They Could Never Know (Editing)

Part 5

Sunlight peeks through the windows letting me know the day has begun. I sit up and drag my hand over my face, last night was weird. Glancing around the cabin I notice everyone's still sleeping, I never even heard them come in. My stomach grumbles and I lift my phone to check the time, three missed calls and four messages, all from mom.

When will you be home Tess? 

Tess?

Just because you are mad doesn't give you a right to blatantly ignore me, I am your mother.

Be home tomorrow.

Just the fact that she's demanding me to come home today makes me want to stay out a little longer. She also lost the privileges to pull the mom card, she wasn't my mother, mother's protect their children. She did anything but protect me. I needed a hot shower and coffee. Shuffling from across the room draws my eyes away from my phone. Grant is awake, his brown hair messy on top of his head, eyes still sleepy. Maybe if I close my eyes quick enough he won't catch me. "Morning Tess." Grant yawns, he moves to the kitchen and starts a pot of coffee.

....

I take my cup of coffee to the front porch of the cabin, I plop down on a wooden bench seat that hangs by chains drilled into the roof. The morning air was crisp, and the birds were singing, making sure the entire forest knew it was time to awake. Everyone was awake in the cabin now, I could hear the creaking of different sets of steps. "Tess, you about ready." Liam asks as he stretches out his tall body. With nod I head back into the kitchen, wash up my cup and head to the car.

.....

"Tess! Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you! This behavior is unacceptable." Mom shouts from down the stairs. My behavior was out of line? What does that make her behavior then?  When Liam dropped me off I came into the house and blew right past her, ignorning her questions about my hand and my whereabouts. I'm not in a mood to deal with her. "I just need a shower!" I shout back. Mom burst through my door, pointer finger outstretched, "Quit being a little bitch." She spat. "If anyone's the bitch here, it's you." I bite back, I really wasn't in the mood for this. Normally when she had these rants, I tried to fly low in order to duck away from swinging hands. At this point I wanted her to hit me. I had all this anger built up inside of me and I wanted to let it all out. Just as if the universe heard my pleads for violence my mom swings her hand back, dropping directly into my cheek. On most days I wasn't a violent person, despite the whole Mason thing, but something snapped in me this morning. I shoved her, and I shoved her really good. Stumbling back into the wall her eyes grew big. "Get out. Get out of my room." I was huffing, if she came back at me I wasn't sure how this would end. She lingered a few seconds more, finally deciding to retreat her way back down the stairs. As soon as I knew she was out of sight, I close my door and cup my hand, that one hurt. I turn the shower on, steam rolling from behind the curtain, I needed to scrub my body. I was so tired of people hurting me, taking advantage of me. Tears slip down my cheeks and mix in with the water circling around my feet. As long as she was in my life, I could never move on.

.....

Monday was a snapback to reality that I needed. I liked it when my days consisted of school and cheer, that meant less hours at home. The girls meet me at my normal locker, just like they did every morning, catching up on the parts of the weekend we spent apart. I feel the brush of my hair and I'm waiting to turn and see Liam's eyes but instead it's Grant. He smiles as he strides past us girls. "He likes you, despite the fact that he's a scaredy cat." Chloe says, making sure to increase her voice during the last part. Grant turns back towards us, thumbs hooked on his back pack and smiles. I guess he woke up today and decided it was a talking day. I walk to class looking around to find Liam, where was he? As I step into class I'm hit with a pang of jealously, Liam was sitting next to Allison, head resting on his hand. He was obviously flirting with her because her face was bright red. I sit down in my chair and start opening my books, Liam slides into his seat in front of me. I can tell he's swivaled around in his chair, "Morning sweet cheeks." I don't make eye contact, pretending I'm deep in thought about whatever random page I'm on in my English textbook. I give a small smile and wave of my good wrist. I can tell that his smile falters but he doesn't pry, at least not right now. The teacher walks in and begins class. My phone vibrates, Liam.

