Love and Lies

Chapter 9 - Oh ... stupid love.

I screamed at the top of my lungs, attracting the attention of all the other customers. She came running out, took one look at William and then looked over to me, her mouth forming a perfect ‘o’ with her eyes almost bulging out of her head. I stood up, pushing my chair over in the process and grabbed Williams arm. Hannah grabbed his other arm and we took him off to the kitchen. By now, all the customers were crowded around us, all kinds of comments escaping their mouths.

‘Do we call 999?!’        ‘Is he OK?!’       ‘Oh my god!’    ‘Is that blood?!’

We dragged him off to the kitchen as he coughed out blood.

‘Take him to the sink! Get him to wash his mouth out!’ I half shrieked when we entered the kitchen.

Hannah pulled him over to the sink and all I heard was spluttering. I pulled out my mobile and punched in 999, my fingers scrabbling over the buttons.

Strike two.

Just as I was about to press ‘call’, William cried out.

‘No … Zara, please don’t call for an ambulance or the police.’ He moaned and then turned around again as blood came spilling out of his mouth. What the heck! I had to call the police.

He mumbled something then Hannah turned around and looked at me.

 ‘He said don’t call the police.’

I dropped my phone on the floor and grabbed the nearest tea towel and cup. I ran over to William and filled the cup up with water then handed it to him. He drank some, gargled then spat it back out. He repeated it until the water was clear. I dampened the tea towel under the tap then grabbed his hands and wiped away the blood.

‘Hannah, get me some bandages please’

She ran off to the back of the kitchen and up the stairs to her flat above the café then ran back down with a big roll of bandage.

‘It’s going to be fine, don’t worry’ I tried to reassure him as my hands fumbled over the bandage. I quickly wrapped it around his right hand twice then up to his wrist then down under his right thumb then back under and tied a knot in the bandage. I reached for his other hand and did the same, all the time he winced and whimpered every time I accidentally touched his cuts.

‘Zara…does he need a doctor?! Is he OK?’ Hannah stood beside me, worry coating her words. She rested an arm on William’s shoulder to comfort him and out of the corner of my eye; I could see her whole body shaking as she did so. Williams head bowed as I finished his left hand. I kept his hand in mine for just a moment too long, but he didn’t pull away. A small smile crept onto my face, secretly pleased. Why didn’t he pull away? A thousand possibilities rushed through my head on the meaning of this. And then the over analysing came… he didn’t pull away; He must like it… maybe he just didn’t notice. But I’m holding his hand, surely he would. Ugh, Not here. Not now. I cut my thoughts short and focused on William. I pulled my hand away and his shoulders slumped, almost disappointed. I struggled to keep myself from over analysing that one movement but I managed it. He tried to put his hands in his pockets but his hand didn’t fit inside with the bandages on.

‘Yeah he’s fine thanks…. You need to get back to your customers…’ I turned to Hannah, and she starred at me, a blank expression on her face. Then her eyes lit with something which that quickly turned into panic.

‘Gosh I completely forgot about them….. Ah if you need my help just call’ She said, as she ran off through the kitchen door, her voice a shout, deep into the distance by the end of the sentence.  ‘William?’ I asked and his head shot up, maybe a bit too violently. He looked right into my eyes. His eyes were strong. Like he was trying to stay strong. But I could detect defeat behind them. Defeat, worry, hurt, regret. Wow…maybe eyes were really the window to the soul. His eyes were so beautiful, so vividly blue. But the emotions were reflected in them...

‘You need to get home.’ I forced the words out of my mouth, although my voice did quaver towards the end. I took in a deep breath. ‘Come on.’ I said, taking him gently by the hand. ‘We’ll go through the back, I don’t want to face those customers out there’ I pointed to the kitchen door and he quietly laughed at the comment. He didn’t let go, instead he gripped my hand gently…delicately; as though he didn’t want to hurt me. I couldn’t help but smile at that gesture. It made my heart leap and my legs feel all wobbly. Oh…stupid love.

I regained my senses and pushed open the back door, and lead him out onto the street. The street lead straight out to the main high street and we walked back to the bus shelter. At the bus shelter was an old woman, huddled in the corner. A young couple with a baby in a pram and a 50 year old looking man with 4 Tesco bags at his ankles. We retreated to the side of the shelter so our conversation would be out of earshot. William leaned back against the side, and I stood in front of him, carefully placing myself so I could see him and the bus when it arrived. I couldn’t keep the questions in anymore.

‘W...W…W.’ I stammered ‘What happened? Who did it? You knew it was going to happen didn’t you? Is that why you told me to run? Why did you tell me to leave?! I could have helped you…’ I looked up at him, his blue eyes cold.

‘Yes. I knew so I told you to run. You’re too precious to me, I had to get you away. ’ He murmured so quietly, if you weren’t listening you wouldn’t have heard. He moved his fingers as he spoke. I forgot I was holding his hand…He let go of my hand when I looked down but instead picked up both my hands and started playing with my fingers.

‘But. Who was it? I saw a figure in the alleyway…was it them? Why did they do that? Who would do that? To you?! I mean, what have you ever done? You’re the most kind, lovely, generous, caring, innocent boy I’ve ever met.’ I replied, every word the truth. He winced at the word ‘innocent’. Anger rose in his eyes, and then shortly died only to be replaced by regret and disappointment. Something wasn’t right again!

‘Well, can you answer my questions?!’ His eyes were still on my fingers, as he played with them.

He opened his mouth, ready to speak when he was interrupted by another voice.

‘Hello kids, sorry to interrupt but the bus is here.’ The old lady was stood beside us for a second smiling at us. I returned the gesture and so did William. He dropped my hands and almost raced to the bus and I sighed. I never get my answers. It’s almost like he was scared to tell me the truth….

I paid the driver and sighed again when I saw there were no free seats. Oh how I hate Saturday buses. So, I just stood at the front, holding onto the rail. The bus jolted into life and I was thrown forward a few centimetres before I rebalanced myself. I turned my head to look down there bus and there was William in a seat next to the old lady. His eyes were glued to the floor. He unwrapped the bandages from his hands for someone reason and shoved them in his pocket. He brushed a hand through his hair and I chuckled at the sight of it. His eyes fluttered up to mine, and a half-hearted smile was what I got. I smiled back. A genuine one and his eyes lit up. Only then I realised how tired he looked. Dark circles around his eyes, a creased forehead. He looked ready to give up. He ran his hands down his face slowly while exhaling deeply.

……what, wait, what’s that on his hands? I thought. On both his hands, what I thought were the tiny scratches in every direction now formed a pattern. Not a pattern… I struggled to decipher it. In his perfect pale hands his scars, still red, zigzagged all the way from his knuckles to his wrists. But… what was it?

.... The letter ‘M’.

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Ahhh what's happening to William?! Who did it? What does M stand for? What's so significant about it? What do you think will happen next? Ooo...comment?! 

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! I certainly enjoyed writing it :) comment, vote and fan please :D xx