borderline

you dangle on the leash  of your own longing;  your need grows teeth.

[theericabryant-blog]

It only took a brief moment of ignorance–of letting her guard slip, just the slightest–for it to backfire on Piper. He had a grip on her hair before she could calculate her next move, barely giving her time to suck in a breathe before she was forced back under the freezing water. Having just gone under herself, it wasn’t the cold that froze her, but the desperate thought of he’s going to kill me if I let him. She only wished she had time to kick herself for being so naive. How could she think she was safe in a town full of freaks and rejects and dangerous people? This kid had to be some kind of fucked up if he were in this place, and she’d basically asked him to try and drown her.

Try being the word here. She wasn’t going to let him. Fighting against his grip, Piper prepared to lift her foot to his groan in an attempt to free herself, when some of the panic left her brain and she realized something. His grip is easily breakable. Barely there. A strong push of her head could have her up and out of the water…and like that, the tension leaves her own body. He’s not trying to kill her. He’s giving in. A testing out of her theory proves just that, head breaking the surface with the gentle force of his hand still on top of it. Piper blinks the water out of her eyes, staring at Lennon in pure disbelief for just a moment, before putting back on a shit eating grin and tackling him into the water.

[borderliine2-blog]

     So, maybe he was expecting this. Some part of him was hoping she’d be scared, or pissed off, but he should have guessed the ulterior based on their other interactions. She has a knack for the unexpected. “No, no, you don’t,” he laughs as she tackles him, and it’s a full-bellied, in-the-moment laugh this time, not so brisk and cynical like it usually is. It’s muffled by the water that enters his lungs, though, and he’s sputtering water and coughing as soon as he can writhe out of her grip and surface. He attempts to pull her under again, putting his body weight into it, but it’s difficult as they’re both no longer able to be caught off guard.

[theericabryant-blog]

She’s cracked herself up. There was something about Lennon glaring and trying to look all pissed at her while simultaneously looking as ferocious as a wet puppy dog that puts an almost giddy feeling inside of Piper. She can’t stop laughing. “Don’t look at me like that. You’re acting like they’re better things in this place to do than go swimming in a lake…with a half naked girl, might I add.” Like he’s forgotten.

[borderliine2-blog]

      He’s still lost for words, staring repugnantly, when the realization dawns on him. This is what she wants. She wants to stir him up. She wants to break him. It’s all a game to her. And continuing to soak in his frustration would only delight her more. ––– so he quits. He’s not playing anymore.

     In seconds, he has his grip on her, forcing her under the freezing water. But it’s not vengeful. It’s almost...playful, and he can feel the tension slip from him as she fights against him.

[theericabryant-blog]

Beneath the water, Piper both grins and rolls her eyes. Sucker. Waiting for the perfect time, it’s only a few seconds after she notices Lennon kneeling down on the dock that she makes her move. She popped out of the water in a blink of an eye, hand immediately moving towards Lennon’s wrist, which she then uses to pull him far enough into the water that he doesn’t have the risk of hitting his head on anything. The resulting splash is an impressive one, only furthering her grin and even forcing laughter to leave his lips. “Don’t think you can afford to be that gullible in a place like this, Lenny boy.” She teased.

[borderliine2-blog]

     The very temporary relief that he feels upon her coming out of the water is quickly split by her pulling him in –– and it’s the initial shock that dulls his anger as the lake envelops him. He struggles underneath the waves for a few seconds until he regains himself and swims up. It’s all he can do but merely stare at her as he works to keep himself afloat above the waves, sopping wet and white-hot with anger. It’s just. Too much. Too. Irritating.

