Heartless

"I am Gunther!"

"And I am Tinka!"

"And we're the Hessenheffers!"

Once again, the fraternal twins made their usual entrance into the school hallway, and Rocky and CeCe were planning witty comebacks and snarky comments yet again. Tucking her earbuds into her head, Delilah started listening to Toxic by A Static Lullaby as to avoid listening to the usual argument the four frenemies had every morning.

And of course that morning, fate decided to be cruel.

"Hello BAY-BEE!" Gunther had the gall that morning to wrap his arm around Delilah and take out one of her earbuds for a change of pace. "We never talk! As the Americans say, what is up?"

By the sudden change and complete horror, the entirety of the hallway had held their breath awaiting to see what would Delilah's reaction be and what would become of Gunther.

Judging by Delilah's emotionless exterior and her zero tolerance for irritation, they knew it wasn't going to end well.

And they were right.

Delilah had taken the other earbud out, (making even such a simple action look threatening), and had turned off her iPod touch. "Get your hands off me. You're annoying me," Her words had come out so cold, and there was a dark aura around Delilah's exterior. The air had become tense, and Gunther had slowly taken his hand away from her shoulder.

"Why am I annoying you? I am just greeting you a happy morning!" Gunther tried to smile, but found it difficult.

"The morning doesn't have any happy appearance, fool. It only has the sun, clouds, and apparently irritable idiots. And you annoy me by your mere prescence," Delilah had said all of this without a hint of emotion on her face, and she looked so calm yet murderous. "Please return to your sister Tinka and leave me be."

Gunther sighed deeply. "Why are you so mean all the time, Delilah? Why cannot you smile? It is easy, see?" Gunther had demonstated giving a smile, pointing to his face.

"It is also easy to act like an idiot. And I am not being mean- I am just saying what I think of you. Irritable, annoying, stupid, foolish, an overall idiot who doesn't know his place. Now I will ask you only once more. Leave me alone."

Gunther's smile dropped. "Why...?"

Gunther had suddenly put his head down. "Why are you acting this way?"

The girl who had saved him from those bullies back in the first grade had flashed through his mind. She was brave and strong, and kind to stand up for him. A hero- someone he looked up to. Was Delilah really that person? His hero?

"What happened to that girl in first grade? I looked up to her! Where is she now? She was my friend- my first friend! And now...!" Gunther uncharacteristically yelled at Delilah, his face red and his eyes blurry. "I don't know you..." He hissed, striding down the hall to his next class in a rage.

The event finished, the other students had proceeded to avoid Delilah as usual, but with more caution than ever before.

CeCe, Rocky and Tinka had slowly approached Delilah with dissapointment in their eyes.

"Now look what you did to my brother. Why are you so...heartless?" Tinka whispered, running away to leave CeCe, Rocky and Delilah alone.

"Delilah," Rocky started, but she had no idea what else to say. "CeCe, we're going to be late. We have to go."

CeCe stood her ground. "I know you're my sister but... Tinka was right. You had no right to say those things to Gunther. You are heartless." Then, the two left the hallway to leave Delilah by herself.

Heartless...huh.

The bell rung, and Delilah found no use in going to her next class so soon. After taking some deep breaths, she went to the teachers office for her pass and proceeded to go to first period. _

After the last bell rung, Delilah had taken her bag and other belongings out with her and decided to walk home considering it might be tense in the bus ride home. She didn't feel like putting up with the dissapointed glances and scared faces.

In her mind, Delilah thought she had her right to say those things. It's what she honestly thought and he was annoying her. Besides, he was too distracting and she needed to focus on other stuff. And Gunther WAS an idiot for approaching her in the first place. Didn't he know not to do that?

But in her heart Delilah knew she was in the wrong. Gunther didn't really do anything wrong- in all truth, he was trying to brighten Delilah's day. He had cared about her, and acknowledged her and that was how she repaid him- by calling him those names and pushing him away.

When she was alone in an alley, Delilah had let her feelings of fustration and guilt come out. Taking her already injured hand from digging her nails into her palms so much, she had started hitting the wall with the soft part of her hand, muttering to herself.

"I was so stupid back there! Why did I do that to him? Why do I have to be such an idiot all the time, huh? Damn it!" She hissed, letting the pain become apparent, now seeing her hand tinged with raw pink flesh and blood.

