by Dakota Lake
“Well at least you don't have to worry about making new friends, it would have been a bit difficult with that ugly face of yours,” he said smiling. I leaned over to him.
“The only reason I’m staying is because I have questions. A lot of them and I think you have all the answers. And you will tell me.”
“We'll see,” he said looking back at the TV.
“Yes we will.” I stomped up the stairs he was so frustrating.
I couldn’t believe he had said I had an ugly face, it was his fault I looked like this in the first place. Nothing would have prepared me for what I was about to see in the mirror. I looked terrible. I highly doubted anyone would believe it was an accident, was I really going to tell people my brothers crazy friend hit me while trying to kill a bird, no rat and he swung it behind him with a little too much force and the bat happened to find my face. Maybe no one would ask? Yeah right. Knowing my luck the school will alert the authority’s that I’m living in a dangerous environment and have me moved back to my mother immediately. That was just one of the scenarios playing thorough my head as I got dressed. I stood on the toilet to message Caitlin about staying in Heaven's Point. I got a reply almost instantly.
No way, that's awesome let me know when you start at HPH Cx The toilet seemed to be the only place in the cabin I could get service. When I went back downstairs Seth was just hanging up the house phone.
“All sorted,” he said grinning.
“Really?”
“Sort of. You still have to ring her to confirm I haven’t kidnapped you. She seems to think I’m holding you hostage and there’s no way you would want to live in the wilderness, those were her words not mine.”
“I'll phone her tonight, hopefully she should of calmed by down,”
I spent the rest of the day unpacking, the hallway was full of empty boxes by the time I had finished. I was dreading the call to mom and putting it off for as long as possible. Micah stayed all day helping Seth with his truck. I stayed in my room and wrote a letter to Carly it was nice being able to write everything down and I meant everything she was the one person I could be brutally honest with. After I had finished my letter I went in search of an envelope and was lucky enough to find one in a kitchen drawer. Micah strolled through to the fridge and grabbed a blue energy drink, I saw him stash a load in there this morning to chill.
He was covered in grease I had never seen him look so, so normal. His hair was all messed up and he had dirt on his face for once he didn’t look like a runway model.
“Do you know the address for this place? I need to add it to my letter so my friend Carly can write back,”
“There isn’t one.” he replied taking the pen from me and scribbling something on a notepad from the drawer.
“What do you mean there isn’t one, every place has an address?”
“Not this one, like I said before not many people know about this place, it's off the grid it doesn’t come with an address. So you'll have to use this one instead.”
He handed the notepad back to me. He had written an address on it, but the only thing I recognised was the towns name.
“Where's this?”
“Other side of town, the nicer side,”
“You mean the expensive side. Who's address is it?”
“Mine,”
“Yours or your parents?”
“Parents ha that’s a good one,”
He laughed but I didn’t understand what was so funny. He walked back out still amused by what I had said. Maybe they disowned him or something I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if that was the case.
Micah left shortly after. Seth and I made macaroni cheese for dinner and I ended up sharing half of mine with the dog as he could easily reach my plate on the table. I phoned mom after dinner dreading the worst.
She was a mixture between really really angry and well just angry. She didn’t even mention the fact that she would miss me, thanks mom. By the end of the conservation I felt like she would be better off without me being there, having one less mouth to feed. The telephone call to mom had left me mentally drained but I knew deep down I wanted to stay here.
My brother and Micah were better company than I ever got at home with mom who I hardly saw and Frank who really wasn’t interested in anything other than baseball and beer. Seth said he would ring school before work tomorrow and sort everything out. I went to bed around ten, I was asleep the second my head hit the pillow.
Chapter Nine
The next morning I opened my eyes shocked to see the clock staring back at me, which read 11.45am. Wow, I must have really been tired, why hadn't Seth woken me already. Wasn’t I starting school today?
I made a quick trip to the bathroom then hurried downstairs. Micah was sat at the table cleaning what looked like a shotgun. But what I found stranger was he was dressed in casual clothes scruffy jeans a chequered shirt and boots, not his usual very expensive looking black get up I was used to. “Why do you have that?”
“I was thinking I could start a new hobby. Maybe hunting, maybe bird hunting, the birds round here are becoming a massive nuisance.”
I just stared at him unsure whether I liked the idea of Micah with a gun. Definitely not. I was just hoping we wouldn’t have any gun incidents like the bat incident. I sat on the other side of the table unable to take my eyes off of it.
“Are you sure you're allowed that? You know with your personality,” I said my voice trailing off as he raised his eyebrow at me.
Probably not the best thing to say to someone holding a gun.
“Where did you get it?”
“It was just lying around in the garage, I thought it might come in handy. Anyway it's not for me silly, it's for you.”
“What?” It came out as a high pitched squeak.
“Well you made such a big fuss the other night, 'Micah there’s a scary person outside the window he's going to get me, save me Micah',” he was laughing putting on a girls voice.
