Stolen Songs

by Samantha Armstrong

  As soon as I see who it’s from, I can’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. Kingsley: Are you okay?

  Me: I’m fine. Stop worrying.

  Kingsley: I can’t help it. I’ve been worrying all afternoon.

  Me: I’m actually surprised you didn’t text me sooner.

  Kingsley: I was going to, but I had lacrosse practice.

  I shake my head and another message comes through.

  Kingsley: What are you doing?

  Me: Lying in bed with my sister.

  Kingsley: When do I get to meet her? When do I get to meet all of them?

  I can’t begin to explain the butterflies in my stomach when I read that message over and over.

  Me: One day.

  Kingsley: Why don’t you bring them over to my house when my parents are out? They can go swimming in the pool.

  God, they would love that.

  Me: How? I don’t have a car, remember, and they can’t walk that far.

  Kingsley: I can pick you up.

  Me: I told you that’s not happening.

  Kingsley: Come on, babe. You gotta let me in soon.

  Me: I can’t.

  Kingsley: Why not?

  Me: Because.

  Kingsley: Seriously, I thought you’d be better at excuses.

  I roll my eyes.

  Me: I want to know what you’re doing next year by tomorrow.

  Kingsley: Tomorrow?

  Me: Yes.

  Kingsley: Can’t I just follow you?

  I repress a laugh, and shift Tilly before texting back. No! You have to figure out what you want to do with your life.

  Kingsley: Can I have a few more days to think at least?

  Me: Fine. After the audition.

  I don’t know if I’m ready to hear what he says. I don’t want to think about what’s going to happen to us if we’re not together.

  Tilly stirs, and I text back.

  Me: I have to go to sleep now.

  Kingsley: Okay, Good night, Maddy.

  Me: Good night.

  I rest my phone on my chest and sigh, then jolt when I get another message.

  Kingsley: Wait! How’s your hand?

  Me: It’s fine. Now stop being a stalker

  Kingsley: :P

  Kingsley

  I lean against the school gates waiting for her to show. It’s starting to get crowded. I pull my phone out of my pocket, but there’s still no messages. “Come on,” I groan, and as I look up, I see the last person I want to see. Rebecca winks at me as she strides by. I glare after her, then jump when I feel a hand on my back.

  “What’s going on, bro?” Cam glances over my shoulder towards Rebecca.

  “Nothing,” I mutter.

  He raises his eyebrows just as I see Maddy behind him. “I’ll catch you later.”

  He shakes his head, smiling. I step around him and walk towards her. As soon as I reach her, I feel the need to press my lips up against hers. She smiles against me, then shoves me back.

  “Kingsley,” she says, exasperated, looking around the crowd. I ignore her and pull her into me. I wonder if she can feel my heart beating out of my chest, or the tremble in my hands. She doesn’t protest this time, and that fear is creeping back up, partaking in the guilt. What am I going to do?

  A moment later, she pulls back. “Last day before the audition.”

  I force a smile. “I know. Are you excited?”

  “I feel like I’m going to be sick.”

  I snicker. “Well, I’m excited.” I squeeze her uninjured hand, and look into her eyes. They are so blue, the clearest shade I may have possibly seen them. I break our gaze before I give something away, and walk her to her class.

  As soon as she disappears, I run my hands through my hair and close my eyes.

  “Kings.”

  I open my eyes to see Toby staring at me strangely. People are still crowding the hallway. I look around then focus back on him. His eyebrow arched, he’s waiting for an explanation. “What?”

  “You’ve been weird lately,” he mutters. I glance at him, and he meets my gaze. “Are you having withdrawals?”

  I shake my head. “No.”

  “Right.” We both start walking. “So you going to show up to the game this week or what?”

  “Yeah.”

  He laughs. “I’m holding you to that.”

  I ignore him and shove through the crowd with the unnerving pit developing in my stomach.

