Bayward Street

by Addison Jane

  “Doesn’t sound like she’s changed much.” I laughed. “But how come she’s working at the school? Doesn’t seem like she made many connections.”

  A small smirk grew on Helen’s mouth. “Her father was done for tax evasion, and after that, no one wanted to be associated with her family. So she got a teaching degree and came back to Diamond Cross and worked her way up the ranks.”

  “And now she’s breeding a whole new generation of entitled brats,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

  She nodded. “When someone like us comes in, it makes those kids feel like they aren’t as important anymore. And when they’ve spent their whole life being told that they are, anyone who challenges that is a threat that must be removed.”

  The words hit me hard. I was a threat, and those kids who believed they were the best, they would do anything to get rid of me. I may have convinced myself over the past few years that I would never let someone beat me down and break me again, but there was only so many rounds I could go in the ring before I got too exhausted and tapped out.

  Helen had just got off the phone with the school, letting them know I wouldn’t be in for the rest of the day when the front door banged open.

  “Fable,” Heath’s voice rang out in the open space of the foyer.

  Rolling her eyes, Helen began to dial again as Heath’s heavy steps came toward the kitchen.

  “Hi, Mrs. Carson here again. As it turns out my son, Heath…” she hit him with a glare as he appeared in the room, “…is also not feeling well. Please excuse him also.”

  He ignored his mother’s blatantly unimpressed scowl as he crossed the room to where I was sitting.

  “I thought you were going to stay at school.”

  “I changed my mind after meeting Vice Principal bitch.”

  He scrubbed his hand through his hair. “I knew I should have gone with you.”

  I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter now.”

  Heath reached out and grasped his hand around my neck, gently squeezing it. He did it often when I was tense, and I wasn’t sure how he knew, but it seemed to calm my body dramatically. It made me feel like I could relax, not just because of the way his hand massaged as the tension in my muscles eased but because it reminded me that he was there.

  “I’m getting on a plane tonight, but I thought I’d take you and show you something first.” Heath and I both looked over at Helen. She smiled. “I need to make a couple of phone calls first but meet me at the front door in twenty minutes, and we can go for a little drive.”

  She grabbed her cell phone off the counter as she left, her ever-present heels tapping against the floor boards as she headed down the hallway to her office.

  “I need to get dressed first, I walked all the way home in these clothes.”

  Heath followed me as I traipsed up the stairs to my bedroom. He slipped through the door behind me and made his way to my bed, sitting at the edge.

  “Guess I’ll get dressed in the bathroom then?” I muttered as I pulled some clean jeans and a tank top from my dresser.

  Heath was still in the same spot I’d left him when I returned a few minutes later.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He didn’t hold back. “I told you some of these kids were ruthless.” My back fell against the wall as he continued, “They won’t stop, not until you’re gone.”

  “You’re right.” His eyes widened at my admission. “A part of me wants to say fuck them because I’ve spent too long getting to a place in my life where I finally felt like I was in control. Words don’t hurt me, I don’t care if someone calls me trash or dirt. I don’t care if they look at me like I’m not worthy because inside I know I am.”

  Heath’s hands grasped the blanket on my bed but his face stayed like stone, a mask he managed to somehow keep complete control of despite the anger he was feeling.

  “But the past… it still hurts, Heath. Escaping my dad allowed me the freedom to finally grow and build a thicker skin. But whenever it comes back to him, I’m back to being that scared little girl who no one would step up and help.”

  It didn’t make any sense. I’d become so strong, I held my head high as people turned their noses up at me on the street. I wasn’t proud of the life I was living, but I knew inside that I was doing the best I could just to make it day by day, and what anyone else said or did just didn’t matter.

  But one reminder of my father and I wanted to run and cower.

  “You don’t have to be scared anymore,” he told me as he pushed to his feet and made his way closer. “He can’t hurt you here.”

  “No, but he still hurts me here.” I tapped at the side of my head. “Sometimes it feels like I’m still locked in that bedroom and no one is coming to rescue me.”

  He didn’t speak as he placed his hands against the wall on either side of me. I didn’t like feeling this way, so helpless and broken. It wasn’t the person I’d become. I was stronger than this, and I knew it. So why did I feel so exhausted?

  “The past is the past, and there’s nothing I can do to change the shit you had to go through.” The deep tone of his voice moved through me, the heat of his body so close to mine, filling me with a whole new set of emotions. “But what I can do, is make sure you never have to go through that again.”

  “You can’t make that kind of promise, Heath.”

  “Yes, I fucking can.” His lips brushed against my forehead, and I instinctively leaned into him.

  My hands reached out and gripped his T-shirt. “It’s not that easy. I can’t just forget and move on.”

  “You don’t have to forget. But it’s time to stop letting your past hold you back, and start using it to push you forward.”

  Heath’s hand swept back through my hair and my lips fell open as he weaved his fingers through it, using his grip to pull my face a little close to him.

  “I’m scared,” I whispered honestly.

