11 TMSN - Chapter 11
The rest of the week went by in a blur, just like the beginning of the week, all I really did was school work and rest.
So when it was finally Sunday, I was excited to finally go back to school - and I'll regret thinking and saying that when I do go back to school.
I woke up to Joy laughing as she showed Joe some video on her phone which made him smile before they both doubled over, clutching their stomachs laughing.
"Morning," I say, raising an eyebrow in a silent question on what they were watching and why they are laughing so hard.
"Morning Shadow, sorry if we woke you, Joy was just showing me a video of animals being weird and funny," Joe explained, before bringing me a cup of coffee as I began sitting up.
"Ahh, okay," I answered before taking the cup from him, giving a nod in thanks.
"What are your plans for the day?" I asked both Joy and Joe, taking a sip of my coffee.
"Well, I'm going to practice for my music performance and do other homework," Joy explained, showing some sheet music that was sitting on the kitchen counter.
"I'm going to go downtown, do some shopping," Joe replied.
I sighed, continuing to take sips from my drink, their plans didn't involve me, I couldn't really go shopping with Joe, I would slow him down. While Joy's plans did involve staying at home, I couldn't help her with any of it, I already caught up with my school work.
"What are you going to do today?" Joy asked, placing both her dishes and Joes into the sink, rinsing them off before turning to face me, leaning on the counter in front of her.
"Probably, just go to my room, since it's been a while and just relax there, having alone time," I answered, I just wanted to sit in my own safe space, where people didn't walk into whenever they wanted something from the lounge, dining room or the kitchen. I just didn't want to keep on being interrupted.
"Well, if you need help getting up the stairs or anything, feel free to ask," Joy said.
"I'll probably need help with my bag and laptop, and stuff," I said, indicating towards everything on my armchair, with the crutches I wouldn't be able to take them upstairs, not unless I wanted to take multiple trips, which isn't going to help with my leg, and would only make it worse and tire me out.
"Just yell out when you need me," Joy said, before collecting all her stuff and headed upstairs, towards her room.
"Well, I better be off, text or call if you need anything," Joe said, getting his keys before holding his fist out for a fist bump before standing at the foot of the stairs, yelling his goodbye to Joy before leaving.
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Not long after Joe left, I called for Joy to help me bring all my belongings from the lounge room into my room, which she was more than happy to help with.
*
When I got comfortable in my room, I grabbed my laptop and its charger and plugged it in at the powerpoint beside my window seat, before plugging my phone's charger into a USB port and left it to charge while I started reading a new book on Wattpad called 'Don't Break My Heart' on my laptop. Wanting to change it up from reading fanfictions while waiting for the ones I've been reading to be updated.
Before I got too far into the story, my phone started ringing. Raising an eyebrow, I picked it up, flipping it around to see that Drew was calling me, I was surprised to see him calling me instead of texting. But I answered anyway, curious.
"Hello, Drew?" I said, after making sure my door was locked before putting the phone on speaker while I sat back down on my window seat.
"Hello, Shadow, how are you?" He asked after some rustling from his side of the phone.
"Good, good. You?" I answered, grabbing the throw blanket next to me and wrapping it around me.
"Pretty good, I was just calling to see if you will be coming into school tomorrow."
"Sure am, I need to get back into it, I miss school," I smile, god saying it felt weird and wrong.
"And what about me?" I could basically hear him pouting through the phone.
"Of course, I miss you the most," I laughed, giving my head a slight shake at his tone.
"I miss you too. When you come to school tomorrow, come to see me first if you have time."
"Of course, now if there a reason you called to tell me this instead of texting?" I asked, wanting the burning question to be said.
"More personal, and I missed your voice," he replied, making me smile.
"I missed yours too," I admitted.
*
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We sat there talking for almost four hours. Just catching up, enjoying each other's voices after not being able to talk all week, but seeing each other would be different, just imagining it and how it happens makes me smile.
The phone call left me feeling lighter and happier. Though he made me promise not to do anything to Natasha before I saw him. But I'll handle that when it happens.
*
As I continued to read I heard Joe announce his arrival, I smile as Joy's footsteps stomped and vibrated into my room as she ran downstairs to help Joe with what he bought.
I didn't want to get in the way so I just stayed in my room - because I am lazy. So I continued to read, trying to zone and fall into the fantasy world.
Not long after finally drowning out the real world. I heard a knock at my door.
"Yes?" I called out.
"It's Joy."
"Come in," I reply, letting Joy open the door since I left it unlocked for once.
"Hey, how's it going?" She asked, taking a seat on my hanging egg chair that rested in the corner closest to me.
"Alright, just been reading," I said, showing her my laptop screen that still had the story open.
"Of course, I head you on the phone earlier too, is everything okay?"
