Broken - Vic Johnson (most interesting books to read TXT) đ
- Author: Vic Johnson
Book online «Broken - Vic Johnson (most interesting books to read TXT) đ». Author Vic Johnson
âNice bootâ I said trying to defuse the tension.
âThanksâ she said âI call him Robobootâ
âGood nameâ I said. I waited a few seconds for Jack to speak but he didnât. âSo you can walk again?â I say
âYeah its fabâ she smiled but it wasnât a full smile âI mean I can get out and about again and I donât have to sleep in it so I might actually get some sleepâ she glances at Jackson who hasnât taken his eyes off her.
âWell good luck, first day back an allâ
âThanksâ she takes some stuff out of her locker. She looks at Jackson with what I can only describe as hope in her eyes but when he doesnât say anything she shakes her head and walks away.
âWhat the fuck was that?â I say to him when Beth is out of earshot.
âWhat?â he says finally looking at me.
âWhy you been such a dick?â
âIâm not I just; I didnât know what to sayâ
âHello is a good startâ I start to walk away from him but then I turn back around. âYou know she didnât want you. You fought for her against everyone and everything that said you couldnât have her. She got a boyfriend and asked you to stay away but still you fought. You never gave upâ people had stopped and they were watching us. âYou told me you wanted her and you got her at all costs and now here she is after one of the worst things that could happen to someone and you leave her to deal with that on her own. What happened to fighting for her? You were together and in love and you should have got through this together and instead you bailed on her. Youâre a cowardâ
âI am not a cowardâ he said squaring up to me.
âAre you gonna hit me for saying the truth?â
He stepped back âJack mate youâre my best friend and I love ya man but you let her down and you let yourself down. This could have made you inseparable but instead you let it tear you apart. She will never forgive you you know? She told Brooke she couldnât believe you hadnât even sent a text asking how she isâ
âItâs too god damn hard Charlieâ he shouted and stormed off outside. I followed him. He turned round and looked at me âdo you know what itâs like in one of them places? Iâll tell you itâs horrible.â
âI donât doubt it. I want you to tell me everything. Then youâre going to go find Beth and youâre going to tell her why your been such an ass and start fighting again.â
Jackson
He was right. I know what he is saying is right but itâs hard to relive it. I was only there six days but they were the longest of my life. We missed first period while I told him what happened. He was right though I had to talk to Beth. I had fought for her. I told her I loved her. I came between her and Freddie. I promised not to hurt her and then I did at the worst possible time too.
She was sat with Brooke and her friends at dinner so I couldnât talk to her then. Last period was Biology and she was still my lab partner so I could try then.
She was already sat at the table when I got there. I went and sat next to her and the teacher came up behind me.
âBeth nice to see you backâ Mr Hardaker said
She smiled but it wasnât her real smile. âHere is all the work I did for your class while I was offâ she said pulling a folder out of her bag.
âThank you I will take a look at that laterâ he took it from her and went back to the front of the class.
âHiâ I said.
She ignored me
âIâm sorryâ
She still ignored me
âIâd like to explain why I havenât been aroundâ
Still she ignored me
âPlease Bethâ
âNoâ she said looking at me finally
âNo?â
âI.donât.careâ she said looking away.
âI love youâ I said
âCourse you doâ she said still looking to the front of the class.
âI know you hate me right now and what I did was inexcusable but I would just like some of your time so I can explainâ
âI donât hate you. Thatâs the problemâ just then the teacher started the class so we would have to finish our conversation after.
When class was finished we all started to pack up our stuff. Freddie came to our table.
âYou ready?â he asked Beth.
âYeah sureâ she replied.
âBeth?â I said.
She turned to look at me. âYou know where I liveâ and she walked off.
âYou donât deserve herâ Freddie said as he walked off behind her. Why was he taking her home? Where was Brooke?
I left school and went to my car. Charlie was stood waiting. He didnât say anything; he just got in the car when I opened it. We went all the way to my house in silence.
When we went in the house we headed to the kitchen the same as always but this time we stopped before we went in. My mum was having a heated argument with Jessica. We looked at each other then leaned in closer so we could hear better.
âYouâre my best friendâ Jessica said.
âWasâ My mum replied
âWe canât get passed this?â
âYou sent my son to jail for something he didnât do so no we canât get passed itâ
âI miss youâ
âWhatever, just get out of my houseâ
âTammy come on. Iâm truly sorry.â
âIt doesnât matter. Get out of my houseâ
It was silent for a minute then the door flung open in front of us. We both stood dead still. She shook her head and walked past us. We both pulled a face at each other then went in the kitchen.
