Finding Me: Book 1: All I've Ever Wanted (A New Adult Romance Series) (23 page)

Chapter 14

Ella took a swig from the bottle and passed it to her boyfriend narrating her earlier ordeal with Laura and Abigail. Her boyfriend, Garry, took the bottle and put it to his lips. He was much older than Ella but he liked that she did things girls her age wouldn't. She was a real pleaser. There was something quite unsavory about the two of them as a couple. Or at least, there ought to have been laws against such unions. He passed the bottle back to Ella.

'I need a smoke.' Ella said.

'Don't look at me. I'm clean out.'

'Oh, come off it, I know you can get some! Isn't Tom working at the pub? He's always got some.'

Garry shrugged. 'What'd you want with Tommy? You’re with me right! Don't you forget that.' Garry's blood was up. He was quick to anger. Ella knew that. She also knew he was a bigger dog than she was on any given Sunday. She had found that out the night they met and definitely didn't want a repeat lesson. Ella thought it best to always keep him happy.

'I didn't mean it that way! I just wanted a smoke. Those two bitches have my nerves all up.'

Garry laughed. 'Well, if you wanted something for your mouth, why didn't you just say that?'

'Garry, I'm serious! You see what that new skank did to my head! I had five stitches on that! They even shaved my brow. Looks bloody weird now!'

'I never went with you for your brow.'

'What did you go with me for then?' Ella asked, as she pushed her chest out in a tease.

'Oh, I think you know of a couple of good reasons that just popped to mind.' Garry said.

'Anything else pop into your mind?' Ella sleazed up to him.

Garry pulled Ella closer to him. The smell of whisky was strong on his breath. 'I'm sure there will be.' he said, thinking his line was witty. Ella pretended all was peaches and cream. Garry was in one of his randy moods after the drink and Ella need not be reminded how urgent she needed to put the situation under control. Garry was the type of guy that got what he wanted regardless. So for Ella, taking the pain and bruise-free option was the best for her. She just had to play the calm game and play it right.

'Garry...' Ella said as he undid her bra.

'What?'

'How much do you love me?' she asked.

'So much it hurts, luv. So much it hurts.' Garry lied. The means justified the end in his books.

Dear Diary

I can't believe Ella! She stole all of my clothes from the shower and I had to walk around the place naked! She and her cow friends made fun of me the entire time. I tried to go to my room and the door wouldn't open. I had to go to Laura's room and they followed me saying it looked like we were horny and needed it.

Laura was really sweet. She let me use some of her clothes until Rebecca came back to unlock the door. To top it off, Rebecca blamed ME for somehow locking the door on myself!

I never did get my clothes that Ella stole back. I hope she chokes on them.

Abi

Chapter 15

Laura sipped from a small bottle of rum and slightly struggled to down it, squeezing her eyes and lips in the process. It was another item she acquired in the unorthodox manner of 'Fred-rules-express'. Laura always kept her “stuff” wrapped in plastic grocery bags so as to keep her not-so-little secret safe from Ella, her gang and of course, Rebecca. Though she almost never brought them out, she felt at ease in Abigail's company. Laura offered the bottle to Abigail, but Abi refused in her usual fashion.

'That's not good for you, you know.' Abigail’s concern was apparent in her voice.

'There's a lot that's not good for me. I think you're the only thing in this place good for me at the moment to be frank.' Laura smiled. The drink relaxed her so she felt at ease.

Abigail blushed. It was unusual for her to receive a compliment. As a matter of fact, she wasn’t sure anyone had ever paid her compliments for as long as she could remember and at that moment, she wasn't sure how to take it either. Laura sensed the discomfort building up and changed tact.

'Besides, in this place you've got to know when to take something, as you never know when anything else will come along.' Laura prodded Abigail's back with the bottle, but Abigail kept her focus on what she was writing. Laura sighed.

'Numb is the boredom in this place. What the hell are you doing anyway?' Laura continued.

'Writing.' Abigail replied sharply.

'To whom?'

'A friend.'

Laura's famous Rebecca-type grin came across her face and soon began her tease.

'A boyfriend?'

Abigail stopped writing and turned to Laura. After staring at her for a couple of seconds, she simply offered a smile back. The realization of the fact that Laura had it completely wrong amazed her.

'It's not what you think. It's someone I've known for a long time who is more of a younger brother to me. He's the only person left I know.'

Laura moved closer and hugged Abigail from behind over her shoulder and spoke in a voice that somewhat depicted emptiness.

'At least, you know someone. All my family's gone. Mum's dead, Gran's dead, and my dad, well, let’s just say he's not exactly the pen-pal type.'

'Well, you've got someone now!' Abigail said and hugged Laura back. She smiled again at Laura, then returned to her writing.

Laura took another swig from her bottle and walked over to the window. Outside, the rain poured. And as she looked out onto the scrub ground, she could see puddles building on the sodden lawn. Across the perimeter fence, she could see members of the public darted for cover. Some braved it with umbrellas. Laura was lost in her thoughts and almost didn’t realize when the question fell through her mouth.

'He must be special to have you write him all of these years.' Laura uttered wistfully.

'He is. Like I said, the only one left I know. He was my only friend growing up. I don't think I would have made it this far if it weren't for the letters. They're special, you know? Abi paused, stared a little longer at Laura, then continued. 'I guess they remind me of the good times, the good memories.'

'My Gran did that for me. She was great. Mum passed quite early and Dad was, well, it was better when he wasn't around.' Laura took a deep breath.

Abigail couldn’t believe Laura never fancied the idea of living with her dad. At least, not after she learnt about what her dad had done to her when she was much younger. She knew without a doubt that Laura needed a friend at that moment more than ever.  Abigail pushed her writing materials aside and pulled Laura into a hug.

