Barrie guilty gazed at the picture while remembering why she hasn't came over to visit Alex or invite him over to her house as she stared at the cracked broken glass in the picture frame.

He still has it right beside his bed even after what I did! I am...I have got to be a monster for forgetting this!

Barrie started to remember everything about that day a few weeks ago earlier this year after her grandma died, how Alex had invited, no, more like begged her to come over because she was pushing everyone away including him. She reluctantly consented and came over to find Alex had nearly set fire to her kitchen making her a home cooked meal. She remembered how she criticized the food and how Alex was no good just like the food, but he did not get angry with her. No, he just apologized to her and ordered a pizza for her. Of course the food was not bad at all. In fact, it was quite good, but she was in a sour mood and knew Alex would let her rant and also let her take out her frustration on him without uttering a peep in protest. She remembered how Alex suggested she should spend the night because he was scared of being alone, but she knew he just wanted to be able to comfort her, yet she still told him that he be a baby or something, however Alex played it off by making baby noises and acting like a baby to get her to laugh, but she shoved him into the wall. She remembered looking down at him while he bitterly smiled up at her and asked did she need extra cover, a toothbrush, or something for her room. 

A funny thing or really not so much as funny, was that Alex changed his parent's room to make it her room after her mother died and he even remodeled it to have all of her favorite colors and favorite things with the money from the state and his trust fund. He had always kept the room just the way it was before his parents died for he could have it as a memory of them, but he changed it for her. She lowered her head as she remembered making that whole year horrible for him, but he still was by her side.

Yet, when he asked her did she need an extra toothbrush, cover, or anything for her room back then, she snapped at him by saying, "Who said I was going to sleep in their, you little prick?!!" 

She remembered storming to his room and him depressingly following behind her while trying to appease her as she kicked her shoes off to get comfortable in his bed and threw a pillow to him for he could sleep on the floor. 

Barrie mockingly laughed at herself as she remembered how Alex said he would sleep in the guest room, but she told him that she was too 'scared' to be 'alone' in the room by herself to get back at him for earlier. The sad thing was that Alex actually got down on the cold wooden floor to sleep, which made her finally feel too ashamed of how she was treating him, so she told him to get in the bed with her, but received an answer in response from him that made her upset as she remembered him bashfully saying that she was a young lady and he was a young man, so it would not be gentlemen like or proper for him to get into the bed with her. 

But did she care? Of course not! In her mind, it sounded like he was rejecting her due to her average looks and her obscene height, so she tore in to the bitterly smiling figure that was gazing up at her from the floor. She remembered how he tried placating her while hurrying to get into the bed with her, which she just irritably gazed down on him at he nervously gulped beside her. 

It was weird for her to sleep in the bed with a boy, even if it was Alex as she felt butterflies, but they  were overshadowed by her pain and rage to be able to give her the time to fully interpret her other feelings then. She remembered how cute Alex's little silhouette compared to hers as they laid down side by side in the bed under the same warm cover and him bashfully looking at her as his face turned a shade of red.

It was a blissful heartwarming moment, but of course it did not last. She rudely finger flicked him on the forehead and told him to keep his eyes to himself while he gave her a sad smile. She couldn't take his smile, so she turned her body around to annoyingly see the happy picture of her and Alex having a picnic.

She grudgingly picked it up to face it down, but Alex's voice stopped her.

"That's my favorite picture and memory of us together. Whenever I miss my mom and dad or feel lonely, I always look at it to comfort me." Alex smilingly said to her, leaning over her to dreamily gaze at the picture, which annoyed her further.

"What are you like, a little kid? What the picture couldn't comfort you, so you begged me to come over here, huh?" She said then, remembering she prodded him harshly against his chest so hard that he fell onto his back while she spitefully gazed down at him and he stuttered trying to calm her down.

"It's...it's not like that...even though I do enjoy you coming over because I do feel rather lonely...when you are not around me, but Barrie...I...I  actually invited you over because I wanted you to know I am here for you and to comfort you...it seems like I am not doing a very good job." Alex hesitantly stammered, lowering his head as a downcast expression appeared on his face while Barrie gawked down at him awhile, then her eyebrows furrowed as anger overcame her.

