On Mute

Chapter 23: Thank You

"What in hell happened to you?" I dropped my bag on the couch and proceeded to sit on mom's new wicker mat as I attempted to peel off my converse. I dodged her gaze skilfully.

                 "I fell coming home for lunch." I grumbled as I tried to pull my shoelaces loose. I stand up.

                 "Had a free period before lunch, you are rather early?" I nod, advancing to touch the hardwood.

                 "Ah ah ah, don't go any further till you brush those pants off outside!" For real? I flee to the porch. As I look up from my attended knees I see the trees part, showing the chapel in full view for a fraction of a second, it was a glimmer, just a small speck of time. The kind of speck, beautiful as a skilfully carved snow flake that you cannot help but admire, but before you could fully grasp the concept it melts away, making u want more.

                 I plop onto the steps, my hands grasping the lip of the stairs tightly as I bite back the urge to cry again.

"I am scared Abigail..." He is scared...

".... I don't think I can do this without you." He needs me, arg I feel so useless!

                 "Tempest; my love." I look up, and there is mom with the phone in her hand.

                 "Yeah, Mom?" She leans against the frame as she eyes me intently.

                 "That was the school just now." I felt the colour drain from my face, but I don't care, nothing made me as numb as the pain of Marc lingering in my chest.

                 "It was?" I forced out.

                 "I know you honey, you don't skip class for just any given reason. What happened?" She came up beside me kneeling, the back of her hand rubbing my cheek gingerly. The tingling sensation made me grasp tighter to the stairs.

                 "It's Marc Mom." I finally admit. My hands were shaking, jumping up and down wildly as they gripped the splintery wood for dear life.

                 "I know." I shot up, my eyes darting at my mother almost under the control of instinct, I was a scared animal and she was holding a smoking gun I did not know she possessed.

                 "Y-You know what?" She stood up also, grasping my shoulders and caressing them softly.

                 "Marc's father called before you came home. He told me... you can come see him after." All the happiness in the world enveloped me, my heart racing a mile a minute, but for some reason I could not smile, I felt bitter at that instant and it went downhill from there.

                 ".... I don't think I can do this without you." I gritted my teeth.

                 "No Mom, I can't." She froze, her thumbs compressing into my arm.

                 "What?" I bit my lip till it hurt, till I felt the salt of my own blood. I couldn't cry anymore, I had to be strong.

                 "He needs me. He... needs me there with him now." She seemed perplexed, like she was not looking at me, like I was someone else. "Mom, what if he...dies?" She fell limp; her shoulders cascading like the strength went out of them.

                 "Don't think like that."

                 "I can't help it." She went silent as she processed the situation.