  I was scared, scared because he was right. Apart from my friends, I’d never had anything good in my life. It’d become so normal to be treated like I wasn’t worth anything. I’d just accepted that that was my life. Even now, after two days at school, I was ready to say fuck it all, by considering moving to the public school. Where there were kids like Liam, who just moved day by day, surviving. Kids who knew what it was like to be at the bottom of the staircase looking up.

  That’s where I felt comfortable because that’s what I knew.

  Why should it be normal to think that I don’t deserve anything better than I’ve ever had?

  I do deserve better.

  I wanted better.

  And maybe it was time to stop being comfortable.

  My body began to move backward, directed by Heath, slow steps, like we were dancing. When the back of my legs hit the bed, my hands shot out to grip at his waist.

  “You think the future is scarier than your past?”

  Shaking my head, I began to lift up onto my toes. “Not if you’re there.”

  I didn’t even have a chance to take in a breath of air before Heath’s mouth covered mine. He dipped his body, and my arms snaked around his neck, holding tightly as he lifted me and leaned over the bed, lowering me softly. I sunk into the comforter, enjoying the way it molded around my body like a protective cradle.

  Heath pulled back as he kneeled on the bed, nestling himself between my legs. “I’m not going anywhere, Fay.”

  The room around us crackled with electricity. I loved how my body felt in his arms, it was comforting but exciting, a feeling that was so new to me and one I wanted to explore in depth.

  I tugged on his hair, and he smiled as he allowed me to once again pull his mouth to meet mine. I never knew the touch of someone else could feel so good.

  Layla hugged me often, and it had always made me feel at ease after growing up with only knowing a heavy hand and the absence of any kind of affection. But Heath’s touch was different. It didn’t just comfort me, it consumed me. His smell, the roughness of his hands against my skin, the way h
e pulled me in and wasn’t afraid to take the lead.

  His hand moved to my hip, his fingers slipping under the hem of my shirt. The gentle caress against my bare skin elicited a soft sigh from my lips as he pulled back.

  “We need to go…” His breath fanned against my hot skin. I lifted my head, searching for his mouth, but he turned his head with a soft chuckle. “My mom said twenty minutes. And that’s not enough time for me to do what I want to do to you.”

  His eyes met mine, but the playfulness was soon gone, replaced with something more intense. A lump formed in my throat and my mouth ran dry. The pounding in my chest was almost deafening.

  “Heath, I—”

  “Come on you two. Let’s go. I can’t wait for you to see this!” Helen’s voice startled me.

  Heath just laughed, dropping a soft kiss on my lips before retreating. “Come on.” He reached out and tugged on my hand, pulling me to my feet. I furiously adjusted my clothing and dragged my fingers through my hair, while Heath just laughed, following me back down the stairs.

  Helen smiled at us from the bottom, and I hoped like hell the heat that still filled my body wasn’t completely obvious.

  “You look happier,” she commented as we reached the front door. Another flush flooded my cheeks. “Just wait. I think you’re going to love this.”

  “Where are we going, Mom?” Heath asked as we stepped out into the sunlight.

  “You’ll see,” she answered cryptically as Heath held the front door of Helen’s car open for me to climb in, before shutting it and getting in behind me.

  My body finally began to relax as Helen switched on the radio and sang along with the One Direction song that was playing. Heath pleaded from the backseat for her to stop, but she just turned it up louder and drowned out his pleas of desperation.

  I laughed.

  It felt so good to just laugh.

  Tomorrow will be better.

  Helen managed to complete an out of tune rendition of ‘Time of my Life’ and a handful of other classics before finally putting Heath out of his misery.

  It was nearly an hour before Helen finally pulled the car over on a quiet street. I looked around. The houses that lined the streets were mismatched, some were new brick-built houses with large attached garages. Others, had an older feel, square shaped with beautiful porches and shutters framing the windows.

  Helen clicked off her safety belt and climbed out, Heath and I both following her lead.

  “What do you think?” she asked as she came around the car to where we stood on the path.

  “Of what?” Heath asked.

  She held out her hand and pointed to a large house across the road. There was a T intersection and the old Victorian style home sat proudly on the corner. It was big, no huge. The house was blue with white accents, and decorative patterns around the frame of the porch and other lines of the house. It had two floors and what also looked to be an attic, with a small window that looked out over the street.

  “Wow,” I whispered, stepping around the car so I could get a better look. Helen moved in next to me, her hand coming to rest on my back.

  “Do you like it?” she asked as we both admired the beautiful structure. It had been well looked after. The gardens around it were neat and tidy, and the paint looked almost as if it was freshly done.

  Looking up at her, I frowned. “I don’t really understand. It’s amazing, but why are we here?”

  She turned to face me. “The people who own it used it as a bed and breakfast. It has eight bedrooms and three bathrooms, and it’s also up for sale.”

  I still wasn’t putting two and two together. Did she want to move?

  “Do you know what a group home is?” she asked, and suddenly it all made sense. She must have seen the horrified expression on my face and quickly held up her hands. “I know, I know, you probably think I’m crazy.”