[theericabryant-blog]

He sounded so sure of himself, too. Quiet–hesitant–but sure. Piper even found herself wanting to believe him, but these said good people, she found, were few and far in between. Her only proof had been her mother, the best person she’d known, until her father took that away from her. After that, there were no good people. Just people, and then monsters, and Piper was unfortunately half monster. It was what her father had tried to tell her every day. It was what she was running from. “I don’t have the patience for trial and error.” She responded, not phased by his honesty. It wasn’t up to her how much he shared; just how much she gave in return, which wasn’t much. Lennon seemed to realize that in the moment, tone shifting from wistful to abrupt and awkward as he scrambled to his feet. Knowing it was a cowardly move, a plan devised in Piper’s mind instantly, an unlikely “wait, no” leaving her lips as she made a move to get up, and then “slipped” off the wet dock and into the water. Hopefully, he hadn’t looked in enough time to notice the banging of her fist against the wood, making a pretty believable head banging sound, on her way to splashing back into the lake.

[borderliine2-blog]

     He’s already planning his route back into isolation when he hears the alarming sound of a skull hitting wood, and he turns just in time to see her disappear beneath a cacophonous splash of water. He can’t say he’s entirely concerned, but at the same time he is –– and maybe it’s just a relative human-to-human thing, but he’s not really in the mood to see another person die in front of him. He kneels down at the end of the dock and peers into what could possibly be this near-stranger’s potential watery grave. “Hey,” he calls weakly, peering deeper in, hardly able to see more than the faintest shadow of her skin. There’s no blood from what he can see, but that doesn’t keep him from searching. You know, just in case she doesn’t bob back up in the next seventy or so seconds it takes a human to fall unconscious from oxygen deprivation.

[instaglory]

Visit Original Link

When you curl up in bed and it’s you and your head now, are you living?

[theericabryant-blog]

Unceremoniously, Piper dropped to seat herself next to him, forcing her gaze towards where his had looked off too, over the hills. Truth was, she’d seen what lied beyond this place, and the rest of the world wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. Blowing a sigh between her lips, she looked over at Lennon, head cocking to the side. “Whatever it is, it can’t be much better than this place.” She offered, honestly. She wasn’t one to sugar coat. “The world is shit. Some places can be less shitty, yeah, but it doesn’t dismiss the fact that it’s still shitty.” Shrugging, she wrapped her arms around her legs. “What do you think’s out there, though?” She had to admit, she was curious–how much of what he was saying was just a way to convince her that he hadn’t just subtly checked her out.

[borderliine2-blog]

       He’s not expecting her to sit next to him, let alone start an actual conversation. It’s a strange juxtaposition to their previous interaction. He’s not sure whether or not he’s okay with it, and he’s sure as hell not going to use his feelings as a reference. Those he’ll ignore at all costs. “No, there’s good people out there,” he says quietly, fiddling with a stalk of grass beside him, “they’re just duller than the shitty ones. They’re like...I don’t know. Jewels, I guess. The rocks are easy to find. The precious stuff takes a lot of trial and error.” A moment sits and he suddenly realizes how much he’d just shared; simultaneously, an intense feeling of discomfort blankets over him. No, no, sharing is bad. Sharing equals reminiscing equals feelings. Feelings are bad. Feelings hurt. This is bad. He experiences a dramatic shift in tone –– “it’s just more grass and shit out there. Nothing special. I,um – I need to go, anyway, so.” He stands up abruptly, turning to walk away.

[theericabryant-blog]

At this, Piper lifted herself out of the water, exposing the soaked tank top and panties she’d substituted as a makeshift bathing suit. She raised her eyebrow, all too aware of how they clung to her body, and how the water dripped off of her skin, and all too aware of how Lennon noticed this, as well. She had to resist the urge to smirk, taking a few steps towards the boy. “Right, of course. The hills.” She patronized him, head cocking to the side.

[borderliine2-blog]

      Her comment sparks irritation in him; because he had, after all, come here to think and separate himself from social interaction, and here she is, trying to provoke him, convince him that his thoughts are elsewhere. Though his eyes are drawn to her as she comes out of the water, he forces his gaze to divert slowly. It’s a fight to keep his expression neutral. “Yeah. They’re nice to look at. I like to imagine what’s beyond them.” This is a bit more personal than he intended, but it’s all included in the act of convincing her he’s not checking her out. And he's not.

[theericabryant-blog]

“What, can’t swim?”

