Mated With Five Boys

"Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them.Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for
the heart to conquer it"- Rabindranath Tagore
"What are you doing here?"
I quickly looked over, my panic fading.
"Making sure you stay out of trouble? Axel smirked over at me, the light from the flames bouncing off his face.
"I don't need a babysitter.’ I huffed out, looking away from him and at the fire.
"That's debatable."
He grunted.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
I asked, slightly offended.
"This place is crawling with Noah's men” He said lowly, his eyes focusing on the ground.
"You were worried about me."
I teased, looking over at him.
"Don't go getting a big head, it's not like we are friends or anything.'' He chuckled which caused his laugh lines to show.
"Right because you haven't spilled your guts yet"
I reminded him, Axel just rolled his eyes in response.
"Well, what do we have here?"
Axel's voice was laced with amusement.
My eyes followed to where Axel was looking and that's when I saw Kina and Rylan irrupting from the darkness the woods,
holding hands.

Well that dirty scoundrel, no wonder I couldn't find him! I instantly jumped up to my feet at the sight of Rylan, I need his help with
Camila.
If things were different I'd probably be more happy for him and Kina, but this was life or death.
"Woah, Woah, Woah."
Axel jumped up.
"Where are you going?"
He asked standing in front of me, blocking my path.
"Move, I need to talk to Rylan; I stated, trying to step around him but he just moved with me causing me to let out an irritated
breath.
"You got me instead."
Axel huffed, his eyes turning into slits.
"I can't tell you! You've got to move, the longer I wait the worse it's going to get."
I wanted to smack his chest but I didn't.
"What are you talking about?"
His eyes searched my face looking for answers.
"Move!"
I hissed, stomping my foot on the dirt.
"Come with me first."
He stated, his eyes holding a mysterious glint.
"I can't"
I couldn't control the whine that escaped my throat.

"Please Mia.’ Axel's eyes bored into mine, his dark irises swirling with different emotions.
I looked over at Rylan and saw him laughing at something Kina had said, her eyes were shining bright with content.
I'll let them have just a few more moments of happiness.
I looked back over at Axel and gave in, I couldn't say no the look on his face.
"Just a few minutes, okay?"
I told him.
He nodded his head in agreement, grabbing my hand and hauling me somewhere into the darkness of the woods.
My hand tingled something that happened often when Axel touched me.
I followed Axel blindly into the tall trees, slapping branches out from my face from time to time.
I could barely see anything with the treetops blocking out most of the moonlight which caused me to stumble on fallen branches.
I now understand why everyone falls in horror movies, they can't freaking see anything.
"Where are we going?"
I asked him.
"We're almost there"
He stated, striding effortlessly in the rough terrain.
"That's not exactly the answer I was looking for’ I said sarcastically.
Suddenly Axel stops walking and I run right into his back from the untimely stop.
Of course, he didn't budge any, he was like a cement wall.
I looked around and saw that he had taken me to another clearing, a little higher than where the bonfire was.
My eyes automatically snapped to the ledge that was only a few feet away from us.

My breath thinned looking down slightly, keeping a good distance away from the cliff.
My breathing was labored and I think Axel noticed because he told me to sit.
But I was frozen in my own fear, this was way worse than being on that glass walkway in the airport.
Axel yanked gently on my hand, sending me to the ground where he sat.
"Look up.’ He whispered.
But my eyes were only trained to look down.
"Look at the sky Angel,’ Axel said softly.
I tore my eyes away from the ledge and forced them to look up.
I gaped at the sight in front of me, my stomach dropping fear suddenly washed away and was replaced with awe.
There had to be at least a million stars shining above me, the constellations painting the night sky.
The view was breathtaking, I've never seen so many stars in my life.
Back in New York, it's hard to really star gaze with all city lights but here, in the middle of nowhere, it was like pure magic.
"I read that you use to go outside with your mom and look at the stars, I thought you'd like this place,"
Axel muttered, staring at me.
"She would have loved it here; I whispered, lost in the balls of exploding gas.
"I'm sorry, for you know, everything.’ He spoke, looking down at his hands.
"What you did wasn't okay.’ I started.
"But, I forgive you."
I looked over at him.
"I still want you to tell me though."

I finished.
Axel nodded his head looking up from his hands to look straight passed the ledge.
"Where do I begin?"
He thought out loud.
"Usually from the beginning’ I joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
Axel just gave me a look and sighed deeply.
"My mother died giving birth to me.’ Axel furrowed his eyebrows, looking straight forward again.
"From what I gather from pictures and from what people have told me before I was born my parents had the picture-perfect life."
"Sunday morning church, promising careers, they even had just boughten their first house with a baby boy on the way’ Axel
laughed unamused.
"Eight months into my mom's pregnancy something happens to her, causing a hemorrhage.
The details are fuzzy because no one really talked about her it was like she never existed.
Long story short they saved me but couldn't save her: I watched his jaw started clenching and unclenching repeatedly.
"You don't have to tell me any more,’’ I whispered, I knew how it felt to lose a mother.
I don't want to make him relive the pain he felt growing up.
"After her death, my father turned to drugs and alcohol, he felt like God betrayed him.
He couldn't look at me without seeing the product of the devil, but I think it was more of the fact every time he looked at me he
was reminded of her"
"I was in the hospital for 3 months after my premature birth and he never came to see me, not once.I only know because my
aunt, my mother's sister, was there everyday and she told me when I was older.I lived with my aunt until I was five until she got
pregnant herself and couldn't afford taking care of two kids"