âHi boys you hungry?â my mum asked when she spotted us.
âYeah I amâ Charlie said.
âActually Iâm gonna get changed and see if Beth will go to dinner with meâ
Charlie smiled but my mum looked worried.
âSweetie come hereâ I walked over to her and she hugged me.
âWhat was that for?â I asked
âI donât want you to get your hopes up. I was talking to Max and he said Beth is in a bad place. She is putting on a brave face in front of people but itâs bad Jackson and you left her.â
âI know I left her. I wish people would stop saying it like I donât knowâ I snapped.
âI know this is tough but have you ever thought that maybe youâre not meant to be. I mean youâre only seventeen and your relationship fell apart at the first sign of trouble. I think you two should let it goâ
âHa wow ok. Thatâs really what you think?â
âI donât want you to get hurtâ
âIâm already hurtâ I turned to Charlie âwhat do you think?â
âHonestly?â he asked. I nodded. âI get where your mum is coming from. It seem like you - both of you - went to a lot of trouble for a relationship that went south really fast but I donât think I have ever seen you as happy as you were when you were with her so I would say you gotta try man. Youâll always regret it if you donâtâ
âYou have gotten very wise latelyâ I laughed. He walked over to me and pulled me into a hug which he has never done before. I hugged him back and then he looked at me.
âI lost the person I love. I betrayed her and I hate myself for it. I canât forgive myself because she canât forgive me. If she forgives you then forgive yourself. You did everything you could that night. Just tell her what you told me earlierâ
âOkâ I said not knowing what else to say. Had he always been this insightful?
I got changed got in my car and went straight to Bethâs. Max was reading the paper on the porch. I was more nervous about talking to him then Beth.
âWell well wellâ He said. âLook what the cat dragged inâ
âHiâ was all I could say.
âYouâve got some nerveâ he stood up. He looked like he was going to hit me. I would deserve it if he did. âShe doesnât want to see youâ
âShe told me to comeâ I say quietly.
âDid she now? Did she tell you that she hasnât slept in weeks? That when she finally does sleep she wakes up screaming in a hot sweat from nightmares. Did she tell you she is afraid to be in the house by herself? That we had to add extra locks so she felt safer?â I didnât say anything. âNo you donât know because you gave up on her, the one thing I asked you not to doâ just then the door opened and Beth was stood there.
âItâs ok Max I can handle it from hereâ she said.
Max nodded and headed into the house. âI donât like you right nowâ he said before he closed the door.
âI donât like me much eitherâ I said and he closed the door.
Beth was on crutches keeping her foot off the ground. She sat on the porch swing and put her foot on the little table. I grabbed a cushion and put it under her foot.
âWhereâs your boot thing?â I asked.
âI only need him when Iâm walking so I try not to wear him in the houseâ
âHim?â I ask
âYeah, Robobootâ she sighed. âWhy are you here Jackson?â She still called me Jackson. Everyone else called me Jack but she never did.
âTo explainâ I said sitting sideways so I could see her. âDo you wanna go get some food?â
âIâve already eaten but we could go for a drive somewhereâ
âOk sounds goodâ
âIâll get Robobootâ she says grabbing her crutches.
âNo needâ I say and I bend over and pick her up. She doesnât seem too happy about it but she doesnât stop me either. She puts one hand around my neck and the other holds the crutches. She is so close to me and can feel her breath on my face.
I help her into the car then get in myself and drive off. We donât speak the whole way.
I pull up at the beach and she sighs again. I get out and go to the trunk. I put on my coat then get out a couple of blankets. I go round to Bethâs side and help her out the car.
She stands lent against it while I lock the car then I pick her up again and start to walk down the beach.
Once I get to where I want to be I set her down gently then put one of the blankets down for us to sit on then I help her sit down. I take the other blanket and wrap it round her shoulders. Itâs going to get dark soon so it will get cold. We were having a very mild November.
âDo you know where we are?â I ask her.
She looks at me like Iâve lost my mind. âWe are at the beachâ
âTut yeah I know I mean what part of the beach? Can you remember what happened here?â
She looks around for a minute then looks back at me âthis is where you told me you loved meâ
âYeah. Iâve been coming here a lot latelyâ
âWhy?â she
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