We moved through primary school together. And began high school. We had our first fall out during year 10.
I will still shy, I wouldn't let myself get close to others; sure, I had made other friends that was what life was about. Making friends, learning new things, growing older. I had never had a boyfriend, it never occurred to me why, but I didn't. And I didn't want one either. I knew that Coop had had many girls, and would have many more, but it wasn't until we were fifteen that it had gotten in the way of our friendship. The girl he was dating was called Zoe; she had come over from Canada. "Her accent was sexy" or so I was told. By more than Coop. The pair connected instantly, before she new him at all. I guessed it was his looks. Even then he was handsome. His shaggy blonde hair still flicked and his green eyes still sparkled. His looks were all that mattered. To them anyway.
I waved goodbye to Shannon as she walked down her street and began to head for home. I put my headphones in and turned up Puddle of Mudd as loud as I could stand. I walked quickly, but I would still be walking for about half an hour, everyone was working though, so I had to walk. I hadn't got through the second song before a big shining black discovery pulled up just in front of the road I was about to cross. The window was wound down and my uncle was lent over the passenger seat.
"Need a ride baby?" he grinned, I grinned back and opened the door. "How was your day?" he asked pulling away. Since it hadn’t been a good one, I shrugged, he new what that meant. "That bad huh?" I shrugged again and he put his hand on my shoulder, "Don't worry baby, I know your worried about Cooper being surrounded by all these girls, but you'll always be friends, nothing can break your bond. Its a damn strong one you got." I looked at him. "Yeah, I can read you like a book." I sighed.
"I know I should listen to you, but its hard, sometimes I just feel so ignored. It's upsetting. Plus his new girlfriends a bitch."
"Is that so? How do you know that?"
"She talks about me behind me back." I stated
"Bitch." he agreed turning on to the long dirt drive that led to our house. "Does Cooper know?"
"Probably." I felt my uncles eyes on my face, but I didn't look back at him, I didn't want to see the sympathy in his eyes that I knew would be there, or the comforting smile he would send me. I wasn't in the mood for it. We reached the big stone house to see both Gerry's and John's car parked outside. I opened the door and hopped out, throwing my bag over of my shoulder. My uncle grabbed my hand as I began to walk up the steps onto the porch.
"Baby, I know this has got you down at the moment, and I know that having only guys to talk to at home doesn't really help, but the boys and I, will always be here for you. Right?" I hugged him, it was my way of saying thank you, and he had known that. Then the door opened and Gerry's deep voice broke the calm silence.
"Everything ok?" he asked, we said nothing, and I simply let go of my uncle and went into his arms. "Hey to you to. You ok baby?" I nodded against his chest. I knew that my uncle would give him the look saying, "Cooper." They could think what they wanted. I was not in love with Cooper Hayes.
"Hey, what's going on out here?" John asked, "Is it my turn yet?" he asked smirking as I looked up. I gave him a long hug. I was the baby, and always will be. John was already 20, and Gerry 23. They looked after me. It was there "job." too. What kind of big brothers would they be if they didn’t? Then I grabbed my bag from the floor and ran upstairs to change.
"You know, we could do something about your little problem if you just said the word baby." Gerry said as I cleared the plates from dinner.
“Your boy problem baby.” He said, I heard the tension in his voice he didn’t want to upset me but what he said, hurt.
“Your boy problem baby.” He said, I heard the tension in his voice he didn’t want to upset me but what he said, hurt.
I sighed and my hand hovered over the last plate “Shut – up you doob!” John whispered urgently punching his brother in the arm. I picked up the last plate and straightened.
“I don’t have a problem with boys Gerry, they have the problem with me.”
“I don’t see what they have the problem with? Do you Da’?” he asked, my uncle stood, looked me in the eyes, lifted up a piece of my hair, dropped it again, and looked in my ear. “Nothing wrong here.” He stated.
I shook my head and saying “I have to study” left the large kitchen diner.
I didn't study; I didn't even open my books. Sure, I sat down and looked at the covers for a while, but couldn't concentrate. I was so tired, not just physically, but mentally too. And Cooper's green eyes kept boring into my mind. Damn it! Why did I have to be in love my best friend? I stood; at least I had made progress I thought as I sat on my window seat. I had never been able to admit it before. I wouldn't let myself cry, that wasn't my way, and I would just sulk, and stew. I would not cry over a boy, even if I had loved that boy since I had first seen his mopped blonde hair hanging from his head. There was a knock on my door, I didn't answer, but my uncle came in anyway. He said nothing, only sat behind me and pulled me into his arms, like he had when I was young. He kissed my head, and I cried in his arms. "Why?" I cried
"Because baby" he had no other answer and said only that why was the question I would be asking forever and would rarely find the answer too.
