Midnight Confessions

MIDNIGHT CONFESSIONS

         It was a cold and cloudy night. A night where most people would curl in their sleep, dreaming. But on that fateful night, a 14-year-old boy was about to confess to his friend who was having a sleepover… He was about to confess a terrible secret…

***

         Gareth stared.

         He had been staring at the back of his sleeping best friend for who-knows-how-long before he let out a defeated sigh. The said boy then shifted, trying to detangle himself from his bulky blanket. After a brief struggle, he managed to free himself and crawled silently to the sleeping boy not far from him. He raised a hand and was about to tap his friend — to wake him up — before he changed his mind and reluctantly put his hand down. Maybe I should forget about it… he thought, I mean, how can I admit to him that I’m not what he thinks I am? How can I tell him that - that I’m a monster??

         When Gareth was contemplating whether he should tell his secret or not, the sleeping boy moved and slowly open his eyes, watching his pensive-looking friend crouching beside him. He said nothing for a while as his brain was registering the scene. His left eyebrow slowly rose when he realized that his best friend was staring into nothingness like an idiot in that ungodly hour. “Gareth?” the boy finally asked, looking at his best friend with his still sleepy eyes.

         Gareth was instantly snapped out of his trance. He blinked for a couple of times before turning his head to meet his friend’s cerulean eyes. He still couldn’t believe that he was actually going to tell the other boy about his big secret. The boy was Gareth’s only friend, and he didn’t want to lose him when he learnt about his nasty secret.

         “K…Kyle…” Gareth said nervously, biting his lower lip.

         Kyle combed through his blonde hair and yawned as he waited for his best friend to answer. When he didn’t, though, Kyle cocked his head and frowned while trying to guess what was bugging Gareth’s mind. His frown got a little deeper when he couldn’t seem to find the reason.

         “Hey, what’s wrong, buddy? You look… troubled.” Kyle asked, concerned. Sure Gareth was a kinda’ weird kid, but he was a good guy with many talents — sports mostly. Kyle was still wondering how his best friend could leap so high and run that inhumanly fast.

         “I… I got something to tell you…” The boy glanced away from his friend and stared at the random things he found on the floor, wetting his lips now and then. His heart pounded so hard he could hear it in his head — those strong, frantic beats he so often heard when he pounced his target and —

         “Gareth? You spaced out again.” The blue-eyed boy stated. Gareth could see concern plastered on his best friend’s face… or was it fear? The milder expression of the fear he saw in all his victims’ face? Gareth could never forget those looks… What if he would see that same expression on Kyle’s face?

         Gareth shook his head. No, I must not falter! I must tell Kyle! Now! The boy took a deep breath and faced his oblivious-looking friend — determined.

         “I lied to you, Kyle,” Gareth finally admitted, “I lied to you.”

         “Lied?” Kyle asked, still with his half-confused, half-oblivious expression. He felt that the problem was serious, as he never saw his friend act that way before. “Look, if it’s only a simple lie, I won’t be mad with you, you kno — ”

         “It is NOT just a simple lie!” Gareth snapped through clenched teeth, startling his best friend. For a moment, he just wanted to blurt everything out to Kyle, everything he had been keeping only to himself… but it was so hard for him to do that, too much reasoning and contemplating… He cursed silently to himself for not being able to be more direct.

         Suddenly, he felt Kyle’s hand touched his shoulder. “Gareth,” the blonde-haired boy said seriously, looking straight at the troubled boy’s deep, chocolate eyes. “What is it that trouble you? We’ve been best buds for years! You could always tell me your problem…”

         Gareth looked at Kyle exasperatedly, then looked down, then hesitantly looked back at Kyle again, as if deciding whether he should reveal what he really were… He finally took a deep breath and confessed…

         “I am a thug. I’ve been trying to hide this from you, Kyle, but I can’t do it any longer! I don’t want to lie to you, buddy… You’re my best friend! I — I’ve done many terrible things! Robbing, hitting people — I even almost kill someone!” Gareth admitted in frustration, tears threatening to fall.

         Kyle watched Gareth silently, his expression calm but contemplative. “In that case, Gareth,” he said emotionlessly as the full moon shown itself from behind the greyish clouds.

         “Huh?”

         “I also want to confess.”

         Silvery fur started to grow all over Kyle; his cerulean eyes slanted and became wilder — like a wolf’s eyes. His ears became pointed and — to Gareth’s horror — his teeth turned into white, sharp fangs. And before Gareth had a chance to say or do anything, Kyle pinned him down with his strong, clawed paws.

         “But we’re still friends forever, right?” Kyle asked as he sank his teeth.

END