Hate is a strong word, but I still hate you.

Chapter eighteen, Just give me a week!

*Rayne's POV*

Alison came and sat in my room. Katy was there too.
"I can't believe her!" I said. I grabbed my chest of drawers and pulled it up against the window. The candles on top were shoved in a drawer. I grabbed all of the spare pillows and propped them up. "All I did was try to help. If I hadn't then who knows what the media would think!"
I pushed the wardrobe open and grabbed her clothes. I opened the door and began to toss them down the stairs.
First all the dresses. Then the tops. Trousers then skirts.
I grabbed her shoes and lined them at the top of the stairs.
"Who does she think she is?" I said as I grabbed the last pair. I stood at the top of the stairs and threw them.
After three pairs Taylor was holding my hands.
"Rayne stop!"
"Why? Why should I?" I yelled. I pulled my hands away and threw another pair. They snapped and Taylor winced. I grabbed some brown boots and threw them with as much force as possible. I grabbed another pair and Taylor wrapped her arms around me from behind. My elbow came back and I dropped the shoes.
Taylor curled up and closed her eyes.
"Taylor. Are you okay?" After a moment she stood up and nodded. I suddenly felt guilty. What about the baby?
"I'm fine." She tucked her hair behind her ear.
"Good." I grabbed the shoes and threw them. I pushed the rest then ran. Taylor followed me. "Leave me alone!" I yelled. I threw open the door and ran out. Taylor, barefoot, ran after me. We got to a stretch of trees and I ran into them. I laughed at the irony.
Taylor. Barefoot. In the forest. Sound familiar? It's just like her 'out of the woods' video. I glanced behind me. She was a few feet away. I grabbed a low hanging branch and swung up. She grabbed the branch and pulled herself up.
Ha. Two people can play they game. Besides, nobody can climb a tree like I can. I was ahead by seven branches in thirty seconds.
Soon there were no branches left. I slid into the next tree and waited. The soles of Taylor's feet were bleeding but she didn't stop.
"Wow, real dedication." I said sarcastically. "Your feet must hurt." She was soon next to me.
"Rayne." She held my hand and I yanked it away.
"Leave me alone."
"I thought we-"
"You thought what Taylor? We were getting better. Becoming friends! I will always hate you. I hope you're happy with my brother!" I dropped from the tree and walked home. Taylor followed me but I ignored her. I yanked open the door and flopped onto the sofa. Taylor grabbed a bunch of stuff and began to clean her feet.
I stomped to my room and closed the door. Alison and Katy were still there.
"Ugh. I hate her." I began shoving my stuff in a bag. "Katy. I'm staying at your place."

Two hours later my stuff, Alison's and Katy's was packed. I grabbed as much as I could and between us we carried it all to Katy's.
My phone rang.
"What?!" I asked.
"Where are you? Please come home."
"No Taylor. I'm at Katy's. Give me a week."
"But Rayne."
"NO!" I hung up and put my phone away. Alison took my hand.
"Rayne, it's okay."
"Crap. I forgot my toothbrush." I said. "Give me twenty minutes."
"Okay." Katy said. I ran back down the street and Alison followed.
I got to the house and Taylor was waiting. I walked straight past and stormed up the stairs. Alison stood in the bathroom with me as I locked the door.
"Excuse me." She stood in front of the cabinet where my toothbrush was kept.
"You have manners?" She asked sarcastically.
"Yeah, my mother raised me properly."
"But I thought you just met Taylor."
"I mean my real mom. The one who raised me since I were fourteen days old not fourteen years old." I heard Taylor crying behind the door as I grabbed my toothbrush and slammed the cabinet closed.
I opened the door and Taylor was rocking back and forth in a ball on the floor.
"Oh look. Someone forgot to take out the trash." I stepped around her and walked down the stairs.
"That was a bit harsh." Alison said.
"You don't understand. You might hate her but I've had to live with her. Put up with her. She slept with my brother. I've seen her naked! Twice. There isn't a man and probably woman alive who wouldn't want to see that. People would count me as lucky and I've tried to kill my self twice whilst I've lived here."
Taylor dropped to the floor next to me. She was clutching her heart.
"Ray. Baby. Please don't." I crouched down and put my hand to her face.
"Tay. Baby. Please don't." I got up to leave and she broke down. "Taylor." She looked up. "Just give me a week. I'll be back. Then we can live happily ever after. Whatever that means." She smiled. I touched her charm bracelet then left. The last thing I saw before the door closed was her holding the bracelet close to her chest.
I ran to Katy's and Alison managed to keep up. I ran inside and sat next to my bag. I cried.
"Ray. What happened?" Katy sat next to me.
"I did something horrible." I explained what happened when I went to Taylor's.
"That's not a bad thing. That's great. If I were you I would have punched her." I laughed.
We went upstairs and Alison and I put our stuff in Katy's room. She didn't want to be alone but I couldn't let Alison stay all alone either.
We went downstairs and Katy grabbed a frying pan.
"Woah! Step away from the gas." I said. Katy held up her hands and backed away.
"Sorry."
"You so cannot be trusted boiling the kettle, you'd be cray cray to think I would let you use the hob." Katy laughed and sat down.
"Sorry mom." I put the pan away and grabbed the phone.
"We'll have pizza instead."
"But I'm-"
"We'll get gluten free."
"But-"
"Katy. Just shut up." She held up her hands and we all laughed.
I called for a cheese pizza and it came. I ate a slice and Alison ate one. Katy ate the rest.
"Pig." I said whilst coughing. Katy gave me a gentle slap.
"Respect your elders!" She said. I giggled then yawned. I climbed up the stairs and fell into bed. On one side of Katy was Alison on the other was me. I fell asleep and my dreams were filled with guilt and Taylor.

