The Mentally Brave

Chapter 1

I get off the bus, my little beat up suitcase in hand and my sunglasses on my nose. My long brown hair is up in a mess of a bun. It's quite hot for April and I regret not wearing a short sleeved top.
I make way down the street, keeping my head down, not wanting to get noticed by the people from my past. Not yet anyway. If it was up to me I wouldn't even be back, but my little sister was going through a tough time at school and I was begged to come back home.
You see, sometimes being an outcast follows your loved ones too.

As I walk by the coffee shop at the entrance of my street I stop dead.
I know he is sitting there before I'm close enough to make out his face.
Her. The girl he is with, she is so loud.
Loud as in her thoughts.
She is screaming his name. I shut her out of my head and cross over to the other side. I glimpse up for a moment because my curiosity gets the best of me.
Our eyes lock for just a moment. I break that lock as fast as I can and take the turn to my home.
I don't know if he recognized me. I don't even know if he remembers who I am, since he was in such a state when everything went down.

I'm happy to see he's not on crutches anymore, even though I knew that already. Some things you have to see for yourself.

"Natalie?" I call as I open the front door. Mushroom runs up to me, trying to lick my hands. I bend down to pet his head.

"I've missed you Mush" I cup his head in both my hands. My heart fills up with love to my dear dog.
Needless to say Mushroom and I have a special bond with my mind glitch. Always understanding what he wants and what he needs.
"I'm down here" I answer my sister's thought.

Natalie comes running down the stairs hands out stretched waiting to close around me.
My beautiful blond round faced sister. We might be three year apart but we are the best of friends. Maybe that was bound to happen, since neither of us hasn't really got any friends.
"I have something for you" I tell her as she let me go.

"What is it?"

I reach into my pocket and take out the charmed tiffany bracelet. It is Identical to the one she gave me for my birthday three years ago just before I took off.

"Now we match" I fasten it to her wrist.
She reads the engraving on it and looks at me gobsmacked "Does this mean you're leaving again?"

"No, for now I am staying" I assure her "Do you like it?"

"'Always in my thoughts', quite Ironic isn't it?" she smiles up at me.

"Come, you can help me unpack" I pull her up the stairs to my old room. Mushroom follows us.

"Did you get my last email?" She asked as she sat down on my bed bringing her knees up to her chest.

"I did. I've seen it for myself though" I open my suitcase and start throwing its contents onto the bed, where Natalie got a hold of them and started folding.

"You've seen him? You're only home for what? Two minutes and already you run into him.. did you speak?"

"No he was on a date" I roll my eyes.

"You remember that time I told you he stopped me on the street, asked about your whereabouts"

"Did he ever talk to you since then?" I took out my makeup bag and put it on the dresser.

"No but he smiles at me now and then when we pass by" She is petting Mushrooms head.

"Was it that bad after I left?" I lean on the dresser crossing my arms.

"Well not at first.. But I have good days and bad days" She says in a bleak tone "He did stop a fight that one time" She remembers.

"What do you mean?" I shift my weight to my other foot.

"These boys were picking on me on my way home, but he stopped them. Telling them it shell be the last time they ever come near me or else" her eye brows came down a little in a slight frown.

"What can he do?" I laugh

"You know, he got quite strong, with all the rehab he went through for his legs, and he got kind of dark too, no one ever messes with him."

"All the girls want him, all the guys want to be him.. Sounds about the same to me," I say.

"No, all the guys are scared of him," She corrects me

"You don't say?" I raise my brows. This is new to me.

"Tell me, is he still blocked to you? I mean- were you able to read him today?" she whispers

"No. completely blank" I move to sit by her side.

"Did you find out why this is?"

"Not really"

Over the years I have shared all my thoughts and fears with my sister. She is in on everything. That is how I know so much about him. She continued watching him for me, letting me know when he first left the hospital in a wheelchair, then when he moved on to the crutches and once he started walking again on his own.

"When is mum getting back?" I ask.

My dad took off when I was 5, about the time I started repeating people's thoughts out loud. He thought I was a mutation of some sort, and at some point it just got too much for him he upped and left. As much as my mum promised me it wasn't my fault I knew better. That's when I've learned that I have to hide this, even though most times it wasn't so easy.

"She's off from work at 22:00 today"

Mushroom gave out a little whimper wanting his walk outside.
"Ok love, just a minute" I tell him "Nat, feel like getting some food ready? I'll be back to help you in just a bit".

I get Mushroom's leash and attach it to his collar.

I step outside, Mushroom pulling me to go his way. As we walk the streets I am noticing the new and the old around me. What a beautiful place I've come to hate.

"Lizzie"

I am startled, but regain my cool very quickly. I know who it is without needing to look up, since he is the only one that can surprise me like that.

I look at the fall of his curls on his forehead, the little dimple barely showing in that serious face of his. He is much taller then what I remembered him being, then again I haven't been around to see him grow.

Natalie was right, there is something darker about him, maybe it's because what he's been through. He pushes himself of the wall and stands in front of me. Mushroom who doesn't let anyone come near him or me, went up to the boy and let him pet his head.

"I thought I saw you earlier today" He looks up at me from his kneeling position by Mushroom.

"Yeah.. me in a flash" I say, not breaking a smile. I am scared to be seen with him. The things it might start up again.

"Yes you ran like lightning" He smiles, getting up and towering again over me.

"Um.. sure.. Well nice seeing you on your feet again, I've got to go now.. sorry" I pull Mushroom and turn to go, but he reaches out to stop me. Even though he touched me just for a split second I can still feel the place his fingers connected with my flesh. It was warm and it prickled.

"Don't leave yet. I've been looking for you a long time now, where have been" He shoves his hands into his pockets.

"Please Harry.. Not here.. not now" I look to the sides making sure no one is watching.
What will people say seeing the boy standing with the girl who left his little sister to die?

A/N

Hi, So I worte this story such a long time ago and going back to it I was mortifide at what a bad job I did writing it so I took it down and reposting it with changes.. It will mean the world to me if you would share your thoughts about it- don't be mean but give constructive criticism. Hope you enjoy it x