Everyone has a weakness, something no matter what they just can't seem to leave well enough alone. For my mom, it's pie, which is why when the holiday season rolls around she gains fifty pounds. Never mention that to her though. I made that mistake once and she about castrated me, her only son, for it. Now every time she eats pie at Thanksgiving or Christmas, she stares at me as she shoves forkfuls into her mouth just daring me to say something. 

For my dad, it's the drink. Actually, his vice isn't half bad because if Mom's out and he's drunk enough to forget my age he lets me pop a can open with him. But he tends to reach for 'one more' one too often, hence the missing garage door and the reason here I was, eleven o'clock at night, walking back from the store because our car was still in the shop.

Great going dad. Way to be an awesome example to your children. I only hope that when I grow up I can be as great as you, crashing into a closed garage door at thirty miles an hour, fat-ass drunk, then puking and stumbling out of the car and having to be carried to bed by your kids. You sure set the standards high.

I caught the commotion out of the corner of my eye. Normally, I'd have easily ignored it, but the emptiness of the street immediately set me on hyper-alert. At practically midnight, any sign of human life couldn't be good. Especially three hooded figures surrounding another in a children's playground. Yeah, that screamed drug deal or murder victim.

I should've ignored it. If I was smart, I'd have kept going, whistled a tune or two, and gone home to watch the rerun of Saturday Night Life I recorded. But I've never been smart in my life and apparently I wasn't gonna start now. See, my weakness? I can't leave well enough alone. Mom calls it curiosity and Dad says I'm just too damn nosey and that it was going to get me in serious trouble one day. Like today.

My feet were already moving toward the playground before I could register what I was doing.

"What's going on over here?" The three figures jumped and turned towards me. Even in the darkness, I could read the outline of scowls and disdain on their faces. They were not pleased to be interrupted. Well shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.

"None of your damn business that's what," one of them spat when I got closer to them.

"You okay man?" I ignored them and focused on the guy behind them. I barely got the words out before I froze and I'm pretty sure my mouth visibly dropped. I wasn't gay or anything, but this guy had to be the most stunning guy, hell person, I had ever seen. He could have been carved from stone. He was tall and lean and his pale skin glowed in the moonlight. He had long golden hair that hung long and loose. But what stunned me most was his eyes. They were pure red, which was ridiculous. No one had red eyes unless they were an albino, but he didn't look like an albino. He didn't even look human with that perfection. 

He didn't say anything and instead stared at me with the most impassive, most disinterested face I'd ever seen. And he was the guy I'd risked getting beaten up for? Great.

"It's best if you go, don't you think?" One of the guys sneered as he drew something from his sleeve. It flashed in the moonlight. A knife. He had a freakin knife up his sleeve. I gulped and took a step back.

"Look, man, I really don't want any trouble. Really. So, why don't we just all walk away from here now and pretend none of this ever happened. Okay?"

He sneered. "Why don't you just walk away and pretend you never saw anything. Okay?"

I really wanted. I really, really, really wanted to. But that god-damn moral side of me would not let me. "I don't think I can do that."

"Then I'm sorry for what I'm about to do."

I saw the knife gleam and I jumped back falling onto the ground. I gave myself a quick once-over looking for a wound only to find none. I looked back up. One of the knife guy's friends had grabbed his knife-wielding wrist and holding him back. Knife guy looked pissed.

"Samuel you know the rules," the one holding the wrist hissed.

"To hell with the rules," Samuel snapped trying to free his hand again. "We finally got this close and you're going to let this insect stand in the way?"

I had enough. With them distracted I slowly stood up, watching them carefully. They were too distracted in bickering to notice anything I was doing. I had no idea what they were saying. My blood and heart blocked everything out as adrenaline surged through me. I just needed to wait for the right moment. I inched my foot slightly, readying myself. And it presented itself. I sprung.

I snatched one of red-eyes arms and screamed "run!" as I all but dragged him away with me. The other men started yelling at us, but I was way too focused to bother to listen.

Their footsteps sounded behind ours, a little too close for comfort, but I couldn't stop, wouldn't stop. Prime example why I always get in trouble at school, I thought absently as we turned the corner onto another street. Running wasn't making a difference. They were always the same distance away with each turn and I was quickly running out of breath. We needed a different game plan.

"Here," I panted hauling him to one of the stone fences. I scrambled on top of it hastily. I turned around to see him staring at me, baffled.

"Come on," I urged holding my hand out again and shaking it in emphasis. He seemed hesitant but calmly took my hand I yanked him up.

"And down we go," I said jumping into the backyard. He followed. I motioned for him to sit against it with me and stay quiet. He obeyed.

"We lost them," I heard a muffled voice say.

"So close," another grunted disdainfully.

"Next time," the other assured. "We'll have our kill."

Kill. I shivered involuntarily and glanced at the man beside me, the man I just risked my life and sanity to save, the man I knew absolutely nothing about. His face was still unnerving expressionless as he listened to them threaten his life.

When I heard their retreating footsteps, I released the breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Well," I said, standing up and stretching out the cramp that had formed in my stomach, "that sure made a fun evening."

He didn't say anything but stood up too. I frowned. I didn't want to be "damn nosey" but I did just stick my neck out for some stranger. I deserved some kind of explanation about this situation, whatever the hell it was. Maybe I should have been more direct and tried "get chased by thugs often?" or, better yet, "Well, tonight was the first time someone's honestly tried to kill me, how about you?"

"Kyle? Kyle Harris? Is that you?" Someone called.

I looked over to see Mrs. Parkson leaning out of her back door, curls in her hair, eyes squinting through her glasses as she searched in the darkness of her backyard.

"Hey Mrs. P," I said awkwardly as I walked closer towards her, the mute following me like a shadow.

"What are you doing over here?"

"I—er—I just—um—jumped over the wrong fence?"

"Your house is a street over."

"Thanks. Best be getting home then. Nice to see you again Mrs. P."

"You too. Walk safely Kyle."

After assuring her a few times I'd go straight home we walked through her house and left through the front door.

I'm not going to lie. I was super jumpy as soon as she shut her door and turned her light off. There were no lights on now and after that experience, every shadow sent a shiver down my back.

"Well," I said turning to face the guy, "I guess I should be going home. Are you okay now?"

He nodded.

I returned it. "Awesome. Just, yeah know, try not get mugged or murdered or anything on your way home. It'd make me saving your ass pointless then."

I swear, I swear, I saw his lip twitch a tiny smile at that last part but it was gone in a blink.

I turned and started to leave when I heard him speak. "Thank you." But when I turned there was no one there, only the emptiness of the wind. His voice though was deep, throaty, but even as a whisper it seemed to boom and echo around me. I shook away all the thoughts and feelings and started to walk home. There was no need to worry about anything now. It was all done and over with. Good riddance too.

Suddenly, a terrifying thought froze me in place and I couldn't breathe. Shit! I dropped the milk when I'd made my escape and by now the store was closed. Mom was going to kill me!