"What? Like really Alex? You are going to comfort me! Like how, you little midget? I do not me need you to comfort me! Do I look like a freaking little kid like you? Huh?" Barrie angrily exclaimed, grabbing Alex by his shirt to pull him up to her face as her spittle rained down on him while he fearfully gazed up at her.

"I...I just wanted to be there for you like you have always been there for me! I'm sorry! I just...I just want us to be like we were then in that picture! I feel like I am loosing you and I do not want to see you leave! Why can't everything be like it used to be?" Alex exasperatedly exclaimed, searchingly staring into Barrie eyes as she glared at him.

"Well it can't go back! Grow the fuck up Alex! Your parents are dead and this stupid picture is old! Life goes fucking on!" Barrie angrily exclaimed, letting Alex go to grab the picture frame with the picture of Alex and her to angrily throw it down on the floor while a broken glass sound followed.

She remembered amusingly watching Alex dumbly jump out of the bed to stumble and fall, then got on his hand and knees to frantically pick up the pieces as tears started to fall from his eyes.

Barrie hated herself as she recalled the rest of what happened that day...

"Ugh! Alex it is just a freaking picture, so why are you like in your feelings? Ugh! You are getting on my nerves! The shit cannot be put together, you little idiot!" Barrie exasperatedly exclaimed, feeling bad as she watched Alex silently sob as he kept trying to put the broken pieces of the picture frame together, however she started growing irritated as she watched him continue to struggle to put the broken pieces together like by some miracle, the pieces will stick back to each other. What was even more irritating and depressing to her, was that his hands were bleeding from the broken glass and the little idiot was not even doing anything about it. 

She angrily grunted as she took the cover from over her to get out of the bed to slip her flats back on, then grudgingly walked over to Alex to stand over him, but he did not even notice her. He just kept struggling with the stupid picture as she stood over him impatiently tapping her foot irritation.

Ugh! I cannot take it anymore!

"That's enough Alex!" Barrie angrily exclaimed, stomping her foot down in irritation while Alex fearfully stumbled from his frantic actions to hesitantly gaze up at her. She almost shamefully turned her head to avoid looking at his frightened tearful face, but grew even more irritated once she saw him scoot the broken pieces of the picture frame and the picture toward him to protectively cover it with his arms as if she was going to take it or ruin it even further, which made her suck her teeth in anger.

"I am not going to anything to the stupid picture Alex, so why are you acting like that!" She angrily exclaimed, growing more upset by the second as her face and furrowed eyebrows reflected it because the only response she got from him, was him stretching out his arms to protectively cover it as he scooted it further into his bosom while giving her an apprehensive gaze.

Ugh! He gets on my nerves!

"Fine! Be that way!" Barrie angrily exclaimed, furiously kicked Alex to cause him to fly back into the wall and she did not wait to see as she promptly turned around to storm angrily out of his room hearing Alex painfully groan out in pain behind her. 

She knew she was in the wrong at that time, but she was to frustrated to care as she briskly walked to get out of his house while bumping and knocking over several things. She was almost to the door when she heard a groan in pain as something fell behind her, which made her curiously turn her head to see Alex grimacing in pain on the floor struggling to get up. Her frustration wavered as she felt pained even further watching Alex struggling to get up to make his way to her. 

She watched him grimace in pain with each step he took to finally fall down once he made it to her and latched his arms around her leg while she felt the warm blood oozing from his hands onto her calf.

"Barrie...don't leave me, you are all I have." Alex painfully raspily said, gasping for air as he leaned against her leg, not even seeming to have the strength to look up and gaze at her.

She inwardly struggled as her frustration told her to shake him off her leg and leave while her guilt told her to stay and tend to his wounds. She confusingly gazed down at his forlorn figure beneath her on the floor while noticing that he had quite a big bruise on the back of his head where his hair was matted from it bleeding. She bit her bottom lip slightly closed her eyes as she remembered that she was the cause of it while tears started to flood her eyes to rain down into Alex's hair below her.

Her heart pulsed violently as felt remorse and guilt, but pain overall. She did not know what was happening to her and why she treated Alex as bad as she did. She turned her head while she hurriedly shook Alex off of her leg for she could leave as she muttered "I'm sorry" once she finally shook him off of her leg, then left with injured heart.