  Maddison

  “You get another D, Maddy?” Rebecca laughs as she sits on the edge of the seat in front of me.

  God. She’s back one day and she’s already making my life hell. I decide I’m not going to let her push me around. I swing my paper around and flash her the A. Her eyebrows rise, and I say, “I’ve been getting an A+ with Kingsley, too.”

  Her cheeks go bright red, and her eyes widen. I don’t have time to move when she leaps forward and grips me by the hair. I fall back off my seat crashing to the floor, and whacking my head. I groan and quickly bring my hand into my chest to protect it. She’s above me and about to bring her hand down from up in the air when I grab her by the neck with my uninjured hand and shove her off me. She’s weak. Good.

  The class is in an uproar. I hear screams, cheers, and my heart pounding in my ears. I jump on top of her. “Get off me!” she screams. I bring my fist up past my head and I’m about to bring it down when I realize I can’t. I have my audition tomorrow.

  Miss Skinner is shouting, and then Suzie is helping Rebecca to her feet. Her hair’s a mess, and I can’t help but smile. No one helps me, though. I push myself up and stretch out my fingers. The entire class has crowded around us. Miss Skinner is shoving her way to the front and I’m trying to plan an escape route but I’m trapped.

  “It was Rebecca. She started it.”

  I look at the boy beside me. The boy who covered for me. I have no idea who he is, but I am grateful for him.

  “Rebecca, go to the principal’s office,” Miss Skinner shouts as soon as she reaches us. I look up, startled.

  “What? It was her!”

  “Now!”

  Rebecca gasps then glares at me before she storms out of the room.

  I straighten my shirt, and pull my hair out, letting it fall around my face. Confused, surprised, and relieved it wasn’t me, I glance at Miss Skinner. The look on her face lets me know I’m not getting off easy.

  “You’ve got detention with me today, and I’m having a word with Mr. Barner.”

  Crap.

  Miss Skinner orders the class back to their desks and to quieten down. I sit back in my seat and hesitantly smile at the boy in the row beside me. He nods and focuses back on his work.

  As soon as I walk out of class, I spot Kingsley leaning against the lockers. “Hey, you,” he smiles.

  “Can’t get enough of me, huh?”

  “We’ve got practice. I thought you’d want the company.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I tease.

  He laughs and wraps his arm around my neck, pulling me into his chest.

  “She’s a westy, of course she’s going to beat Bex,” a girl says from behind me.

  “She’s in trouble now.”

  “She’s—”

  I stop listening, but Kingsley’s arm tightens around me. He stops and swings me around to face him. “What happened?”

  I sigh. “Your ex and I had a little falling out.” His body goes rigid, but he doesn’t say anything, which is weird. He abruptly tugs me by the hand and I stumble behind him.

  We round the corner and I groan. Rebecca is charging towards me with her minions in tow. Kingsley immediately turns around, but I tug back. What’s his problem?

  “Come on, let’s just go.”

  “No, I can handle her.”

  “Maddy. Please.”

  Too late.

  “I see you two have gone public.”

  I turn from Kingsley’s pleading eyes to Rebecca’s hateful glare. “Yup,” I say.

 
“How was class after you got me sent out?” she practically spits at me.

  “It was good. Thanks for asking.”

  She rolls her eyes, then glances at Kingsley. I feel like jumping into his arms and kissing him just to piss her off. Her gaze flicks back to mine and her lips pull up into a menacing smile. “Well . . .” She pauses and folds her arms across her chest. Kingsley grabs my arm and tugs again, but I yank out of his grasp and hold my ground. She smirks, her eyes flicking from Kingsley to me. “Your lover isn’t who you think he is, Maddison.”

  I cross my arms, waiting for the latest bullshit to spew from her mouth.

  “Rebecca, don’t,” Kingsley growls. I look at him, but he’s focused on Rebecca. Something’s wrong. I turn back to her, and she’s practically grinning.

