Something Special

Chapter 6

"Wake up mum!" the girl cried. Pulling on her feet. "You have to get up!" The little girl had worry etched into her face. "Tara." She mumbled from her position on the bed. "Tara you have to be strong. Be a strong girl for mummy. Come here." The young girl clambered onto the bed and rested her cold hands on her mothers cheeks. "Mummy. Dad's going to be here soon. You have to get up!" her high voice hitched when she talked about her father but she kept the tears at bay.

"Ok darling. Mummy needs to sleep. Sleep with me will you. We can sleep together." And then her eyelids closed.

"Mummy?" she says her voice high and worried. The blood on her hands was sticky but she knew it wasn't her own. "How can I stop the blood?" she whispers. Her mother didn't reply.

"Mummy!" she cried.

...

Tara wakes up with a yelp. She hated nightmares. Especially ones if old memories. She runs a hand across her forehead, trying to wipe of the sweat. Her textbooks were scattered across the bed. She'd been studying last night when tiredness overcame her and she'd finally let her eyes close. The red lights of her clock tell her it was 0628. She picks up some workout shorts and ties her hair up. Quietly she sneaks out of the apartment. Sliding her key into her bra she sighs. She loved road running. The steady beat of her feet. Her pulsing heart. The way all the building blend into one.

Knowing that she'd have to be back before her dad woke up, she goes for a quick 30 minute run. Just around the block. She quietly slides in the door closing with a click. Resting her forehead on the door she takes a couple deep breaths. It was only 5 past 7 so her dad probably wasn't up yet... or so she thought.

As she turns, she see's his hulking figure at the end of the hall. "Where've you been?" he demands. For a second she doesn't answer, still catching her breath. "Answer me!" he bellows.

"I went on a run." She whispers, knowing that she'd made a mistake. In two steps her was standing over her, his hand gripping her chin. "Did I say you could go on a run?" He whisper, running his nose along her jaw. She shakes her head, quivering under his touch. He slams her head back so hard she saw stars. "DID I?"

"No, no no no..." she starts to cry as he pressed his hand against her throat.

"If you ever. Ever, go out for fun without my permission I will break both of your legs. Understand?"

Tara whimpers. "Yes...". Her dad lets go of neck but she doesn't fall down. Not yet.

He turns, as if to leave. But at the last moment spins and slaps her across the face. Her head snaps to the side and her legs drop from under her. With one last kick he walks away muttering under his breath as he goes. Tara tucks her knees up under her and puts her head in her hands. After a while she wanders to the shower.

As she shampoos her hair she realised that her bruises weren't as bad as usual. With a small smile she counts them. Yep, definitely not as many as usual. Then she remembers her black eyes and her snails fades. She wraps a towel around her tightly and wraps up her hair. She then begins the process of applying her makeup. It took longer the most peoples makeup would as she had to really spend her time covering her black eye. Then she tediously blow drys her hair. 'I really need to get it cut' she thinks as her hair hits just above the small of her back.

Her dad was gone when she comes out of the bathroom so she makes a cup of coffee before going to her bedroom. Deciding on a pair of black skinny jean with pockets going down the side and a old baggy grey t-shirt. Lifting her top up she inspects her side once more before pulling her Doc Martins on grabbing her jacket.

As she stuffs a oat bar in her pocket, she goes to the cabinet and pulls out the blue china case. It was one I the only things her dad hadn't broken yet and she was determined to keep it that way. In it was some cash she had stuffed in there from her mothers life insurance. She takes out £100 and sighs. Her dad hadn't been shopping for nearly two weeks so she was living off fast food and caffeinated drinks that were doing nothing for her skin.

Her walk to the bus station was quick but chilly, so wraps a black scarf around her neck, and pulls a beanie down on her head. Her breath was a frosty cloud in front of her and the frigid air nipped at her nose which was turning red. Bollocks.

................................................................

Alex had slept in, dreaming about girls in Doc Martins and bruises on their arms. So he was very unimpressed when Cass came storming in. "Alex!" she says, pulling his duvet off him. He curls up in the foetal position. "Get up. It's 5 to 8." That got him up. He had to be in school at 9 and it was a 45 minute drive away. She hands a mug of steaming tea and some toast with marmite on.

"Mum'll be pissed if you're late for the second day of school." He grunts a response. "I'm going. She says, in a patronising tone "will you be ok without me?" in response he flips her the middle finger. "So sweet!"

He takes a sip of the scalding tea and swears when it burns his tounge. Running a hand through his hair he quickly gets dressed in his standard jeans but puts on two t-shirt as it was freezing outside. He hops down the stairs as the tugs his socks on and then swears when he stubs his toe... again. He has to sit down to lace up his favourite timberland boots but shoots up to grab his favourite beanie from his bedroom. He makes it out in record time, grabbing a coat on his way out.

For a second he stands in his drive, confused when he doesn't see his driver there. "Shit." he says. He'd told his driver that he wouldn't be needing him today as he wanted to try out his 18th birthday present. He runs to the shiny black Audi and takes a moment to admire its glossy paint job. But then he see's the time and runs to the driver side.

Finally he was in the road. He'd gotten into a fight with his eletronic gates tenure when it had refused to work but finally he was out of the house and driving to school. It was a bit out of the way his 6th form so he had to take some winding back roads to get to the school. He smirks when he see's the school bus only a couple of cars ahead of him at the traffic lights. So when he finally got the chance he overtook the bus with ease.

There was no press outside the school today so it was easier to find a parking space then usual but was still peeved that he had to park all the way in the corner of the car park as it was so busy. He made his way to the main entrance with a cool demeanour now that he knew he had time. A couple of girls all smiled at him flirtatiously when he walked past but he was used to that so e just nodded and said "Ladies." That had made them erupt into a fit of giggles.

'God I'm good' he thinks with a cocky smirk. His next lesson was English so he makes his way over to the English block. When the bell goes he slips inside the class room. He'd barely made it to his seat when the teacher walked in. She was one of the younger teachers at the school and was very pretty with light brown hair and twinkling green eyes. And nice tits. For the rest of the lesson, Alex tried to enjoy the view but when ever he looked at her face all he saw was a pale girl with scared eyes and a nose piercing. 'God.' He thought, shaking his head. 'What's wrong with me?'