He obviously didn’t believe me about what I saw and now he was making fun of me. “I don't sound like that and I don't need saving especially not by you. I can take care of myself.” “Personally I think you imagined the whole thing both times, but still this is just a precaution.” “Both times?” I said waiting for his reaction.
He was slipping I’d never told anyone else about the other time by the river when I had seen someone on the other side, the only person that knew about that was the boy who had walked me home.
“Hmm,” he said, pretending he hadn’t heard me.
“Micah you just said both times, I never told you or Seth about the other time I saw someone in the woods. The only person I told was that boy,” Micah cut me off. “So you're going to have to learn to shoot this thing, I was thinking maybe we could find a deer or....”
“Gross no. I’m not shooting Bambi or anything else for that matter, knowing my luck I’ll probably end up shooting myself in the foot. No guns period!”
“Would you prefer something different, smaller perhaps, easier to handle maybe a bit more prettier. I can look but I don’t think they sell ones with rhinestones,”
“What no. I don’t want a gun, I’m not shooting a gun. I think I’ll take my chances anyway you never seem to leave this place you can use it if anyone scary turns up. Where’s Seth? I need someone normal to talk to.”
“He went to work,”
“Well did he ring school? When do I start? Oh no mom changed her mind didn't she, you're here to deport me back home.”
“Actually no, as much as I’d love to get rid of you that's not happening any time soon. Seth had to leave for work a little earlier than expected so he asked me to ring the school.”
“Well what did they say?”
“It's all fine, but they still want to confirm with your mother as she is your legal guardian, but otherwise you're set to start tomorrow. I've already messaged Seth, he's going to ring her on his lunch break. There are a few forms you need to fill in,”
; He stuck his thumb in the direction of the counter. I picked up the paperwork and started flicking through the pages I looked at Micah.
“You've already filled most of it in,”
“I got bored waiting for you.”
I quickly scanned the pages everything looked fine the only thing he hadn’t filled in was allergies or medication.
“It's got here as emergency contact, Micah Greenwood. I'm pretty sure you're the last person I want turning up at the school or hospital in an emergency.”
“It makes sense with Seth working, I seemed like the best option.”
“What you don't work?” I asked, adding my brothers name to the emergency contacts next to Micah's.
“I didn’t say that, I have flexible hours.”
“So what do you do?”
“You need to get dressed so I can take you into town. The school gave me a list of books you will need,” he ignored my question. “I'll be waiting outside.”
He propped the gun up next the the fridge and left.
I quickly got myself washed and dressed. My face looked awful but there was no point trying to cover it up, it would probably take half a bottle of concealer and I wasn’t to keen on the stuff. I just brushed some mascara on I don’t know why, it's not like I would bump into anyone I knew and my bruising was enough to put anyone off.
I ate breakfast watching Micah play fetch with the dog in the back garden.
“You ready to go?” he called over having seen me at the window.
I nodded.
I noticed Seth had taken his bike today leaving the truck behind.
“We're taking this truck,” he said climbing into Seth's truck. I followed and hopped in next to him. “Why can't we take your truck?”
“Because people know that’s my truck.”
“Well obviously if you drive it. You're saying you don’t want to be noticed, is that why you're dressed like a dodgy cowboy?” I couldn't help but laugh.
“What’s wrong with the way I look?”
“Nothing you look great, except you forgot your hat” I couldn't resist and I couldn’t help the giggles that were erupting from inside.
“I borrowed these from Seth, I was trying to blend in,” he said, reversing the truck out. “So you're basically you're wearing a disguise and you don't want to be seen in your truck or is it you don’t want to be seen with me. You know how weird that all sounds?”
“It can sound as weird as it wants.”
“You know you're going to have to tell me what’s going on soon or I might just have to do some digging and figure it all out on my own.”
“Ruby, we talked about this it's best for all of us if you don't ask questions,”
“No that's what you decided,”
He switched the radio on.
“Why won't you tell me what's going on?”
He looked over at me, shaking his head. “I can't. Seth's your brother he has to tell you. He'll have a melt down if he thinks I've been telling you things, he'd probably use that gun on me if I told you. And lets be honest you'd miss me.” he smiled half joking.
“Well I'll just ask Seth then when he gets back later,”
“I'd rather you didn't, he thinks you're still this naive little girl dreaming of ponies and fairies. But clearly you're not a little girl anymore,”
“Do you know why I’m like this? Why I can read minds? I’m not an alien am I?” I was about ninety nine percent positive I wasn't but I wanted to get his attention. “I don't know. What colour is your skin under those clothes?” he asked, grinning at me. “I'm going to say the same as yours,”
“What can I say, you are what you are. Which is not an alien they definitely don't exist.” “That's it you're not going to give me a clue. It's not like I’ve waited my entire life to find out why I’m like this. No it's fine you're right I can wait a few more weeks.” I said sarcastically. “That's the spirit,”
“Well, when is Seth going to tell me anything?”
“I think he's waiting until you turn eighteen.”
