I'll meet you there

9

10 years

My heart was beating so hard it would burst. My breathing was laboured and loud. My palms were slick and my hair stuck to my forehead. I closed my eyes as they came searching for us. Blaze was there beside me holding my hand. Then his lips were on my ear.

"Run." Then we bolted. Down the middle of a pitch dark road. They yelled from behind us but we didn't turn. It was all a blur to me, my legs were tiring out but I pushed them to the max. Blaze was ahead his hand behind holding mine as I dragged behind. I was the reason we would soon be caught.

"Get back here Blaze!" Nic yells at the top of his lungs. He obviously stopped chasing. That's when Blaze stops dead in his tracks and spins on his heels facing his brother.

"Go to hell!" He hollers back the veins in his neck prominent. I gasp eyes bulging. Then he grabs my hand and we keep running.

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It's about 4am by the time we reach my house. I'm out of breath and Blaze is crouching hands on his knees, sucking in, his hair is dripping sweat. He starts laughing then shakes his head.

"I've never done that before," he looks at me. I'm sitting on the porch floor still trying to catch my breath. I was never into running. "I've never spoke back to my brother. I knew the consequence. I've seen him do it to Sonia. She walked down to the kitchen with a black eye and four Parallel scratches on her left cheek."

"Well. You can live with me forever," I say putting my hand on his knee as he comes to sit beside me. We both stare out at the stars for a while. Still trying to take into consideration that we just out ran a manic and his wife.

"You know Suede. I don't know what I would do with out you," then he pulls me in close and we sit there hugging each other for what feels like a century but it felt very nice.

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I was tossing and turning in my bed when the doorbell went off. My eyes pooped open and I looked around my dark room. My alarm clock beeped 6:30am the sun had still not risen yet. Slowly climbing out of my bed I tiptoe to the hallway where I run straight into some one. I jump and a high pitch voice escapes my lips.

"Suede it's just me," Blaze whispers as I put a hand to my chest in shock. I scramble up to my feet then we both make way down the stairs very slow.

When we reach the front doorway I peak through the curtains, and sigh in relief as my grandparents had finally arrived. I nod indicating Blaze to open the front door for them.

"Well your not my sweet Suede Catherine!" I hear my grandmothers voice speak as she enters the hallway. She was in shock to see Blaze and he was in shock to hear the response.

"Hey gram and gramps this is my friend Blaze," I say wrapping an arm around my friend and pulling him close, he squirms in my grasp.

"How is my darling Judy?" at the mention of my moms name tears start to form but I suck them back.

"She's still at the hospital recovering." I reply as I rock back and forth on my heels.

"Well we will visit her tomorrow but for now you too need some rest I can tell you're tired," my grandfather pats our backs and we start up the stairs.

Blaze had to sleep on my bedroom floor since we only had two bedrooms. I felt bad nothing like sleeping over at some ones house and sleeping on the floor.

"Blaze are you sure you'll be alright?" I ask leaning over the edge of my bed.

"Yes Suede I'm perfectly fine. To be honest this is probably more comfortable then my bed back home," he pulls his blankets up to his chin and smiles. I roll over onto my back staring at the ceiling, and let out a loud sigh. "What was that for?" Blaze asks.

"I don't know. Ito just been a very long day," I answer sadly replaying today's events in my head.

"Suede your beautiful," I hear Blaze from the floor. I sit up in my bed and turn to face him, frowning.

"Don't say that."

"Well it needed to be said. I've thought that since I sat beside you when I was 8," his eyes glisten in the moon light. His three quarter blue eye like ice. Then I lay back down and we both rest our eyes.

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We drove to the hospital right after breakfast. I only got about 3 hours of sleep from tossing and turning. The drive was silent no one spoke a word because we were all thinking the same thing.

"Suede and Blaze I want you both to be on your best behaviour. No acting up or you'll get a smack," grandma directed the last part to me. There was no way she would smack another child. We both nod like cloned children. Then the door clicks open.

We don't rush in we take it steady not wanting to know what waits for us behind the automatic doors. We walk straight to the secularly who tells us the room number Mom was in. She was very kind and I smiled at her as we left because she deserved it.

Grandpa knocked on the door. It opened slowly and a doctor was in view.

"Hello you must be the family of Ms. Brooks," he says.

"Yes my daughter is Judy," grandpa says as we enter. I quickly glance around the room looking for my mother.

Her bed was placed in the far right corner surrounded by light yellow walls and dead flowers. I frowned feeling bad for her.

"Well I wanted to tell you about Judy," he motions us to take a seat and we do. He follows sitting across from us.

"Judy hasn't woken up. She spent a lot of time with out oxygen and it caused some damage to her brain," his hands are clasped together. My grandparents are quiet. "You have a minute to have some time with her."then he gets up from his chair and exits the room to give us some privacy. I immediately rush to my mothers side.

I reach for her hand and hold it. It's cold and clammy. She is also very pale. I lean in an whisper in her ear.

"Mom you are a strong woman you can make it," tears fill my eyes making it hard for me to see. Then they are streaming down my cheeks

Then she turns in her sleep.

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It was a Sunday at 1:46 pm when the hospital called. Grandpa answered the phone and was chatting for about an hour. I couldn't hear the conversation because he shut the door behind him. I paced around my room, hands clasping over my ears tears streaming down my face.

"Suede. You need to get it together. Would your mom like to see you like this," Blaze asks standing in my way. I dodge him and start pacing again.

"Blaze I'm freaking out right now. At least I'm not screaming and pulling out my teeth," I respond bitterly. Then I hear the door click closed and footsteps coming towards my room. Both Blaze and I face the door frame to see my grandfather standing shaking his head. He's crying and I've never seen her cry.

"She died an hour ago." As the words fall from his mouth the room starts spinning and I collapse to the ground, sobbing.