Fluorescent Adolescent (On Hold)

Chapter 5

I woke up to the sound of my phone vibrating in my bag. The sun was brighter than usual in my room and I squinted against it. In a panic I sat up groggily and swung my legs over the bed and crawled to my bag, banging my knee on my bedside table in the process. I then emptied the contents of it and scrambled for my phone, trying not to miss the call.

"Hello?" I tried to sound as if I hadn't had been woken up.

"Ruby? Did I just wake you up?" It was Amelia. I groaned internally.

"Yes..." I hissed at her while slipping back into my bed.

"Well it's like one o'clock." This information shocked me a little. Yesterday must have really exhausted me, I never sleep in. "Can I come to yours, please?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure. I need to talk to you anyway." I said remembering yesterday and wincing at the memories. A lump was starting to form in my throat. And I struggled to swallow it.

"Okay." She sounded slightly confused. "I'm leaving now."

I decided it was time to get out of bed. I still felt tired after about eighteen hours of sleep, but that was probably from over sleeping.

I sighed and walked to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. Once finished I went back to my room and changed into a loose t-shirt and some grey flannel shorts. I pulled my hair into a messy bun and didn't bother with make-up. I then went downstairs to the kitchen to get a drink of water. As I walked to the kitchen I passed the front door and noticed a few letters in my letter slot. I pulled them out, four of them were addressed to my mum and one was addressed to me. There was no return address or any proof of who it could be from.

It must have been from the same person who sent the first one. My hands trembled as I slowly turned it over. I pulled the flap up and pulled out the small piece of paper. It read 'Don't think your boyfriend scared us off.'

My breath caught in my throat. Could they be talking about Eric? Was the person who attacked me who sent the notes? But they said 'we' there are more than one. Panic was increasing in my chest. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't see a solution to this. Whoever attacked me was planning on doing it again. My heart clenched at this thought and I felt bile rising in my throat.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. I screamed out of reflex and my body flushed cold.

"Ruby? What's the matter?" I heard Amelia call from the other side of the door. I sighed in relief and swung the door open, grateful of her presence. I threw myself into her arms, shaking like a leaf.

"Hey, hey, what's the matter?" She held me tightly and stroked my back gently. I drew in a shaky breath.

"My mum is in a coma." I choked out. I could feel her shock. She went silent and rigid, but recovered momentarily and held me tighter. She then took me into my house, closing the door behind us and led me to the sofa. She sat me down and walked off. I could hear her in the kitchen; mugs knocked together and the kettle was boiling. She came back after about two or three minutes with two cups of tea and a plate of biscuits. I smiled lovingly at her and she gave me a look that said 'I'll be here for you'. I took a sip of tea and pulled my feet underneath me.

I decided not to tell her about the letter I got. I would go see Eric about it later.

"Are you okay?" she finally said after a long silence. I shrugged.

"It feels like a dream, I can't quite get my head around it." I frowned deeply.

"How did it happen?" she asked kindly.

"She was in a car crash a little bit down the road. Her car got flipped on it's side." I told her bluntly. She gasped, her eyes wide and mouth agape. She opened and closed her mouth several times before managing to choke out a sentence.