"Yeah, was just a friend calling," I lied. It felt horrible but necessary.
"Good, good. Dad wanted to know what you wanted for dinner tonight."
"Anything you guys decide, I don't really mind," I answered, I wasn't terribly hungry either.
"Alright, then pizza it is," she smiled, of course, it's pizza, Joy is someone whom, once you get to know she's easy to figure out.
"You know what I like then," I laugh, closing my laptop and placing it next to me before turning towards Joy giving her all my attention like she obviously wants.
"Already told Joe, he's got our orders all sorted," Joy giggled, twisting the chair slightly to each side - a nervous tick of hers.
"What's going on Joy?" I asked, starting to worry about her.
"It's about tomorrow, will you be okay, are you going to school?" She asked, starting to ramble and mumble - god she really must be worried to be like this.
"I know you're worried, Joy and I understand. Tomorrow is probably going to be messy and wild with everything going on. Would it help if I promise to be on my best behaviour?" I say, trying and hoping to ease her nerves and worries.
"I should say yes, but I can't ask that of you, because I love you. All I ask is for you to try."
"Of course, I will try, I'll try for you okay. So don't stress too much, it'll all work out." I smiled, earning one back.
"Thank you. I'll leave you be now," Joy said, standing up and moving towards the door.
"Feel free to talk whenever you want or need, I'm here okay," I say as she opens the door before turning around smiling and giving a nod before leaving, closing the door firmly behind her.
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When Joy brought me up my pizza and a bottle of Mountain Dew, I finished 'Don't Break My Heart' and switch my laptop onto a movie while Joy sat down next to me with her pizza and bottle of lemonade.
It was nice, just Joy and I eating our pizzas and enjoying a movie together, we haven't done something like this in what feels like forever.
*
After the movie, Joy decided that she'll take our boxes out and head to her room and get ready for the night, while I stayed up, watching American Horror Story, not ready for tomorrow.
Halfway through the new season, I started getting drowsy, wanting to fight sleep until I saw that it was two in the morning. Turning off my laptop and throwing a random stress ball at the light switch, turning off the light I tucked myself into bed, finally welcoming sleep.
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I woke up to Joy knocking lightly on my door, telling me to wake up and have a shower before she went downstairs to sort out breakfast.
Yawning I stretched out my stiff limbs before reaching for the crutches and headed towards the upstairs bathroom, where I found a pile of clothes waiting for me - Joy is so thoughtful.
Before I went into the shower, I quickly got a blade out from where I was hiding them.
I sat there, flipping the small blade between my fingers, contemplating cutting or not, but it was an addiction, a bad habit that I can't fight the craving and urge to cause harm.
I take a deep breath, before taking the blade and held it against the thigh on the leg that doesn't have the cast.
I ran the blade against the unscarred skin of my leg, cutting into layers of skin, drawing blood. With the blood running from the wound, I continued to cut into the skin.
After a few minutes, I stopped, grabbing toilet paper, dabbing the blood away, cleaning the area of the cuts before finally getting into the cold shower, and started cleaning myself.
*
With the wounds stinging, I left the shower, wrapping a towel around myself, grabbing the first aids box.
After checking the wounds, I put on a thin layer of disinfectant cream before putting on a bandage around my thigh.
Drying the rest of my body, I took the plastic bag off from around the cast, before putting on my clothes.
Joy picked out, a pair of black trackies and a black tank with 'Dark Romance' printed along the chest and my favourite red leather jacket, matching my eyes and bringing out my hair colour.
Sitting on the edge of the tub, I pulled my hair into a messy fishtail braid that rested over my shoulder.
Throwing my dirty clothes into the clothes hamper, I picked up my crutches before moving back to my room, to find Joy packing everything into my bag.
"Don't forget the computer or my phone," I advise, making her jump.
"Jeez, you scared me Shadow, and already packed," she said, laughing.
"Sorry for scaring you. Thank you though," I reply, moving out of the doorway as she zipped up my bag and led the way downstairs, and into the kitchen, so I could have a quick breakfast off, vegemite on toast.
After breakfast and brushing my teeth, Joy and I followed Joe into the car, locking up the house behind us before we headed towards school.
"Call if you need anything, or if anything happens," Joe said, turning into the school car park, closer to the offices.
"Of course daddy," Joy said, leaning towards the front, kissing Joe on the cheek before getting out of the car, with both our bags and holding my crutches.
"You'll be the first to know anything Joe," I confirm, giving him a fist bump before exiting the car, taking the crutches from Joy while she helped shut the door behind me, letting Joe drive off, but not before giving us a final wave.
I took a couple deep breaths before turning back around, facing the school. "Ready?" Joy asked.
"Ready!" I reply as we began walking into school and to our lockers.
