Edward Darwin was laid in front of me, a smile across his huge, toothy grin that perfectly enveloped the visage of a tarantula. Despite us being the same age, he was at least a foot or so bigger than me and twice as strong, especially when he uses more than two arms. In a way, he was like a larger version of me with turquoise fur that covered his body and enormous fangs. He's found a safe place in my home, always coming to my house to sleep and away from those who hurt him. Even if my parents despise me even more because of his presence, his aura counteracts them perfectly. Edward was a bad parent kryptonite.

He was dreaming. I know when people do. Their energy changes just slightly, the aura they bring growing into a soothing chill that warms the skin rather than freeze it. Maybe that's what Edward's energy does, since I'm always around him when he sleeps and he dreams everyday.

Each of his eyes were shut, a pillow fort concealing each eye. I wasn't asleep yet though I wished I was. He doesn't let me see his dreams anymore, for some reason. He told me he wasn't comfortable with me seeing everything he dreams about and that he didn't want me seeing something that'd make me hurt. It was impossible for me to assume that it was for an unfaithful reason. Besides, if he loved me, then if he ever did, why would we still be by me? He still comes here just about everyday, cares about me greatly, and always worries about how I'm feeling. Nobody else in this town does that. The most anyone has ever done is a guy coming over and patting my back roughly or a girl complimenting how adorable my sleep state was.

What they did wasn't care. None of them cared. Edward did, though. That's the difference between him and everyone else. He cared, not Bronson, Tam, Veronica, or Kai.

Not only that, but everything about him and what he thinks of me confirmed what I've always wanted: someone like me who didn't reveal me and who loved me back for everything that I loved him for.

When we kissed, it tasted like perfection. He was everything.

I was unable to sleep for the past few hours, the hours that led to daylight. As the sunlight shot through the window, bathing the mattress he and I laid across silently. He was still asleep. No matter what, it was impossible for him to wake up to the light of the morning, which is something we used to always do when I was able to see what he was dreaming about. So, I held each of his hands with each of mine and shook him lightly for a few minutes. Slowly, his eyes parted and he spoke, "Good morning... buddy..."

"Good morning," I smiled.

That school day, people's eyes wandered around like scattered lights were wrapped around both him and me. Eighth period was the worst offender. Veronica's eyes were practically piercing through Edward. She always has an intense expression and an odd smirk no matter where she looked or who she looked at, as if she was always conspiring about them. Her clothing was pristine and covered in bracelets and necklaces that accompanied thin sparkly dresses that coated her form like glittery icing. She was equipped with eyes that scan those around her as closely as the eyes of everyone else. Unlike anyone else at the school, she was a glistening star in the sky that was too far away for anyone to touch, a perfect lady who takes what she wants with a powerful grip. If she didn't get what she wanted, a supernova would occur for sure. At the very last minute of class, it felt like I was being stabbed through the back of my neck. It was hard to breathe for the rest of the day.

Usually, the dullness of the sky was nothing but a useless backdrop to my life. It never participated with me or my relationships or my friends. We were all calmly prancing along a line leading right to the finish. For me, there was nothing dragging me away from the line. The end was coming. There was only one more year after this one and I could leave this life behind. I knew my parents would likely chain me here until graduation but their actions were still nullified. With Edward's presence, it was fine.

That night, when we were both still awake in the comfort of the bed his energy had crafted for me, he was silent for a while. I spoke first, "Did you have a nice day?"

"Yeah..." Edward was hugging himself, his skin's hair rubbing against each other and against the fabrics of his sweater. Compared to me, he took up nearly the entire mattress. He was even larger when he entered his sleep state.

"Was practice fun?" I continued to ask.

Edward shrugged, "It was just about as fun as any other practice. Are your parents bothering you at all?"

"I... tried to ignore them," I smiled. "You kind of help me with them."

"I know..." He avoided eye contact momentarily, his eyes swiftly shooting back to meet mine. I blinked. Recently, he started doing this, as if he was afraid to say something. I sighed, "Can I see your dream tonight?"

"My dream?" Edward's pair of arms embraced himself tighter. "You know I don't feel comfortable𑁋"

"You clearly aren't saying something you should be saying though𑁋"

"I'm fine, Thomas. Please," Edward's eyes failed to meet mine once more.

"Is something happening at home?" I pressed. There had to be a reason he was always here instead of home. Every single day, he always came here, as if he had nowhere else to go to. With all of the lack of looking and shakiness overtaking his vocal features, I had to ask. So, I asked, "You're always here, right? Are you trying to run away from something?"

