Damaged

Chapter Eight

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." - Mahatma Gandhi

ANNA

I waited until Dante ran out of the caravan after me before I ducked back inside and grabbed my bags from his room. I hid behind Bryan's car until he went back inside his caravan. I waited until he closed the door before I ran for the girls' caravan. As soon as I got back I locked the main door and then my bedroom door; locking the window and pulling the curtains, sitting alone in the dark sobbing.

DANTE

It's been two days. Today's Tuesday. Yesterday I knocked on her window for twenty minutes straight. Today I called her repeatedly with the number I'd stolen from Bryan's contacts on his cell. Nevertheless there'd been no reply, and still I'm going off my head with worry. I don't care about her scars. Not anymore. I care about HER. Two days without her has been weird. I just want to know that she's okay... I just... I just want her back.

ANNA

I only leave my room when necessary. I wake first thing every morning to fetch breakfast and get dinner once everyone's left. I only pee when I'm really desperate, if they're still here which mostly they're not.

I wake up on Tuesday afternoon to an empty caravan. Or at least, I think it's an empty caravan. I'd fallen back to sleep after having breakfast this morning so I stumble down the hall towards the kitchenette. "Anna." Sophie smiles from the bench, shooting to a stance as soon as she sees me. "Yes?" I'm wary an anxious at her sudden interest in speaking to me. "How are you?" She asks, fidgeting with her hands nervously. "Fine. Why?" She smiles apologetically, looking down at her feet. "Well... I was just asking..." I frown and look at her questioningly. "Is this going somewhere or..?"

"Look Anna I'm sorry... For everything. I was a real bitch to you and you didn't deserve any of that... You were right about Becks, I should've listened and I'm so sorry... I promise that I never meant anything I said to you."

"Then why did you say it?!"

"Because I was jealous of what you had..." She gives a short sigh. "Despite Becks warning you, you still weren't afraid to get what you wanted, and you didn't let her get in the way of you and Dante... And who doesn't want a bit of Dante? I was jealous that you'd got him, and I was jealous that he liked you... I was rotten with jealousy and I let that get in the way of our friendship. I'm so sorry, Anna." I give a small smile, looking down at my feet in my bed socks and feeling a small burst of happiness inside. I'd been looking at train tickets back home last night. Maybe now there's no need to be hasty... "I admire you for having the balls to admit you were wrong."

"Do you forgive me?" I give a short laugh and nod my head, making her squeal and throw her arms around me excitedly. "Good cause maybe now we can start plotting revenge!" She steers me towards the table and pushes me onto the bench, turning back to the kitchenette and beginning to make me lunch. "What? What d'you mean 'revenge'?"

"Revenge on Becks. For what she said to Hunter about us."

"What? What did she say to Hunter?" Sophie then launches into an animated account of how she'd overheard Becks bitching to Hunter about Sophie, Dante and I. She'd said some pretty bad things about Sophie before laying into Dante and I. Sophie was so enraged, she'd went to look for me, thinking I'd be with Dante and Stuart, but when I wasn't she figured she'd try back here. "Well, I hate to say it," I shrug after her detailed account. "But I told you so." She nods in her head in agreement as I finish the sandwich she'd made me. "Sooooo," She sings excitedly, making me aware of what she's about to ask me. "How're things with you and loverboy?" I decide to act silly. "Sorry, who?" She gives me her 'seriously?' Look and sighs, "Dante of course." I roll my eyes and pick up my coffee cup. "Oh... Him." I sigh emphatically, unsure of what to actually tell her. "Ooh what's THAT sigh for?" I bite my lip in thought before deciding on the truth.