Chapter 7

I was sleeping, when I heard some noises. I really wanted to ignore them, but they started getting louder every second. I couldn’t stay asleep so I woke up. I looked around, but couldn’t see anything properly, because it was dark and I was still sleepy. I scrunched my eyes and opened them widely.

“Why?” I heard someone saying.

“Who is it?” I asked frightened.

But I couldn’t hear nor see anything. Damn, I am seeing ghosts now. Great. I closed my eyes and put my head down to continue sleeping.

“Kylie, I’m hurt!” I heard a familiar voice whispering.

I opened my eyes and looked around again. My heart was beating like crazy. I was really scared.

“Who is here?” I asked, switching on my lamp.

“Kylie, help me!” I heard the same voice again.

I tried to recollect whose voice it was.

“Jeremy?” I asked.

I could still hear my rapid heartbeat. Then I noticed someone approaching me.

“Kylie!”  he exclaimed.

I saw Jeremy. He looked bad. I scanned him from his feet to his head. I noticed...blood!

“Damn, Jeremy! What happened?” I queried, hopping  from my bed to the floor, where he was laying. I saw his knuckles covered with blood, there was a cut on his lip, and it was bleeding.

“I feel so awful. Why is it so painful?!” he started whispering louder, looking deep into my eyes.

“Explain what happened?!” I asked again, approaching my shelf to take some cotton wool and peroxide.

“Something bad happened!” he trailed off...

I started putting the cotton on his lip.

“Ouch!” he screamed and pulled away.

“Jeremy, tell me what happened!” I said again, really irritated by his silence.

“I can’t!” he said and grabbed my face.

“I really want to... but I can’t!” he said.

I put some cotton on his knuckles and hands.

“Wait, I will take some ice. But you should know, that nothing will change my attitude towards you. I love you and will always be by your side. Everything will be okay!” I said, grabbing his face and looking into his eyes.

I hugged him, so that he could calm down. He was drunk and he had an adrenaline rush. I could feel that something bad happened, but I wanted to help him. He hugged me back and started breathing calmer.

“Inhale and exhale,” I whispered into his ear.

He nodded and closed his eyes. I tip toed to the kitchen to took some ice for his bruises. I was trying not to wake everyone up, so I was extremely quiet. I quickly came back, but he wasn’t there anymore. My windows were opened, the curtains moving because of the wind. I felt cold, but I didn’t care. The only thing I cared about was Jeremy. What happened to him? I had never seen him like that before. I approached the window and looked around the street to find the figure of Jeremy moving, but he was nowhere to be found. I took my phone to call him, but it was saying that he wasn’t in zone. I couldn’t sleep anymore and I waited for the morning to come so that I could see him.

The morning came and I was still standing near the window in hope of seeing him again. Sun started shining straight into my eyes, making me scrunch my eyes. I moved away. I looked at the mirror and saw bags under my eyes. I wore my glasses on and went down. Nobody was there. I guess, everyone was still sleeping. I started making two cups of coffee and one cup of tea for me. I took 3 cups from the cupboard, switched on an electric kettle and a coffee maker. While everything was preparing, I sat on the table, thinking about last night. I couldn’t stop, but feel worried about Jeremy. I took my phone again to call his mom, but she declined every time, as his dad did.

Dad woke up and went to the kitchen.

“Good morning, Ky!” he said and kissed me on cheek.

“Did you hear some noises during the night?” he asked.

“Good morning, dad!” I answered, hoping he would forget about his last question.

“So?” he asked again.

I started adding some sugar into each cup.

“No, I heard nothing. What did you hear?” I asked cautiously.

“Just noises, I couldn’t hear anything properly,” he answered taking a sip from his cup.

“Good morning, guys!” Lincoln said, coming downstairs.

“Morning!” I answered and took my cup of tea to start drinking.

Then I remembered the game and what was after it. Damn.

Dad and Lincoln sat at the table and I went upstairs to get ready. I didn’t want to eat breakfast. I wanted to get to school as soon as possible. I called Jeremy again. He declined the call. Thank God, he declined. That meant he was alive. I put on quickly a white plain T-shirt and a pair of black jeans. I took my bag and went downstairs.

“Why didn’t you eat your breakfast?” dad asked.

“I will eat at school. I should go right now. Linc, see you at school. Bye, dad!” I uttered, opened the doors, walked out and closed them.

“Wait for me!” I heard Lincoln screaming.

But as I said I needed to be at school for the time being, I had to make beeline for the school.

I was going on foot. School wasn’t far away, if taking the secret route. I heard motorcycle noises. But I couldn’t care less and I just continued walking very quickly. I saw motorcycle stop in front of me. The driver took off the helmet and I saw a familiar face. Raf.

“Why are you here?” he asked confused. I continued walking, ignoring him.

“Stop!” he commanded, but I couldn’t, nor I didn’t want to.

