Always Yours

I didn’t get to sleep until three am.

I was sitting at the breakfast table trying my hardest to keep my eyes open. I was never napping after school again, it wasn’t worth it. I finished off my toast and got my book bag ready. My mom had to be at work early which meant I would have to go to school early.

“Your face looks better”.

“It’s not sore anymore”. The bruising was almost gone. “Are you working late tonight?”.

“Not tonight honey but dad is. It’ll just be us for dinner. Are you ready?”. She glanced at her watch. “We have to go”.

“I’m ready”.

There wasn’t much chat this morning which I was glad off. I was too tired to talk and by the looks of it so was she. My mom always worked but recently she had been there constantly. Always working late and always starting early.

I wanted to know why but I didn’t dare question it. Both my parents worked hard for the life we have. We lived comfortably or I thought we did anyway.

“How was your day yesterday?”. She asked.

If she knew any of what happened I wouldn’t see the light of day for a while. They were strict but fair, that’s how it had always been.

They had rules and I followed them.

Did they exaggerate? Absolutely but I was their only child and I knew they worried about me constantly.

“It was fine”.

“I know dad and I have been working lots recently so how about on Saturday you and I have a little shopping day?”.

“Okay”.

“Great and maybe we can have a family game night. How does that sound?”.

Family game night used to happen every Saturday until it didn’t. My parents got busy and I kind of grew out of it. I got to the age where tv was better than bored games.

“Sounds good mom”.

She pulled up outside the school. “I love you Aubrey, have a good day”.

I quickly made my way inside. It was raining and I had decided to wear my hair down today. Luckily the school opened early doors or I would have had to take the bus. We all know how that would have turned out.

I made my way to the library.

..

I didn’t want to be here. I was exhausted, I felt sick and my head was throbbing. Putting my books away I went in search for Alice. She should be here by now.

Hopefully.

She was standing by our lockers with Tommy.

“Hey”. She smiled but it soon fell. “You don’t look so good Aubrey”.

I wasn’t feeling good at all.

“I’m not feeling great”. I was never sick, I didn’t get sick. I took my vitamins, I ate good most of the time. I was always healthy.

“Shit princess, you look grey”. Tommy added.

“Gee thanks”.

He smirked. “Think you need to go home”.

“I agree”. Alice placed her hand against my forehead. “You’re hot”.

“I’ll be okay”. I didn’t have anyone to take me home and I wasn’t dragging my mom or dad out of work just for that reason.

“You’re not going to die if you miss a few days of school”. She sighed. “You’re a straight A student, go fucking home”.

“I don’t have a ride”.

“I’ll take you-…”.

“Franko”. Tommy smirked. “He’d love to take you home”.

“Please don’t”. I begged.

I couldn’t deal with him today. Not when I felt like this. I wasn’t in the mood for his games.

“I’ll take you”. Alice detached herself from Tommy and took my bag from me.

…

“Everyone gets sick Aubrey”.

“I know”. My eyes were closed, my head resting against the window. I didn’t have the energy to be worried about school. All I wanted to do was sleep.

“I’ll grab your work and drop it off later”.

“I met Franko’s dad”.

“What?”. She yelled causing me to wince. “Sorry. How, what, tell me everything”.

“And his mom and big Ange. I also have a date on Friday with Ben”.

She pulled the car to a stop switching on her hazards. “Tell me everything, did you-… wait. Who’s Ben?”. She frowned.

“From school. He’s the quarterback and he live’s on my street. I didn’t know that”.

“You’re going on a date?”.

I peeled my eyes open. “Well, I didn’t say no and he seems nice”.

She screamed. “I’m so excited for you”.

“Stop screaming”. I groaned. “And please get me home”. My head felt like it was going to explode and her screaming didn’t help.

“Who’s big Ange?”.

A laugh fell from my lips as I shrugged. “A woman that was at the clubhouse”.

She gasped. “You were inside the clubhouse?”.

