Stars - ON HOLD -

Chapter 3. Just What I Need.

I hate this planet. I just want to die. Tears stream down my face as I run; I don't know where I'm running to, I just want to run until the pain fades, until I feel like I can face the world. But for now I just run, because if I don't I may just do something bad.

Let's start from three hours ago, shall we?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"C'mon, Skai! Don't be a spoilsport!" Jordan whined, pulling my arm. I pouted, hiding my grin.
"But I don't wannaaaaaa..." I moaned.
"Pwease?" Jordan said, pouting.
"You owe me, Smythe." I said reluctantly.
"But of course, my princess!" Jordan said, bowing. I rolled my eyes. I stood up from where I'd been sitting and followed Jordan  over to the dance floor. The place was too crowded though, and I lost sight of Jordan. A different song came on, and I felt someone behind me, grinding against me. "Oh baby," a horse voice whispered in my ear. I smelt alcohol off the stranger's breath. I turned around to see Parker Addams, captain of the football team, with bloodshot eyes and a can of beer in his hand. I backed away.
"Sweetie where are you going? Don't ya wanna have some-" hiccup "fun?"
I ran through the crowd, into a larger room, where there were more people. I caught sight of Melanie Holmes, wearing a tiny skirt and top and an evil smirk on her face while... While she pulled Jordan in for a kiss. My eyes filled with tears as I watched, unable to tear my gaze away. After a while, she breaks off the kiss and steps up onto a table.
"Hey," she shouts. "HEY!" Everyone falls silent.
"Can I just say, to everyone here, that there is a dark secret that one of our fellow students is hiding. Oh yes, one of our fellow students, ladies and gentlemen..." Melanie focused her eyes directly on me. ".... Killed her parents."
A gasp rippled throughout the crowd. I stared at Melanie uncomprehendingly.
"And that fellow student," she said, louder, malice in her ice blue eyes, "is Skai Clove."
Tears streamed down my face as I ran out of there. I needed fresh air. Once I was outside, I just kept running and running.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,~~

So that's how I end up swinging on a swing in a deserted playground at eleven forty five on a Friday evening. I kick my legs higher and higher, wishing I was a child again and my mother could push me when I asked.
A huge sob comes from me. I stop kicking and the swing slows down as I cry my eyes out. The pain is almost too much. I hate it so much.
"Skai?" A voice says tentatively. I look up, sniffling.
"What do you want?" I say defensively to the dark shadow. He steps into the moonlight.
"Um, are you okay?" Jordan asks tentatively.
The nerve!
"Why do you care?" I say, my voice breaking. Jordan remains silent as he sits on the swing next to me. There is a long pause.
"I didn't," I whisper.
"I know," he replies.
"I just -"
Jordan turns to me. "Shhh," he says soothingly. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I know you didn't."
I blink back tears and nod. Jordan fixes his eyes on the ground.

"When I was little," I begin, "my parents and I were one happy family. They would take me for days out, they'd read me stories, sing me lullabies..."
Jordan is silent, carefully listening to my every word.
"But when I was eight," I continue, biting back tears, "I was staying over at a friends house. My friends mum got a call at three in the morning. I remember she came into the room and she looked like she'd seen a ghost."
I pause to wipe away a tear.
"There had been a fire. My parents had been trapped inside the house as the fire burned around them. The firemen tried to save them, but by the time they arrived, it was too late."
I bury my head in my hands and sob. Jordan stands up and wraps his arms around me.
"It's okay," he whispers in my ear. "It's okay."
I hug him back, holding on for dear life. I haven't been hugged since my parents were alive.
Somehow, Jordan knows just what I need.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

We spend the next hour just sitting on the swings, talking. I tell him everything, and he understands.
I yawn. It's nearly two o'clock and I'm exhausted. I feel a lot better now I've been able to talk and cry to someone.
"Let's get you home," Jordan murmurs, wrapping a comforting arm around me.
"Okay," I agree. "Wait..."
"What is it?" He questions.
"There's one thing I've always wanted to do..."
I run over to the zipline, Jordan at my heels. He stands on the platform behind me, holding onto the rope.
"On the count of three," I say loudly.
"One, two... Three!"
I jump on the seat, with Jordan jumping on behind me and wrapping his legs round mine as we zoom along, hitting the end and hurtling up only to shoot back down again. We're screaming and laughing and it's the most fun I've ever had.

*************************************

We arrive at my house. Jordan parks his motorbike for a second and dismounts.
"I'll text you tomorrow, Skai, okay?" Jordan says apprehensively. I smile.
"Sure," I agree. He smiles and heads back to his motorbike. He climbs back on and starts the engine.
"Oh, and Jordan?" I shout obey the roar of the engine.
"Yeah?" He yells back.
"Thank you - for everything."
"Anytime," he says with a smile. Then he revs the engine and zooms off into the night.
I unlock my door, and go inside.

Trouble is, I'm not home alone.