No More Lies, I Promise - The Watty Awards 2011

No More Lies, I Promise - Chapter 10

Dylan's Point Of View

If I had known she had seen, I wouldn't have let Rose kiss me. But I didn't until it was too late. And I messed it up big time.

As Rose curled herself into me, I placed my hand on her shoulders and pushed her away, leaning my head back at the same time.

She couldn't resist the force, and, with visible shock coating her face, leaned back with her eyes averted downwards at her legs as she slid away from me. My hands fell from her tight blue jumper, one reaching up to wipe my lips.

It had only lasted a second or two, yet it had changed so much.

I had hurt Amy. I was hurting her still, I knew. She had trusted me, because I had forced her to. I knew she needed to tell someone, and I'd rather she told me than anyone else, because I knew that I would never tell.

She thought I told her secrets.

"Whats wrong with you?" Rose asked sharply. " I thought we were, you know, good together... Please, Dylan. What's going on? Is it her? Amy?" She spat her name, and I realized I had no patience left for this girl.

"See you tomorrow," I smiled the best I could and stood up and walked away from her. By the reaction she gave me, she had never been brushed off like that.

I decided it was best I went after Amy to explain what happened, and so I began to walk towards her house, not looking back at the girl on the bench. The girl who had shattered Amy. Watched as she was hurt. Tormented her. And she had broken my first attempt to make Amy better. To start healing her deep wounds.

This was my second chance. This was me trying to glue back together the pieces. But would she listen to me?

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I had half expected Rose to follow me, but I was glad she didn't. I doubted I could be polite to her right now.

I prepared myself for the conversation I was about to have. I didn't have an excuse yet. I doubted she'd listen to me anyway. I had hurt her. I wouldn't blame her. I wouldn't get angry. I wouldn't force my view onto her. If I had lost her, that was my fault.

I could feel the guilt burning me as I reached out to knock on her front door, yet I stopped, the door swinging open as  I touched it.

I could hear voices inside. Angry voices.

"Amy, what are we going to do?" A woman's voice asked. I guessed it was Amy's mother. "I don't know why, or how this boy got into our house-"

"Finn." That was Amy. "His name is Finn, and I couldn't leave him outside in the pouring rain."

"Now what then, Amy? Just let him go home!"

"That's the point mum! He can't! You're not listening to me! He needs to stay here! His family don't treat him like they should!"

"He's not your responsibility!"

"I couldn't let him go back there! To make him suffer with them!"

"You can't take him away from his family!"

"Ask him, mum! I'm not going to tell you what happened, and he can tell you if he wants to! Please, mum, please understand!"

"I'm sorry..." This was a new voice. A boy. "I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't go home. They don't want me there. I didn't mean to stay this long, but all of my grandparents and aunties and uncles live up in London, and I knew I wouldn't be able to get there with the money I have.... I'm sorry..."

There was a pause. A shocked pause.

I suddenly realized what I was doing. Leaning away from the door, I stepped back. I came here to apologise, and ended up eavesdropping. What?

I turned, walking down the street. I knew that was none of my buisness, but what was going on?

My puzzlement grew as I trudged down the path towards the otherside of town. Finn... Wasn't that the boy on the bus the first time I saw Amy? When her face had been marked with another girls spite. Another girls hate.

I had guessed then that she was at the school I was starting the next day. I had also guessed things about her. Things I could tell about her from the way she talked to that younger boy. Finn. I could see she was kind, despite all of the hate that had been punched into her. And I could see she cared about this boy although she had appeared to have only just met him. I could also see, though her face was covered in things disguising it, she was very, very beautiful. Naturally stunning. She didn't need to add anything. Change her hair, or add make up like the other girls. And, it was then that I decided to get to know her. Be there for her. Be her shoulder to cry on. Yet then, I had no idea how much this girl had bottled up inside herself. How much she was carrying on her shoulders. I liked to think I'd helped her. Like I'd stopped her on the street, and offered her to share the weight of the boulders balanced up on top of her. I hoped I had helped.

And, in the process of this, I gave her something I never had given anyone before. Shared with her something I never even considered I would.

I had given her my heart.

But now, now she was hurting. Because of me. Because I was stupid. I hadn't been quick enough in pushing Rose away. I was so stupid. I wished Amy knew I loved her, and I wished I could just talk to her and tell her I was sorry. I hoped she would forgive me. I hoped that one day, she would be in my arms, and then I could never let her go.