Before it ends

No plans just promises.....

"Thanks for the pancakes Maggie."
"It's the least I can do." Mum began to clear the plates. "As long as I'm not taking you from school."
"No. I have late periods today. I was only going to get a book from the library but I can do that later." Hayley explains. Mum and my sister share a wary look and then a weak smile.
"Umm Hayley." I stood up and tucked my chair into the table "Do you want to umm, meet me in my room. I'll just-"
"Sure." She got up and walked out, but not before taking my hand in hers and squeezing. A reassuring smile plastered on her lips.
"She seems nice." I turned to my mother once I heard my bedroom door close.
"She is." There was silence.
"So Dad huh." Again I turned to my sister. I didn't know if I loved or hated how blunt she was.
"What? It's better we talk about it now." She smiled.
"So blunt Emily."
"It gets me places." After a moment of silence I finally spoke.
"I'm not moving." Mums eyes were on me now. "Not again. Not now I have friends and school and- and Hayley and Dan; and that thing with Ashley." I didn't know what else to say. "I don't know why but I like it here." Mum smiled.
"I'm going to start seeing a therapist." This shocked me. I listened further "I -your-" she struggled to find the right words and after a small pause began again "After what your father did to this family I need to stop trusting him. I should stop- but I find myself in these stupid situation with no one to blame but myself." Her hand rested on my shoulder "He won't hurt you, I won't let him Ryan. Not again." I nodded. There was so much I wanted to say:
I love you mum
I'm trusting you, please keep this promise
I hate him
I won't let him hurt you either
But I just nodded.
"I've already called the police, he's breached his restraining order. That should mean something. I'll do whatever I can to lock him up. Losing his job wasn't enough last time. I know that now. "
"He'll pay Ryan." My sister put her hand on my mums shoulder. "We'll make him pay." And for one tiny moment, one small second, I nearly believed them.

*****

"Hey."
"Hey." Hayley was sat on my bed when I came in. Her legs were crossed and she was watching Tv, her bag was slung across my chair.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah." It was meant to come out with more conviction, but it ended up sounding exactly how I felt. "I mean it will be." She nodded and reached for her bag.
"I umm, I brought a book."
"You did." I sat beside her and she dug into her rucksack.
"I thought we'd start off easy. No romances just yet." I cringed at the mention.
"No books like the ones you had in the shed. Please, never ever give me a romance to read. Ever." She rolled her eyes and handed me a hard back.
It was black, big, plain, except for the letters written in glossy red sprawled across the cover.
Demon road
"Demon road?"
"Demon road." She nodded " It's hilarious. You'll like it." I smiled. Who would of thought this would be what would make Hayley Rhys excited. Books. It's definitely not what you'd think, I liked her more for that. She defied expectations.
"Here." I reached into my drawer and handed her an iPod wrapped in earphones. "One playlist 30 songs." She took it from me and began clicking buttons.
"There's only one playlist on here?" She asked.
"Did you buy a whole new iPod for me to listen to one playlist?" I smiled, sometimes I wondered if she new I liked her. I mean I flirted, she flirted back, but for her it seemed more of second nature. These times I knew, it was certain she could see I was into her and even better: she liked me.
"What do you think I'm made of money?" Her playful eyebrow fell.
"It would have been really romantic if you did." She swooped a piece of hair behind her ear and frowned.
"Sod romance." I said "This is better." Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but before she could speak I kissed her. Slow and sizzling but done in a heartbeat. She pulled away smiling. Her teeth moved to her bottom lip and then she smirked again.
"Nah, romance is better."
"Oh really?"
"Yep." She popped the 'p', smiled and began putting in her earphones.
"Not true." I pulled one out.
"I think you'll find it is," and she snatched the wire out of my hand.
"Take that back."
"Nope." Again, popping the 'p'
"I can't date a girl who thinks that."
"Oops. Looks like your dealing with the wrong puta then."
"Take it back." My finger jabbed right into her rib and she squealed.
"Montgomery." She said my name as if it was a warming.
"Take it back." She stared at me "last chance."
"No."
"I warned you." My hands attacked her ribs and she started laughing, and by laughing I mean whatever sound Hayley makes when Hayley closes her and scrunches her nose. She couldn't stop. My name kept slipping out, but it was soon drowned by her fit of giggling.
"Mont-"
"Take it back."
"N-" and the laughing continued. I finally pulled away and her eyes held tears in them.
"Never." She climbed on top of me and poked down at my chest " and I mean never, do that again." Her stern face was too cute to be scared of and I ended up stifling a laugh.
"Well the tickling didn't work." She tried to sit up but my arms were locked around her lower back.
"Oh God, why do I put myself in these positions?
"I really don't know. It's like you don't learn."
"Shut up." She went to slap my chest and I tightened my grip. Her eyes rolled "I'm not going anywhere Montgomery." Her smile disappeared "I promise" and just like that I was kissing her again and she was kissing me and my tongue was trailing down to her neck and my teeth were nibbling the end of her ear.
"Not here Ryan." It came out as a heated whisper.
"Say it." I barely took a breath and my lips were on her skin again.
"Are.. you serious... right.... now?"
I didn't answer, I didn't have to.
"Fuck." She tried to wiggle out of my hold but I just sucked down harder on her neck. "Fine...I-I.....take... it back." I smiled and placed one last chase kiss on my artwork.
"You are so annoying." She pushed me away and made her way into my bathroom.
"Ugh." I guess she's seen the hickeys.
"Don't you have any makeup in here?"
"I'm a boy."
"Doesn't your sister live here."
"It's an en-suite babe."
"Whatever." She came strolling back into my room. I smiled. Red circles trailed from her neck to her collar bone.
"My dads gonna kill me."
"Well maybe you should have-" and before my sentence was finished a pillow cane hurling into my nose.
Charming.