“Are you still mad?” he yelled for me to hear because I had already been far.

I heard motorcycle starting again. He was in front of me again.

 

“What happened?” he grabbed my arm.

“Let me go!” I screamed and pushed his hand.

“Where are you going? Where is Lincoln?” he asked me with worry in his voice.

“I don’t have time for talking!” I said and walked away.

“I will give you a lift!” he said.

“No, I’m okay. Just leave me alone!” I said and started walking faster.

I crossed the road, it was the way which no one knew about. It was the road which I had found when I was little. Probably, five years old. We were playing hide and seek with Lincoln and this way was covered with some leaves. When I leaned on it, I fell down and then I decided that nobody should have known about it besides me. I was closer to school. When I came out of the secret way into normal road, I saw Raf standing near the exit.

“How do you know about this way?” I asked angrily.

“I found it when I was four and I put there a lot of leaves so that nobody could find, but I guess you were the one who changed my enter!” he said and smiled a little.

I walked past him and continued going to school.

“Why are you running away?” he asked.

“I think you will find out the right answer if you think a little!” I said, still walking.

“I apologized yesterday!” he said.

“That didn’t mean that I had to forgive you!” I answered, yearning him to leave me.

I felt his hand grabbing my wrist and stopping me.

“I am really sorry! I have said already that I was angry and that’s why I was rude!” he said.

“Oh, and you have never been rude to me before, right?” I asked.

“Okay, I was rude a lot of times but it’s just the way I am!” he said.

“And that’s just the way I am. I don’t give the chances away so easily!” I said and pushed his hand away.

Finally, I came to school and ran to Jeremy’s locker. He wasn’t there. Ugh! Jeremy! Where are you?! I went to the cafeteria, but on the way there I heard some groans in the janitor’s room. I opened the door and saw Jeremy laying with blood on his leg.

“Jeremy!” I yelled.

“Ky, I’m sorry!” he whispered.

“What happened? Let’s go to the first-aid-post!” I pulled his hand.

“No! I can’t explain it to the nurse. Do you have a plaster, cotton wool and peroxide?” he asked.

“Wait a minute! I will take it from a first-aid-post,” I said and went quickly there.

Nurse wasn’t there so I could avoid questions. I took everything and ran to Jeremy. I treated the wound. It wasn’t deep so it wasn’t serious.

“Are you alright?” I asked.

“No,” he answered looking down.

“What happened? Where did you go after you had been in my house?” I asked worried.

“Oh, I was at yours?” he asked me.

I nodded.

“I don’t remember where I was last night,” he said.

“Tell me. We will handle everything together. I will be by your side always,” I said and hugged him.

He did the same and I could see a tear drop and left a blemish on my jeans.

“I saw my dad cheating on my mom with some woman. I came to his office and saw this picture of him kissing someone. I couldn’t tell my mom about it. A week passed and my mom found out about it by herself. Yesterday, they were arguing. I was yelling on him too, protecting mom. Dad started making upstupid excuses. But we all knew that he didn’t mean it. Mom said that they should get a divorce. I understand my mom, but it still hurts, knowing that your whole life you loved each member of your family. We were really close, you know it. But a whore came into the picture and ruined this family. Damn, I wanted to forget about it, that’s why I was drunk. But it couldn’t escape from my mind. And this pain was like a prisoner in every cell of my body. I don’t know what to do!” he started explaining.

“Listen, Jer! Everything will be okay. Everyone in your family is alive and that’s what matters. You can still see everyone. You know, time heals. And this pain will be healed soon. Just wait...” I trailed off.

He hugged me.

“Thank you, Ky! Could you please keep it as a secret?” he asked me.

“Of course. You know that it would never lip from my tongue!” I said.

He nodded and we sat there until there were 5 minutes left until the beginning of the lesson.

Then we left the janitor’s room and went to our lessons. I had literature. I came to the classroom and sat down at the third desk. I was pondering about Jeremy’s words. I felt bad for him, because I knew how happy and grateful he was for having such a tight-knit family.

However it always happens. When you think that everything is alright, the hurricane should come and destroy everything. I got used to it, but I thought that the hurricane was there during all these 5 years.

I was lost in my thoughts and I was drawing a hurricane on a piece of paper. Then I heard someone sitting next to me. I looked up to see who it was and saw a new face.

“Hey!” he said.

“Hey,” I said and continued drawing.

“I’m Steven,” he introduced himself and stretched out his hand for me to shake it. I looked at his hand and started thinking whether to shake it or no. Then I heard Raf and Dylan running to the classroom. I looked at Raf and he looked at me.

“I’m Kylie!” I said and shook his hand.

I could feel Dylan and Raf’s gaze on us.

“Pleasure to meet you!” he said and smiled.

“Likewise!” I said.

“Kirby!” I heard Raf screaming.