Inevitable (24 page)

“
Will you call when you get home?” he asked
dejectedly.

“
Of course I will. Now do as you’re told and piss off,” I
teased. He breathed a small laugh and my insides turned to
mush.

“
Love you too, lish,” he whispered with a heartfelt smile
before brushing my lips with his – so softly I could barely feel it
yet somehow it managed to send waves of electricity surging through
my veins.

“
Blaine?” Treacle called, her tone growing
impatient.

“
I’m coming!” he bit back. And then I’m sure I heard him mutter
‘for fuck’s sake’ under his breath as he turned away from
me.

I stared after
him as he walked further and further down the long sterile corridor
until he disappeared altogether. I missed him already.

The first thing I did when I got home that night was call
Blaine to tell him I was home. His voice was quiet – practically a
whisper – and hoarse. I decided he must have been sleeping but he
said he hadn’t when I apologised for waking him up.
I started to worry
something was wrong and it made my head hurt. There were so many
worries and problems bouncing around in it lately – it just wasn’t
big enough.

After
reluctantly hanging up on Blaine to spend my very first night alone
in this gigantic country, I called Lori. The text I’d noticed but
not read earlier said that Blaine had called her to fill her in and
that she hoped my mum was okay. I wondered briefly when he found
time to do that – most likely when he stepped out for
drinks.

Lori gasped, cooed and offered words of comfort in all the
right places
and then we ended the conversation by discussing my nerves
about my new job. Emotionally drained, I went straight to bed after
hanging up on Lori. I was exhausted…

I didn’t
sleep a wink.

I phoned the hospital the second my eyes opened the next
morning. My mum was sleeping but a friendly nurse with a heavy
southern twang
told me that she was still ‘compliant’ and a psychiatric
doctor would be assessing her at ten-thirty. I said that I’d visit
after school and she said she’d arrange for my mum’s doctor to be
present.

I was dreading
that conversation.

I got
ready for school in a daze – my crammed mind struggling to find
room for simple mundane tasks. In fact I was in such a trance I
didn’t hear Lori’s horn sound and she ended up knocking at the door
after apparently beeping three times.

On the way to school I texted Blaine, hoping he was okay
after getting his answerphone earlier. I tried to convince myself
there would be a simple explanation in an effort to stop my brain
from bursting with yet another worry but it didn’t work – I
was
worried. At risk of
sounding narcissistic I was expecting Blaine to call me first thing
to see how my mum was and how I fared spending my first night
alone.

I prayed
whatever kept him from me this morning wasn’t called Mitch.

When Lori and I got to school we were instantly swept into
a tide of other students rushing towards the cafeteria. After being
jostled and shoved into numerous walls and lockers along the way we
finally reached the spectacle everyone was so
excite
d
about. It was difficult to see through the wall of students
gathering round one of the white tables but the deafening chants of
‘Fight! Fight! Fight!’ resounded through the halls before we even
reached it.

Eventually Mr Stephens who I was pretty sure was a music
teacher – or possibly art… or algebra… stormed into the cafeteria
and the raucous crowd dispersed at just a motion of his finger as
if he had actual magical powers.
It was then I saw Michelle – the girl who
took over my position of ‘new girl’ – yanking shit out of a
familiar blonde ponytail as she rammed its owner’s head into a
table.

“
Break it up, girls!” Mr Stephens blasted
as he hotfooted
towards them. Michelle released her deathly grasp immediately but
not before giving the head one last shove into the
table.

I have
never been an advocate of violence, but when the blonde hesitantly
uncurled herself I couldn’t help but feel a little satisfied – it
was Sky.

“
4C – ten minutes,” Mr Stephens
said sternly, ordering them to his
classroom as he pointed to Michelle and Sky in turn. Sky shot
Michelle a death glare whilst smoothing out her ponytail with her
fingers and Michelle shot back a glare that screamed
don’t-mess-with-me-bitch.

“
Dammit did I miss all the fun?” Jason groaned, appearing from
nowhere and startling the living crap out of me.

“
Have you seen Blaine?” I asked immediately, spinning to face
him.

“
Have I ever.
Tread carefully, Dora, he’s in a serious fucking
mood.”

I knew it.
Something was wrong.

“
Where is he?” I pressed impatiently.

“
Just left him out in the lot.”

Springing
straight for the double doors on my way to the car park I suddenly
remembered Lori – we’d been separated during the stampede.

“
Hey, Jason?
” I called, and he turned around. “Can you find Lori and
tell her I’ll meet her in class?”

He saluted
me.

“
Sure thing, Dora.”

I replied with
a thumbs-up, threw open the doors and bounded towards the school
car park, hoping Blaine was still there and trying to decide
whether I was going to kiss him or slap him.

I spotted Blaine the minute I stepped outside. He was
loitering by his car, leaning against it with one foot
propped against the
tyre. He was staring off towards the football field with a
cigarette perched between his fingers and looked every bit the
smouldering poster boy in his black jeans and fitted black t-shirt
with some rock band I’d never heard of printed on it.

He turned and
noticed me as I literally ran over to him. When I reached him he
opened his eyes and I threw myself straight into them.

“
Maddie,” he breathed in my ear. There was an almost heart
breaking desperation in his voice, as if he’d been searching for me
his whole life.

“
What’s wrong, Blaine?” I urged. The strength in which he was
gripping my body told me something wasn’t right – he was hurting,
struggling with something. “Why didn’t you answer my
calls?”

“
My dad took my phone,” he said flatly. “I’m so sorry, lish.
Did you need me? Are you okay?” He pulled me from our embrace to
examine my face with his eyes.

