Playing With Fire - COMPLETED

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"they taught me to fear the dark, but they neglect to mention what happens in the light."

Lacey paces around the hospital waiting room. She flashes back to the last time she was there – Noah's accident. Trauma floods through her brain to add to it her parents show up. She goes into a state of manic.

"You're- you're not supposed to be here."

"Hey." They walk towards her.

"No. NO!" she screams. Her mother grabs onto her wrist, nails piercing into her skin practically mirroring the courtroom incident; 'With each step the nail dug deeper and deeper, I hissed in pain.' It was like a rewind and repeat of the most horrendous pain she'd ever felt. All those memories of the times she didn't speak up and the self-inflicted pain even though the self-imposed eased the pain, her nails amplified it.

"Miss Cambridge?"

"Yes?" I stood up.

"Mr. Reece Clayton's sister?" he checked his clipboard.

"..... Reece is in a coma"

Noah runs up to her. she falls in his arms in a flood of tears. She held it in for too long. Her pride could take a seat. She finally hit breaking point.

I was with Noah with a mug in my hand.

"I know this is probably not what you want to do you know after..."

I know he didn't want to mention Reece. It was a tender subject. He wasn't dead, but it wasn't easy seeing your blood and flesh buddy, lying lifeless and pale in a hospital bed hooked to several tubes and machines; trying to revive him with any life he had left in him.

"but I found the taping of Annie's funeral and I was going to watch it, do you mind." I shook my head in response. He sat down and intertwined his fingers with mine he held my hand like his were too cold and I was on fire. I was in love with that. For the first time I felt wanted. He hit play on the remote and I watched myself in the recording but I what I saw wasn't what I remembered.

Annabelle's coffin was set at the front, it was heartbreaking; such a tiny coffin for the girl with the widest imagination. On top of the coffin was a bundle of azaleas next to a large picture frame of her grade one portrait.

One the left side was a large pin board with a number of pictures; family holidays, her and her friends and of course her and Noah. Through the video I saw my eight/nine-year-old self the sitting next to Reece. I saw the celebrant announce Noah to take the stand. I teared up at the fact seeing this vulnerable little eight/nine-year-old stand at the lectern, adjusting the mic for his tiny voice to reach.

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There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.

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I stared at myself in the mirror, I pulled my hoodie over my school dress and stared at myself in the mirror. I pulled my sleeves over my palms, repositioned my bag on my shoulder then turned away from the mirror and walked out of the room.

It was the exact same thing I did on the day after Noah first saw my scars.

"What are you doing?" I SPUN AROUND TO see Reece standing in the door way.

"getting ready for school."

"and you're wearing that?" I looked down at my hoodie and dress. I started to pull my hoodie off, school never had a problem with outer garments.

"No, not your hoodie, your dress."

"Reece, I know you were in an accident, but this is my school uniform."

"No," he paused and pulled out a dress. "this is."

"But that's not-"

"You're not going to school with Noah."

"but..."

"I'm sorry, it's time for a change again."

There was a trip back to Melbourne well, more like a road trip with a U-Haul van. I packed an overnight bag, well more like weekend bag. It was four am and I was in a hoodie and leggings with a baseball hat positioned on my head. I was extremely sluggish and fatigued but I was ready to watch the sunrise in semi-isolation and drift off to the sounds of one of my playlists.

N O A H ' S

P O I N T

O F

V I E W

I SAW lacey hovering in the corner of the hallway when I was on my to the bathroom during class. I walked up to her. hugged her from behind. sHe jumped in shock.

"Noah? God you scared me."

"haha. But I'm not the one who disappeared and showed up again. Where were you?"

"Oh sorry about that. Reece and I were in Melbourne packing up the rest of my stuff and I had no internet or data or credit. Funny story I got lost and reece couldn't find me...."

"what are you doing here? Youre not in uniform."

"oh, reece was just talking to Jeremy."

"Mr. Cohen?"

"Yeah, theyre dating and I think it'd be weird to refer to my brother's boyfriend as Mr. Cohen; my old principle." Just as I was about to respond a bubbly voice chimed in, and the body that connected linked arms with me.

"hey noah."

"uh- I'm kinda in the middle of something can I talk to you later?"

"hi, I'm lacey and you are?"

"hi I'm Beatrice, noah's girlfriend."

"Beatrice, that's not right."

"But the drama closet." She looked like a lost puppy.

"Noah?" lacey exclaimed.

"it was a one-time thing, I promise."

"one-time still means it happened. You're unbelievable. I hope your hands burn when you touch her."

She ran out, I contemplated on running after her but what use would that do. If history was any indication of the outcome, going after her would be make things immensely worse. I walked from my locker and down the stairs and towards the oval. The normal place to hang out. I saw Elise and Ethan and went to sit with them. As we sat I saw a familiar head of hair standing at the gate. This time I didn't chase her. Her eyes and words are so icy oh, but she burns like rum on fire