Everyone can believe in the idea of being innocent until proven guilty but when someone holds the evidence to prove your guilt, how long can you continue to run from your inevitable fate?
After moving to America in an attempt to escape her troubled...
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Chapter 34:
Cookies & Cuddles
"Lola!" My mum's voice booms from the bottom of the stairs.
"Yeah!" I shout back during a fighting sequence in the movie.
"Lola, did you hear me?" She shouts back, clearly not hearing my first response.
"Can you pause it?" I ask Zac, rolling my eyes.
"Yes mum!" I shout again, clearly irritated.
"There's people here to see you, can I let them in?" She asks.
I look up at Zac with wide eyes to which he shrugs back. Rolling the top of the Dorito packet over, I put it down the side of the bed. Doritos were always my favourite thing to snack whilst watching something, I've gone through 3 packets in the past 4 days...
"Okay." I agree, it's the first time I've let anyone see me, other than Zac.
Zac has been glued to my hip ever since he found me on the dock. He told me that he knew I'd be there as he knew it was my favourite place to go. Everyday since he's not left my side, like my mother, I think he's scared to leave me on my own in my current state of mind.
He's slept over every night and left in the mornings to go to school, tucking the covers around me tighter as he leaves; I couldn't face going back yet. Luckily my mum's been fine with letting him stay, I think she's grateful that he's looking after me, it takes some of her anxiety away.
He told me nothing about the aftermath, we both know it's better if I remain in the dark. He doesn't go on his phone around me either, especially the school feed. According to Zac, the group has been asking after me, using him as a way to check in. He told them exactly what I'd said on the dock as they needed to know the full truth too. He says they're all standing by me but I refuse to believe it until I see them all, until they can look me in the eye and still treat me in the same way they did before.
There's a gentle tap on my bedroom door before it slowly creaks open. Before I could even see the face of the person behind it, her big, ringlets of blonde curls give away her identity. Sophie hesitantly enters the room, at first she stares at me before looking around at her surroundings, it's as if she hasn't seen me for years. Then again, my surprise to see her is somewhat parallel and the fact that she's wearing her natural hair, instead of straightening it which she does regularly, adds to my astonishment.
Steven follows behind her, mirroring her actions and caution. It's as if the two of them didn't know what to expect which makes me wonder even more as to what it is that Zac's been saying whilst updating them.
I wonder whether my current state is what they expected. Perhaps they expected me to be hidden away, distraught and keeping myself in a dark secluded room. It might have shocked them that I'm not in pajamas and I've brushed my hair. Either way, within around ten seconds of entering the room, their facade drops and the two of them become recognisable again.
