Your Teeth In My Neck

Destroyed

After she left the pool area with Campbell the night they met they sat in his car and talked. He sipped on a flask which she tried one sip of and choked, screwing her face up so much he wanted to kiss her. She was so sweet and he knew he was going to ruin it, was turned on by the thought, but all in good time. When he dropped her off he didn't make a move, she got out and waved awkwardly, trying to act her coolest and not look back when she walked up to the house, she failed. He was still staring at her with a smirk and one eyebrow raised. She turned back quickly to hide the massive smile on her face. When she got in she heard her mom in the kitchen, "Hey, I'm home."

"Hi honey how was it?"

"It was fun I met—" She walked into the kitchen to watch her mother's eyes glued to the news again, a glass of wine in her hand, "I guess dad didn't call today."

"He's only due to call tomorrow I just—" Maggie noticed the two empty bottles by the sink, "I just- Maggie I just need to know what's happening."

"Mom, he's going to call tomorrow." She forced her smile, "Let get you to bed ok?"

Maggie wouldn't look at him anymore, he wasn't expecting that. When he came into the church with Harry and was almost kicked out she didn't even glance. Harry sat down next to her before he could, which he also wasn't expecting, she kept her eyes forward, on instinct he sat next to Elle. He tried to meet her eyes again at the burial, burned a hole into her, but she didn't seem to notice. She watched what was happening with cold eyes as if it were happening on a different planet. He took in every feature about her. The dark circles under her eyes mostly concealed with makeup, the way the black dress clung a little too tightly in certain places and was a little too short because it was from the collection left behind in her childhood home, the white sneakers she hadn't worn since cheerleading days. When she started walking back towards her house after the ceremony he caught up to her, "You can't do this forever Mags." He grabbed her wrist and she stopped but didn't turn around, "Maggie." He stepped in front of her. She knew him so she looked up at him before he grabbed her face, "It's time to come home."

"That's not my home anymore." She said quietly and waited for him to move.

"Wherever I am is your home. C'mon I know you better than this." He smirked but grew serious when tears formed in her eyes.

"You made everything we ever were into a game, into a joke Campbell. You made me into a joke." She took a step back from him, "What I planned to do that you saw was an ugly moment and I regret it because I know how much it hurt you but I did it because I was terrified, for me, for you, for that potential child, all of us. I was just so scared." The tears flowed freely now, "What you did was create a plot to intentionally destroy me and it worked Campbell, I'm destroyed."

He reached out, "I'm sorry. Let's just go home now. We'll talk about it, we'll work on it, that's what couples do right?" He touched her cheek and she closed her eyes hard, "Why are you crying?" He lulled his head to the side and tried to pull her into him, she wouldn't budge, "I swear I'll enlist one of these assholes to be a couples' counsellor, let's just go home." Her eyes opened suddenly and he was shocked by how blue they were, he had never noticed before.

"That might be what couples do but we're not a couple anymore, you broke that." She turned and looked back at the crowd of people and at Elle whose eyes were locked on them, "And you already found a new plaything, you don't need me as a toy." Campbell felt the blood boil in his body as she tried to walk away, he grabbed her arm harshly and pulled her to him.

"You're not a fucking toy Maggie, I love you." They locked eyes for a moment before someone grabbed at his shoulder and pulled him off a bit.

"Hey man, right now it's better to just walk away." Campbell turned to see Harry standing there. He released her and stared his friend straight in the eye. Then he laughed.

"Ok Harry, you take care of her for me until she comes to her senses and comes home." He leaned in then to his ear, "But if you do anything with my girlfriend, I will make sure the next funeral will be yours."

He rang the bell but no one answered. Campbell looked at the dark house and wondered how hard it would be to climb up to her window. He rang again and just as he was about to try the drainpipe, it flew open. The disheveled woman stood there in her bathrobe and a glass of whiskey in her hand, "What the fuck do you want?" She slurred.
"I'm Maggie's boyfriend." He stated.

"You deal with her then, she won't come out." She moved aside for him to enter. He didn't spare her another glance and walked upstairs to a bedroom he'd become familiar with. It was locked.

"Maggie." He said sternly into it, he knocked hard, "Maggie open it." Nothing. He calculated it was better to take a different tactic, "Baby c'mon it's me, I'm worried." There was a pause and then footsteps. The door creaked open. She was wearing an oversized sweater and her eyes showed her grief and devastation, he was glad he couldn't feel those things. Just like her mother she moved aside and he walked in the room. The posters had been torn down as had most of the cutesy decorations and memorabilia, no longer an innocent girl's room. He didn't offer condolences, didn't say he was sorry, all he said was, "Let's lie down."