The space between us. (Short story no. 1)
I glance down at my schedule again, Thea Kennedy, it read at the bottom. I say the name over and over before convincing myself I had it perfect. This name is better than the last, probably because I got to pick this one. With my hoodie devouring my small, yet curvy figure, I wish for positive thoughts and a good school year. One that will finally leave me unnoticed and unseen. The less I’m seen, the less people will get hurt. Needing more courage and strength to press on, I place my hand on the scar that etches my abdomen. Images of him flooding my mind. But, if it weren’t for what happened in the last year, Ally would have never have walked into my life.
I walked down the hallway further, closing the space between me and my English class. Never letting my eyes trail from my feet I walk through the large door. Instantly I hit a wall, and fall directly backwards. Catching myself by the doorframe.
“Watch it new girl!” The wall barks at me.
The guy behind him says back,“Johnson, don’t take out the actions of your arrogant father on the innocent new girl.”
The name catches my breath on spot. Johnson.
My eyes search the halls. Forgetting the safe environment, and escaping reality. My mind scans for him. Blake Johnson. Is he here? Has he found me? Again? I scatter the floor, and steady myself to stand. My fears taking hold of me. I break into a sprint, running for the door, and from the fears I constantly attempt to leave behind. Pushing past the students and the teachers, the worried and annoyed looks. Right through the front doors. So fast, that I forget to watch for the steps and end up stumbling down, landing on my back at the bottom.
I hurt everywhere. Sore legs, and a bulging headache. But, my ribs were the biggest problem on my mind, the two broken ones specifically. Finally after catching my breath, I slowly sit up, mumbling curses under my breath at the sudden pain. I grab onto the railing near the steps and force myself to stand. My ribs were definitely rebroken, and I started to cough up blood.
Three guys that were learning against the side of the building were now walking over. The tall muscular one spoke first.
The name catches my breath on spot. Johnson.
My eyes search the halls. Forgetting the safe environment, and escaping reality. My mind scans for him. Blake Johnson. Is he here? Has he found me? Again? I scatter the floor, and steady myself to stand. My fears taking hold of me. I break into a sprint, running for the door, and from the fears I constantly attempt to leave behind. Pushing past the students and the teachers, the worried and annoyed looks. Right through the front doors. So fast, that I forget to watch for the steps and end up stumbling down, landing on my back at the bottom.
I hurt everywhere. Sore legs, and a bulging headache. But, my ribs were the biggest problem on my mind, the two broken ones specifically. Finally after catching my breath, I slowly sit up, mumbling curses under my breath at the sudden pain. I grab onto the railing near the steps and force myself to stand. My ribs were definitely rebroken, and I started to cough up blood.
Three guys that were learning against the side of the building were now walking over. The tall muscular one spoke first.
“Are you alright?.... Oh my god, is that blood!”
The leaner one with gorgeous green eyes and brown hair then speaks up, “Yes. Oh my god. We have to take her to the hospital, I’m driving, we can take the Jeep.” The two other boys listen on spot, and grab onto my arms and torso. They carefully carry me to the green-eyed boy’s car. A luxurious Black 2016 Jeep Cherokee.
Once I settled into a somewhat comfortable position, I start,
“Thanks… guys, so- much,” I wheeze out. The driver with the perfect green-eyes then answered.
“Thanks… guys, so- much,” I wheeze out. The driver with the perfect green-eyes then answered.
“It’s okay, we always help out a damsel in distress,” His smirk streaks through the rearview mirror. “I’m Mason by the way.” Then the boy next to him turns. He puts a big cheeky grin on his face, and flexes his biceps.
“You are right Mason, we do. I am Connor, but you can call me ‘con,’” he tells me wiggling his eyebrows. Then the littlest boy, sitting next to me, turns with lots of excitement.
“And I am the infamous Noah, a beauty on the streets and a beast in the-.” He starts with his little introduction, but is cut off by Con.
“See this fist, Noah? Keep lying and you’ll feel it too.” Con throws at Noah, shutting him up on spot.
“We all know I ain’t lying either,” he throws back a few moments later. What I assume was to gain courage. Con snaps his head back at Noah and punches him directly into his stomach. Noah doubles-over and clutches the spot, while muttering a few swears under his breath.
“Don’t put me in the hospital with her, man. Unless we can share a bed.” Noah explains after he catches his breath, shooting me a wink. We get to the hospital in record time, and I am carried in. After an hour of waiting they finally change me into a gown and put me into a shared room. The person I share it with has the curtains closed in front of them, making me unaware of who was behind them.
“Don’t put me in the hospital with her, man. Unless we can share a bed.” Noah explains after he catches his breath, shooting me a wink. We get to the hospital in record time, and I am carried in. After an hour of waiting they finally change me into a gown and put me into a shared room. The person I share it with has the curtains closed in front of them, making me unaware of who was behind them.
The boys stop by a little later to chat with the doctor, well Mason does. Asking a million questions to ensure I didn’t damage anything else. When I asked Con why Mason was so anxious, he answered that he had a lot of problems growing up. But then a loud beeping went of.
Beep Beep Beep...
Beep Beep Beep...
The noise sounded, But, it came from my room. Three nurses ran in. The tallest shoving the three boys out, and the other two ripping back the curtain sealing away my room partner.
“Mr. Johnson are you alright? Just breath sir.” One of the ladies said after she revealed the patient in front of her. It was him. Blake. My breath caught in my throat. It was him, I say again to myself. The man who ruined and blessed my life. He was sitting right next to me, dying. Tubes running from various machines and connecting to him. I was shocked. So much so that I physically couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, couldn’t blink. But he can’t die. He should die, but can’t. After everything that happened, he still hadn’t paid for what he did. Time stopped, and my thoughts raced. It seemed like seconds, but actually minutes later the nurses retreated and Blake and I were finally alone. His eyes flicker from exhaustion and his breathing begins to steady.
This built brown-eyed, brown-haired man I let take advantage of me just a little over a year ago, the man that broke my ribs but a month ago, the man who is the father of my child. Suddenly gathering courage and the strength I didn’t not know I possessed. I sat up. I demanded the attention that scared me so much to have.
“Blake. Remember me? The girl whose life you destroyed at that party. The girl who you forced to give yourself happiness. The girl who you longed to kill. Well here I am. Stuck in this hospital because you held me in that house. But, what was it all for? Why did you ruin my life?”
I am crying now, but I barely notice. It’s a silent cry, one that just falls. The space between us for all this time, bottled up the emotions I felt. But now I let it out. Blake looks back at me, eyebrows furrowed and confusion etched on his face. For a second I see it, pity and realization. For a second. But, that second ended.
“You silly little girl. You were mine, but I lost you. You were my toy, and I was the child who it belonged to. I was only chasing what rightfully belonged to me….. You were mine. But, no one else can have you. No…..one.” He slowly laughed out. But this time I noticed his “brutal” image shake. He quivered for a second. Hesitated. His breath slowed, and he wheezed to take them.
Then, he was quiet. Silence, finally.
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…
Then, he was quiet. Silence, finally.
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…