You gonna be like this all day? L

I choose to ignore his message and continue on with my focus of English. My phone vibrates, Liam again.

Don't be mad at me, I'll explain later. L

There was no need for an explanation, I wasn't his girlfriend plain and simple. I just didn't like the fact that he chose to walk her to class instead of me. I again don't respond and he seems to have given up. The bell rings ending class and I make a beeline for the door. I stop at my locker, changing out my books for the next class. My locker door swings shut in my face, there was Allison baring her teeth behind it. "Tess, tell me, how does it feel to know that as soon as Liam got bored of you, he was back to me?" A laugh almost slipped through my lips, back to her. I hadn't realized Liam even treaded those waters. I shrug and smile, "sometimes the body blocks out trauma. I'm sure the amnesia will wear off soon. and he'll see you for what you really are."  Allison scoffs but I turn and leave, not giving her the satisfaction of the last word. That girl was a disaster in disguise as a pretty blonde.

....

Lunch came around and I gave the details to Katy and Chloe about my encounter with the big bad wolf. "She so did not slam your locker in your face." Chloe says this as she picks around at her food. "Oh she did and she also wanted to make it clear that Liam had come BACK to her." I laugh, I never had Liam in the first place. "Liam just likes to flirt with girls who will turn red at a single wink, falling head over heels with the idea of lover boy." Chloe says as she rolls her eyes. My phone pinged, Laim.

Grant told me he was walking you to class, I didn't want to step on toes. L

I nudge Katy and Chloe, nodding my head to my phone. "Ohhh, maybe Grant called dibs." Katy says with a smirk playing across her face. How was that fair, Grant calls dibs and Liam just backs off. What if I had liked Liam. The truth was that I didn't like Liam that way, for some reason I was drawn to Grant. I wanted to know the mystery behind him. "This actually makes a lot of sense.
Grant has like never had a girlfriend. If he's interested in you, I could see Liam wanting that for him." Chloe says. I didn't understand why they kept saying Grant had never had a girlfriend, he was one of the most popular guys in school and he flirted with girls just like Liam did. "He flirts but never dates." Katy says as if she could read my mind. Chloe adds, "Katy is right, so if Grant told Liam he was walking you to class, you aren't just another girl he wants to string along. Not to mention he stutters around you like a little school boy." My shoulders sag, "when he actually talks." Again with how this was fair that Grant and Liam got to decide which one could walk me to class. I don't need either one to walk me to class, I'd do it myself.

....

School has ended for the day and I'm waiting at home for Jackson. He asked me if I would take him to the fields again and I agreed. Mom comes into the house first, she doesn't speak, Jackson runs in behind her. He throws his bag down, grabs his ball and screams at me to follow him out the door. I jog my way to the door, picking up his backpack and hanging it on the hook before stepping out the door. Mom didn't need a reason to yell at him. Throwing the ball with my left hand, I look pathetic. I know that Jackson is itching to call me out on it but he doesn't. "Here, let me throw a few." I jump at the surprise of Grant's voice. I agree and take a seat on the grass a few feet away from him. Jackson is beaming, he knows exactly who Grant is. "How's the hand?" Grant asks. I shrug my shoulders, "could be better." We fall into a light conversation back and forth until Jackson decides his arm is wore out. We say our goodbyes as Jackson and I head back to our house. I can't help but feel a little lighter, he was talking to me again. I don't stay long in the kitchen for dinner, I shove a few bites into my mouth and excuse myself with the screeching of the chair across the floor. Mom says nothing, does nothing. I turn on my shower and begin undressing. I look in the mirror, I could take back myself, I needed to take back myself or the weight of this would crush me. I step into the steaming water and let the burn roll across my skin. I scrub, I scub hard. I lay my head on my pillow and let my body succumb to the exhaustion over my body.

.....

Oak table, ringed groove, tall figure standing in the doorway

.....

I gasp awake, clutching my chest. He was back.