened and seem...not evil but there’s something close, not quite but near it. It’s something dangerous. He leans in close to me, his back arcing a bit as he smells me, moving from my shoulder to the side of my face.

I manage enough courage to pull my hands up and shove him. “What is WRONG with you?!” I snap. “Dash! You’re not like this! WHAT happened?” I ask. He starts to walk away when I grab him. He looks back at me.

“You denied me, Emma.”

“I’M NOT EMMA! Emma is DEAD. Dead, dead, DEAD!” I shout. His eyes lose all the darkness for a moment, long enough for me to see the hurt of her loss. I reach out to him and he backhands me. It was more reflex than out of anger or angst.

He leaves without another word. A minute later, I have too much emotion than I know what to do with. I stifle the sob and turn it into a hateful, emotion filled scream. Ami and Lira practically jump out of the door. They see me, hands balled into fists, tears rimming my eyes.

“I’m so....so....UGH!” I scream again. They let me without question. When I’m done they look at me for permission to be normal again. I give a simple nod and then sigh. “That asshole is just....so FRUSTRATING!” I say. Lira takes my keys and decides I’m too angry to drive. A good decision, I will admit.

. . . . . . . . .

I sit next to Jacob for the movie and it’s as if there was no one else in the theater. He brought some friends for Lira and Ami to fawn over as I had asked. They’re absolutely delighted with his choice in men i.e. they were attractive with big muscles. They were cute but I was totally enthralled with Jacob.

Jacob made the funniest comments during the movie I’ve ever heard. He even bought us popcorn to share and me my favorite candies. We sit close to each other and talk throughout the entire movie. It makes me completely forget about my last experience at the movies. The one Dash ruined.

“Hey, can I ask you something that’s absolutely terrible?” Jacob says, a hint of seriousness in his voice.

“Of course.” I say, wary but willing.

“You’re absolutely beautiful, intelligent and funny. I’m so captivated by you...” He stops. “I really like you and I’m wondering if you feel the same.” I stare at him for a moment.

“I do.” I say, then smile. “I really, honestly do.” I tell him, surprised at my sudden emotions. I really, really, REALLY care for him!

I think he sees it in my eyes because in the next moment we’re sharing our first kiss. His lips are soft and warm, the perfect amount of pressure pushing back against my own lips. I’m swimming in pure bliss.

I feel a yank on my hair, and then a stronger pull. Soon I’m being pulled right out of my seat. My friends and Jacob’s are all staring as I’m being dragged out into the aisle. I start swatting behind me and shouting. He twirls me around.

“Dash what the HELL are you doing?!” I whisper-shout. The other people in the theater shush us but don’t pay much more attention. He pulls out a knife. It wouldn't have been noticeable in the darkness except that light had glinted off of it in the most dramatic way.

“I’m done waiting for you, I’m done playing games,” His eyes a rimmed red and he looks as if he could kill me. I draw a blank trying to think of anything to say. Jacob stands up and begins to protest but then I’m being twirled back around, a knife to my throat. Jacob holds up his hands and stares wide eyed. Ami is PISSED. She storms past everyone and up to Dash.

“You’re not taking her!” She says.

“You wanna come too, Princess? Because I have reason to slit your throat faster than her own.” He says, his voice crazed but serious. Ami stares at him with pure hatred.

“She told me what to do.” Ami says.

“What is that? Plead that man to take your life? NO. Because you are worthless in all of this, better off dead for the both of us. You’re best off dead, she’s the only one who’s worth anything. So let her leave and everyone here can live.” He says simple as that. Ami looks to me for help. I reach up and tug on Dash’s hair. He chuckles. “Really, I have a knife to your throat and you’re about to mess with me?” He says, turning me to walk down the stairs towards the exit.

“Dash cut it OUT! I’m not fighting you so let me say goodbye!” I say. He laughs again.

“You think I’m nice?”

“No, I think you’d appreciate me not fighting you.”

“I’ll cut you, baby, I don’t give a fuck who you are.” He says. I turn, despite the pain of him still holding on to my hair. I stare at him with hate.

“Cut me up all you want, I’m saying by to Ami.” He cuts part of my throat and I hit him. “I’m saying goodbye.” I say, ignoring the terror of being cut on my neck. I won’t bleed to death, I tell myself, he needs me. It was a small cut.

“One minute.” He says. I run back up the stairs and toss my arms around Ami. I whisper to her,

“I’m fine. Tell my mom I’m staying with you. Take turns with Lira. OK? I love you and I’m going to take care of everything. I promise. Please, please, PLEASE just let ME deal with this OK?”

“You’re bleeding.” She says, tears falling from her eyes. “I can stop him. Jacob will,”

“No. You’ll die, mom will die....I can’t wait for you. Don’t be a hero, lovey.” I say then turn to Jacob. “I’m not as normal as I led on. You’re the best thing that’s come into my life and if I make it out I hope you can forgive me and maybe we can try this again.” I say, pulling him in to a kiss. “I really, REALLY care about you, Jacob Night.”

“You too, Trinity Doughboy.” He says, tucking my hair behind my ear.

“That’s Trinity Night.” I kiss him again. I rush back down the stairs to Dash who isn’t happy at ALL.

“I don’t like him.” He tells me, taking my wrist with so much force, I feel the bones scraping against one another. I hit him and he pulls me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“I don’t like YOU!” I kick until I’m tired and we’re outside, I’ve lost all energy and my neck isn’t bleeding anymore. He sets me on the ground and looks at me. His eyes are so conflicting. This concern yet hatred. “Who in the WORLD is Emma?” I ask. “Put all of this hatred for me aside, who is she?”

“None of your concern. Next time you ask, I’m going to treat you like a real captive.”