Fan Fic
Blood Is Thicker Than Water
Part 8
© Stef
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I crept out of our bedroom and down the hall to Matt�s room. Matt had stayed well out of this argument but had made it clear he wasn�t happy with me� or James.
I knocked gently on the door but there was no reply. I slid the door open and peered round. Matt was sitting up in bed with his bedside light on. He looked up at me and smiled kindly, �Hello.� �Hey I knocked but you didn�t answer so I just came in.� I explained and shut the door behind me. Matt beckoned me over and closed his book; careful to fold over the top of the page he was on. I perched on the end of his bed, shoulders dropping, head hung low in misery. �What�s wrong?� Matt asked and signalled for me to move closer to him, which I did gratefully. �Charlie still won't talk to me and everyone hates James and I can�t go on like this because it hurts Matt, it really hurts and I don�t know what to do I just feel as though I have lost everything and�� my voice caught in my throat mid-speech and Matt put his arms around me, �It�s okay hun�shhh�� he soothed softly and stroked my hair tenderly. �I want him to talk to me again and even if he does what if things don�t go back to normal? Can they go back to normal? What about James?! No one has even thought about how this is affecting him and they should because it is, Matt it really is!� I blurted, feeling the weight being lifted off my shoulders as I spoke. Matt firmly kissed my wet cheek and wiped away the stray piece of damp hair from my other cheek, �I love you lil sis, you know that, don�t you?� I nodded, �Make him talk to me again, please.� Matt sighed, �I don�t know if I can, it�s not that easy any more. You know that as well as I do.� I curled up in his protective arms and shut my eyes, tears spilling unwillingly from my clumped-together lashes. �Do you love James?� I nodded, words failed me, I couldn�t talk any more � only sobs escaped my mouth. �Stef do you love James?� I nodded, this time more frantically. �Talk to me, tell me you love him.� �I LOVE JAMES!� I cried, �I love him more than anyone could ever know, I would give my life away just to see that he�s happy and I don�t care if Charlie never talks to me again I will be with James until the day I die and he can do nothing to stop that!� Matt stared at me in obvious disbelief, �I knew you loved him but I didn�t realise your feelings were that strong.� �My feelings are so strong that I can't even begin to tell you Matt, please help me.� Matt shook his head slowly, �I don�t know what I can do.� My body weakened as his voice trembled threateningly and I collapsed back in to his awaiting arms, �I hate Charlie for this.� �No you don�t, you hate what he�s doing.� I clung to Matt�s t-shirt and sobbed, I didn�t just sob, I cried and I howled until my body shook with the pain of my hearts strong emotions, �I have to go see James.� I sniffled and pulled myself shakily to my feet. �It�s quarter to one in the morning!� Matt pointed out, stunned by my sudden outburst. �Please just let me go.� I begged and threw my arms around his neck, �I need you to be on my side.� Matt sighed and hugged me back, �Go out my window, I will keep it open for you to get back in but if mum and dad find out � you�re on your own.� �Ooh thank you thank you thank you soooo much!� I squealed and grabbed his long black jacket from his cupboard doors, �I�ll bring it back, I swear.� And before he could answer I had shot out of the window and down the trellis. �Oh Bryan�stop that�� The familiar giggles of Kerry filled the street as I passed a moving bush in the Smith�s driveway. I rolled my eyes and carried on running until I heard my name being called. I spun on my heel to find Kerry standing, hands on hips with a holier-than-thou look pasted on her pretty little face, �Stef, what are you doing out at this time of night?� she quizzed and straightened up her little denim dress. �I might ask you the same thing�� I mumbled under my breath, �I am going out, if that�s any of your business.� Kerry looked over her shoulder cautiously before scurrying over to where I stood impatiently trying to run away, �Listen, Bryan saw you and now he�s gone to go find Charlie. Run Stef. Run to James�s and stay inside.� Kerry chewed anxiously on her finger nails and looked over her shoulder again before lowering her voice, �Get James and make sure he can�t be found � I�m warning you Stef, they have something planned for him which is not going to be nice�� �But�� my head was spinning with the information that had just been blurted out to me. �Stef please listen to me, Charlie has one member of his gang guarding every street from your house to James�s�take the south route to his house, through the town centre and take a left on Bridge End instead of a right�� Kerry paused and threw another glance over her shoulder, ��Don�t go near the woods Kian and Michael are there and�well, they�re big guys�run Stef and don�t stop until you find James.� �Kerry I�� �Stef I said run! Now!� �B�� �NOW!� She shoved me away from her with a force I never knew she possessed. �Thank you.� I threw my arms around her and clung to her for a second before taking her advice and sprinting down the road � in the opposite direction of James�s house. I climbed up on to the large metal fence surrounding James�s house and leapt down in to the small ditch next to the flowerbeds. I looked cautiously over my shoulder before running round the fountain and climbing on to the ladder which James had hooked on to the wall beneath his bedroom window many years before. I knocked frantically on the window and rested my head on the frame whilst trying in vain to catch my breath. �Stef?� James opened the window and broke in to a wide grin that lit up his puffy red face. �Oh god James, I love you.� I murmured and threw myself inside his bedroom, pouncing on him as I did so. �What�s wrong? You look out of breath.� �Charlie�� �Should have guessed.� James sighed and helped me off the floor. �He has someone waiting on every corner of every street. Kerry said�� �Ah tell me you haven�t been listening to that witch!� James chuckled as I curled up on his soft bed. �She was with Bry tonight and�oh god James they have something planned for you and I don�t think it�s a surprise party.� A smile twitched at the edges of his mouth but he didn�t break out, �How did you get here?� �Through town, around the woods and over the bridge.� James�s jaw dropped, �Stef it�s gone two a.m! You could have been�� his face went white as his voice trailed off. �We have to run away James, just you and me and�� I stopped myself and found myself automatically glancing down at my stomach. �And..?� �And�I have something to tell you.� �You mean Charlie�s trying to kill me isn�t what you came to tell me?� James laughed sarcastically and sat down next to me on the bed taking my hand in his, �Go on�� �I love you�� �I love you too.� I smiled softly but couldn�t meet his adoring gaze, the warmth of his touch filled me with a sudden nausea that forced me to realise what I could lose if I told him about my baby. Our baby. �I think we should run away together.� I blurted, silently kicking myself for chickening out. James�s stunned silence seemed to last forever before he finally opened his mouth, �Where would we go?� �I don�t know, where do people usually go when they run away together?� It occurred to me that I hadn�t actually thought about where we would go once we�d gotten out of town. �People who run away together either have money or�end up on the streets.� James�s fingers gently rubbed the palm of my hand, �I don�t want you to end up on the streets.� �I don�t want you dead!� I cried before looking up to his bedroom door, scared of awaking his parents. �Shh, shhh�here�s what we�re going to have to do�� he moved closer to me and wrapped his arms tightly around my trembling body. I felt a sob release itself from the back of my throat as his hands gripped my coat tightly, �Sleep sweetheart, in the morning we will think about what to do.� I nodded and moved along a bit in the small single bed to make room for James too. |