  I frown. “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, Mr. Kingsley isn’t so powerful now, huh?” she taunts, and he stiffens at my side, watching her.

  Rebecca sneers and steps towards me. Her dark eyes bore into mine. Kingsley murmurs something in my ear, pulls on my arm, but I ignore him, and listen to what she has to say that’s got him so worked up. “I’m surprised you didn’t work it out sooner, I’m actually a little disappointed, being a foster kid and whatnot. I’d thought you would have more common sense than that.”

  Kingsley’s low voice cuts in. “Rebecca, stop—”

  She sighs heavily, folding her hands across her chest and says, “Did you ever wonder who gave your druggie friend the stuff to off herself?”

  My heart stops beating.

  Her lips hook at the corners. “Well, now you know.” She glances at Kingsley and winks, then turns and struts back down the corridor.

  I can’t move. I can’t think. I can’t breathe. I feel his hands on my arm, and his voice, but I’m not listening.

  When finally my mind comes back, I tug out of his grasp. I look into his eyes with tears brewing in mine, and see the truth written all over his face. He was Cynth’s supplier.

  I turn around and run.

  Kingsley

  “You bitch.” I grab Rebecca by the arm and she whirls around, her eyes scathing.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Why did you do that?” I shout, not caring about any of the attention I’m drawing.

  Cam rushes up from behind her. “Hey. Hey, what’s going on?”

  “You couldn’t have seriously thought it was going to work out anyway,” she chides.

  “You have no idea.” I shove past her, leaving Cam behind as I run out the front door. There are people everywhere, but I make it to the bottom of the steps. I see her running along the footpath, away from school. “Maddy, wait!”

  The crowd’s attention is rapt on me, and they move without being told. My chest tightens and sweat beads on my forehead.

  “Maddy!”

  She trips, stumbles and falls, and I catch up to her. I grab her by the arm and pull her up, but she yanks away. Tears stream down her cheeks, and it’s like a knife is being plunged into my stomach, twisting and turning my insides. She looks down to her palms and I notice they’re grazed. I step forward. “Let me help you.”

  She looks back at me and screams. “How could you?”

  I stop and bring my hands up to my head. “Maddy—”

  “I trusted you and this whole time you’ve been lying to me!” She roughly wipes her hands against her shirt, staining it with blood and dirt, then winces and pulls them into fists.

  Shit.

  “Let me take a look at your hand, please.” But she steps back. My heart pounds, and my breathing is going with it. “Maddy. Please.”

  She grits her teeth, and says under her breath. “I don’t ever want to see you again.”

  “Don’t do this, Maddy. Don’t.” I shake my head, my eyes stinging.

  She takes a step back as I take another forward. “Get away from me,” she screams. I want nothing more than to be able to defend myself, an excuse, an explanation, but I have nothing. No words can fix what I’ve done. She wraps her arms around her stomach. She looks like she’s in so much pain. Tears allow her voice to come out muffled, but the words are as sharp as what felt like the knife that stabbed at my heart.

  “You killed my best friend.”

  I can’t stop her. I can’t do anything but watch as she leaves me.

  Maddison

  No.

  No.

  No.

  He is the reason Cynthia is dead.

  I can’t bear the pain in my chest. It hurts so much. The tears are uncontrollable, and I don’t bother to suppress them. I taste the salty wetness on my lips and in my mouth and my nose is running along with it.

  I gave my all to him. I thought he was there for me, I thought I could trust him. I thought he cared about me—I thought there was a possibility he even loved me.

  I’ve cried so much in the past few weeks from despair, frustration and anger, but this is the first time in my life I’ve cried over what I thought was love.

  He takes a step towards me, but I take one back.

  “Don’t do this, Maddy. Don’t.” His eyes are wide, and filled with fear.

  “Get away from me!”

  He looks like he wants to say something, but what? There’s nothing he can say to justify what he’s done.

  I taste bile in my mouth.

  I wrap my hands around my stomach.