Was it really that big of a deal?

I nodded.

“What was it like?”.

“A run-down bar”. Okay that was a bit harsh. Franko’s parents seemed nice and they were nice to me. “It has a jukebox and it was really clean”.

“Was it full of big scary bikers?”.

I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t see any”.

“You’re so lucky”.

Lucky wasn’t a word I would use. I couldn’t get Franko off my back no matter how much I tried. He wasn’t giving up but I wasn’t giving in.

“He came to my house last night”.

“Did you let him in?”.

“He called me a bitch”. His choice of words still didn’t sit right with me. I was a bitch because I wouldn’t let him take me out? I wasn’t putting myself in a position where he could hurt me.

I wasn’t being that girl.

I wouldn’t date someone that I didn’t trust and I certainly didn’t trust him. I couldn’t bring myself to be just another girl to him.

“He likes you”. She pulled up outside my house and turned the engine off. “And I’m sure he has for a while”.

My stomach filled with butterflies.

“I don’t like him”.

“It doesn’t look like he’s giving up anytime soon”.

A sigh fell from my lips. “Then it looks like I’m going to have to be a bigger bitch for him to take the hint”. I unclipped my seatbelt and picked up my bag. “Thanks for bringing me home”. I opened the door about to step out.

“Aubrey”.

“Yeah?”.

“Please be careful when it comes to Franko. I’ve heard stuff”.

“I will”.

..

I didn’t sleep. I lay in bed for hours wracking my brain. How did I end up in this mess? Did I do something for him to take notice? We bickered most days but like I said it had been that way for years.

Nothing like this ever came from it.

What was his sudden interest in me now?

I was going to drive myself mad if I didn’t stop.

I ran a hand down my face. My head no longer sore, I pushed myself out of bed and went downstairs. I couldn’t wait to see the look on my mom’s face when she gets home and I’m not in school.

I wasn’t allowed to get sick.

Missing school was a big no in our house.

The reason I worked so hard and kept my grades up was to keep them off my back. Again, they weren’t bad parents but some days were tough. I poured myself some water and jumped about a foot in the air when there was a knock on the front door.

I wasn’t expecting anyone but then again, I wasn’t supposed to be home. Maybe Alice skipped the rest of school to check up on me.

I took my glass with me and just as I reached the door I froze. What if it was Franko? He knew my parents would be at work which meant he knew I would be alone.

Alice’s words played over in my head. I wonder what she had heard. Surely, he wouldn’t hurt me just because I didn’t want to go out with him. I didn’t peg him as that kind of guy.

Yes, he was scary at times and very intimidating but I don’t think he was the type to hit a girl.

Another knock.

“Whose there?”. I asked.

“Franko”.

Shit. I should have ignored it and went back to bed.

“What do you want?”.

I hated the way my heart was racing. How the excitement cursed through my body because he was standing outside my door.

“I wanna see you”.

“I’m sick”.

“Open the door Aubrey”.

I don’t know why but I did.

Just like always. A smoke hanging from his lips, shades covering his eyes. Bear in mind it was raining heavily. I didn’t let him in, but a tiny part of me felt bad because he was soaked through to his skin.

“I really am sick”.

“Aye darling I heard”.

Thunder crashed through the sky causing me to jump. The weather was getting bad and the area we lived in didn’t do well when it rained. Most places shut down; roads got blocked off. You couldn’t get in or out.

“Storms coming”. He smirked.

My parents worked out of town.

What if they couldn’t get home?

More thunder.

I couldn’t leave him standing on the door step much longer. He was drenched and now I felt really bad.

“Why are you here?”.

“Checking in darling”.

“You don’t need to do that”. I gave him a small smile.

“Who else is gonna check on my girl?”.

I shook my head. He really wasn’t giving in. How many times was I going to need to tell him I wasn’t interested. We could never be, we would never work. We were complete opposites.

But opposites attract.

