Kathy looked into the mirror glued to the inside of the door to her locker. She'd gotten her eyeliner right, so it was just a delicate line above her lashes, making her eyes stand out. This was the last thing she'd done in an attempt to patch things up with Donnie. Changed a bit of who she was with makeup and heels. It made her feel hollow and inappropriate somehow. But after the news about her brother, she didn't want to lose anyone else.

It had been a week since her parents had announced William was missing. His work hadn't heard from him in a month. No one had. She'd personally called all the people and places which could hold any clue to where he was. Every night, before bed, she called him. It always went straight to voicemail, but hearing his voice gave her the least bit of solace.

He was her big brother. She was sure he wouldn't ignore her desperate messages, leave her like this. He would never do anything to hurt her.

So after an enite week of crying and trying, she entertained a possibility everyone refused to accept. There was only one logical answer for his disappearance, after all. William was dead. He was never coming home.

Once she accepted this very probable truth, she'd cried her eyes out for three whole days, pushing everyone away except for Kelly who'd come over to comfort her. And Kyle who had the decency to take no for an answer and back off when she'd told him they'd talk later.

Donnie didn't get the memo. He called, he texted, he forced his presence on her, bustling around her like a mother hen, but his arms held no comfort, just resent. His anxiousness, his nerves, they made everything worse, like it was all about him and she was over-exaggerating. Maybe she was, but she felt her pain was justified.

And it was that more than anything that finally broke the chains she'd put around herself.

This wasn't the Donnie she fell in love with. The easygoing boy she could share anything with, who was there for her and made her feel safe and loved. This guy was an abusive asshole and she'd had enough.

It was over.

Now all she had to do was let him know.

As she walked towards his locker, it felt like a part of her was falling apart. Breaking up with Donnie was like tearing half of herself and throwing it away. All her childhood memories had him in them, everything she knew about love revolved around him. And yet, her footsteps were steady and her mind clear.

Donnie was by his locker, shoving books inside with shaky hands. As he turned, he swayed, unsteady on his feet again. Kathy took in a deep breath, but could make out no alcohol. Thank God he was sober and she didn't have to put it off.

"Hi, Donnie."

His red, glazed eyes focused on her and a weird, creepy smile settled on his face. "Hey there, sugar." Without warning, he grabbed her and pulled her into a rough kiss.

Kathy put her hands on his chest and pushed him back as hard as he could. "What do you think you're doing?"

"We've been doing pretty well lately. I think we deserve an upgrade." He tried to kiss her again, but she ducked away. "Don't be difficult. I know something that would certainly take your mind off your brother." He grabbed her ass and squeezed.

She slapped his hand away. "No, Donnie, stop it. We need to talk."

She'd wanted to do this in private, but he was too rough, too touchy-feely and, despite her better judgment, she was scared to be alone with him. She'd rather face public embarrassment than risk him forcing himself on her.

"Are you sober?"

The remark earned her an exasperated eye roll. "Of course I am. What kind of question is that?"

A pertinent one, seeing as he actually slurred. But if he thought he was fit for serious conversation, she'd take it.

"Donnie, look, this isn't working. I know you're trying, but I..." There was no easy way to say this, not after six years. "I think we should break up."

His mouth fell open and Kathy felt the need to clarify, "I mean, I'm breaking up with you."

He just stared for what felt like forever, then he knocked his head back and laughed. But it was humorless, high, and cruel.

"You're not breaking up with me." He said it loud enough to attract the attention of everyone around them.

Kathy gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "Yes, I am. It's my decision."

"No, you're not, because you love me. You always have and you always will. Besides..." He laughed again and stretched his arms out. "Who's gonna take you if you don't put out? Yes, ladies and gentlemen, she doesn't put out," he said to the crowd.

"This is why I'm breaking up with you, asshole," Kathy said, fighting the urge to punch him in the face. "You insult me, embarrass me and then expect me to bow my head."

"No, Kathy, don't." He marched to her and took her face in his hands. "I love you!"

"Let me go!" She pulled out of his reach and backed away. What the hell was wrong with him?

He looked at her with pleading eyes, then his gaze suddenly widened with fear before darkening. A snarl took over his face. He marched to her and knocked her against the locker, his fingers pressing her cheeks so tight it hurt.

"It's him, isn't it?" He dug his free hand in her pocket and pulled out her phone.

Still holding her face, he thumbed through her conversations. Kathy tried to free herself, tell him to let her go, but she couldn't speak, and her struggles only tightened his grip. Her cheeks already felt numb.

"Isn't this cute? You have entire conversations with him."

She dug her nails into his hand, and he finally released her. Her face throbbed and she was beyond mortified, but she was dancing this dance until the end. As calmly as she could, she reached out her hand.

"Give me back my phone."

Donnie sneered and threw it at her head. She ducked out of the way just in time. The phone smashed against the locker door. Fear shot through her, but she pushed it back. She'd have time to crawl away and bawl after this was over.

"It's over, Donnie."

