Stripped to the Heart

Chapter 17 - You can work it off

"So how do you feel about it? Are you ready to have it taken off?" Mum said, my parents had come home just for the occasion. Possibly also because we were moving too, I was too nervous to care anyway.

There were two hours left and I was sitting on my laptop, looking at ridiculously cute pictures of puppies and singing along to We are Done by The Madden Brothers. I didn't notice Leo entering my room and only realised when the song stopped and I ran out of pictures. "You're a really good singer, you know" it was more a statement but coming from him it made me blush.

"Thanks" I squeaked back, unable to hide the red forming on my cheeks, which was growing rapidly. He sat down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling for a while, before looking into my eyes and saying "Look, I know you probably won't like me saying this but. I want to repay you for that meal."

I let my sigh escape and he looked nervous, "Sorry, I just didn't actually think you would do this. Can you let me get this cast off me and then we can talk."  I said, looking into his blue eyes and noticing their grey streaks. "Yeah okay, that sounds good." He said it and there was finality in his voice, like the conversation was over. I walked around him and noticed that he had stood up to leave, we bumped into each other and I began falling. He reached for me but missed and I fell. My cast smashed on the ground, little pieces of plaster scattered around me as I lay there, holding my head. It wasn't all gone, I would still need it to be cut off, but a little more carefully.

My vision slowly blurred and then I fell, into blackness. It seemed to have no relief and

My head hurt and I clutched it, groaning in pain before relaxing into the pillow, I didn't remember a pillow behind my head but I fell asleep. When I woke up there was a man with a saw, looking down at my leg and cutting into it. I screamed until everyone came in and looked at me, then the man looked up and jumped back. "Ma'am we were only removing your cast, your mother asked if we could come by." I waited for a moment before screaming again "MUM!!!"

"Yes dear" I heard her say as she came to be at my bedside, "Why am I at home when the cast should have been removed at the hospital?" I asked "Because A, you blacked out and Leo helped you to the bed. Also your cast had to be removed today, it was poking into your skin and pushing the bone back the other way, after your fall it couldn't wait." she explained "Oh" was all I managed in reply.

"Just get some rest and we'll see to it that the movers leave you in peace, we'll give you this house for a while. Think of it as your own, also your brother will be home for a while. You can have this place and come back when he is gone, ok?" my dad was talking to a wall because I just nodded and fell back into a black pit, full of dreams this time. Good dreams, bad dreams, memories and thoughts. I didn't care and dived head first into them.

"We cannot let her hear us, if she knew he was in jail...well I don't know but we can't let her find out" that was what I heard from the muffled conversation coming from the outside of my door. I snuck over until I pushed my ear against the door in an attempt to hear more of this conversation, the only thing I found out was who the people were.

Mum and Dad, they were sitting on the sofa, which was suspiciously placed in the hallway. No matter how long I waited they didn't start the conversation again so I just walked out. Rubbing my eyes to show how tired I was and dragged my feet along the floorboards. "Mum, Dad why is the sofa in the hallway?" I asked, curiously awaiting the answer.

They both stiffened and warily answered "Because A, we're moving. But you're staying here for 2 months." My mother was using her don't argue with me tone of voice and I didn't push it. I would find out who was in jail later, for now though I had to be ready for school. That could take a long time considering I was still in a cast, as I reached for the pyjama leg I realised there wasn't a big lump. I screamed and then realised I hadn't had my leg removed, just the cast.

My parents laughed but I just walked over to my bedroom and into the closet. Rummaging through my clothes I found a high-waisted white lace skirt and a red silk crop top that had 'P.S' written on it. I found this hilarious, because it meant I got the last word. Do you know?

Anyway the outfit suited school well and I had already asked for a ride from Joy, so I just needed to pack my bag and then go downstairs to wait for my ride. As I packed I noticed my 'politics and law' book missing, I just assumed it was in my locker at school and zipped my bag up.

Downstairs on the kitchen bench was my book, I grabbed it and put it in my bag "Honey, if you're looking for your book it's on the kitchen bench, I was looking at crimes and sentences." I flinched as my mum turned around from the coffee machine and sat down. "Ok, sorry I just need my book for today. Wait, why did you need my book?" I asked "No reason" my mum said back, a little to merrily.

I let it go when I heard a car horn come from outside, rushing out I left my locker keys in there and just jumped in. Not really caring how it looked, I saw Joy glance at me but I brushed it off and stared ahead, "what's up with you?" Joy said. "I think someone has gone to jail, I heard my parents talking about it this morning, but I don't know who or why." I answered honestly. She just nodded her head and pursed her lips in concentration.

I think Joy might have known who and why this person was in jail, I didn't know it but I was about to find out who and why. Well more like Who.1 and Who.2.