by B C Morgan
“Hey I was riding home when I spotted you, I was going to ignore you, but my curiosity got the better of me. I mean a pretty little thing like you walking out alone in the evening, there must be a reason for it.”
I stopped walking after he said that and whirled on him, making sure that I looked pissed off, as it seemed the appropriate emotion for this situation.
“You have no right to be curious about me, you don’t even know me and I do not want you too.”
He chuckled and I really wanted to ground my fist into his face, I was even contemplating the right angle so that I wouldn’t catch his helmet.
“You sound like you’re angry, but I don’t think you really are like you said I don’t know you, so there is no need to pretend with me.” He stepped off of his bike and slowly removed his helmet, before balancing it off of one of the bars.
“I know you’re indifferent to me no matter what you pretend, you can fake that attitude as much as you like, but your eyes don’t lie and not once did they show a hint of anger.”
I had no idea what to say to that, so I did what I wanted to do earlier and connected my fist with his jaw. I saw his face whip sideways and for a minute wondered if I had inadvertently caused whiplash when he started to laugh. And I mean one of those, clutches your stomach whilst you double over, kind of laughs.
“What the hell is so funny?” I demanded, as I unconsciously stepped a little closer to him and it was at that point that he seized hold of my wrist and spun me around so that my back was crashing into his torso.
“You have a mean left hook, now there isn’t a single person that would get away with something like that. But looking at the bruises that are already covering your face, I think I will let you off just this once.”
He wasn’t lying about my face, it definitely looked a lot worse than it had this morning, my right eye was practically swollen shut and my lip was throbbing. I was just glad that it did not affect me like it should have.
“You want to teach me a lesson, well go right ahead, it really wouldn’t bother me. I got this for not dressing the way somebody liked and of course for speaking my mind, aka the truth. So at least you would have a better reason for it,” I retorted.
I think I must have surprised him, as he released his hold on me and took a couple steps back, I turned to face him and caught that he was ever so slightly shaking his head.
He grabbed hold of his helmet and was about to turn away, before setting his gaze back on me.
“Whoever did that deserves to be taught a lesson, if you ever want a hand with that, be sure to let me know. I’ll be around love, I have no plans of remaining a stranger to you, oh and by the way. The name is Lawson.”
I turned away from him after that and resumed my brisk walk, but all that was going through my head was the fact that he could tell that I was faking my emotions. Some guy that I had only ever spoken to twice, yet my boyfriend was still none the wiser. Something was definitely off and it made me wonder exactly what I should do about Darren.
I eventually arrived at Addy’s and we spent the rest of the night just talking about mindless drivel, watching whatever film was being played at the time and trying to avoid the topic of me dropping college in my second year. She finally managed to broach the subject and I knew that I couldn’t hold it off any longer, not if I wanted to continue our friendship. The only problem was that I knew I would have to talk about some things from my past so that she could understand my reasoning.
“My mum was never the nurturing type; she always gave off the impression that she resented me for some reason. A lot like Jackie really, I guess being neurotic just runs in the family. Anyway, from an early age she had me enrolled in all these different clubs so that she wouldn’t have to deal with me for any longer than was required of her. It was because of this that we discovered that I had a real aptitude for music, I was natural when it came to playing the violin or piano. She sent me off to one recital after another and put in for all these different kinds of competitions. Her favourite of course were the ones with cash prizes, in the beginning, she seemed so proud of me and I tried everything to make sure that it stayed that way, Until one day I made a little mistake and came second place instead of first, it was then that I realised that she was only happy as long as there was something to gain.
That was the first day that she raised a hand to me, it brought tears straight to my eyes but what hurt the most was the fact that she called me a disappointment. I stopped enjoying it after that, but she made me keep going. I had to start attending singing lessons and ballet classes, as well as the recitals and other lessons on top of course.
I wasn’t allowed to go to birthday parties or sleep overs, basically, I wasn’t allowed to have a childhood, the minute I turned thirteen I had had enough.”
Addy looked horror struck by what I was saying, she had even started to pace the floor. Was I suppose to pat her on the back and reassure her that everything would be ok? I didn’t, I refused to lie to her and offer any false hope that this story could get better.
It did make me think back to the first moment I successfully played the violin, it played the story that I couldn’t tell anyone else. Haunting and soulful, it revealed all the pain that I tried to hide inside. I never felt like I was good enough where my mother was concerned and until the dark day struck, those feelings haunted me.
“I started messing around with the trouble makers, skipping classes sometimes even the whole school day. I even had the odd cigarette, anything that I could do to rebel, I would. I even made it my mission to miss as many curfews in a single week as I could. This made her very angry, and it had been going on for about two months when she finally snapped. It was a Friday and I got home about two hours after I should have been back, the house was in utter darkness and I had no idea where she was. I had made my way into the kitchen when she grabbed me by the collar and threw me into the wall, I couldn’t hold back the sob no matter how hard I tried. She reeked of alcohol and was obviously intoxicated, she kept screaming at me that I wasn’t allowed to turn out that way. That I had responsibilities and how she would be damned before she let me destroy my life. That she would continue to push me into the light and drive the darkness out of me.”
