Rock Bottom.

Chapter 6

New Chapter! Mwah! Comments/Constructive critisism HUGELY welcome! Hope you enjoy;D

>Picture of Adam Riley, Demi's Dad, to the right< 

Over the next few weeks, Demi spent her lunchtimes with Callum and Jess, and most of her evenings with Callum. He was the only person she spoke too. The only person she trusted. She was quiet at first, but day by day, she spoke more, and when she knew she trusted him completely, she finally starting talking to him in a proper fashion.

“What do you think heaven looks like?” Demi asked quietly, turning her head to look at Callum. They were lying on the grass in his back garden, staring up at the sky. Callum turned his head to look at Demi; there were only inches between them. He had that soft frown on his face that he always got when he was thinking. Demi smiled softly at this and awaited his answer.

Callum took a long moment to think before looking into her eyes. “I think heaven is what you want it to be... Like, if there was a favourite place you liked when you were alive, you’d go there, and you’d see all the loved ones you’d lost, and be able to watch over the ones you left behind..” he said softly "What about you?.." he added quickly after. Demi bit her lip thinking for a moment "I like your idea, it sounds... peaceful, I’d want that for my mum...” she whispered and then smiled sadly.”If i could guess, I’d say she was at the lake house...we used to go there when i was little." she said softly and then rolled back onto her back to look up at the sky. Callum stayed facing her. "She loved that place with her whole heart... The silence, the beauty, the serenity, there was a poppy field there...That why she called Poppy, Poppy...” she whispered, remembering it.

She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to remember. She felt a hand on hers, she looked down to it and saw Callum's hand holding hers. He knew what she was thinking, so he interrupted "My mum would be at the house she grew up in... her fondest memories were there, she met dad at a garden party, did you know they were neighbours before they got together..." he said and paused. Demi could feel his gaze on her face. He continued "They met there, fell in love there,  they had me whilst she was still living there, they didn't get a place of their own until they were 27.." he said and laughed softly "typical dad, leaving things until too late.." he whispered.

Demi squeezed his hand and turned back onto her side, face to face with Callum once again. Callum had a sad expression on his face so Demi scrunched her face up into a silly smile to cheer him up. He chuckled "Dee...” he said quietly. Demi opened her eyes and unscrunched her face "Yes Cal..?" she said softly looking towards him. He looked into her eyes for a moment before smiling "Nothing..." Demi frowned slightly before rolling her eyes with a giggle and rolling onto her back to look at the sky once again. "Weirdo...” she said with a grin. They lay there for a while in complete silence, hand in hand, before Demi brought their hands up to her chest. She rested them above her heart and smiled "Cal?..." she heard an 'uhuh' and felt his gaze shift to her face "I'm really glad i met you..." she said quietly, still looking up at the sky.

"So am i..." she heard him say back.

Shadows crept up behind her, engulfing her, killing all the light in the room. Darkness surrounded her and all she heard was crying. A light came up, showing a girl in the corner of the room, curled up and crying to herself. Suddenly all the phrases that haunted Demi came back, slowly getting louder and louder and...

Demi woke up screaming. She sat bolt upright looking around herself making sure the shadows and voices had gone. She was breathing deeply, trying to catch her breath she turned on her bedside lamp and bit her trembling lip. Her dad burst through the door looking around "Demi! Are you okay?..." he asked seeing how distressed she was. Demi looked over to him and nodded and took a deep, but silent breath. "Nightmare?..." he asked softly walking over and sitting on the edge of her bed beside her. Demi nodded again looking down to her lap. She felt arms wrap around her shoulders, her father dragged her over to him, she relented at first but finally relaxed against him. "I have them too... It's okay.." he whispered and kissed her head. Demi nodded once again.

She felt her father sigh. "Demi please talk to me....you have too..." he said. Demi pulled away with a sad look and turned her back to him laying down and pulling the covers over herself again. He lingered for a moment before turning the light off and leaving the room. She sighed sadly. She wanted to say something, she really did, but she just couldn't.

"I’m afraid that if we don’t make any progress by May, i may have to refer you to a more capable therapist.." Demi lifted her head to look at 'Helen' abruptly with a startled look. No, she didn't want that! She just wanted people to leave her alone and let her get on with her life. "Do you understand what I’m saying Demi?..." Mrs. Geter continued. Demi nodded and bit her lip. After a long silence 'Helen' sighed. "Right, well I’ll see you tomorrow Demi..." she said and showed her out. 

Demi walked out silently and gave Callum the that-didn't-go-well look. "We'll speak later..." he whispered as he walked past her, he brushed up against her and gave her hand a quick squeeze. 

"Do you two know each other?.." Mrs. Geter said loudly. They both spun round to face her. Demi bit her lip and looked down to her hands. Callum cleared his throat "Uh, yeah, we're neighbours...". 'Helen' gave us a sceptical look "Just acquainted?..". Demi nodded profusely, Callum didn't nod. "Callum?.." she asked. Demi looked to him quickly, their eyes locked. Callum stood there looking into her eyes before he eventually  tore his gaze away from her and walked into the office closing the door behind him. Demi stood there, staring at the door. That look, so intense, but so soft. What was it?

 "What is she doing?.." someone whispered with a giggle from behind Demi. Demi swivelled round to face the two girls. "Oh. It responds..." the other said with a cruel laugh. "DO. YOU. UNDERSTAND. US? " The second girl added. Demi frowned angrily. She wasn't stupid, or some kind of alien. "Oh, we got a reaction Jenny! It acknowledges us.." the first girl chipped in. Demi clenched her fists. They had no right to be so cruel. So horrible. Why were they? Surely they had some sort of conscience? "Ohhh, Sarah, we've upset it!.." Jenny said pouting her lip in a mocking fashion. Demi opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. The girls laughed "they cyborg tries, but fails...Laters freak..." Sarah says and with that they walk off.

Demi stood there motionless, not moving, as tears welled up in her eyes. She hadn't cried since the accident, not because she was heartless, a cyborg, but because she couldn't accept what had happened. She refused to let those girls steal her first tears, but she felt so alone at that moment and she missed her mother so much, even if, she felt like she shouldn't. She shouldn't miss her, because it was her fault her mother was gone in the first place.