Behind these walls

Crush

Ryland's POV

I watch the fish in the tank swim back and forth, their cycle never ending. The light casts a blue colour into my eyes, stinging them but I continue staring. My bed springs squeak as Beau hurls himself on it the softness of the doona. I can feel his eyes copying my trail as they travel in the direction of the fish. Finally, I turn to meet his gaze and sigh, a loud heaved breath. His expression of his mouth partly opened and the seriousness of his bright blue eyes looks like I'm about to get a talk, and somehow, I know what it will be about.

"There's talk about her. She isn't who you think she is." He says matter-of-factly.

"And who is she exactly, Beau?" My words come out exhausted and pained, and I sigh as I see him cringe at the harshness of my words.

"Someone I don't want to see hurt my brother," He said. His tone carries no note of anger as always. Beau was always the calm one in the family, the nice one. It was difficult to rile him up. Beau and Ash always teased each other but Beau was never serious about it. He just doesn't play dirty.

"Beau, I'm fine, okay? She's just a girl. Now quit worrying, don't you have to go brush Ash's teeth for him or something?" I said sarcastically.

"Actually, little brother," Said a voice that was all too familiar. I turn my head only to find Asher leaning on the doorway to my room, his lips in a tight smile. "I was going to ask you to do it for me, since Beau pushes down way too hard." Asher runs his tongue along his gums. "I even spit out bloo-" A pillow hits Ash in the face, stopping him from finishing his sentence. Beau smiles at his twin and a shadow of a smile flickers on Asher's face. Pattering sounds alerts me that rain has started outside. I look out my window and sigh at the droplets hitting the hard earth. I think about Clara, her sweet scent of cinnamon and vanilla and I feel my lips pinch up at the sides.

"Somebody's got a crush." Asher says.

"I do not." I turn around and see Asher and Beau sitting next to each other on my bed, smirking.

"Does he?" Beau said.

"He does," Ash nods.

Twin brothers really know how to get under your skin. Ash uncurls himself from the bed and comes to stand in front of me. "Unfortunately for you, little brother, you have a crush on a girl who doesn't give two shits about you."

"Yeah? How do you know that?" I shot back.

"You haven't heard about her? What she's done?"

"No. All I know is that her ex gives her crap every day."

"Maybe, you should try asking him about her. Because right now, I'm on his side." And with that, he stormed out of my room and slammed the door shut.

I wake up with a hand clamped on my mouth, stopping oxygen from entering my lungs. It was dark, so dark I couldn't make out anybody there. I start swinging fists in the air, hoping to hit my captor. Flesh on flesh, my fist makes contact with what feels like an arm and I hear a string of cursed words from the person.

"Shit, clam down would you? It's just me." Asher grumbles.

"Are you crazy, Ash?" I exclaim.

"I don't know, am I?"

"You just woke me up by suffocation, so yes." Ash flicks on the switch and light fills my room up. The clock beside my bed reads five am. "C'mon I want to go for a run. Be dressed in five."

"You're kidding me, right? No! Go ask Beau." I roll my eyes and duck back under the warm covers of my bed.

"Beau said no." Asher remarks.

"Jesus, Ash, I'm saying no!"

"So? I care a lot less of what you think. Now hurry up."

Despite my not wanting to get up at five in the morning, the run felt good. I exerted the last of my energy until I almost couldn't take it anymore. Asher and I ran six kilometres, all the way down to the forest beside the school. We ran in sync, our breathing rugged and our chests heaving at the physical activity. I felt like it was exactly what I needed.

********

A week later, I finally went to school.

My fractured arm was still in bandages, but overall I was feeling fine. My father hadn't even touched me since the weird run-in after I got back from the hospital, although I still feel shaken about it. My head was in a whirl and I didn't realise my name being called out until someone grabs my shoulder and spin me around. I look right into the face of Kylen Rivera.

"Clara! You're alright! I heard about what happened." My mind recalls him stepping out of the car whilst I was withering on the hard bitumen road. I remember how he had pity in his eyes, but ended up getting into his car and driving around me, leaving me crumpled and defenceless.

"Did you? How interesting." I keep walking down the hallway, Kylen in tow and stop when I make it to the cafeteria. I turn around and give him a look that suggests he moves on and to my surprise, he does.

I choose a spot far away from everyone else, where the windows cast a fiery glow into the room. A water bottle sits in my hands, as I twirl it around using two fingers only to have it fall horizontally on the table.

I look up and Ryland stands there, his gape on the bottle. "Mind if I sit?"

"Actually, yes. Want to go for a walk or something?"

He smiles down at me. "Sure."

We walk across the school's oval side by side until we finally get to a stone bench to sit down on. "20 questions?" He asks.

"Sure. I've never played before. What do you do?" I ask

"The title kind of gives it away." He smirks at me, his hair shining in the sunlight. His jaw has a line of stubble on it that he still hasn't bothered to shave. "What happened with you and Kylen?"

"Straight to the point, huh?" I raise my eyebrows at him.

"I've heard talk abou-" I cut him off quickly, seeing where this was going.

"Oh? Great. Well here's something you need to know. I don't strip for anyone, I don't give out in the men's bathroom and I don-"

"Wow. You really like to get this all out of the way, huh?" He lifts his eyebrow up in a way of questioning.

"If you're here to get me to sleep with you, then leave it, okay?" I get up and walk away, back through the oval. I start walking to my locker to get my books for next period. I can't believe it. I really thought that Ryland was different. That he didn't just want to use me based on rumours. When I'm a few metres away from my locker I stop in my tracks. My heart lurches in my chest and I feel like running back to the oval. Standing there, casually leaning on my locker with his arms folded, is my father.