The Price of Blood

Chapter 11

I don't think I have ever felt better in my entire life.  A few days pass, but time seems meaningless to me now.  I'm with Jake, and, for the moment that will do.  Every second with him is so precious, I don't want to think about the future.  I'm concentrating on the now, and the times I am having with him now.  If I lose him... well, at least I'll be able to remember him by the love and affection we have showed each other.  Jake comes round pretty much every day to "ask about trig".  Sometimes I do help him, but other times we just talk and kiss, and then kiss some more.  We got so absorbed in our own little world, we lose track of everything.  Including time. But Jake is so faithful, we will never be apart.  Anyone who tells us that we are not perfect for each-other are kidding themselves.

The only bad thing about becoming Jake's girlfriend and good friends with all of his friends is that I have to do the most pointless and stupid thing ever on a Wednesday afternoon.  This abomination not only leaves me so tired that I can barely stand and it drains me of all bodily fluids.  This deadly invention is squash.  The most shitty game on earth.  Literally, whoever thought that hitting a ball at a wall was a good idea is kidding themselves.  But, Rihanna has no-one to go with , so she pulls me along with her.  Jake, Nate and Kevin all have extra Economics section and Kelly has drama group so, here I am.  Rihanna begged and begged me to come, which was kinda adorable.  In the end I had to give in.  She spends most of the time telling the attractive gym teacher Mr Jenkins that they should go on a date sometime.  Though Rocky Green is amazing at most things, they kinda suck at squash.  So, you wouldn't be surprised that I would find Harriet there.  Every goddamn week.

She hangs around like an irritating fly and I feel like I need to squash her.  All she does it follow me around, trying to apologize.  It's no wonder last week I got so pissed off that I chucked a racket at the wall and couldn't be bothered to pay the bloody $2 reparation fee.  Mr Jenkins wasn't so peed off, he just demanded that I do not break another racket.  I agreed, and we continued as normal.  Rihanna swears that he fancies me, but I don't give a shit.  I have a boyfriend now.  Harriet is always so jealous of me and of everything I do.  She gives me dagger looks, even when we are playing together, though we'd obviously both rather not.  She deliberately misses shots and then blames me in front of everyone, which is really embarrassing and wrong.  I can't believe she is always being a bitch to me.

Today, I am determined she will not piss me off.  But, sometimes she just can't help it.  Me and Rihanna get changed into our terribly skimpy outfits and walk into the gym.  Already, Harriet is there.  She stares at me.  I stare back, indignantly.  I walk over with Rihanna to the cupboard where the squash equipment is kept and grab my racket and a ball.  I try to look confident as I walk past Harriet again, but I can feel her eyes tearing my insides apart as I walk down the courts.  Rihanna has already started hitting balls, so I go and join her.  For about ten minutes, everything seems perfect.  Until, I get a sharp jab on the shoulder.  I wheel round, and almost gasp in amazement.  For Harriet, with her prissy demeanor and her vintage racket is standing in front of me.  I drop my racket in shock.                   "Can I speak to Lauren privately?" she asks Rihanna, who nods curtly, and walks over to see Mr Jenkins.  I look at her in dismay.  What is the matter with her?  She ignores me for weeks and now thinks it is OK to walk up to someone who you actually seems to hate.  She's crazy!

"So,"I say, trying to keep calm, but already feeling the anger boil up inside me, "Why are you here?"   "Lauren..." Harriet seems quite unsure of where to begin, "I know you are not going to like this, but I need you to listen to me and trust me OK?"                                                                                                                          "What?" I hiss, "You think I'm going to trust you?  Are you insane?" I feel the anger boiling inside.  I can't let it escape.  It won't be pretty.  I try to take deep breaths, to calm my insides.  But I can't.             "Well..." Harriet pauses for a moment, as if she needs to gather up her thoughts, "I went for a walk in town the other day, just me and my mum.  It was great, we went shopping, I went to the library, it was fab.  I was coming out of Papa John's when I saw Jake and this girl walking down to the lake together.  I knew you were going out with him and I didn't recognize the person.  He's cheating on you Lauren.  I'm sorry.  I really am."                                                                                                                                                           "Are you mental?" I yell at her, spraying her with spit, "Are you actually mental?  Jake and me are bloody perfect.  Just cuz the only person you've ever had a relationship with is your encyclopedia of British naval bases doesn't mean that you can tell me bollocks!"                                                                                "Lauren, please," Harriet pleads, "I would never lie to you.  I know it hurts."                                                       "You don't know anything!" I shout at her, my eyes welling up with tears of anger, "Piss off or I will hurt you and it is not going to pretty.  Leave me alone.  You. Are. NOT. MY. MUM!"                                             "Please Lauren," Harriet is almost begging now, "Don't take on."                                                                              The anger explodes.  I slap her.

My palm stings.  It is red and swollen.  It hurts like hell.  Harriet flinches, turn away, shaken.  I am shaking uncontrollably.  Rihanna comes running over and puts a comforting arm around me.  I vomit.  Mr Jenkins comes over.  He vomits when he sees my vomit.  I run out of the squash courts, Rihanna pursuing me.  My whole body feels weak, uncontrollably so.  I rush to the bathroom when I reach the changing room, then I start to sob.  I sob until my tear ducts scream in protest.  I cannot feel a thing. My body goes numb.  Rihanna gives me a huge hug and I sob into her shoulder.  She rings Jake and tells him to come over.  I desperately tell her not to, but I need him.  If what Harriet said is correct, which I entirely doubt, we can't be together.  He needs to know that I know what Harriet thinks she knows about him.  The door suddenly bursts open.  Kevin, Nate and Jake are all standing there, looking dumbstruck.  Rihanna comes over and hugs Nate.  Jake comes over to me.                                         "What happened?" he asks.  His voice is soothing and my hands don't feel quite so raw as he squeezes them.  I cannot look at him.  He repeats the question.  I start sobbing.  Rihanna whispers something in Jake's ear.  His face turns to thunder.  His eyes flash angrily.                                                                               "You really believe that?" he asks me, "Lauren, I would never ever do that to you.  Do you really think that Harriet knows anything about our relationship?  I promise you.  Never ever."                                             "I know." I say hoarsely.  Jake squeezes my hand again, "She seemed so sure.  It really hurt me what she said.  Like I told you the other day, I have no idea why I was ever her friend."                                                "She seems like a right old little shit to me," Nate comments, "Ignore her Lauren.  She doesn't matter.  I'd show her what for if I could.  What an arsehole!"                                                                                                          I smile weakly at Nate.  Maybe, just maybe he was right.

After all, I am the sun.