"What, so he can have you instead?" He pushed her shoulder and rammed her into the locker again. "You're mine!"

"No. I'm. Not!" Kathy pushed him away from her.

The next thing she knew, Donnie raised his fist and she blacked out for a few seconds. Her cheek throbbed, her head hurt, and her eyes were watery from the pain. When her vision returned, she found herself slumped at the foot of the lockers, Donnie looming over her, his arm back in striking position.

She stared at him, unable to believe what she was seeing, the numbing pain inside her head paralyzing. He fell upon her, but before his fist could collide with any part of her again, someone grabbed his wrist from behind.

"Get away from her, asshole!"

Kyle.

Donnie whipped around and punched Kyle in the face with enough force to knock over an ox. Kyle stumbled against the opposite row of lockers, but stayed on his feet. Donnie attacked again, but this time, Kyle caught his fist in midair. He seemed to grow in size as anger took over his features.

Kathy hugged her sore knees and pushed her back against the locker, her entire body shaking uncontrollably. The world seemed to darken and all she could see was the fury burning in Kyle's eyes. And at that moment, she was sure Donnie was dead.

Kyle's gaze darted to her for the fraction of a second, and the glazed darkness in it disappeared. His fist stopped inches from Donnie's side. Instead, he twisted Donnie's arm behind his back and kicked the legs from under him. She closed her eyes. She didn't want to see this. Didn't want to see Kyle knocking Donnie's teeth out, didn't want to feel the sting on her face, taste her tears, hear the crowd jeering but not intervening.

She didn't want to be there, to exist. She felt like Schrodinger's cat. Alive and dead, here but somewhere else at the same time, retreating to the safety inside her head, trying to forget that her boyfriend, the person she'd given one third of her life to, had dared lay a hand on her, hit her so hard that she'd blacked out.

"Kay!"

Her eyes shot open and Kyle came into focus, his face once again the one she knew. Donnie was face down on the floor, Kyle's knee pressing on his temple, groaning curses. Kyle still held his arm in a half twisted position, and had pulled his sleeve down. And that's when Kathy saw them. The bulging vein, the reddish needle marks on the inside of his elbow...

"What are you taking?" Kyle growled. Donnie only swore some more, so Kyle pressed his knee harder on his head. "Answer!"

"Meth," Donnie yelled out in pain and Kyle loosened the pressure.

"And you've been injecting it, you idiot? How long?" When Donnie didn't answer, he twisted his arm more.

"Three months," he yelped in pain.

The words spun around Kathy's head like a tornado and her mind simply refused to process anything else. Donnie had been on meth for three months and she hadn't noticed. Pieces started falling together: his anxious energy and fidgeting, the loss of weight, his paranoia, his mood swings...

Her eyes glazed over with tears she made no move to wipe away. There was nothing to see, nothing to hear, no one to love. She heard voices all around her, but she couldn't process the sounds or what was going on. Sobs escaped her lips and her shoulders shook.

"Come here," someone whispered and comfortable warmth surrounded her.

It only made her cry harder as she grasped the person next to her, needing to feel like someone was there and she was not alone in this madness.

"It will be alright. Not now, but it will be." The voice. The calming, soothing voice.

Kyle. So she held on to him with everything she had.

Kathy had no idea what happened next. Her throat was raw, her eyes stung and her face throbbed, but she couldn't stop crying, couldn't focus on her surroundings. She could hear voices, feel movement; she just buried her face deeper in Kyle's shoulder and sunk her fingers into him like some spooked cat.

At one point, Kyle probably raised her off the floor, because she was standing, and he was talking to someone. People moved, they moved too, and she found herself in the principal's office, with Kyle detaching her from him and sitting her on a chair.

Principal Davidson closed the door and walked to his desk. Kathy stared at her shaky knees, but made no effort to compose herself. What was the point? It wasn't like the world could get better at this point. Worse? Much worse.

As she sniffed and hugged herself, she could hear snippets of conversation. The principal wanted to call the police, asked her if she wanted to press charges. She didn't know, so all she did was sob louder, hoping the man would get the hint and leave her alone. She didn't know what she wanted. Donnie hadn't really been himself. He'd been on drugs and she wanted him in rehab. But jail?

The memory of when she'd first met Kyle came to mind and how fascinated she'd been about his supposed conviction. It drew a hysterical laugh out of her.

"Look, just let me take her home," Kyle finally said.

"Mr. Grant, may I remind you that you have a few statements to make yourself?"

"I know, I know, and I'll take the suspension or whatever. Just let me get her out of here."

Why wouldn't he? Why was Principal Davidson hesitating? Kyle couldn't be in that much trouble, could he? It was self-defense. Donnie punched him first. Punched her first. She opened her mouth to defend him, but only more sobs came out.

"That's it, I'm sorry, but you can talk to her later." Kyle wrapped his hand around her elbow and pulled Kathy to her feet again.

She immediately reattached herself to him, feeling comfort in his warmth, in his strength. He wasn't as hard as she'd expected, just the right amount to make him feel like the safest place to hide.