"...Someone," He mumbled.

"Someone?" I blinked. "Someone you live with?"

"When I came here, someone had to... adopt me," Edward murmured. "The family that I was introduced to live in this mansion a bit far from the suburb that has taken care of me before I met you. They just retired recently and are planning on moving somewhere else."

"So you're moving away?" I blinked.

"That's not all of it," Edward sighed. "You know Veronica, right?"

I cringed at the question, "Y-yes?"

"She told me she had a crush on me," Edward mumbled.

The knife plunged in the back of my neck sank deeper through my body to the point it sliced right through the back and out the front, invisible blood pouring through the invisible wound from the invisible knife she secretly shot through me.

"I have only today to tell her what she wants to hear before she ruins me... or whatever," Edward sighed. "...You're the only person who makes me feel loved or makes me want to love you back. You kind of made me come out... to you. I honestly didn't expect you to say yes."

"I... didn't expect you to ask..." I mumbled.

"...I don't want to leave you," Edward stated softly. "But I feel like she's going to hurt you."

"M-maybe we can use online when you move!" I gasped. "I can use my phone, right?"

"I don't think yours is... modern enough to run a dating app," Edward snickered.

"Wait," I started. "If you're moving away, doesn't that mean you're running away from her?"

"She always gets what she wants..."

"...But she can't follow you to another place, right?"

"I don't know what she'll do." Edward lessened his grip on himself. "But knowing her, she'll probably make her parents move where I go and then proceed to leech off of me and my parents."

"That's ridiculous."

"She's a person who does ridiculous things," Edward sat up, placing his hands beside each respective side of him balled up into fists. "I don't know what to do. I could try to stay here, but my parents want me to go with them. If I do stay, what would she do to us? When I do leave, would we still be together or would she hunt me down and make me hers? I'm scared. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"We just have to try," I sighed. "I can send emails on this thing, so maybe we could try that?"

"We could..."

"Or maybe we could call each other?"

"If service works from here to there."

"Do you know where you're moving?"

"California𑁋"

"That's not too far away!" I gasped. "We could make it work."

"O-okay..." Edward stammered, his eyes focused on mine with a determined intent that shook and vibrated as liquid depression grew in small pools under his eyelids. "We c-can try."

I decided not to look into his dreams that night. He told me as much as I needed to know.

The next day, nothing appeared to happen. People were as they always were and Edward still came over. The next week, his family began moving out, so he began coming back to my house later and later.

The day before he left, I asked if I could see his dreams for the last day I would see him. For some reason, when I viewed it, there was nothing but a thick, dark void that he sat in, nobody around to comfort him as he held his head down between his knees. I couldn't approach him or tend to his needs. A barrier surrounded me, one that always forced me to watch dreams instead of interacting with them. While I slept, I cried.

Then came the last school day of the semester, the last day that I was going to see Edward face to face. I had his email, his phone number saved, and everything else I ever thought I needed.

In my Eighth period class, I dozed off.

When I awoke after a mere few moments, every single person was staring me down, a mix of frowns, smirks, and cross sneers staring at me like an array of daggers yet the daggers never hurt like the knife did, slowly pulling out of my body before being replaced with a larger knife. Veronica was grinning.

The ring of the bell did not phase her or any of the other students in the room, other than the trembling body of Edward Darwin, who was squeaking and squirming like a fearful child being screeched at by the parents abusing their power. As she stood up, the other students besides him, her, and me had fled the room. The teacher in the classroom placed a set of cheap headphones on her ears to blot out the sounds that would soon shriek seamlessly throughout the classroom's confines despite them being impossible not to listen to. People love to lack responsibility or care so that they don't have a reason to help.

Veronica pinched Edward's chin, holding his face so that it could see the sky of cement and dried paint. "Outside," She ordered.

He did as he was told, leaving in a hurry.

She stood from her seat with her top model phone in hand and lips laced with maroon lipstick pressed against each other so fit a tight, venomous smirk. "Your little doze off session has finally confirmed who has been keeping my prince locked up in the dungeon." Her smirk grew. Promptly, she tapped a picture on her phone. Her phone-equipped hand turned to show me an image of Edward on top of my mattress, laying there with him mainly filling in the image. Behind him was a flurry of arms that unfolded in a mesmerizing spiral of pink arms and fingers caught by the freezing of time that cameras wield. There was a triangular shape in the center which Veronica tapped with her thumb with a fingernail painted black with glitter decor. Then, the picture began to move.