"So I was stuck living with my father, I'd probably be dead if it wasn't for his girlfriend at the time, she would feed me and even
sometimes give me baths when I really needed them"
"When I was old enough to start school, that's when the beatings began.He would get wasted and come home swinging pretty
much every night.He would scream at me saying I killed his wife, that I was a monster, I didn't deserve to live"
"I tried running away multiple time but police would just bring me right back, so I started fighting back.I would punch, kick, bite,
and scratch whatever I could, but he was just too strong.’
’ "After the third hospital visit I was taken away from him and put into foster care, I think I was around eight.I was in and out what
felt like hundred houses because I was the "problem kid"that started fights and wouldn't listen to authority."
He shook his head.
"I was eleven when I walked into Rose's life, Rylan and I were her first foster kids.I treated her like shit, I tried to break her, make
her ship me off to another home but she never did.She dealt with all my bullshit and still does to this day"
For the first time since Axel started talking about his past he finally looked up to me.
His eyes were watery and my heart shattered to a thousand pieces.
I found myself wrapping my arms around him, pulling my body close to him.
I knew there wasn't anything I could say to make him feel better so I just hugged him as hard as I could.
Maybe If I was lucky I could put his broken pieces back together and maybe mine too.
"You're kinda suffocating me, Angel."
Axel tried peeling himself away.
"Sorry, I mumbled, instantly backing away from him.
"I did enjoy your body on mine though"
He winked causing me to roll my eyes at him.
Stupid Axel.

"I'm sorry about your mom, cancer is unforgiving” Axel spoke carefully.
I nodded my head agreeing with him.
Cancer doesn't care if you are young or old, what color your skin is, your choice in religion, or the people that need you here on
Earth.
"She had stage 4 leukemia, her body stopped reacting to the medication; I explained, surprisingly not feeling as emotional as I
usually did talking about my mother.
"And my dad left us before I was born; I told him.
"That's so fucked"
He said angrily.
"So does this make us friends yet?"
I smiled teasingly, looking over at him.
"Me? Be friends with you? Never.’ He gave me a dirty look but I heard the sarcasm in his voice.
"You're right, that's absurd."
I played along.
We sat in a comfortable silence, my eyes wandered back to the sky, still amazed by the sight.
That's when Camila flooded my thoughts again.
"Axel, you got to help Camila.’ I rushed out and instantly realized my mistake.
But he was the only one who could do something about it.
Rylan would have probably gone to Axel anyway.
"And Angelo."
I put in.

"Why?"
He gave me a weird look.
I let out a breath feeling nervous all over again, the sinking was back and stronger than ever.
"He hit her Axel,"
I whispered, my voice shaky.
"I saw the bruises on her yesterday,’ I told him.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner!"
Axel yelled, standing up.
"Because he threatened her with Angelo’s life if anyone from your gang got involved!"
I yelled back.
Axel's chest was heaving up and down and I watched as the information processed in his brain.
"He also told her that he wasn't going to stop sending people after me."
I continued telling him.
Axel's face was filled with anger but suddenly went blank, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
The phone rang a couple times before the person on the other end picked up.
"Get the guys and met in 10 minutes by the cars."
He demanded before hanging up.
"What are you planning?"
I asked panicked.
"This is ending."

He stated.
"Tonight: "You can't!"
I protested.
"Didn't you hear what I said? He'll kill Angelo!"
I reminded him.
"He'll be fine Mia."
He assured me.
I was about to fight hirn on the subject more but as if it was on cue, a scream erupted through the woods, practically Stilling my
heart right then and there.
"Please stop!"
The girl pleaded with someone.
"I didn't tell anymore I promise."
She cried.
Axel and I both immediately knew that voice, it was Camiia.
Axel bolted back into the maze of trees towards her, he pulled his phone back out and ordered his gang to met him the north-
west side of the mountain.
I ran as fast as I could behind Axel, trying my best not to face plant into the hard ground.
Camlia's screams got closer and closer until we found her,pinned against a tree with Noah on top of her.
Axel quickly tipped him off her and onto the dirt, he pushed Camlia towards me.
I watched as Axel reached for his pocket, pulling something out.
It was a gun.

The dark sliver shined in the moonlight, he had that gun this whole time? I watched as he pointed it Straight at Noah.
Air completely left my lungs as I heard reinforcements for both sides stomping through the woods.
"Get out of here."
Axel ordered, his voice dangerously low.
"But wh-"
I started.
"Get out of here Mia.’ Axel growled, furious.
Camlia pulled my hand, telling me we needed to go.
I took one last look at Axel before letting Camlia pull me through the woods.
I screamed loudly when a gunshot went off behind us.
Adrenaline rushed through my body, forcing me to run faster.
My heart was missing beats and my head was fuzzy.
We didn't stop running until we were back at the bonfire, everything seemed to be normal here, like nothing bad ever happened.
Camlia spotted Rylan and Kina by the beer table so she sprinted towards him.
Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, I saw everyone's mouths moving but their voices were strange and distorted.
The music sounded like static to my ears.
I saw Rylan hand Kina car keys and I think he told her to take us home but I wasn't extremely sure.
Rylan then ran off toward the woods in the direction we left Axel.
I felt as both Kina and Camlia locked arms with me and we walked towards Rylan's car.
"I'm so sorry.’ I said to Camiia, feeling like I wanted to cry.

"It's okay Mia, I should be thanking you."
She looked sadly at me.
I didn't understand why she would want to thank me, I could have just gotten Angelo killed.
I didn't say anything though, I just crawled into the backseat of the car.
Kina started the engine and we left, I didn't feel right leaving them.
I wanted to stay, make sure they were okay.
But Kina was following Rylan's orders and I was following Axel's.
The whole ride horse I had only one question running through my head.
Did Axel kill Noah?