[borderliine2-blog]

     He’s startled at the sound of her voice, but his response is barely more than a slight jolt of the body. “No,” he corrects sternly, ”I just happen to like the view.” He realizes that sentence could easily be misconstrued and quickly attempts to fix it –– “you know, the hills.”

[theericabryant-blog]

Something changed in that moment–Daniel going from intrigued to irritated–and it’s clear with the simple closing comment of whatever. Piper’s not too off put by the change, nor does she particularly care, and with a shrug, she leans back away from him and produces yet another cigarette from the pack next to her, lighting it as soon as it was between her lips. “Whatever.” She echoed.

[borderliine2-blog]

       A moment passes and he’s quickly, decidedly past it; he’s been agreed within himself for a while now that it’s not worth it to hold on to things like he used to. Not worth the self-imposed torture, really. “Anyway,” he seams, clearing his throat, “met anyone interesting yet? Y’know, besides me.”

[theericabryant-blog]

Not that she believed him…but Piper wouldn’t be surprised if Daniel was telling the truth. Though, any man who claimed to know how girls felt usually fell way short of actually knowing how they felt, no matter how much they paid attention or gave a shit. If anything, she was just intrigued that Daniel actually believed so, and kept that little smile on her lips to show as much. “Or not.” She settled for, without so much as a blink of an eye. “But I pay attention too, Daniel, and I have nothing against being proven wrong. Maybe I’ll keep an eye out for you.”

[borderliine2-blog]

     He’s surprised to find himself so undeniably irritated in that moment –– because there’s no way she doesn’t know. Everybody knows. No matter how much he projects himself as what he is (because he is, rather in theory or not, whether anyone else agrees, and that will never change under any circumstance), there’s always evidence. Maybe when he’s older that will change, but for now he’s stuck with some rather unfortunately feminine characteristics that speak out in denial of his true self. So badly he wants to brace back her comment with an attack, but for now he’ll keep it under wraps. It’d go against his point, anyway. “Whatever.”

[theericabryant-blog]

Piper feigned shock, eyes widening. “How’d you know?” She asked breathlessly, but dropped the act in favor of an amused smirk, joint handed back without complaint. Two hits were enough, considering she had her own pack of her preferred vice as soon as she returned “home.” Which would be fairly soon, as Lennon seemed ready to start making his own getaway. “You probably should.” She agreed, though it sounded more like a challenge.

[borderliine2-blog]

      “Guess I’m just psychic, love,” he replies, shrugging earnestly. Something of a little war brews in him in this silent moment; he’s ready to leave, but the other daring half of him wants to tease the situation and see how far it can go. This kind of thinking isn’t uncommon for him –– he’s almost always caught in between what he wants and what he knows will keep him safe. The latter too often prevails; his survival instincts grant him that. It’s about keeping safe. It will always be about keeping safe. “Well. I suppose I’ll see you around, Piper the stage girl.” And with that, he’s headed in the opposite direction, stomach curling strangely.

[asheisababy-blog]

“Pierce. Just Pierce nothing else. So Danny boy, you going to tell a girl they way out of here? Or am I going to have to figure that out all on my own.”

[borderliine2-blog]

     “You’re better off figuring that out on your own, G. This place’s fenced up ten feet. Once you’re in, there’s no way out.” He’d have to be dead to share his trade route. It’s the only thing keeping him from completely losing his mind in this place.

[asheisababy-blog]

“Considering the way we are force to live, I wouldn’t count us out as barbaric, would you?” A slight smirk hints crosses his face in amused by his companion.  Bring the bottle to his lips he listens as the male quickly goes through his life, or at least the parts he would share. “You forgot your shoe size.” He says after a moment a small joke. “Friends are always shit, always wanting something from you. It’s better to avoid having friends all together.”

[borderliine2-blog]

     “Eh, it depends. Personally, I think most of y’all are way too paranoid. I mean, who’s to say all of us are total street thuggers with hearts of stone? I see plenty of redeemable qualities in the peeps around here. It’s all about perspective, homes. What you see isn’t always what you get.” Daniel takes a swig, finally, and scrunches up his face at the awful taste, though can’t help but be somewhat comforted by the sting. It’s an odd comfort. “Oh, come on. Friends are great! I happen to be an enormous fan of blind trust. It’s like Russian Roulette with relationships. You try, everything turns out fine, it’s a huge relief. You fail –– well, you can blame yourself for shootin’ the damn gun in the first place. Life’s way too short not to at least try, you feel?”

