Amnesia

The Time of Revealing

When I opened my eyes, I saw Clara.
She was dabbing my lip.
We were in my room. Amy and Ashton weren't here.
"You don't have a concussion," Clara said. "Here, hold this ice pack over your eye. He just hit you in the temple pretty hard. But you're okay."
I placed the pack in my eye.
Clara was quiet for a second.
She had a black eye.
"Are you okay?" I said quietly.
"I'm fine, Luke," Clara said. "I'm not the one who got sucker punched eighteen times."
"Who was that, Clara?"
Clara was quiet.
She sat up straighter.
You know when you are going to say something, but it gets stuck in your throat.
I think that was Clara right now.
"Clara? Remember the agreement we had in the beginning?"
"Fine," Clara said. Now the moment you have all been waiting for; why the hell was Clara Hanna in Australia? "In London, I lived with my brother-Marcus-my mum and my dad. My mum and I were so close. I didn't have that secrecy every other kid had. I told my mum everything. She was my best friend. But, five months ago...my mum died. She died in a car crash. After that, my dad went down a black hole. He started drinking non-stop. He would abuse me. Not me brother, me. Marcus and I were never close. So when I told him, Marcus was infuriated. Then he helped my dad abuse me."
She pulled back some bracelets. Bruises.
Cuts.
It's terrible.
"Oh my God..."
"Then I had to leave. No one would help me. No one cared. So I ran away to Australia."
"So you didn't come here for an adventure."
"That was true. I have always wanted to go to Australia. My mum said she went to New Zealand when she was my age and that she discovered things about herself. I had raised money forever to go. And I thought this was the best thing for me. But now they are trying to take me back, but, Luke, I can't go back!"
"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked.
"I thought you would tell me to go back," Clara said. "Everyone else does."
"Why would I tell you to go back to Hell?" I said. "I have met your brother and he gave you a black eye!"
A tear fell down her cheek.
I wiped it away.
It was like even talking about running away. About her mum. Her father's drinking. Like it hurt to think about.
I saw her close up.
Her paper town.
Then, I saw it.
There she was.
My Margo.
The one thing I thought I lost a long time ago. She was here.
I looked at her straight in the eye.
"My turn."