  I can’t be around him. I need to go but I don’t know if he’s going to let me.

  He’s gripping the back of his head. He takes another step forward when I scream something that I know is going to allow my escape, something that is going to stop him from coming after me, something that is going to hurt him, maybe as much as he’s hurt me. “You killed my best friend!”

  I turn away because I can’t look him in the eye. My feet start moving, distancing myself from him. My heart thumps and my throat constricts. I don’t know when I started running but suddenly it’s like my feet are chasing the clarity that my mind can’t seem to find.

  I have no idea where I’m going, but I run until I can’t breathe, and I’m gasping for air. I fall to my knees, scraping them against the pavement, and sob. I pull my hand into my chest, cradling it.

  I can’t. I can’t do this.

  I’ve made it a few blocks from school. I’m familiar with this area. It’s even worse than where I’m from. I used to come here all the time, to sell stuff and to get drugs.

  My feet move, even though I don’t tell them to. One by one, they follow each other and head in the direction of Teddy’s house.

  Cynth. I need you.

  Kingsley

  Cam makes his way towards me. “What was all that about?”

  I grip the back of my neck so tight it starts to ache. “I need to get out of here.”

  “Well, then hurry the fuck up.” He’s already started walking when I pace behind him. People are watching me. I focus on Cam’s back and the deep breaths I’m taking trying to calm myself down, but it’s not working.

  As soon as we reach the parking lot, I jump in his truck and we peel out of the lot.

  I pop his glove compartment, pull out a pipe, and light it up.

  The pot immediately loosens my muscles. I close my eyes, lean back into the seat as a tear slides down my face.

  Maddison

  “Well, well, well. Lookie who we have here. I thought you’d left this world. Haven’t heard a peep out of you for a year.” Teddy leans his fat ass against the side of the door and his gaze trails up my body. I grip my jacket and close it, covering my chest. “What brings you here? Have you got something for me?”

  I shake my head. “I–I . . .” I can’t seem to find the words and his smile widens.

  He pushes the door open and gestures for me to enter. “There’s always a place at my table for my thief.”

  Fear creeps into me, but the grief is so much more consuming, and I take a step inside.

  A low cloud of smoke hits my face, and I cough. I make my way towards the bla
ring music. His house hasn’t changed a bit. There’s holes in the walls and rubbish sitting atop the stained carpet. I’m surprised he hasn’t been evicted.

  “Well, if it isn’t, Maddison,” T says from the sofa.

  I take a seat beside him, and he hands me a tightly rolled twenty dollar bill. I look at him, back to his hand—my future. Nothing is registering in my mind apart from the grief, and I need to get away.

  My shoulders rise, and as they fall, I take it off him. He laughs. “That’s my girl.”

  I rest my elbows against my knees, lean forward, place it in my right nostril and press the other closed with my left hand. Everything around me is a blur, and all I can think about is Kingsley. I squeeze my eyes shut. I can’t think about him and what he’s done. I go through the motions robotically. If I think about what I’m doing, I might not be able to follow through with it, but I need to get away. As a tear slides down my face, I make contact with the powder and snort hard.

  Kingsley

  When the guilt comes to haunt me again, I can’t handle it any longer. The worry is eating away inside of me. She has her audition tomorrow. When she doesn’t pick up her phone for the sixth time since she took off this afternoon, I pull myself out of bed, throw on a pair of jeans and a hoodie, then make my way to my car, and drive to Cynthia’s house.

  I park on the curb, inhaling and exhaling, mustering up the courage to get out and face the family I ruined.

  I knock on the front door, then shove my trembling hands in my pockets. A young girl that looks exactly like Cynthia opens the door, and my chest tightens.

  I took her sister away.

  “Can I help you?”

  I clear my throat. “I–I was looking for Maddison.”

  “Maddy? She’s not here.”

  “Do you know where she is?”

  She shrugs her shoulders. “Probably at her house.”