"Thank you pa'" I whispered, I had never called him that before. In answer he pressed his cheek against my head, and I heard him sniff, he was crying too. We sat together crying until I straightened, that was enough, no more silly tears. They wouldn't help me.
"Feeling better Cira?" he asked, it was odd him calling me by my real name instead of baby, I was just so used to it. It felt kind of, nice, but strange at the same time.
"No," I admitted, crying always made me feel worse; there was no way to hide from tears.
I couldn't sleep that night and was ready for school at 7 am. At 8 John knocked on my door asking me if I was ready to go, since I was I nodded and stood, and we walked down to his car. Gerry stood in my way as I reached the front door though. I sighed and looked up into his deep blue eyes. "Yes?" I asked impatiently, don't be too hard on him I told myself, it wasn't his fault, normally you wouldn't have minded. I sighed again "What’s up Gerry?" I smiled,
"I'm real sorry I upset you last night Ci', you know I didn't mean too, don't ya?"
"Course I do, baby." I winked and then squeezed past.
I sat in John's car as I watched him stare angrily at Gerry. Then he slid into the silver Audi and turned the key to start it. "Not long till you can learn to drive now," he said turning the car around.
I shrugged, "What Gerry do?"
"Be Gerry." he shrugged back; I jumped around in my seat as we drove over the bumpy dirt road. I didn't think I would get a better answer than that, if he wanted to tell me what was bugging him then he would, in his own time, i didn't see the point in pushing him for it. Because, in our family, your thoughts were all you had that was your own.
I looked out of the window and up at the old ruins of a once mighty castle and again thought what it would have been like to live there, and why it was now crumbled to the ground.
"You're our Princess Cira." John put his hand at the base of my neck, his hands were hard and rough, a mans hands, rather than those of some of the boys in school, hands that had never done any work but writing, hands that hadn't felt the weight of a tool for more than a second.
"Are you working at the forge today?" I asked still looking out my window.
"Yep." I heard the smile on his face, and knew that he loved it there.
"Good." we came off the big road about a mile left until school, I needed air, all of a sudden I thought I was going to suffocate, "stop." I wheezed.
"Baby?" John’s hand was back on my neck, but he couldn't take his eyes off the road for more than a second, he didn't stop.
"Stop the car!" I gasped, he pulled over and I wrenched open the door. I was doubled over, trying to catch my breath. I gasping in the cold air Johns door slammed. His face was inches away from mine, his lips were moving, but I couldn't hear. I felt myself frowning, then running footsteps, then John shouting my name, and another voice. Who was it? Then everything went black.
"Ci', hey, can you hear me sweetie, open your eyes honey, come on, do it for me?" the voice spoke to me, "Coop'?" my voice was hoarse, I was on the floor, or, my legs were, but my body was cradled in someone’s arms who's? I didn't know; my eyes hadn't opened enough yet. When they did they were met with Coop's sparkling green ones, but where was..."John?"
"I'm right here baby." he was holding my hand and squeezed it. Then there was a screech of tires, and my uncle’s voice, shouting my name. I looked up at John, knowing full well that he had called him.
"You should have known better." I shook my head and slowly tried to sit up.
"Baby, are you ok? Oh, my sweet darling, what happened?" he murmured, stroking my hair, my face, my arms. Cooper's hand was still on the small of my back, for support? I thought about answering my uncle, but honestly, I didn't know what to say. I was lost for any answer, the last thing I remember was feeling like I was going to suffocate and wondering why. "What happened?" My uncle snapped at John
"I-I don't know, she said she needed air and when I stopped she got out and collapsed." He sounded afraid, thinking that it was his fault I assumed.
"Don't snap at John, he didn't do anything." I said hugging uncle Pat, his arms came around me and he pressed his lips to my head, I breathed deeply, his scent calming me.
"If it wasn't for Cooper here, I don't know what i'd've done."
That was when my uncle looked up and noticed Cooper sitting behind me, stabling me on the cold concrete. There, having been asked, Coop' explained that he had just left his house to begin for school when he heard someone shouting, it wasn't until he got closer that he realized it was John, shouting my name, after that he just ran and began, soothingly, talking to me to try to bring me back.
"Cira."
"Patrick." I replied to my uncle’s sharp tone,
"You just passed out, you are not going to school."
I sighed, bored of the same conversation, again. "Dad, listen, I have just started half way through year 10, my GCSE's start in minimum two months, I can't miss a day just because of a little incident, I’m fine now aren't I? If John hadn't called you, you would never have known." he huffed, he knew I was right.
