《Incandescent》Chapter 5
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Blake didn't return all night. I wasn't expecting him to but by the way Jessie's tormented eyes kept flickering towards the front door all night she had hoped that her son would return to say goodbye to his mother. I was cleaning the dishes as Jessie gave me a goodbye hug and kiss on the cheek. I noticed how the wrinkles around her eyes had aged her and not even the large amount of makeup could cover how badly she was ageing. The worry lines on her forehead seemed to be permanently there and I knew exactly who put them there.
She was barely keeping it together as she left me in the kitchen and as she was saying goodbye to my mother I heard her let out a heart breaking sob. My mother managed to calm her down enough and promise her that we would take care of Blake before she left with miserable eyes. I went to bed early that night consumed with thoughts of Blake and what hell my life has become.
Finally being in the sanctuary of my own bedroom the horror finally sinks into my soul as I realise that this place will soon no longer just be my own. I will have to share my one happy place with a bully. Now I will never be able to get away from my bullies.
*
I was forced awake from my unconscious slumber by a loud creaking noise. Immediately I know what the sound is and my eyes fly open in panic. My door was wide open letting the light from the hallway radiate into my dark room. It blinds my eyes so the only thing I can see is the silhouette of a dark figure standing in the doorway. Panic streams through my veins causing my eyes to pop out of their sockets but before I attack my intruder I hear another crash as my laundry basket smashes into the floor, followed by an exasperated;
"Shit."
I relax back into my pillow as I realise that the loud intruder was just Blake. He leans over to pick up the basket, which was luckily empty and put it back into place. He slams the door closed behind him sending it shattering in its frame and letting out a loud bang. He was not in the least bit worried about waking me up.
Annoyance bubbles up in my chest and I felt like screaming at him, it wasn't like I had a school day tomorrow. Blake slides open the divider between our rooms and collapses onto his bed without closing it again. The whole structure of his bed ricochets underneath his weight causing another loud crack to sound through the room.
I glance towards my clock to see that it was three o'clock in the morning. With the divider open our bed heads were facing each other, almost so I could see his face scrunched into his pillow. In annoyance I throw my covers off me and send an annoyed glare towards Blake at his selfishness.
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"You could at least of had the decency to walk in quietly," I remark snidely.
"Oh shut up," he snaps back angrily. My hands ball into fists at his rude words.
"You're very selfish," I comment. Then so suddenly I wasn't expecting it Blake jumps off his bed and stalks up to mine. He stands over me and glares down at me like he wanted to kill me. My breath clogs in my throat blocking my airways as I look back up at him.
"You don't know anything about me," he growls and his eyes flash so fiercely I know I hit a nerve. Knowing this, I continue on that same path. I stare back up at him in defiance, I won't back down from his bullying behaviour, I have had bullies for 2 years now. He doesn't scare me.
"You are selfish. You barge into my room and wake me up when I have to be up early for school tomorrow. You left tonight and didn't even say goodbye to your mother. She was distraught, she was crying her eyes out as she left tonight," I snap at him. As I say those words something changes in his eyes, they turn down and he squeezes his eyes closed tightly like he was in pain. I tilt my head to the side staring this curiously, what could that reaction mean? I was intrigued by his behaviour, if he found it painful to hurt his mother than why was he doing it?
He breaths deeply as if he was trying to calm himself down. I watch him quietly fascinated at his behaviour. Then suddenly his eyes snap open and set deeply on mine with a glower so dark I feel myself rock back in my bed trying to get away from him. But he doesn't let me. He leans even further forward onto my bed so his face was right over the top of mine. My eyes are glued to his blue ones as he stares deeply into mine as if he was trying to tell me something. My heart starts to race in my chest and my stomach flips from his close proximity.
"What I did was anything but selfish," he growls and his voice was so low and deadly I didn't dare contradict it. His body heat was radiating into mine through the bed sheets and I could feel his body trembling from anger.
The deathly glare emitting from his eyes keeps me quiet and I wait until he calms down. The creases between his eyebrows slowly starts to fade and his fists start to turn back from white to his normal colour. Finally he leans away from me turning around and I let our a deep relieved breath. He slams shut the divider between our rooms and I hear him slide back into his bed. We don't speak another word to each other the rest of the night. But the tension between us was almost palpable and it kept me awake for hours long after Blake moved away from me.
