A Daydream Away: An Alex Gaskarth Fanfiction
You Are A Hero
Kathryn’s POV
“Get out, Kathryn!” Marcus said, quite literally kicking me out of his house. A beer bottle flew past my head and crashed against the wall. “And don’t come back, you whore!” My eyes were watering. I might’ve been sobbing, if it were any decent person calling me a whore. But this was routine for Marcus. He was drunk. He was usually drunk. Marcus took the collar of my shirt and pushed me roughly into the front lawn. I fell back into the grass with a slight (hopefully unnoticeable) whimper. I felt his hand come down hard on my face and I let out a slight scream.
“I hate you.” I said. I didn’t scream it. I said it quietly and calmly. And I meant it. I did hate him, especially in this state. But after my mom kicked me out and my brother died, I didn’t have anyone else to go to.
“No one gives a fuck about your opinion, slut.” Marcus kicked me in the ribs and I doubled over. I hated feeling so merciless, but I had to let him go through it. If I stood up to him, things would just be worse. Once he was sober he’d let me move back in. He always did, not that it remunerated everything he’d done before. But no one else was willing to take in a seventeen-year-old girl with a history like mine. I’m not a whore and I never have been. In fact, I was a virgin right then. I’d just had very bad luck in my life. But people didn’t seem to understand.
“You can have one bag of your shit, and I’m keeping all the rest as whore tax.” Marcus said. What was he going to do? Sell my clothes? He swung his arm back to hit me again and I closed my eyes tightly, waiting the dreaded impact. But his blow was interrupted by a voice. Not his voice, though. A stranger’s voice.
“Hey! Hey! Hey!” When I dared to open my eyes and look up, a figure in a fitted V-neck white t-shirt and black skinny jeans was sprinting up to the yard. Marcus backed away from me and turned on him.
“What the fuck, man? Get the fuck off my property or I’ll call the police!” Marcus shouted drunkenly. By this time, the stranger had jumped the fence and was just a few feet away from us.
“Why? So they can see you hitting your girlfriend?” The stranger stood between me and Marcus with his back to me. I know the time wasn’t appropriate, but he had a nice ass. He swung at Marcus, hitting him right in the chest. Marcus doubled over and spat out some explicit language.
“Leave her alone, douchebag.” The stranger defended. Then, he turned to me and held out a hand, helping me up. I felt dizzy and sore. “Come on.” The stranger said, still holding my hand. I didn’t know if trusting him was the right thing to do or not, but I figured, in my situation, it really couldn’t hurt. I ran across the yard with him and, when we reached the fence, he jumped it and then helped me over. I turned back to see Marcus storming inside. The stranger turned to me. This was the first time I got a full look of his face. He was gorgeous. Messy brown hair, deep eyes, and slight, kissable lips.
“Are you alright?” he asked. I nodded, slightly daunted by him. Where did he come from? Who was he? “I’m Alex.” Oh. One question down, a million to go.
“I’m Kathryn. That was my--” I hesitated “—boyfriend, Marcus.” Alex pressed his lips together and swallowed.
“Follow me.” Alex began walking down the street, and I followed. “Your boyfriend? Don’t you mean ex-boyfriend?” I shook my head sadly.
“No. I can’t leave him.” I said. The words came out without me thinking about them. It was like Marcus had brainwashed me. I couldn’t leave him. I needed him and he knew it.
“Why the hell not? He doesn’t seem like much of a prince charming to me.” Alex said, casually kicking a rock and shoving his hands into his pockets.
“He’s not.” I sighed, “But he’s all I’ve got. I’d be out on the streets if it weren’t for him. His drunk episodes…that’s just the price I pay for staying there, I suppose.” Alex shook his head.
“You can’t stay with our parents?” I tensed. Wasn’t it a bit personal to ask something like that before you even know someone’s name? Then again, he did just save me…
“Dad left when I was four. Mom kicked me out a few years ago.” I said. I didn’t want to go into any more detail.
“No siblings?” Alex asked. I swallowed hard as I felt myself tear up. It took me a good twenty seconds to respond.
“My brother is dead.” I said. Alex looked up into my face for the first time since we started walking. I thought he was going to console me. Or pity me. All of that would have been pointless. But he said something that I feel guilty to admit helped a lot.
“Mine too.”
We didn’t say anything else for about five minutes, when we arrived at a huge blue house. Alex pulled the gate open and held it for me as I stepped onto the stone path that lead up to the door.
“Is this your place?” I asked. Alex nodded.
“And yours. For tonight, at least.” I smiled gratefully. I didn’t know him, but anywhere was better than the street. Alex unlocked the door and I began to step inside when he put out a hand to stop me. I looked up at him. “By the way, what’s your name?”