Another crash through the sky only this time it was thunder and lightning.

“Come inside”. The words were out before I could stop them.

“Can’t darling I need to get back”.

I frowned. I wasn’t expecting him to decline but I guess that was a good thing.

“You’re soaked and you shouldn’t be on your bike in this weather”. What the hell was I saying? I couldn’t stop talking, the words kept on coming. “Come inside”.

No, why was I saying that?

Oh god.

He smirked. “I’ve rode in much worse darling. Feel better and I’ll see you real soon”. He placed the bag he was holding by my feet.

I didn’t say anything else just watched as he went back to his bike and took off down the street.

..

He brought me soup and water.

He was slowly pulling at my heart stings with that gesture. It was sweet and Franko wasn’t sweet.

I couldn’t like him, could I?

I couldn’t do this.

I couldn’t be involved with him. I had to keep reminding myself that I hated him and that we weren’t friends.

It was late but I couldn’t go to bed. My parents weren’t coming home. They called the house phone earlier. Both staying at a hotel in town, the roads were shut and they couldn’t get through.

I was here alone for the night and maybe longer.

The storm was well and truly here.

Thunder and lightning, torrential rain, high winds.

I didn’t like the sound of the high winds. I don’t know how many times I checked to make sure the doors were secure. I had never stayed home overnight on my own before.

My parents worked late hours but they always made it home.

There was a loud bang before my house fell into darkness.

No power.

Now I was freaking out.

My mind was working overtime. Different scenarios flying around in my head. The what ifs, I had to stop. I was safe, my house was secure. No one knew I was home alone.

I didn’t hear the knock over the loudness of the wind. It was the sound of her voice that I heard.

Alice was here.

I frowned.

What in the hell was she doing out in this weather?

I ran to the front door, unlocked it and pulled it open.

She wasn’t alone. Tommy was with her.

I moved to the side letting them in.

“Why are you outside in that its dangerous”.

“I had to know you were safe. I knew once it got bad, they would shut the road and I know your parents work late”.

“I’m okay”. I was okay now that they were here. They didn’t need to know how much I was freaking out.

“Nice house princess”.

“Thanks”.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“Do you want us to stay the night?”. Alice asked.

Us?

“No, I’ll be okay”.

Tommy couldn’t stay here. Him being here right now was pushing it.

“Could always come with us princess”.

I wasn’t leaving my house. The weather was horrible and it was dangerous to be outside in it. I wouldn’t put myself in a bad situation.

“I’ll be fine here”.

I was a little curious as to where they were going. Where could they possibly go when the weather was like this?

“Come with us”. Alice begged.

“Where are you going?”.

“The clubhouse”. She grinned.

No.

Absolutely not.

“I’m going for a smoke. Decide what you’re doing. I gotta get back”.

As Tommy disappeared out front, I crossed my arms over my chest my eyes landing on hers. What had she done for him to take her to the clubhouse? No one was allowed to go there.

Especially not daft teenagers like us.

“Don’t look at me like that”.

I held my hands up. “It’s none of my business”. I was her friend but whatever was going on between her and Tommy was her business. I wanted nothing to do with it.

“I haven’t slept with him”.

“I didn’t ask”. Again, it was none of my business. I was just here to pick up the pieces if it all went wrong.

“Please come with me”.

“I can’t”.

“You mean you don’t want to”.

“Right”. I didn’t want anything to do with the clubhouse or Franko. I couldn’t exactly avoid him if I turned up outside his dad’s motorcycle club.

“They’re not all bad Aubrey”.

I didn’t have any issue with her dating Tommy. It was her life and she could do as she pleased but me, I wasn’t going down that path. I couldn’t.

“I’ll be okay here”.

“Suit yourself. I’ll maybe see you tomorrow”.

I locked the door as soon as she left.

The power was still out so I grabbed a blanket and got comfortable on the couch. Hopefully tomorrow it would be clear blue sky’s and sunshine.