"Hi everyone." Edward spoke, his voice dripping from the moving picture. "I just wanted to talk about my, er... significant other. She's been... they've been really kind to me but I don't know how to say goodbye to him... her... them. I really want to stay with them but I have to leave town soon. What should I do?'

As his lips moved, the arms moved, a spiraling rose of glistening blue powder encircling the arms like a galaxy, one occupied by stars and sparkling dust that spun around their various wrists like an axis. Pastel hues dripped and danced behind Edward like a sky colored with chalk. It was beautiful.

But I knew who that was. That was me, falling asleep. He made a video talking about how he had to leave while I was asleep. I must've fallen asleep one day before he did but I wasn't sure how. He usually falls asleep after me. Did he fake falling asleep? No, I know when he's dreaming. Can I detect daydreaming maybe? I never knew if I could, nor have I ever tried knowing that they were daydreaming.

"So he accidentally showed me sleeping..." I murmured.

"And it's you," Veronica snapped. "You fell asleep and did almost the exact same thing as illustrated as in the video. He was taken by you."

She invaded the invisible bubble that barely protected me from the invisible daggers and knives by pressing a finger roughly against the tip of my nose. "A queen needs her king," She grinned. "And I just so happen to be moving to the same place as him in a week or two."

"So you want to take him from me," I muttered.

"He rightfully belongs to me," She huffed. "It was cute to see him try to hide the gender of his captor yet he was too silly to realize his little mistake that made it easy to identify you. Strange how quietly you took him in and how long it took for me to realize it was you from how much you're caught sleeping in class. All it took for me to know for certain was seeing you sleep just now."

"Maybe that speaks to your stupidity𑁋"

"Quiet," Veronica spat, stuffing her phone in her pocket. "Your crimes have been realized and accordingly, the queen shall punish. I will record this moment in my story. Everyone will know and you will be eternally punished."

"You speak like a queen."

"I know𑁋"

"An evil one," I added softly.

Veronica stared at me with her wide, make-up dressed eyelids that made her eyes appear like sea urchins masquerading as beholders. She puffed, "Evil is often confused with righteousness."

"The same works the other way around," I rolled my eyes, getting out of my seat and heading towards the exit.

"Where are you going?" Veronica growled.

"I'm going to tell Edward I love him and wish he has a nice rest of his life," I smiled. "He deserves a great life, a future in football, a love life with someone he likes, and a nice home."

"One that I'll soon share," Veronica added.

"One that you'll never deserve," I added upon her addition.

"...When he stops contacting you, I have my grip on him," Veronica sighed. "You can't beat me."

"I hope he breaks up with you soon," I grumbled before walking away.

"He won't..." Was the last thing I heard her say before never seeing her face again.

When I arrived outside, Edward was seated on one of the various concrete benches lined outside around the front doors. Each of his limbs were hanging sadly over the top of his knees, dangling and weeping as much as he was. Every moment they wept, I cried. I didn't cry because they were crying because I was crying about everything. Everything was him having to go, him being taken away from me, and him crying about having to go and him being taken away so he can't see me any longer. Silent, I sat beside him. "She told me she was going to save you..." I mumbled. "Rid you of your kidnapper."

"You didn't kidnap me," Edward didn't even attempt to make eye contact. "I only said that as a joke and she made everyone think I was serious."

"Who's everyone?"

"Group chat," Edward answered. "I sent them that video and everybody in the school blew up about it. I would've asked for you to join it but𑁋"

"My phone is too cheap," I sighed. "I know..."

We sat in a brief quiet chorus of mumbles and stammers attempting to become fragments and feelings yet they filtered through the coffee filter into a liquid void. "Will you still send emails?" I asked.

"Yeah..." Edward nodded.

"Will you only be able to for a week?"

"Why a week?"

"Veronica said she'd live where you are in a week."

"Oh..." Edward blinked. "Uh... I'll send you messages for a week and if she doesn't... take me, then you'll still be sent emails."

"Would you stop if she does?"

"I guess𑁋"

"Can you at least tell me if you were?"

"I will." Edward hummed quietly. "What if... what if I told her no?"

"I'd make you," Veronica stepped outside of the front door stiffly, her gaze slicing through his eyes. "Come now. You aren't captive anymore and you won't be any longer. Break up."

"But I love him𑁋"

"You shouldn't love someone you call a kidnapper."

"That was a𑁋"

"Come," Veronica grimaced.