"Fine, but if you feel the slightest bit funny, I want you to call me and I will take you home, understood?"
"Yes sir." I replied.
"We'll give you a lift, both of you, your running a bit behind." he said, steering both Cooper and I over to the four by four, John had already gone, pushing him into his car not wanting him to be late for work, since he loved it so much, he left me no choice. With my uncles crazily dangerous driving we reached school just as the bell rang for first period.
"What's going on Cira?"
"With what?" I asked innocently at Cooper's angry tone.
“Don’t play with me Cira, you can’t brush me off like you did your Uncle.” Saying this he grabbed my arm, and I felt a large lump climb into my throat and a heavy rock drop in my belly. My eyes stung.
"I didn’t brush him off, but you seem to be able to brush me off pretty easy, get in touch when Coop’ comes back.” I walked away. I felt his eyes on my back, long after I had turned a corner. I wanted to scream in pain as my heart beat in my head. My stomach had dropped.
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I went through almost the whole day without seeing him again, and i felt my happiness drain away, after school i saw him again, with Zoe. We didn't talk for the rest of that week, I saw him looking at me as I walked past sometimes and sometimes I would look right back, but it wasn't until the Friday after that we spoke again.
Zoe threw things at the back of my head all through our English lesson, bits of paper flew out of my thick dark curly hair as I flipped around to glare at her, to which she giggled. I gritted my teeth and bit my tongue. I couldn't take her anymore! She was going to drive me insane! She did it again, "What Zoe? What do you want?" I asked angrily, she blinked 'blankly' at me. "Nothing, why?" I wanted to snap and snarl, but I couldn't. I knew that she would tell Coop' and however angry I was with him, I couldn't sink to her level and give her an excuse to bitch about me.
It wasn't until after school that the names came. "Hey Cira-N where did you get the scar?" she shouted across the field, "Just ignore her sweet." Shannon smiled at me, passing me the pen she had borrowed for last lesson.
"Hey what’s that? The knife you used to make that scar?" her voice was getting closer, but I just kept walking. Then I saw stars as someone yanked my hair. I screamed in pain, then my back hit the wall, a large guy in the year above was holding me there, I knew he was a stoner, I could smell the weed on his breath, he was high. And he was strong. "Stay away from Cooper, he is mine, am I making myself clear?" Zoe snarled from behind him, and the large guy grabbed my hair, and tugged it again, I bit my lip, not wanting it to tremble with the pain. "AM I MAKING MYSELF CLEAR?" she shouted and the guy backhanded my face. I eeked, but I wouldn't give them the pleasure of tears. My lip was bleeding, but he hit me again. Then I heard a shout, and the crack of knuckles, I couldn't see, my vision had gone black, I sunk to the floor, and I heard the shouting again "Get away from her Zoe, I swear to god if I ever see you touch her again..." then everything was black.
Green was flashing past me and I could her low voices, the rumble of a car engine.
Then there was a bluey green, photo frames hung on the walls with pictures of me and Cooper, John, Gerry and I, my uncle. I was in my room tucked into my bed, how had I got here? I blinked a few times, trying to get my eyes to focus. Something squeezed my hand. I looked over, there in my desk chair sat Cooper, his eyes were red and sad. "Oh God Cira, I’m so sorry." his chin trembled; I sat and cradled his head as he cried. "I always promised to look after you but I didn't if I hadn't... with Zoe... none of this would of happened. I'm so sorry,” he cried. I said nothing, only sat there rocking him. And all I could think was that he was here, and it was him that had saved me. Standing up he sat on my bed and cradled me. We sat there for a long time until my uncle knocked on the door and came in with his ill pancakes; ones he would always make if one of us was bed confined, but didn’t have a stomach bug. I hugged him tightly and apologized for scaring him. He kissed my head and told me not to apologize. Then he left us, saying he had to pick up Gerry, he had left him at the cinema to pick Coop' and I up. When he went I hugged Coop' and a tear fell landing with a plod, on his t-shirt. "Hey," he soothed, wiping the tear that had popped up to replace the one that just fell, away. "What is it?" I sniffed, "Nothing," I sobbed "I guess I'm just still in shock." he nodded, and pulled me down to the bed again. I wasn't still in shock, I was just hopelessly falling in love with him, each time I thought I had stopped falling, I would find that actually, I hadn't and their was still further to fall. And him being here, had just made this pain worse, but the pain was worth the comfort.
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And that is part two finished, finally, im sorry it has taken soo long :(, i'll make it up to you by getting part three done as soon as i can. xxxx
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