Tricky Angel

Chapter 6 Alone again

I was lying in my own bed, in my own house, with May sat at the end, two weeks after being allowed home. My arm was now in a bright green cast and my left leg was in a black cast.  

"May, your mother's here to pick you up." The shout came from the bottom of the stairs.  

"See ya, Gabby, I'll miss you at school so I'll text you." She ran down the stairs and started talking to Mum. "Thanks for havin' me Mrs Carter." 

"Oh don't be silly. It's a pleasure to have you here and you can call me Jane." Minutes later the front door opened and closed again.  

I reached for the stereo remote and turned on Here We Go Again by Demi Lovato. Soon I found myself singing along.  

"So how did you get here under my skin? I swore that I'd never let you back in, should've known better than trying to let you go, 'cause here we go again.  

Hard as I try I know I can't quit, something about you is so addictive, we're falling together, you'd think that by now I'd know, 'Cause here we go again..." I trailed off as sleep took over.

Matthew's POV 

Mum was listening to Daniel Beddingfield again. 

"Honey, she's never gonna forgive you if you don't at least try to apologise." She was right but I couldn't go anywhere near her, her parents would go berserk. Instead I listened to mum singin' 'if you're not the one' 

"If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today? If you're not the one than why does my hand fit yours this way? If you are not mine then why does your heart return my call? If you are not mine would I have the strength to stand at all?"  

I couldn't take it any longer, I walked out of the house and off to find Gabby.

I stood outside her home waiting for someone to answer the door for 5 minutes. The car was gone but I knew Gabby was bed-ridden so surely one of her parents were here. I had my back to the door when someone spoke from behind me.  

"What are you doing here Matthew? She's already made it completely clear that she wants nothing to do with you." I turned to face her father and hung my head in shame. "You best come in son, you look terrible." We walked into the kitchen-dinner, "Tea or coffee son?" 

"Neither sir, I only came to see if she would forgive me." A tear escaped my eye, betraying my emotions. I couldn't look at her father as I turned at moved towards the front door.  

"Come with me son." Mr Carter placed his hand on my shoulder. He lead me to a door upstairs. Music floated under the door.  

'I think some tricky angel just knocked me on the head, made me look at you different, made me see some sense. Tricky angel got me falling without my consent, and I'm so glad he did 'cause I didn't know you we're heaven sent.' 

A second traitorous tear fell. Mr Carter entered the room, the music was silenced and the sound of father and daughter arguing erupted. It died into a rustling of pillows and wincing.

Gabby's POV  

Just as I woke up, Dad walked in, turned off the music and sat on my computer chair. He explained that Matthew was outside wanting to 'apologise', eventually it turned into another heated debate. In the end I had no choice but to give up.  

"Fine! You'll have to help me sit up then." He did so in silence as I winced at every movement. Then he evacuated the room, leaving the door ajar and gesturing for Matthew to come in. He planted himself on the computer chair.  

"Look I'm-" I cut him off as I shook my head. He already knew I didn't believe him, yet he still bothered to try. I guess for him that was a big deal. I looked at his face to catch him fighting tears and I remembered a quote I once heard. Guys will always be able to make girls cry but, if a girl can make a guy cry, she must really mean something to him.  

"I left her the day after I saw you in Primark. At prom she saw you with me and got jealous. She was drunk and delusional. Look meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice but falling in love with you was beyond my control, and Gabby, I waited 12 years for you to admit that to yourself once. If I have to, I'll wait another 12 years." With that he stood up and left.