Cuts and Bruises by Kelly O'Flaherty

Author:Kelly O'Flaherty [O'Flaherty, Kelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cranthorpe Millner Publishers
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

21.

The feeling of that kiss lingered on my lips for hours afterwards, and I never wanted to leave that moment behind. It became a memory that I would hang onto forever, bringing a smile to my face at each recollection.

We tried to keep it a secret at school, especially around Mark and Cian, as we didn’t want it to create an awkward tension in our little friendship group. The secrecy was almost intoxicating. We started to sit together in every class we shared, and after a few days his hands searched for mine beneath the table where we’d remain entwined for the entirety of the lesson.

He started asking to see me increasingly more often after school. My days steadily changed from ceaseless monotony, into monotony with a twist at the end. Most of my classes dragged on as they always had, except for the few Michael and I shared. I told myself to be wary for he could leave just as quickly as he came, and if he did, I would be back to square one.

I tried my best to silence that voice of negativity and just live in the moment.

Of course, despite our attempts to remain nonchalant in front of Mark and Cian, the signs were there, and they surely knew. I found them after school some weeks later and asked them where Michael was. They sniggered knowingly, poking each other in their ribs.

“Oooh, where’s lover boy, you mean?” Cian mocked.

I rolled my eyes and remained silent; this wasn’t the first time I had been offered this response.

“Sorry, he left before us so, probably outside.”

I separated from them for a while to collect my things from my locker. I assumed he was waiting outside for me again, as he had done for weeks now. I grabbed my things and stuffed them haphazardly into my bag before finally making my way out of the school. I couldn’t see him at first and spent a few minutes standing on my own outside school, checking my phone repeatedly for messages from him, but there was nothing.

Then something flickered in my peripheral vision and I finally saw him in the distance to the right of me, except, he wasn’t alone. I couldn’t quite see who he was with at first, but he was clearly arguing with them. The other person was substantially shorter and as her wild hair flew out behind her, I knew who it was.

This was the first time I had seen her, and I felt a prickle of anxiety shiver up my spine.

I could just about discern the pair of car keys dangling from her hand which I assumed belonged to the red car, parked between her and her son like a barrier. They seemed to be having a rather heated argument and I started to think I should go over to defend him, whatever the problem was, but it was best I stayed away. I knew he wouldn’t want me getting caught in the middle of it. I grew more anxious as I watched, my eyes tracking her hands with every move she made.

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