After wrapping her hands in some bandages she kept in her bag, she had slipped on her fingerless gloves again and started to walk out when all of a sudden three guys came in tackling a fourth guy to the ground. Quickly, Delilah had hidden behind a garbage bin and looked for a way out when a flash of blonde hair caught her eye.

Gunther!

Gunther was on the ground, his arms bruised and forehead bleeding. Delilah looked back at the group and realized it was Frankie the "Complication" and his gang.

"You can go back to where you came from, freak!" Frankie had kicked Gunther in the ribs, and a loud crack! was heard.

Not fully conscious of what she was doing, Delilah had let her fustration come out from before in a furious stage. She had let out a growl as she appeared from behind the garbage bin and tackled Frankie to the ground, wrapping her hands around his throat.

Gunther watched with horror as Delilah had started squeezing Frankie's neck, his breathing becoming haggard.

The other two members of Frankie's group was about to pull Delilah off Frankie until they saw a look in her eyes that they deemed as inhumane.

There was a fire in her eyes, and they knew not to mess with her. In that moment, she wasn't human. She was a monster, and was fully capable of murder.

The other two had run away, leaving a horrified Gunther and Delilah strangling Frankie.

Her nails sunk deep into Frankie's neck, his loud screams only coming out in little intervals as she choked him near to death.

But before Frankie had begun to pass out, Delilah gave him a scary look and whispered in his ear.

"Don't you dare do this again, or you will pay."

Letting go of Frankie, she had gotten off him and he started running away barely escaping with his life.

Her nails painted a deep red with Frankie's blood, Delilah turned to Gunther who shook against the alley wall, completely scarred by what he had witnessed.

When Delilah took a step toward Gunther, he had tried backing up, but only found brick behid him. He had nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Completely helpless against this heartless monster.

It was the same thing back in the first grade. Delilah had the same crazed look on her face and Gunther was still shaking with fear. Nothing changed- only time had taken its course, and Delilah didn't look as much of a hero but more of a monster.

But the problem was, Gunther didn't know if Delilah would let him go this time.

The moment froze. Time had halted, and both teens held their breath wondering what would happen next.

"Are you okay?" Delilah asked him, her eyes softened and her shoulders were broad.

She said the same thing back then. Gunther nodded. "I will be alright."

Time had reversed for that second, and first grade had replayed through their mind again.

The young and present Delilah held out their hand. "Let me help you."

Both Gunther's nodded with a half smile. "Thank you," They took Delilah's hand, and a feeling of hope surged through both.

It had only lasted for a second however, and the two returned to the present. Hand in hand, Delilah led Gunther to CeCe's apartment for treatment of his cuts and bruises. Gunther turned to Delilah, his face showing signs of exhaustion and weariness. But he wore a smile. "I know you."

Delilah looked away, and she sighed. "You're careless, you idiot."

Gunther only laughed, and when she thought he wasn't looking she slightly smiled to herself.

Gunther had sneaked a look at Delilah. I guess she is not as heartless as I thought._

Extended Ending:

The next morning came. And the usual followed.

"I am Gunther!"

"And I am Tinka!"

"And we're the Hessenheffers!"

This time, Beside You by Marianas Trench (which was a tone down from the song before) blared through Delilah's earphones. About to walk to her first period and ignoring the four who were about to start their argument they missed yesterday, she was interrupted by Gunther yet again pulling one of her earphones out and swinging his arm around her.

"Hello, bay-bee! What is up?" He had said, this time not so loudly.

Tinka, CeCe, Rocky and practically the rest of the students in that hallway thought Gunther was crazy. After what happened yesterday, why was he confronting Delilah again? Was he crazy?

Emotionless as ever, but her voice less intimidating, Delilah had spoke. "The cieling, Gunther. And please don't call me bay-bee. It's weird."

She shrugged off his arm from her shoulder. Feeling rejected again, Gunther's face fell.

"Next time, just call me Delilah."

The students froze. Did...

Did Delilah just...accept Gunther?

Gunther's face lit up. His smile returned brighter, and Delilah gave an acknowledging nod.

CeCe, Tinka and Rocky's mouths hung open.

Rocky was the first to speak. "What happened?"

Gunther's eyes never left Delilah as she walked into the classroom.

There is my hero from that day. Delilah.