Addy wrapped her arms around me, offering a comfort that only she needed. Sometimes being numb had its advantages, at least I was hurting anymore.
“I kept sobbing and asking her why she was even talking about, what she said next will stay with me for the rest of my life. She said that I was full of darkness and if she didn’t keep me away from temptation, then it would eat away at my soul until I doomed the lives of anyone that dared care for me.
Her words didn’t make any sense, I was thirteen for Christ sake how could she possibly know how I was going to turn out. The ironic thing was that the only reason I was even acting out was because of the way she treated me.
After that night I wasn’t even allowed to walk to and from school, that’s why I was so thrown when I came out of school on my fourteenth birthday and she wasn’t there. I didn’t have a single message from her and instead of worrying about it I decided to take full advantage of the situation and have some fun.
By the time I got home, it was eight in the evening and there wasn’t a single light on, accept from in the bathroom, and that’s when I found her and when I lost myself.
So now that you know that the next part should make a lot of sense, the only reason I even chose performing arts was because I needed to improve my acting skills. I couldn’t let anyone discover the truth about me and I thought that would be the best way. The thing is I learnt everything I needed in the first year and by the time this year started up I realised there was no reason for me to continue going. It just reminded me too much of her and I didn’t want that, so I decided to leave.”
Addy just sat there staring at me, with her mouth hanging open. She managed to shake it off and just flung her arms around me, she was shaking in my arms. Whether through anger or si
lent tears I had no idea. She told me how sorry she was for everything that I have had to go through and no matter what she would always be there for me. She also said that I no longer had to pretend anything with her, she just wanted to be friends with the real me. The problem was, I didn’t even know who that was anymore.
Chapter Five
Unya
I woke up the next day and saw Addy staring at me with her mouth agape, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and stared right on back.
“Unya, what the hell are you?” She asked, usually I would have pretended to feel insulted at that comment, but I didn’t need to with her, not anymore anyway.
“What are you talking about? I can’t handle any sort of cryptic shit when I’ve just woken up, so please just explain to me what it is that I’ve done now.”
She stood up and practically ran out of the room, I started to wonder if maybe she had reconsidered sticking with our friendship now that she knew the truth, maybe she woke up and realised that it was just too weird for her. If that was the case then I wouldn’t argue with her, I’d just get my stuff together and head back to Jackie’s.
She returned in under a minute and shoved a mirror into my hands, I looked up at her trying to gather what exactly was going on and then stared at my reflection. It did not make any sense, it was no wonder Addy was a little freaked out right now, anyone would be if they were confronted with the sight of me.
Let me explain, last night when I went to sleep my face was a mess. My eye was practically swollen shut with a nasty bluish-purple bruise surrounding it, add to that my swollen, cut lip. I definitely looked as though I had been through the wars and they’re just the bruises that couldn’t be covered by my clothes, she had definitely done a number on me. But now my face was completely clear, there were no bruises or blemishes, even the few spots that I had were now gone. My complexion was as clear as a baby’s, my skin practically glowed and now Addy’s question made complete sense and even I wondered what I was.
“Adrianna, I don’t understand, how is this possible?” I asked, but not really expecting her to have any kind of answers.
“Honestly, I have no idea, I’ve heard of people that have slightly accelerated healing, but that’s usually in regards to a piercing or tattoo, not an overnight wonder like yours. You had ten shades of shit kicked out of you and it showed, but one night of sleep and you look better than new. It doesn’t make sense, what are you going to do?”
Her question threw me because for once, I could not think of a single move. Should I go back to Jackie and see what she knows, but seeing as she already thinks I’m a dirty little freak anyway, that just did not seem like the wisest of ideas. I could go online and try to find a similar experience, but that sort of thing can never end well. Obviously, I was well and truly stumped and if Addy turned me away, then I would be utterly on my own.
“Don’t worry about me girl, I’ll throw some clothes on and get out of your hair. I am pretty sure that I can think of something.”
Her face darkened with anger at my comment, but I had no idea why.
“Do you really think that little of me, I mean sure this situation is beyond weird, but I am still your friend, I would never turn my back on you. The only problem is, I do not know what Jackie will do when she sees you. I think you should just stay here until the appropriate amount of time has passed at least.”
“Trust me, I had no intentions of going back to hers, she already thinks I’m freak, what the hell would she say to this actually what would she do? But I won’t stay here, it’s your sister’s place at the end of the day and you haven’t even asked her if it would be alright. I won’t cause problems between you, I’m not exactly her favourite person, she only tolerates me because of how many times I defended you at school.”
I knew that she would try to argue with me so I pulled her into a quick hug, gathered my things and ran into the bathroom. I also knew the minute that she broached the subject with her sister because voices suddenly became raised. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that she hated me, it’s just that she didn’t exactly see me as a good influence. The thing is I can understand that I just wish Addy wouldn’t constantly fight with her over it.