“That's nearly two months away,”
He shrugged, as if he couldn't care less.
“You're weird and you keep secrets,” I said scowling at him.
“Well no one's perfect.”
We drove in silence the rest of the way.
When we arrived in town I posted my letter and when I returned to the truck I found Micah lazily leaning up against it but only now he was wearing a cowboy hat.
“Where did you get that?”
“What you don't like it?”
“You look ready for rodeo,” I said crossing the road to the book store.
The book store was quite modern looking inside, not what I was expecting for this town. I found the area I was looking for and carefully browsed along the rack for the book on the list. I glanced around looking for Micah but instead I noticed a few people looking at me and quickly turning their heads away.
Micah strolled up to me with his nose in a book. I looked at the front cover it was a cook book, Italian I think.
“Why are you looking at that? I never see you eat anything anyway. All you do is drink those funky coloured energy drinks.”
He leaned back against the rack next to me.
“Actually I love cooking it passes the time which I have a lot of and I haven’t heard you complaining you eat everything I put in front of you. I'm surprised you’ve managed to keep your figure you eat like a pig,”
The woman nearest us overheard him and shook her head moving away.
“Micah have you noticed people staring?”
“Yeah I have that affect on humans, you'll get used to it.”
“Not you, you idiot. They look at me and then start staring at you. I think everyone thinks you did this, on purpose.”
I gestured to my face. He looked up and glanced around catching the eyes of an older couple closest to us, they looked almost worried when they saw him looking at them.
“Na I think they're just looking at me. Like I said I have that affect on humans they can't comprehend why I'm so dashingly handsome.” he said snapping the book shut.
“Ugg!” I walked away from him and over to the counter.
Even the girl behind the till was giving us weird looks. She rung up the bill, which was scary to say the least for some books. I reached for my bag but before I could even pull out my purse Micah had already handed over a card to the girl.
“What are you doing?”
“Lets just call this another apology for the whole face thing,” he said, not looking at me, but instead was looking at the sale rack next to us. “Beauty sleep, huh, I never understand why they call it that. You still wake up a day older and in your case looking like the local troll.” he said grinning. He was looking at a book titled sleeping. He smiled at the girl behind the till and walked out. “Err thanks,” I said, grabbing the bag.
“You know you shouldn’t let him treat you like that.” she said looking at me concerned. I quickly left and followed him back to the truck and watched him climb in, he soon climbed back out when he realised I wasn't joining him.
“Seriously what is wrong with you? Have you got some sort of personality disorder?” “What?” He walked over to me.
“One minute you're being part normal the next you're insulting me. What have I ever done to you?” “What, where did this come from?”
“Micah in the space of five minutes you somehow managed to call me a pig and a troll, you are extremely rude.”
“You're being silly, will you just get in the truck so we can go already,”
“No I’ve decided to walk back.”
I turned and and started walking off in the direction I thought was home. I didn't know what had come over me but I had, had enough of him for one day there was only so much I would put up with.
“Ruby, you can't walk home alone,” he said walking quickly to catch up with me. “Watch me.”
“You probably won't even make it back by dark. You'll get
lost.”
“Well I’ll take my chances, I think I’d rather be eaten by a bear then get back in the car with you,” “I'm not going to let you walk home alone, so why don't you stop being so childish and get in the truck,”
“Or what you're going to lock me in the trunk,”
A crooked smile crept onto his face. “It had crossed my mind.”
“I'd like to see you try. We're in the middle of town surrounded by people and you haven't heard how loud I can scream.”
Any smile he had on his face was suddenly wiped clean off with that last comment. He looked around, our little conversation had already caused quite a few heads to turn in our direction. “Fingers crossed you get eaten then, it would make my life easier.” he said spinning around and walking back to the truck.
I carried on walking turning my head away as he drove past. I did have a plan I wasn’t stupid. I didn't plan on walking all the way home he was right I probably would get lost. I would just follow the road out of town along the forest edge until I came to a small diner, I had seen it a few times on each trip into town. I would then message Seth and wait there until he finished work and picked me up. Hopefully he wouldn't be working too late today.
I looked at my cell 1.50pm. It would probably take me over an hour to reach the diner it was quite a way out of town.
I put my earbuds in, this wasn't so bad I was getting some exercise in the lovely fresh air and enjoying the scenery even if it was just tree after tree. A few cars passed by now and then but otherwise the strip of road was lonely. A black motorcycle rode by a few times in different directions, I was sure it was the same one.
The diner came into view just as the heavens decided to split wide open. I put my hood up and trudged through the rain the rest of the way. By the time I got through the door I felt like a sponge having absorbed all the rain water from outside, my boots had also taken on water and now felt ten times heavier.
Inside the diner the walls were turquoise cluttered with old photos and posters. There looked to be only one customer, a young waitress was talking to him topping up his drink. There was an older lady behind the counter who smiled at me as I made my way to a table. I opted for cheesy fries and a soda, all that walking had worked up an appetite.