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*
I woke up early the next morning. It takes me a groggy minute to remember why my room was half the size and there was another person in my room. I could see Blake curled into a ball asleep because he had left the divider open again, he must have got up last night and forgot to close it. Silently I move through the room so I don't wake Blake. Even though he deserved being woken up after how inconsiderate he was to me last night, I wasn't like him.
Blake was fast asleep on his bed with the top half of the quilt scrunched up in his hands that he hugged like a pillow. For a moment I am shocked by how innocent and kind he looked when he was asleep. The worry lines across his forehead were gone and missing was his deadly glare which made his face that so beautiful without that sneer.
I am lost searching the planes and intricacies of his facial features for a long moment, revealing in just how beautiful they were. Then suddenly Blake's eyes flutter for a moment and my heart jumps into my throat as I think he is about to catch he staring at him asleep. But luckily he just tucks himself tighter into his quilt and lets out a deep breath as he slept on. Quickly I continue on and out the room.
I get ready for school in my bathroom and then move into the kitchen to eat my breakfast. My mother joins me a few minutes later and starts reading the newspaper. I was starting to get worried that Blake wasn't going to be ready in time to go to school because there was no way I was going to be late. He would just have to find the place himself. Then with only ten minutes until we have to leave Blake finally emerges from bed and comes swaggering into the kitchen. He was still dressed in his track pants and hoodie and not at all ready for school.
His dark hair was pointing up in multiple directions and he yawned stretching his hands above his head. There were black circles underneath his eyes that made his bright blue eyes stand out that much more. The worry lines between his eyebrows were back again as was the sneer forever etched onto his features, it made me sad to see them back again as I knew just how beautiful he looked when he was unstressed and relaxed. I wondered what was going in inside his head to make him so stressed all the time.
"Blake please sit down, I want to go over a few house rules," my mother asks Blake sternly as she drops her newspaper onto the kitchen bench. Blake's eyes widen slightly in trepidation, even I could tell from my mother's tone that this wasn't going to be a friendly conversation. Blake sits down warily in the chair next to me but slightly tilts the chair away from me. I try not to let that bother me. Was I that repulsive to him?
"This isn't going to be a leisurely stay with your friends. I have taken you in to teach you proper discipline. If you are staying under my room then you will be abiding by my rules, I believe your mother has notified you about this?" My mother starts.
"Yes. She has," he admits with narrowed eyes. It was like he was preparing himself for his next response and fight that was about to break out from it.
"Good. Therefore I am implementing a curfew at ten on school nights and twelve of weekends." Blake starts to open his mouth to argue but my mother raises a hand. "No arguments," she orders and Blake snaps his mouth shut but his jaw clenches in anger.
"Once a week I want you to mop the floors and clean your room. Every Sunday morning you will be going to church with Rose and I. I never want to see any alcohol, drugs or cigarettes in my house or else I will kick you out immediately. If you don't do as I ask then there will be consequences. For example following your abrupt and rude departure last night I am going to be taking away your motorbike for a month," she reveals. I try to hide my surprise and flicker my gaze to Blake to see his reaction; this can't go down well.
"You can't do that! The bike is mine!" He objects in outrage slamming his hands down on the counter in front of him and rising to his full height. My mother's stern gaze doesn't falter for a second, her eyes just narrow in on Blake's form in disapproval at his behaviour.
"I can give you whatever punishment I see fit in my home. The bike is locked in the garage until the month passes. You will be walking to school with Rose every morning, no objections," she orders rising so her and Blake were both standing glaring at each other across the table. Though Blake was a whole head taller than my mother her glare was that much more powerful that after a few seconds he knew he wouldn't win and sat down slowly. My mother nods approvingly.
"Do you have any questions?" She finally finishes. Blake kept his gaze down but I could see the anger simmering underneath the surface from his white hands that were curled up in fists and clenched jaw.
"No," he agrees. But his gaze flickers to mine after he speaks those words and I can see the deceit shining in his irises. Blake is not going to follow the rules.
***
Hey guys, new chapter!!! I know I am so good to you all! Thank you so much everyone for the last few comments on the last chapter they are so motivating and helped me write this chapter. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and how the story is going. Please comment your thoughts on how it is going.
Love Elaine Xx
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