Cory watched her jump onto his back and him carry her down the road. His Zaire. Cory watched and felt nothing. Nothing but pure loathing.
The simple fact that this Maro character was breathing annoyed him.
It was so hard to keep his eyes focused as he kept catching his own reflection in the window. Cory didn't have the heart to look himself in the eyes, he couldn't do it.
Why did he feel...shame?
Cory shrugged the unwelcomed emotions off and exited the kitchen. There Rafiah, Rio and Tickz were talking amongst themselves. They all fell silent and turned to look at him as he passed them to get back to the sitting room. He tried his best to avoid all eye contact with them, but the sight of Rafiah's small smile angered him. In her eyes, was the unmistakable look of pity. It sickened him. He gave her a cold glare and kissed his teeth. Cory limped into the sitting room and slammed the door shut.
The sound rang throughout the house. Suddenly, the tiredness he'd felt not long ago had washed away from him. All he felt was the urge was to burst into a flood of tears.
He sat in the darkness, playing with Leonie's bracelet. Continuously, whirling it around his wrist. Round and round. Thoughts ran through his mind. Other times his mind was blank. He sat there all night in the darkness. In the deafening silence. Vulnerable little boy. Alone til the sun rose.
Zaire sat on the kitchen top of Maro's kitchen as he made her a sandwich. She sighed heavily and he just laughed.
"I could have done that myself."
"I know, I didn't ever say you couldn't. Are you alright to sleep in what you're wearing or do you need me to give you something e-"
"No, no I'm fine Maro. This is fine."
"Cool." He raised his eyebrow subtly; Maro couldn't help but pick up on the snappy attitude in her tone.
"All my bloody clothes are at his old house...I've have work tomorrow, but no phone, no underwear, no uniform, noth-"
"We'll get them tomorrow." Maro reassured Zaire and passed her the sandwich as well as a glass of juice.
"I'm so sorry Maro...I'm so tha-" He watched her defences cave in, the eyebrows above her large eyes caved in also. She looked utterly distressed.
"Shhh...no worries." She was so grateful to him; he must have noticed all the cuts and bruises on her face and knew it was best not to ask her about it at this moment in time. "Plus we don't want to wake up those gorillas."
Zaire sniggered, the laughing didn't take much time to cease. As her current reality became very clear to her.
She climbed down after she'd finished eating and held Maro once again but said nothing. Then she walked into the living room and curled up on the sofa.
"Zaire, hold up what are you doing?" Maro questioned walking into the same room.
"Sleeping, night."
"Nah, nah. I can't have that."
"What? Why?" She sat up looking confused.
"I have a bed inside my bedroom." Maro said in a slow and patronizing manner.
"Goodnight Maro." Zaire ignored him and turned round on the sofa and went to sleep.
"I know this hoe ain't just go back to bed." Maro mumbled rolling his eyes dramatically.
Zaire really wasn't in the mood, she didn't want to stay awake. She wanted to fall asleep as quickly as possible to she could forget just how sh*t and pathetic how life had become. How was she so foolish to think everything would be fine, living with Cory. She had put way too much trust, faith and belief in him. And yet she felt like a hypocrite, she was the one who was always telling Cory that he always ran. And now, she was the one who was doing the running.