'I'm so sorry, Laura. I didn't know...'

'Not many people do. It's not something you advertise, you know. There's no shirt that says, 'Hi, my name is Laura and my dad fiddled me' or anything.  Besides, It's in the past. It used to drive me nuts thinking about it, but now.’ She stopped for a moment. 'You're a great friend, Abi!'

'You're the only friend I've had since moving into this system.' Abigail confided. 'I don't make them easily.'

'You? But your little miss sunshine!' teased Laura.

'Yeah, I know I can be a bit...'

'Moody?' finished Laura.

'Yeah, moody.  It's just because I've been through a lot.'

'Hello! Haven't we all? I mean, Hi! Remember me? My dad won't win the father of the year award anytime soon.'

'You're so sarcastic. I can't guess why you never had friends before me!' Abigail teased, coming off somewhat sarcastic as well.

Laura became introspective, looking into empty space 'It's my way of dealing with things, I guess. The moody and the sarcastic. What a strange pair we make.'

'So, is your pa the reason why.... well...you know....'

'The reason I... don’t like to trust anyone, or let anyone close?' asked Laura.

'Well, yeah.'

Laura sighs. 'Maybe. At least partly. I don't know. Maybe I just haven't met the right guy. I mean, not everyone can have a great friend like you. There really isn’t much to pick from inside the system, is there? We can't all be slags like Ella and knock with a boy twice our age. How about you?'

'Me?' Abi asked. Her face reddened.

'You know? Have you been with a guy?'

'God no!'

'Not even your special friend?'

'We were just six years old! Like I said, He's more of a little brother to me.'

'And what am I?'

'A friend. A sarcastic one mind you' Abigail replied cheerfully. She squeezed Laura's hand briefly before she went back to writing.

Dear Diary

It can't last. I know it. I really like Laura, but that Dark Luck is following me around. It came back last night when I tried to post my letter. The growl. I couldn't see it, but I could hear it.

Stalking me.

I wish Laura and I could just run away together. Leave this dump behind. We'd find Henry and be a happy family! I wish my Dark Luck would just leave me alone.

She's so sweet. I never had a friend like her before. I keep telling myself that we only have to wait a few more weeks before my birthday. Then I can leave this hole and get us a proper place. I'd get it ready for her. Her birthday is only 2 months after mine. April 16th. That's hers.

Maybe I can get us a small place in the country. Work as a waitress or something. It'd be nice. Just us and Henry.

Maybe I will leave my Dark Luck here like some sort of going away present.

Maybe Diary. Maybe. Abi

Chapter 16

Laura entered the common room for an apple. She had been thinking about taking Abigail into town for the weekend. She was positive Rebecca wouldn’t see their outing as a bad idea. After all, Rebecca was always pushing them to try to be normal. Besides, Ella did slip out at any time she wanted without ending on Rebecca’s wrong side.

Laura was about to take the first bite on her apple when she was stopped by a harsh tug of her hair. Before she could figure out what just happened, Ella had slammed Laura into the wall hard enough for Laura to feel it in her teeth.

'Right, lezzie. Where's that skank girlfriend of yours?' Ella asked as her two friends kept a look out for Rebecca.

'I... I don't know...' Laura stuttered guiding her mouth with her hands.

'You see this?' Ella said as she turned her head to point at her recently acquired scar. 'You see what little Miss-Too-Good did?'

'She. She never...'

Ella stopped Laura's stutter with a slap to her face. Her ring did not cut Laura this time, but it did strike bone. 'Shut up! I know it was her! You think I'm dumb?' She slapped Laura again.

'I'm sorry...' Laura managed to make out the words with tears already forming in her eyes. Ella made it clear she was not having any of that. She pulled Laura by her hair and slammed her into the wall again and threatened to make her regret ever being friends with Abigail.

Ella yanked hard on Laura's hair, ripping out a bigger clump of hair that caused her to bleed. She looked with such indecisiveness as to what she needed to do with it before throwing it in Laura's face.

'How funny is that then? No one disrespects me in front of my girls like that. Not unless they've got a bloody death-wish or something!

'Now, your mate. Where is she? We're going to sort her proper!' Ella grabbed another chunk of Laura's hair making her head arch backwards.

Laura admitted to not knowing Abigail’s whereabouts during the bully exercise which only seemed to drive Ella crazier. She tightened her grip on Laura's hair and reached for her own pocket where she pulled out a box cutter and put it, blade up, towards Laura's eye.

'What you think, girls? Maybe we should cut her tongue out instead? That would show her bitch lover!' Ella barked, pushing the blade into Laura's skin deep enough to draw blood. 'So start talking. Talk while you still have a tongue, your lezzie skank!'

Laura couldn’t hold the pain anymore and confessed to have heard Abigail say she was going to post a letter. Ella's grip on her hair was still too strong. Tears of guilt ran down her face as she started to cry more for betraying Abigail than out of fear.

Brenda looked over at Ella. The blade was about to cut into Laura's mouth. 'Come on! Leave her! I think she's telling the truth! Rebecca will flip if she finds out we went this far!'

'Who the bloody hell is talking to you?' screamed Ella as she pointed the cutter blade at Brenda.

'Look. Look at her. She's bricking it. It's not worth it. We know where the bitch is at. That's what you wanted, right?'

Just then, the smell of urine hit Ella's nose. She turned towards Laura to see a small wet patch appear at the front of her trousers and burst into laughter. Holly and Brenda joined her in the laugh as they looked at Laura sitting in her own urine.

A slam of the front door alerted the girls to Rebecca’s presence. Ella turned to Laura one last time and told her Abigail was next to be dealt with and threatened her not to say a word about what had happened. The girls made their exits, leaving Laura sobbing profusely on the floor.