  I did. Phee had told me horror stories about the group home she’d lived in. She said the people who ran it didn’t want to be there. They would punish them for no reason, and embarrass them in front of all the other children in order to get their point across. Being raped by one of the people who worked there was the last straw, and she ran.

  I shook my head, but Helen grasped my hand, forcing me to look into her eyes. “We can make this different, Fable. It doesn’t have to be like the others.”

  I looked over at the house again. It really was like a piece of artwork, intricate and detailed.

  “I want to register it as a charity, a place that takes in homeless youth and teaches them the skills they need to get jobs, and live on their own and support themselves.” My eyes brightened at her words. She knew what she was talking about. Homeless kids are thrown onto the streets, most with no idea how to survive on their own so even as they get older, they may gather streets smarts and learn how to survive, but those aren’t skills that an employer is looking for. They needed education, and someone to care about them and help them move forward.

  Heath’s arm slipped around my waist as he stepped in beside me.

  “School?”

  Helen nodded. “There’s one nearby, and I’ve already looked into it. They have a great program and amazing teachers. And it’s not a big school so there would be one on one help for them.”

  “How are you going to fund this?” Heath asked.

  “It’ll be nonprofit. It will all rely on donations and support from outside sources and the community,” she explained. “I’m flying out this afternoon to meet with some people who are interested in helping out. And Arthur is also putting his feelers out, hoping that we can get some clients onboard and start to make this a reality.”

  Lacing my fingers through Heath’s, I fought to keep the tears back.

  “There are a lot of details to work through. We have to apply for permission. We have to have a clear plan that covers all possibilities. But I’ve already started the process, and if I can get enough backing behind us, there’s no way the courts will deny us.”

  This was so much more than I imagined, this wouldn’t just help my friends, but so many other lost children who had no one else to turn to.

  “I love it,” I whispered. Tears blurred my vision, and I blinked furiously to make them escape. I wanted to memorize this house, the place that could be the difference between a child dying and having a bright future.

  “It’s going to be a lot of work.”

  “I’m ready,” I said, my voice strong and sure. “Can we look inside?”

  “Not yet, but hopefully soon.” She patted me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’re working on it.”

  “This is great, Mom.” Heath squeezed my waist, and I laughed.

  “I can’t wait to tell them,” I said, continuing to stare at the house in awe.

  “You’re going to have to wait a little bit. Remember what the judge said about you going back there,” she warned carefully. I knew she was trying not to upset me, but it instantly drowned my elation.

  I sighed, frustrated. “I just want them to know that there’s hope. When I left, I watched my family being torn apart. I don’t know what happened to some of them if they were sent home or what? I hate not knowing if they’re okay.”

  Heath’s arm moved up to my shoulder, and he guided my head to his chest. I inhaled deeply and wrapped my arms around his waist. “We’ll figure it out.”

  “Your life is important too, Fable. I know you want to do right by your friends, but you need to think about yourself sometimes, too.”

  Helen was right. If I went back now and got caught, I’d lose all of this. And I wanted to be a part of it, so badly. I knew what life was like out there, they could only speculate.

  “Okay, I need to get home and get ready to catch a plane to Texas.” Helen clapped her hands and herded us back to the car.

  “Texas?” Heath laughed as we climbed inside.

  “You know what they say, everything is bigger in Texas…” she chimed, “…including bank accounts.” She pulled away fr
om the curb, but my eyes stayed glued on the house until it disappeared from sight.

  The radio played quietly on the ride home. A sign flashed past, pointing to the city and my stomach twisted. I missed them so much. I just needed to know they were okay.

  “I forgot to ask,” Helen spoke for the first time since we’d left. “If this is going to be a charity, it’s going to need a name. I was thinking like Fable’s Angels or something.”

  Heath grunted. “That’s horrible.”

  “Well, what do you think then, Mr. Know It All?”

  The banter between mother and son became background noise as I heard a familiar tune come across the radio.

  ‘7 Years’ by Lukas Graham.

  I instantly thought of the friend I’d lost too soon. A place like this could have helped him, he might still be here with us today. He wanted something better, for himself, for me, and for all of our friends. And for him, I was going to do whatever I had to in order to make this possible.

  At least he might have some kind of peace knowing that we were gonna be okay, and the possibility of something better was that much more reachable.

  I hoped it would help him rest easy.

  “Rest Eazy,” I said without a second thought. “Eazy with a Z. He would have loved this, too.”

  A hand came from the seat behind me, and I leaned into Heath’s palm.

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “He would have.”

  “Rest Eazy it is.”

  Helen kissed us both on the cheek and rushed off upstairs as soon as we made it back to the house. I followed Heath into the living room, and we both dropped onto the sofa.

  “I should really go and do my homework,” I groaned, sinking into the soft cushions. This house, without fail, had the most comfortable furniture that I’d ever felt. The sofa, the beds, even the bar stools that sat at the kitchen counter were molded to fit your butt perfectly.

  Heath shuffled, turning himself to face me. “So you’re gonna go back tomorrow?”

  A long breath of air streamed out of my mouth as I exhaled. “Guess I need to make the most of the opportunities the school can offer.”