"No𑁋"

"Yes𑁋"

"Make me," Edward huffed, silencing her briefly. She shook her head. "I will... when he no longer has a hold on you," Veronica grumbled before vanishing into the distant grey world.

As he was gone from town, we would get into countless conversations through email, constantly back and forth then back to back just to go forth again. They were all pleasant, in some fashion. It was difficult not having him around, protecting me from the bottles of lies filled with liquid words being tossed about in bursts of anger or softening the blows of hurling, powerful beasts of phrases being injected into my ears yet his simple yet descriptive paragraphs of comfort blanketed the pain.

There was only one day that was odd, the last day I ever heard from him again before he never sent a single email again.

It occurred the day after the next week ended, some time after Veronica had supposedly relocated to where Edward lived now. I was awoken early by the sound of my phone violently vibrating in an incredibly erratic fashion but when I sat up, staring tiredly at the phone beside my makeshift bed, it was that it was from California that alarmed me.

I picked up as fast as I could, putting it to my ears. "Hello?"

There was nothing but a light melody of static playing in the background. A harsh, glitched greeting spoke to me, "Hi? Hello?"
"Hi! Edward, it's𑁋"

"I know it's you," The voice sounded somewhat more feminine, more high pitched. After the sound of a harsh inhale, rustling followed the sound. "Hey, don't get on my𑁋" The phone call ended.

Confused, I tried calling him back but he didn't pick back up.

I continued on with my day, quietly making paces to the kitchen and to my room, taking breaks to write entries in my journal, reading, and doodling a bit to waste the time away. A lonely sting still dug past the boundary between the air and the innards of my body, a blade digging deeper than any other weapon ripping my skin apart.

The call was locked in my mind for what felt like a century in a mere day. It took hours until I received an email, the last one I'd ever see from Edward. It read, "You no longer hold me. I have found my princess."

Of course, I replied to the email, asking who sent it and what it meant but no response. I could've asked more but it was clearly fruitless. He never sent another email back.

She had taken him far, far away from me and there was no way of getting him back. He was in California and so was she. Her kingdom had been created and now she stuck herself to him, an eternal leech that exists only to suck the life out of whoever they're attached to, using love as an excuse to cling to people. Grief and desperation drives their slowly corrupting desires.

Ever since I came back to school, my friends had shorted down to the only one who believed in me. Kai was once my friend. He just started to ignore me afterward, walking away whenever I made a noise to him. Rarely does he ever speak to me, the moment in the locker room being the only recent interaction in months. I once knew Tam. She's had a constant stream of break ups and back togethers that either happen monthly or weekly, clinging to the comfort that I recognize yet with each new one, it feels like there's never been any flavor in her relationships. It's not like she ignores me regardless because now she knows I'm gay.

Everyone knows I'm gay. I don't even know if I am gay but everyone says I am because I dated a guy who dated me yet he gets a free pass for being a popular kid. If you aren't a king, you aren't anything at all. You're scum to anyone lacking the slightest bit of understanding and that's what makes me nothing but an attraction, one for tourists to indulge in so they can see their dreams mystically retold to them in vivid detail.

I can't wait for one of those tourists to be a murderer so I don't have to deal with anyone anymore. Anybody I've met has been nothing but malevolent except for Spencer and Bronson. Bronson has never stopped caring for me and wanting me to be happy. He's my only friend now. I don't know why he even cares about me but he's still my friend and that's the only thing I have to care about, according to him.

Then there's Spencer, standing before me now in the present day. He's muscular, tall, blue, athletic, lives in a mansion, and willing to be in a relationship with me.

I told him he's insane.

He's insane for wanting to do that.

He's gaining popularity and he wants to get into a relationship with me.

He's beautiful and he wants to get into a relationship with me.

He's kind and he wants to get into a relationship with me.

I kidnapped somebody and locked him away from his rightful princess yet he wants to get into a relationship with me.

He has to understand why I won't let him.

He has to understand why I don't want him to do that.

Hopefully now he understands now that I've told him everything.

Spencer's staring at me, his eyes wide yet he hasn't flinched or moved or anything that would imply he hates me or despises gays or has sea urchin eyeshadow painted all over him.

He chuckled at me, even after everything I told him. This was the millionth chuckle I've heard from him. It was like everything was funny to him, like he was laughing at me now and at everything I've told him.

Spencer's arms unfolded into a wide spread of beautiful, magical wings and my heart flew away to be never heard from again.