Dead Inside

Chapter Twelve It all washes away

I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling for a long time. Eventually I muster the strength to sit up and push the blankets aside. I swing my legs off the bed and put them down on plush carpet. Huh that's weird I don't remember the carpet in my room feeling like that. I rub my eyes wearily and look around the room. This most definitely is not my room. Next to the bed is a mahogany side table with a simple black lamp on it. The windows are covered in dark blue curtains and the walls are a pale eggshell blue. I get up and stumble my way to the door. I pull it open and peer into the hallway. I hear sounds of life to my left so I turn my feet in that direction and take slow steps while trying to wake myself a little bit by rubbing my face. I round the corner into the kitchen and a man is standing with his back to me making a coffee. He doesn't immediately look familiar so I clear my throat to get his attention. He whirls around knocking his cup over in the process. Hot black coffee pours onto the counter and splashes onto the floor at his feet.

"Jeez Roxanne way to give me a heart attack." Drew exclaims holding his chest. "Ah crap that's hot." He mutters stepping away from the spreading pool of coffee.

"What time is it?" I ask as he grabs a cloth and bends down to mop up the mess.

"Just before 7."

"am, pm? You're gonna have to help me out a little sorry I'm a bit out of it at the moment. Actually what day is it?"

"Ah right. Yes I expect you would be. It's almost 7 Monday morning."

"Crap I gotta get to school." I look down at what I'm wearing and realise it's an oversized t shirt and boxers. Neither of which I have ever seen before. There is also a white gauze dressing on my left wrist with a red line where the blood has leaked through. "Um where are my clothes."

"You can't go to school. You need to recover. You had quite a weekend." Drew stands in front of me with his hands on his hips, doing his teacher voice again.

"I can't miss it. I'm on the watch list. They'll call my folks and I really don't need that right now." I put on my best puppy dog eyes and clasp my hands in front of my chest as I beg. I'm even prepared to get on my knees if it means he'll let me go.

"Fine," he sighs in clear exasperation. "Your clothes are on the line I had to wash them, but you need a uniform not your clothes."

"I've got a change of uniform at school." I wait in the kitchen while he retrieves my clothes. I grab them as soon as he returns and run to the bedroom to get dressed. "I need my bag from Max's. Do we have time to get it?"

"It's by the front door." Drew calls to me as he heads to the front of the house. I race down the hallway and snag it from the floor by the front door and impatiently wait by the front door as he locks it. "What's the rush? You didn't even eat anything."

"Oh yeah. Oops." He wordlessly hands me a coffee and a muffin. I grin at him and take a huge bite of muffin. "I want to get there before everyone else so I can change and so they don't see us arrive together. That would get you in trouble."

"True. Alright let's get going then." It's a short ride to school and luckily the staff car park is almost empty when we get there. As I get out of the car I pause. I don't want to think about the weekend but I owe Drew a bit of appreciation at least. He did basically save my life.

"Thanks." I say leaning back into the car. Drew looks perplexed for a moment before he realises what I'm referring to.

"You're welcome Roxanne. Any time you need my help all you have to do is ask." He looks so sincere that I feel myself choking up. No one has ever said something like that to me and meant it. I slam the car door shut and disappear into the school, heading for my locker.