[asheisababy-blog]

“Obviously, I was speaking English.”

[borderliine2-blog]

      “Well, I’d ask you to repeat yourself, but I have no desire to talk to you.”

[theericabryant-blog]

“Because I took it right out from under you. What can I say? It’s the opportunist in me.”She joked back, gaze lowering from the dull sky back to him, just in time to see his own kind of peace offering extend her way. The joint. Piper raised an eyebrow, amused, and mulled the offer over for a moment before accepting it and taking a hit. She still preferred her cigarettes, but she appreciated the gesture, and wouldn’t be rude in rejecting it. Lennon was proving himself to be rather entertaining. “Piper.” No last name–Yamada was pretty common, and her father flew under the radar, but she didn’t want to risk the off chance that one of these goons would be found and used to track her down. “Not that it particularly matters to you.” Her head cocked to the side, hand extended to offer back the joint.

[borderliine2-blog]

     “Just Piper?” he queries in a dry tone. “You must be some kind of stage girl.” He plucks the joint from her fingers and takes one last hit before quenching the lit end with his shirtsleeve and placing the joint back in his pocket. He can feel his internal boundaries pulling on him, pulling him away, but the strangest little curiosity has kept him here. It’s as if he desires to see himself pushed into discomfort. “Anyway. I should get going.”

[theericabryant-blog]

She hadn’t asked for his whole life story, but that’s what she’d received. Oh well. She listened without looking too interested, almost like she wasn’t listening at all. She’d mastered this quite young, sitting in on her father’s “business meetings” and having to act as if she didn’t hear talk of unspeakable things being spoken about. Piper couldn’t say her father didn’t teach her anything–just things she wished she hadn’t had to learn. “I feel.” She agreed, though having missed what it was she “felt.” Small dicks, though. That was a good one. She actually smiled at that, finding Daniel’s insistence to be quite cute. “You ever realize that the men who claim to be the “nice guys” and the “gentlemen” are only such until the girls they’re talking to express their disinterest in them?” She leaned forward, batting her eyelashes. “Are you one of those supposed gentlemen, Daniel?”

[borderliine2-blog]

      “I see where you’re comin’ from. Really. But I ain’t like that.” He smiles as she flutters her eyelashes, remembering the conversation he had with Xavier earlier. Figures as much –– but he’s not going to let himself repeat the same mistakes. No, he’s smarter now. More experienced. “I know how girls feel. I pay attention, homes. As painful as it is, I actually give a shit. Believe or not.”

[theericabryant-blog]

Mate. “Cold, my ass.” She mumbled under her breath, leaning against the side of whatever abandoned building was closest. She didn’t take her eyes off of him though, watching him take the lighter and decide whether or not to use it. It was a perfectly good lighter–one of the only things of her father’s, other than his gun, that’d she’d taken. What the stranger does with it is nothing exciting, and it’s handed back in her direction before she could miss it. Seeing the smoke blow from his lips only made her wish that she’d start to carry her pack of cigarettes on her too, instead of just a way to light them. They were of no use to her tucked away at the bottom of her duffel bag, but there was nothing she could do about that now. For the moment, the smell of the smoke in the air around them was comfort enough. “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.” She recited, finally breaking eye contact and forcing her gaze to the sky. 

[borderliine2-blog]

      He offers no reply to her embittered statement, instead taking another hit from his joint. The drug calms his irritated nerves a bit, but not enough to limit his reticent personality. What is it about interaction that plagues him so much? “Oh, Shakespeare, of course,” he teases, voice low, “how could I have missed that opportunity?” A moment passes and he chances an incongruous action –– he offers her the blunt, this time forcing himself to look her directly in the face. He refuses to let someone like her hold any kind of superiority over him. “Lennon Bruswick. Not that it particularly matters to you.”