inspired ; chrismd

[ 12 ]

An abrupt knocking interrupts my breakfast, startling me slightly. I had been sat alone with a bowl of depressingly and ironically soggy cheerios being my only company. The thought of facing Chris and explaining my emotional turn to him makes my stomach crawl so I decide not to dwell on it. All was well until he decided to knock on my door.

With the motivation of a sloth awoken at 3 am, I drag myself to the front of the house, attempt to straighten my hair a little (to no avail may I add), before answering to see an unexpected face. Kelly, her usual bubbly self, stands before me with multiple plastic bags in her arms.

"I bring chocolate," she proclaims, walking straight past me, her intentions of staying quite clear. I shrug my shoulders whilst rolling my eyes instinctively. Of course, I feel obliged to let her stay however my enthusiasm is dwindling, the fear of her inviting Chris, or worse Ollie, to join us also.

"Don't worry. As little as my brother is, he doesn't fit in a plastic bag. I figured that the last thing you'd need is to see his annoying face." I snort in reply.

"Ollie?"

"That ginger knob will not be setting foot in your house even if you give him permission. I'd castrate my cousin before I let him touch you." Yet again, I laugh in response. Somehow, thoughts of the upsetting situation that occurred the night before begin to drift away, these emotions replaced with a smile. 

"What've you got in that bag of revelation then?" I ask her, raising my eyebrow comically.

"Easy love, it's just a Tesco bag."

"The question lies not in the origin of the bag but whether or not you paid 5p for it. This will answer all of life's questions." Both of us crack up and we launch ourselves onto my leather sofa, cackling like something out of as witch story. In the process of our collision, Kelly or I somehow knock the leg-rest button which causes the bottom of the chair to rocket up, unfortunately trapping my hand in between some of the mechanisms.

I feel a shooting pain and something crack inside of my hand. I cry out, attempting to pull it back to no avail. My eyes fill with tears as my hand throbs. Kelly looks upon the situation in complete terror. Finally manage to regain her head, I see her close the sofa mechanism a little in order to remove my hand from it. I hear nothing; the only feeling going through me is the terrible pain that shoots up my arm.

She runs through to my kitchen and returns a minute later with a pack of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel. Gesturing for me to put it on my injury, she reaches for her phone. Just as she does this, my hearing returns a little. She places the phone on hands-free so she is able to keep comforting me.

"Kells?" Chris' voice emerges from the speaker and I am filled with apprehension. I flash an angry look at Kelly who shrugs sympathetically at my angry and pain-filled tears.  "Who's that crying?"

"You need to come to Molly's now. I think she's broken her hand and I can't drive and I think it's my fault, I don't know what to do, Please, Chris..." A tear slips from her eye as she speaks frantically to her brother. I can imagine his facial expression. He would have furrowed his brow, raising them slightly. His eyes would widen slightly and his lips would part, just a little, just enough to show a few of his teeth. In order to keep calm, I focus on this, attempting to distract myself from the throbbing.

"I'm on my way, yeah? I'll be there in 5." With that, he hangs up and Kelly heaves an anxious sigh.

"Don't worry, it'll be okay, I promise," I say, smiling at her through my through my tears. 

He arrives in little to no time and looks upon me sympathetically. Visibly shaking his head free of any thoughts that must have been plaguing his mind, he walks over and helps me to the car. Kelly sits in the back with me, keeping my hand in the cold-ish peas that had been somewhat defrosted. Every now and then I see him look at me in the rearview mirror. His expression is unreadable, completely indecipherable.

As we pull up at the hospital, he hurries round to the side of the car, helping me get out. His hand drifts to my waist and suddenly I feel as if the feelings of anger I had towards him because of his mum last night were completely unquantified. Guilt fills my chest. 

I see him look down to me and smile sadly.

"I love you, you know that?" he asks me.

"I'm sorry for blanking you last night..."

"Please don't feel bad about that, Mum was bang out of order."

"Thank you... I love you too." He kisses my cheek and we continue walking towards the hospital. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kelly smirk a little at us. I chuckle. What could I do without these guys?