*Taylor's POV*

One week. She gave me one week. Okay. Everything will be perfect.
But she doesn't think of me as her real mother, she thinks the woman who raised her is. That's true, she was her stepmother but I'm her real mom. Biologically, at least.
I feel so bad for yelling at her. I didn't even mean it.
I tried to call her but she wouldn't listen. Then she came back for her toothbrush.
"Just give me a week. I'll be back. Then we can live happily ever after. Whatever that means." Then she left.
I laid on the floor and cried. I grabbed a knife and ran to the bathroom, I filled the bath with hot water and bubbles and submerged myself.
I looked at the blade then to my left arm. I dug it in at my wrist and blood streamed from it immediately.
I could have stopped. I should have. Instead my skin was ripped all the way up to my inner elbow. Blood pumped from the wound and I dipped my arm in the warm bath. The water stung but this pain was easier to deal with then the pain of loosing Rayne.
   The bath turned a pale pink and I lift my arm out. The bleeding had slowed to a few drops. I pulled out the plug and threw on my robe. I quickly put the knife back, after I'd cleaned it, and grabbed a bandage from the first aid kit.
   I wrapped it around my arm then hurried to the bottom of the stairs. I rummaged through the clothes on the floor, now understanding the utmost importance of long sleeved tops. I chose all black then sat on the sofa.
I suddenly wanted ice cream. I really wanted it. I rummaged through the freezer and finding none.
I slammed the door closed and stomped upstairs. I went into Rayne's room and sat on the bed.
Wyatt came in and wrapped his arms around me. I wrapped my arms around his neck.
"What's up honey?" He asked.
"We're all out of ice cream." I said.
"Is that it?" He asked.
"Yes. Can you get some?" I gave him kiss.
"No." He said. I kissed him again.
"Hmmm. Still no." I kissed him again.
"Please." I begged.
"I like it when you beg," he gave me a quick kiss. "Do it again." He kissed me.
"Please." I said, dead serious.
"Okay." He kissed me again then pulled on a shirt. He left and the door clicked. I went downstairs and into the kitchen. I slid up my sleeve and removed the bandage that had bled through. It had stopped now. I pulled down my sleeve and burnt the old bandage. I couldn't risk Wyatt seeing it.
I waited in the front room for Wyatt. He arrived after ten minutes. I curled up on the sofa and ate ice cream whilst watching Law and Order.
Wyatt hated the show. I ate the entire tub of ice cream and then fell asleep.

"MOM!" I ran towards the sound. "MOM!" They cried again. It sounded like Rayne but I hoped it wasn't, they sounded terrified.
It was. I held her tightly when I saw her and she held me back.
"Mom." She said.
"Yes."
"I'm sorry. I love you mom. I'm sorry for all the stuff I did."
"It's okay."
"He's coming." I looked around but nobody was there. Everything was black. The only thing there was Rayne.
"It's okay."
"Mom you don't understand. He's coming."
"Who?" Tight arms wrapped around my shoulders and dragged me away. He made his way towards Rayne and I tried to move but I couldn't. I screamed.
He pulled out a knife and plunged it deep into her chest.
"RAYNE!" I yelled. He stabbed at her again and again until the pool of blood was touching me. The blood was icy cold.
The man trudged over and pinned me down.
"John!" I spat. His face loomed over mine as he peeled back my top. When he saw my arm he held it up for close inspection.
"Stupid cow." He said as he slammed it onto the floor. I held my eyes shut and screamed.
When they opened I was still in the front room, Wyatt was shaking me. I held him and refused to let go. When I did he stayed with me on the sofa and comforted me.
"What happened?" He asked.
"He killed Rayne and he ... He tried to ... He." I broke off crying.
"Shhh. It's okay babe. It was just a dream." Wyatt held my hand.
"John tried to hurt me again." I said.
"Like I said. It's okay. It was only just a dream."
"Rayne called me 'mom'."
"Did she?"
"She said 'I love you' too. Shame that isn't real."
"She will, eventually. She takes a while to warm up to people. I speak from experience. She's been like this her whole life, since she were a baby." Wyatt said
"How long did it take her for you?" I asked.
"About seven months."
"She warmed up to Katy in a day."
"She's know Katy for the past nine years. She's been her idol since she she first heard 'I kissed a girl'."
"Do you think she'll like me, in the end?"
"Yes. Back home she used to stalk you. She said she needed to know everything about her arch-nemesis so if she ever came face to face with you she would know how to 'destroy' you." Wyatt laughed.