I managed to get out of her house without too much drama, mainly because they were still arguing and didn’t hear me descend the stairs. I know I should have said bye at least, but I just needed to get out of there at least that way the animosity should dwindle.
I waited until Jackie would be gone for work before I went back, I had no intention of running into her today. I had a quick shower and then proceeded to throw some clothes into a duffel bag, along with a couple pairs of shoes, a book, my tablet, and some other essential bits. I also made sure that I grabbed the money that I had hidden beneath a loose floorboard in my room, I’d been saving I in case of an emergency. I did one last quick sweep and then headed into the garage to grab my car, threw my stuff in and drove away.
At this point, I had no idea where I was going to go, so I drove down to the beach. I hoped that sitting on the sand and watching the waves strike the beach might give me some clarity, really it was almost as bad as watching paint dry.
I was continuously drawing a blank regarding my new circumstances when someone gripped my shoulder, so tight that I could have sworn that their nails were going to break through my skin. I lifted my head and laid eyes on Darren, his jaw was clenched, along with flaring nostrils and narrowed eyes. I don’t think I need to tell you what he was feeling in that moment. I encircled his wrist with my hand and tried to get him to let go but his grip was definitely strong.
“What the hell are you doing, let go of me,” I demanded, trying to stand up, but he held me down by pushing his weight down into my shoulder.
“What the hell happened yesterday, one minute we’re having a nice conversation and the next you are flipping out on me. You were acting a little crazy and then you had the cheek to try and tell me what to do, what gave you the right to think that, that was an acceptable way to behave. I know you lost your mum and everything, but Jackie is a great lady. There is no way she would have led you to believe that it is appropriate to act that way.”
I finally managed to get his hand off of me and flew to my feet.
“Excuse me, you practically told me that you were ashamed to be seen with me, how else would I react. And for your information, I will act however I damn well please, just because you are a yes man does not mean that I will be. Besides I did not try to tell you what to do, I told you to leave and you did.”
I swear I could see smoke actually coming out of his ears and his face was growing redder by the second, I decided that I would not antagonise him anymore unless he brought it onto himself.
“You are such a psycho, maybe I should have listened to my mum when she told me to steer clear of you, she always said that you would try to drag me down.” He practically spat those words at me and I’ve got to admit, I did not appreciate being called a psycho. I clenched my fist and got ready to strike, but he must have seen my intent because the next minute he was pushing me, and I was landing in the sand.
“This is your last chance Unya, the only reason I haven’t finished with you is because I love you, but I won’t stand for your shit any longer.”
His fists were clenched and one of his arms was slightly pulled back, his fist connected with my mouth, filling it with a copper taste and blood bloomed in my mouth. The next minute he was having his arm yanked back behind his back and his face pushed down into the sand. His arm must have been hurting, as his wrist was pointing up to his head.
I could tell that he was shouting something, but it kept getting muffled as he took in mouthfuls of sand. I had no idea why Lawson had turned up, but it was definitely better than watching the waves.
“That really is no way to treat a lady, you snivelling coward.”
Darren swivelled his head to the side, which prevented him from eating anymore sand and allowed him to speak.
“I can do whatev
er I want, she’s my fucking girlfriend,” He screeched back his response and all Lawson said was “Wrong answer.”
He continued to keep Darren’s arm locked behind his back, by holding onto his wrist and pinning it between his shoulder blades. He then took hold of his elbow and then proceeded to raise it slowly. Darren began to whimper as the pressure built until he screamed out in agony as his shoulder crunched and eventually popped out of the socket, tearing ligaments on its way.
Darren writhed across the sand as Lawson released his grip and casually strolled over to me, I sat there with my mouth hanging open. Darren’s arm dangled uselessly and he struggled to get to his feet, but my attention was snatched away as Lawson offered his hand to me and pulled me up to my feet.
We stood a breadth apart from one another, with our hands still joined. He stared into my eyes, with a look of puzzlement across his face.
Darren was still whining noisily, but Lawson had my full attention, I mean it didn’t even cross my mind to offer that idiot any assistance.
“Doesn’t what I just did bother you? I mean his arm is definitely dislocated and I don’t know if I have caused any other kind of damage,” he stated, inching slightly closer.
“I don’t care, it’s not like it was my shoulder, besides he’ll get over it eventually.”
I swear I actually saw a little twinkle in his eyes at my choice of words, I gave him a smile as it seemed appropriate, before turning around to the sound of my name being called.
Darren had somehow managed to get up onto his feet, he was definitely leaning towards his left side as he clutched his left arm to his chest and used his other arm to support it there.
“What do you want?” I asked as Lawson snickered beside me. “You need to take me to the hospital, and he needs to be reported.”
I somehow managed to understand what he said, which wasn’t easy by any means, seeing as he was sobbing and moaning so damn much.