The 'nerd' is dangerous

Roderigo

Roderigo (Rigo for short) and his throne ⬇️

During school I spent the majority of it worrying about Anna, if I want focused on the lessons I was making sure she was alright, probably looking like a right idiot just to make her laugh. Like me, throughout the day with an anxious look on her face.

"You wanna talk?" I nudge her out of her daydream by my shoulder.

She nodded absentmindedly.

"I have work after school so I can come round after that."

She nodded again. "Okay."

So after my shift that's what I did. She texted to say she was in her room so once I arrived I unlocked the door with my key, took off my shoes on the mat and jogged up the stairs.

Once I opened her bedroom door I locked eyes with her, the nervous expression even more present on her face as she fiddled mindlessly with the aged koala bear in her lap, the artificial beady ones that Rigo possessed staring at me blankly. She had taken the old toy off his butterfly themed, cushioned armchair next to her desk and held him in her arms firmly as I walked to her bed perching myself on the duvet.

Anna gave me a weak smile as I greeted her, the continuous petting paused before resuming quickly. His fur was worn yet still soft with an occasional stain from loving childhood attachment. One leg was thinner than the other through lack of stuffing and the diagonal ear was missing fur with a poorly fixed mix-matched coloured thread patching it up.

A toy from Anna's childhood, the first given by Marie I believe, Roderigo or Rigo was one of the most important possessions in Anna's life. She took him everywhere she went and refused to sleep without him for years. Her dad even made him a custom armchair for him where he now takes permanent residence next to her desk. Whenever she was having a bad and stressful time she always cuddled with him.

"Hey Colt." She mumbled.

"Serious huh?" I nudge Rigo lightly.

She gulped as she nodded. I shuffled over so I was directly in front of her in a crossed legged position with a calm expression to hide my nerves, my hands in loose curls in my lap. I waited patiently until she started explaining, I kept quiet as she spoke.

"Did the doctors or my dad tell you I had coma dreams?"

I shook my head.

"Okay—Um—God!" She gripped Rigo tightly in her arms. "It sounds so bloody pathetic."

"Belle, I'm sure it isn't. Take your time, I can't help if I don't know."

"Okay. In the coma dream, it lasted four years. At the beginning I was—I was pregnant,"

I nodded supporting it but my head was rushing with confusion.

"I didn't tell you but then we got kidnapped by a guy. As we escaped you — you were... killed."

I gripped her hands in mine comfortingly as her eyes watered.

"Over the next four years I had our baby. Drew, that's what I called him. Andrew Colton Hughes." I smiled at the name. "You came back, kinda faded like I knew it wasn't real. You told me to wake up. It was weeks before I decided to, you came a few times sounding more and more panicked each time. I didn't want to leave him behind."

Her voice cracked as tears fell down her cheeks, she put Rigo beside her and held onto me, she told the story of her nightmare with her head in the crook of my left shoulder.

"I had a nightmare, Drew crying for me to help him. I ran to a car accident, Drew calling from inside the car. I tried to get him out but he—he changed to a monster. Blood everywhere, he had no mouth or eyes. His hands were claws as he grabbed towards me. His voice was like a demons. Calling like Drew was but it — it wasn't him. Blaming me for leaving him behind."

"Okay so, in your coma I die, you had our kid who has a sick name then woke up once you heard me talk and you feel bad cause' you left him?"

She nodded silently.

"Right. Well. I have questions."

She pushed away from me.

"Was he cute?"

A grin burst out as she began to explain what he looked like and how he acted. He took a lot of my features and mannerisms apparently which I was proud of.

"Okay. So obviously your emotions aren't just going to leave immediately, essentially you're grieving the child that you had for four years. You need time to process it."

"That's what dad said." 

"Why don't you write to him or something. Juvy made me do it once and it wasn't so bad."

"You'd make a great therapist."

I squinted my eyes at her playfully, shaking my head profusely. "Thanks." I said with a deadpan expression making her laugh. "But seriously, writing letters to him may help let your emotions out. I'll write to him with you. I'm sure that mini me wouldn't want you to be stuck in a coma dream all your life."

"Mini you huh?" she raised one brow and shoved me playfully.

"Hey! You're the one that said he acted and looked like me, and had Colton as a name. don't blame me."

I thought she was going to push me off the side of the bed as she lunged forward but she wrapped her arms round my torso with her head to my chest making me fall onto the duvet on my back with her hugging me tightly. 

"Thanks for not thinking I was going crazy." She mumbled into my jumper.

"I'm just glad you're not dying from internal bleeding, the doctors are still worried about that." I placed a kiss on her hair as she snuggled against me.

After a while of comfortable silence, I spoke.

"I'm sure Marie is looking after Andrew wherever they are." She moved her head so she was looking up at me. 

"Did you become religious when I was in the coma and not tell me?" 

"No but it's what they say in those sappy films isn't it? Thought it was worth a try." 

She shook her head with a laugh. "Do you want kids?"

"With you? One day. If we both want to and when we're ready. I guess we don't have to worry about whether our kid is going to turn out ugly, you already know they'll be adorable."

"True." She shrugged. 

"Speaking of films. You want to watch one?" I suggest. "Marlee and me, Me before you, the Light between oceans?"

"Do you want me to cry?" She accused. "What about a Horror film? As long as its not Mama. I've had enough of creepy children nightmares for the rest of my life."

"The nun?" She shot up and grinned.

She grabbed the TV remote and jumped back to the head of her bed with Rigo once again in her arms. I followed suit and lay next to her as she turned on the film. Her head returning to my chest as the opening credits began to play. 

_ _ _

So sorry this took me so long to update. It got deleted twice.

Hope you liked the chapter.

What do you want from the rest of the book? I'm debating ideas. 

_hello_hi