More mumbling, more pointless words before Kyle finally led her out of the room, one arm around her shoulders, his other hand pressed lightly against her stomach, holding her in a half hug as they passed through the crowd. She kept her face buried in his shoulder, not wanting to see the looks of pity and revulsion on people's faces. If only there was some way she could avoid ever coming back here.

Everything around her reminded her of Donnie and she wanted none of that. Pull yourself together. How could she when her face still throbbed from his punch? When he'd treated her like trash, destroyed that last bit of dignity she had left?

She didn't know how and when, but she was suddenly aware that she was in the front seat of a car and moving. She'd been staring at her knees for some time now, not seeing them, not seeing anything, because it was too much. First William, now Donnie. What had she been thinking, breaking up with him now when she needed him most?

But it wasn't this Donnie she needed, but her real boyfriend. The one who loved her and respected her. She'd lost that person long ago.

She half expected to find her house burned to the ground because she was apparently meant to lose everything.

Not everything. Kathy glanced at Kyle. His eyes were focused on the road ahead, a small worry crease between them. He had one hand on the wheel, the other drumming on the speed gear. His white shirt was stained with black.

Her eyeliner. The eyeliner she'd put on because Donnie suggested it. She'd been such an idiot! A fresh wave of tears cascaded down her cheeks and she buried her face in her hands.

The car immediately pulled over and the engine stopped. Without a word, Kyle picked her up and pulled her into his lap, squeezing her against him. Kathy hugged him back as tightly as she could and let the tears flow again.

Deep down, the sane part of her knew she should stop being pathetic, face the world as ugly as it was, let Kyle go, thank him for his kindness and go home where... Where what? Where absolutely everything reminded her of Donnie? Where her parents were too broken to comfort her?

She couldn't pull out of this hole alone. She needed strength to understand. How could she have missed Donnie transforming from her soulmate into a monster? The signs. The signs were there all along. She'd just been so blind, so stuck in comfortable routine!

Her mind spun out of control, picking up bits and pieces and shoving them back, until finally, she couldn't concentrate on anything anymore. That's when she realized she'd been drawing little flowers in the grime her makeup had left on Kyle's shirt.

"I'm sorry about your shirt," she whispered.

Kyle's body shook under hers as he chuckled. "You haven't spoken in hours and these are your first words?"

"Has it been hours already?" Felt more like a second. Or all eternity.

"About two, is my guess."

And yet, here they were, in a car, on the side of the road. "How long have we been in the car?"

"An hour and a half?"

Congratulations, you've just spent the last two hours squishing and crying over someone. But she didn't feel like getting down either. She pulled away from Kyle and looked at him. His eyes were a little glassy and he had a bruise on his cheekbone, but the smile he gave her was warm and reassuring.

"Have you been sleeping this whole time?" she asked.

His smile widened. "It's not my fault you make a comfortable pillow. And you smell nice. You kinda look like a raccoon, though."

Kathy choked on the laugh making its way up her throat. She quickly regained her composure. Laughing didn't feel right. Kyle seemed to notice, because he turned serious, too.

"Do you want to talk?"

She shook her head.

"Do you want me to take you home?"

She hesitated a second then nodded. It was time to face the loneliness and figure out where to go from there.

Kyle squeezed her against him on more time then helped her back into the passenger seat. It was strangely cold without her body pressed against his. Kyle pressed the button to start the engine and it roared to life. That's when Kathy saw the tiny prancing horse on the wheel. Kyle drove a freaking Ferrari.

"You should talk about it, you know," he said, speeding down the empty road. "Not necessarily to me. To Kelly, your mom, whoever. Just don't keep it locked inside you."

She nodded and sunk into the leather seat. Much too soon, they stopped in front of her house. Kyle leaned towards her and put one hand on her cheek.

"Hey. It might not seem so right now, but you're strong. You'll survive this. After all, sunrise brings hope."

Kathy looked into his dark blue eyes, so full of compassion and kindness and nodded. She would talk about it, and she would get through this. She put her hand on the back of his head, pulled him towards her and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you."

He smiled weakly. "Anytime."

She climbed out of the car and dragged her feet to the her house. As soon as she closed the door behind her, she heard him driving away. Alone, Kathy stared around the familiar hall, the place she and Donnie had met, kissed so many times. She swallowed her tears and headed up the stairs.

She would get over this. Not today, not tomorrow, but some day.

🧩🧩🧩

Well, this is it. Donnie and Kathy are finally over.

How was the breakup scene? I bet you weren't surprised that Donnie was a junky. How disappointed were you that Kyle didn't actually beat the crap out of him and just immobilized him?

Did you find Kathy's reaction believable and emotional enough? How about Kyle's reactions?

Did you get the feels?

Sorry about so many questions. This chapter is very important and I want to get it right.

You may now sacrifice that small goat in my honor. Also, don't forget to vote, comment, share, recommend and whatever else you can do for me, because... No reason, just because why not ;) jk.