Barrie tearfully snapped out of her past thoughts as tears rained down from her eyes while she fondly touched the picture with a saddened smile on her face. She removed her hand and was going to turn around to leave, but for some reason she followed an urge to go over to Alex to bend down and gently kiss him on his forehead, then growing startled and embarrassed because he woke up.

Alex groggily woke up as he felt something on his forehead. He blinked his eyes a few times to adjust his focus and opened them wide in surprise once he saw Barrie's beautiful face not that far from his. His heart froze as he hoped this dream or nightmare would not end up with him being a victim of her abuse again while his body involuntarily cringed a little as he stared up at her blinking eyes. 

He realized as they were gazing at each other that he was not on Barrie's sofa anymore. He hurriedly sat up, causing both him and Barrie to let out a gasp in the sudden pain as he closed his eyes while massaging his forehead with his hand, but stopped once the cover fell off of him and he felt the cool sensation of the air on his bare skin. He hurriedly gazed downwards to see he was not wearing a shirt as mind started to relentlessly figure out where did his shirt go and where is he.

Alex tried gazing around, but Barrie's large form was blocking part of the view while she for some reason was nervously twiddling her fingers. He questionably gazed at her flushed face while she avoided eye contact with him. He was about to open his mouth to speak, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw the picture of him and Barrie together. 

He finally realized where he was as his face flushed red as he realized he was at home in his bed and Barrie must have carried him here. That would explain him not having a shirt...

Not having a shirt... Wait!

Alex hurriedly reached under the cover to let out relieved sigh once he made sure his groin area was covered, but inwardly cringed once he realized his joggers were gone. The only thing he had on was his boxers, it seemed for he could not even feel socks on his feet. Alex pulled the cover over him as he started to feel embarrassed and insecure.

Barrie did not know whether to feel guilty or laugh at his cute actions. She had to admit she inwardly felt delight in seeing his crimson embarrassed face, however she stopped inwardly giggling when she realized the uncomfortable air between them. She cast her gaze towards Alex to see him bashfully hurry to turn his head, then goosebumps started to appear on her arm as they sat in silence.

The awkward silence was finally broken when the ringtone from Alex's phone loudly rang out. Barrie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion while wondering who would be texting or calling him to late. She was just about to bend down to go through the pile of his clothes she discarded on the floor, but stopped when she saw Alex remove the cover off of him to reveal his cute little body. She blushed as she eyed his toned abs and pecs as she  wondered what was inwardly going on with her while completely forgetting about acting upon her curiosity to see his phone.

Alex unconsciously took the cover off of him as he got out of bed, then stopped once felt the cool air on his almost naked body. He hurriedly threw his arms to cover himself as he reluctantly turned to gaze at Barrie, who was blushing as blatantly stared at him. He gradually took his arms down  rather reluctantly as he thought of her already seeing all he had, so what was there to hide, plus at least she left his boxers on.

Barrie grew started as she saw Alex took his hands down from covering his body while realizing she had had been intensely studying his body and her face turned a deeper shade of red.

What will he think of me now?  I already have done so many horrible things to him! I hope he will think I am being a pervert!

"Alex...I...I!"  Barrie emotionally stuttered, but Alex interrupted her.

"Thanks Barrie for everything. I am sorry for being such an impolite guest that you had to carry me home and...get me ready for bed. I am really sorry...the first time we have really been together in such a long time, but I went to sleep on you. I must have really made it a disappointment." Alex said, smiling at Barrie as she was still bent down gazing up at him.

Barrie's mind went astray as she gazed at his smiling expression while digesting his words. She stood up as her heart fluttered while inwardly giggling at Alex cautiously backing away from her.

Alex eventually fearfully shuddered once he found his back against the wall as he cautiously gazed at Barrie's towering form slowly approach him while she gazed at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes and a smile  on her face. 

"Barrie...what are you do..." Alex hesitantly said, but was interrupted when Barrie pulled him into her sweet soft, and warm embrace as her not too fresh womanly scent and honeysuckle fragrance invaded his nostrils. He wanted to struggle at first, but could not bring himself to do it, so he fully basked himself in her warm embrace while he rested his ear against her warm stomach he could feel through her shirt. He peacefully listened to her heartbeat as he buried his face even further in her embrace.