“
I’m fine. I was just worried about you.” He seemed satisfied
with the smile I gave him and drew me back into him. I stood on my
tiptoes and lifted my head to kiss him. He tasted heavenly as usual
– tobacco mixed with mint and manliness. Automatically my arms
wrapped around his toned body and my hands began to trail up his
back. That was when he froze – his entire body went
rigid.

“
No, lish. Don’t…”

“
What did I… Jesus Christ he did it again?” I asked
incredulously even though I knew the answer. He’d earned another
strike – his sadistic father had cut him again. Blaine swallowed
and simply nodded once.

“
I’m heading to the mall… pick up a new cell. Come with me?”
His words formed a statement but sounded more like a question. I
very briefly considered saying no. I was supposed to be meeting
Lori. I’d never ditched school before for something as frivolous as
shopping, and I felt like I should be acting extra responsible
without a parent at home.

“
Sure,” was the only possible way to
answer his pleading blue eyes. “I
just need to text Lori.”

I text
Lori on the way and told her where I was going and that I doubted
I’d be back in school today. She replied by calling me a badass and
telling me she’d tell the office I’d gone home sick. Knowing Lori,
she’d have fabricated a lie so elaborate it would sound like I was
lucky to still be alive. She’s the best!

After pulling
up at the shopping centre – a different one which was unbelievably
even fancier than the one Lori brought me to – I followed Blaine to
the phone shop. We were in and out in under five minutes and then
we headed straight back to his car. God, boys were easy to shop
with. He needed a phone… he got a phone. So why when Lori needed a
new pair of shoes, did she also need three new dresses, two tops,
one scarf and a shit load of accessories?

Back in
Blaine’s canary-yellow Lamborghini he asked if we could go to my
place. I agreed without hesitation, eager to be alone with him – to
hold him.

“
I love you, lish. I need you to know
that,
” he
declared before he pulled out of his parking space. Again his voice
was desperate, intense – as if he were afraid I was going to
disappear in a puff of smoke.

“
Of course I know. I love you too.”

Maddie

“
C
an I
see?” I asked gently as we lay fully clothed on top of my bed. He’d
just confessed his latest strike was for leaving school early
yesterday to take me home. His second was for missing football
practice to go with my mum to the hospital and his third was for
earning two in one day. I had never felt so guilty.

Gingerly
Blaine leaned forward and pulled his shirt from his head the way
that boys do – from bottom to top in one fluid motion.

“
Fuck, Blaine.” I gasped when the fresh wounds invaded my
line of vision. Strike one was slashed diagonally across the
previous four which, although closed up, were still red and
slightly swollen. “That must’ve hurt like hell.”

The next two
were a couple of inches below – the beginnings of a new tally.
Although fairly small, just over an inch in length, they were deep…
gaping.

“
Blaine I think you need to see someone about this. I think it
needs stitches.”

“
No,” he said firmly, shaking his head. “They’ll be fine.
They’re not the worst I’ve had.” It felt like whatever implement
Mitch had used against his son’s body had also ripped through my
heart, shredding it into a thousand ribbons. “I’m sorry, Maddie,
but I just can’t. I’m just not ready. Please don’t think bad of
me.”

If there were
any scraps of my heart left then he’d just shredded those too.

“
Blaine
I could never think bad of you. Don’t you see it’s because
I love you?” I cupped his face in my hands. “It kills me to see you
hurting like this. I just want to take it all away and I can’t. I
feel so helpless.”

Blaine took
hold of my wrists and slowly pulled my hands from his face,
bringing them to his chest so I was palming his tight, rippling
muscles. Then he leaned his face to mine so our lips were just
inches apart.

“
You can’t take it away, Maddie, but you can help me
forget,” he whispered into my mouth as he brushed my anxious lips
with his. “Make me forget.”

And so I did. Twisting my fingers into his smooth
dark hair I kissed
him, I made love to him, and then – even though it was the middle
of the day – I held his naked body until he fell asleep in my
arms.

By the
time Blaine started to stir it was almost time to visit my mum in
hospital and then get ready for my first shift at the coffee shop.
I’d been watching him sleep for what seemed like hours, absorbing
the peacefulness of his beautiful face. He let out a weary groan as
his eyes began to flicker and my heart sank a little. He would be
leaving soon. He would be going home – possibly to face the wrath
of his twisted father.

“
What time is it?” he asked groggily when he opened his
eyes.

“
Almost four. I have to leave for the hospital soon,” I said
despondently, not wanting to be away from him – knowing that when
we were apart despicable, painful things happened to
him.

“
Can I come too? I’ll drive you,” he practically pleaded – his
blue eyes heart-wrenchingly desperate.

“
I’d love that. I’m sure my mum would too,” I beamed,
grateful for another couple of hours together – another couple of
hours
knowing
he was safe.

After kissing his nose I took off to the shower. After a
few minutes Blaine unexpectedly joined me and I think it’s fair to
say I completely re-enacted
the scene from Psycho by screaming so loud.
Naturally his company significantly extended my time in the shower
and by the time I got out I was rushing around like a loon trying
to make sure I wasn’t late.

The part of the hospital my mum was in was a daunting
place. Walking through the oppressive white corridors we passed a
woman cradling a teddy bear and singing it a lullaby like it was a
real baby. Then we witnessed a half naked man being restrained by
two male nurses as he tried to remove his last item of clothing –
his boxer
shorts – in the middle of the TV room.

When we re
ached my mum’s side room the doctor was already with her.
Flustered, I apologised immediately for my lateness before
introducing myself and Blaine and then giving my mum a peck on the
cheek. The balding doctor introduced himself as Doctor Andrews and
then proceeded to shake my hand and then Blaine’s.