“Kathryn.” I smiled.
“Get out, Kathryn!” Marcus said, quite literally kicking me out of his house. A beer bottle flew past my head and crashed against the wall. “And don’t come back, you whore!” My eyes were watering. I might’ve been sobbing, if it were any decent person calling me a whore. But this was routine for Marcus. He was drunk. He was usually drunk. Marcus took the collar of my shirt and pushed me roughly into the front lawn. I fell back into the grass with a slight (hopefully unnoticeable) whimper. I felt his hand come down hard on my face and I let out a slight scream.
“I hate you.” I said. I didn’t scream it. I said it quietly and calmly. And I meant it. I did hate him, especially in this state. But after my mom kicked me out and my brother died, I didn’t have anyone else to go to.
“No one gives a fuck about your opinion, slut.” Marcus kicked me in the ribs and I doubled over. I hated feeling so merciless, but I had to let him go through it. If I stood up to him, things would just be worse. Once he was sober he’d let me move back in. He always did, not that it remunerated everything he’d done before. But no one else was willing to take in a seventeen-year-old girl with a history like mine. I’m not a whore and I never have been. In fact, I was a virgin right then. I’d just had very bad luck in my life. But people didn’t seem to understand.
“You can have one bag of your shit, and I’m keeping all the rest as whore tax.” Marcus said. What was he going to do? Sell my clothes? He swung his arm back to hit me again and I closed my eyes tightly, waiting the dreaded impact. But his blow was interrupted by a voice. Not his voice, though. A stranger’s voice.
“Hey! Hey! Hey!” When I dared to open my eyes and look up, a figure in a fitted V-neck white t-shirt and black skinny jeans was sprinting up to the yard. Marcus backed away from me and turned on him.
“What the fuck, man? Get the fuck off my property or I’ll call the police!” Marcus shouted drunkenly. By this time, the stranger had jumped the fence and was just a few feet away from us.
“Why? So they can see you hitting your girlfriend?” The stranger stood between me and Marcus with his back to me. I know the time wasn’t appropriate, but he had a nice ass. He swung at Marcus, hitting him right in the chest. Marcus doubled over and spat out some explicit language.
“Leave her alone, douchebag.” The stranger defended. Then, he turned to me and held out a hand, helping me up. I felt dizzy and sore. “Come on.” The stranger said, still holding my hand. I didn’t know if trusting him was the right thing to do or not, but I figured, in my situation, it really couldn’t hurt. I ran across the yard with him and, when we reached the fence, he jumped it and then helped me over. I turned back to see Marcus storming inside. The stranger turned to me. This was the first time I got a full look of his face. He was gorgeous. Messy brown hair, deep eyes, and slight, kissable lips.
“Are you alright?” he asked. I nodded, slightly daunted by him. Where did he come from? Who was he? “I’m Alex.” Oh. One question down, a million to go.
“I’m Kathryn. That was my--” I hesitated “—boyfriend, Marcus.” Alex pressed his lips together and swallowed.
“Follow me.” Alex began walking down the street, and I followed. “Your boyfriend? Don’t you mean ex-boyfriend?” I shook my head sadly.
“No. I can’t leave him.” I said. The words came out without me thinking about them. It was like Marcus had brainwashed me. I couldn’t leave him. I needed him and he knew it.
“Why the hell not? He doesn’t seem like much of a prince charming to me.” Alex said, casually kicking a rock and shoving his hands into his pockets.
“He’s not.” I sighed, “But he’s all I’ve got. I’d be out on the streets if it weren’t for him. His drunk episodes…that’s just the price I pay for staying there, I suppose.” Alex shook his head.
“You can’t stay with our parents?” I tensed. Wasn’t it a bit personal to ask something like that before you even know someone’s name? Then again, he did just save me…
“Dad left when I was four. Mom kicked me out a few years ago.” I said. I didn’t want to go into any more detail.
“No siblings?” Alex asked. I swallowed hard as I felt myself tear up. It took me a good twenty seconds to respond.
“My brother is dead.” I said. Alex looked up into my face for the first time since we started walking. I thought he was going to console me. Or pity me. All of that would have been pointless. But he said something that I feel guilty to admit helped a lot.
“Mine too.”
We didn’t say anything else for about five minutes, when we arrived at a huge blue house. Alex pulled the gate open and held it for me as I stepped onto the stone path that lead up to the door.
“Is this your place?” I asked. Alex nodded.
“And yours. For tonight, at least.” I smiled gratefully. I didn’t know him, but anywhere was better than the street. Alex unlocked the door and I began to step inside when he put out a hand to stop me. I looked up at him. “By the way, what’s your name?”
“Kathryn.” I smiled.
8/6/13