Darker shade Of Light : Part Three

Chapter 7

         Elyn did not get to talk to Chester as soon as she hoped, because she suddenly had to avoid Ste at every turn. He constantly kept badgering her, trying to influence her into leaving Josh.
         It was approaching their third month by now. Chester wasn’t speaking to Ste, but was talking to Jayne a lot over the phone. Elyn was struggling with school, because it was now nearly April, and her G.C.S.E’s were nearing, as were Josh’s. He was getting into more arguments with his stepfather, and neither Leanne or Mark were talking to him, which was hard since they were best friends, but Josh had been talking to Chester on the phone, and they were going to meet that weekend to talk about how to handle the way Ste was bullying Elyn. But they wouldn’t meet in time.
         Ste glared at Elyn as she walked past, trying not to meet his accusing eyes, so as not to induce the ever dawning battle between the two sides of her torn heart. On one side, someone who has protected and sheltered her from early childhood from the perils of the lonely world. On the other, someone who has shown her the magic of a heartfelt connection, and a love she never thought was possible. But these two sides were worlds apart, and she was trapped between in some jaded, hellish limbo, cracking and breaking under the intense pressure from both sides, both thinking they knew what was best, yet between them they were killing her.
         “Traitor…” He spat the words with venomous anguish. She was his baby sister, the little angel who wouldn’t hurt a fly, with a pure heart, and sweet innocence without the darkness residing in the soul of so many others. And she was being taken away from him by the one thing he hated more than life, without any way to stop this connection. His heart burned with intense, violent rage, spilling from his eyes with contempt for her decision.
         “Oh, don’t be so dramatic!” She hurled back with equal scorn to his own, refusing to be bullied into submission.
         “Me dramatic? You’re the one that’s sleeping with the enemy! OH GOD!!! Please tell me you haven’t slept with him, Elyn!”
         “What the hell would it matter to you if I had? You don’t own me, Stephen! I can do what ever the hell I want, and you can’t stop me!”
         “You’re only fifteen, Elyn! You can’t expect me to just sit back and watch you throw you’re life away! Especially not with… with…”
         “What? With a townie? Those ‘spiteful, prejudiced airheads’, as I remember you calling them once? Well, I got news for you! Josh isn’t spiteful. He’s smart, doesn’t hold grudges, and he isn’t biased. Unlike you! I don’t think you have ever acted so childish! And as for prejudiced, well, you are the only prejudiced person I can see.”
         “But… I am only looking out for you, Elyn!”
         “No, you’re not! You’re judging him and condemning me! You just like to be in control of me, and I’ve had enough!” She started towards the door, fighting back the tears threatening to spill fro her eyelids.
         “Elyn… please… I’m only trying to protect you because I love you…” Elyn turned to face him, trembling with anger and pain, her body wracked with sobs as tears streamed down her face.
         “Josh loves me for who I am… he doesn’t… would never try and make me do… anything I don’t want to… WHY WON’T YOU?”
         “Elyn…”
         “LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” She fled from the room and out the front door, passing her startled father as she went.
         “Erm… honey…” But his words were wasted on deaf ears, as she kept running and running, refusing to stop. Finally, exhausted and out of breath, she collapsed by a wall, and sat there for a few minutes, crying.
         Struggling to compose herself, she started walking again, running suggestions through her head. She couldn’t go home, that was clear. They would find her at Josh’s house. Same with Chester and Kelly’s. Jayne’s brother would cause problems if she went there.
         It was finally made obvious that she had nowhere to go, but in her current state of mind she didn’t care. She just kept on walking till she couldn’t walk anymore, and spent the night sitting under a bridge near Darwen Cemetery area. It was really difficult to get to, and she knew no one would find her. It was really dark and wet and uncomfortable, and more than once she heard a police siren passing on the nearby road. But she tried to stay comfortable until, emotionally drained and physically exhausted, she drifted into an uneasy sleep, filled with nightmares and eternal darkness.
         When the morning came, she stayed in her hiding place, though she was stiff and very cold. She was also awfully hungry, but had left in such a state she hadn’t time to find food. Instead, she tried to sleep some more, but the midges and insects were irritating her, as were the visits from the local youngsters. Thankfully, it soon began to rain, and she felt the cool relief of peace as she watched the rain outside.
         However, her sanctuary soon became too dangerous, as the river began to speed up due to the rain, and the ground she was resting on became more and more slippery with mud. Finally beaten, she crept out into the rain, and struggled back across the metal beams, up the wall and over the fence into the park. This was difficult, but she managed it.
         She decided to find the trees that she had climbed two summers ago with her brother and Chester. That was just before they went away to College, and she was left alone at Moorland. It was also just before Ste met Mia, and all their lives changed forever…
         “Is this a private party, or can anyone join?”
         The shock caused Elyn to lose her grip, and tumble backwards out of the tree. Thankfully, a friendly hand was there to catch her.
         “Heck!” she breathed. “Where did you come from?”
         “You kidding? I bin looking for you all day, kid!” laughed Chester. “I tried everywhere! Ste’s been going frantic with worry.”
         “He hasn’t gone hassling Josh has he?”
         “No, thankfully your parents rang Josh, then I went round to find out for myself.”
         “But… you don’t…”
         “Oh, he wasn’t hard to find. There weren’t many people parading around Rishton screaming ‘ELYN’ at the top of their voices. He seemed quite nice.” Chester couldn’t help laughing as Elyn turned scarlet thinking about how worried Josh probably was. But her embarrassment cooled when she thought about her fight with Ste, and the pain must have been obvious in her eyes, because Chester looked deep into them, and chose his words carefully.
         “Did something happen last night?”
She nodded, and retold how her and Ste had fought.
         “He called me a traitor…and a slut…he accused me of sleeping with Josh…Oh Chester…why does he hate me?” She turned her head, as her emotions became too much to bear.
         “Hey! Aw sweetie, come here!” Chester held her as she broke down into sobs in his arms, trembling hysterically and clinging to her arms. He had to restrain her as she dug her nails into her skin, trying to release the pain. When she couldn’t do that, she started fighting in a frenzy, but Chester had seen her do this before. He simply held her arms, tried to ignore the painful kicks, and started rocking her and talking calmly into her ear. It took a little while, but she eventually calmed down, and almost at once she fell asleep. He wasn’t surprised; she probably didn’t sleep at all the night before. He didn’t know if he dared tell her what Ste had said on the phone to him.

         “Hey man, is Elyn there?” He had sounded slightly edgy.
         “No, why? Is something wrong?”
         “Oh, she didn’t come home last night.”
         “What? Why? Is she ok? Did you two have an argument or something?”
         “What makes you think that?” He had practically shouted at him. Chester was startled. He hadn’t meant to irritate him.
         “Well, I just thought…”
         “You shouldn’t think then, should you? Everything has to be my fault, doesn’t it?” He was getting really angry. Chester knew they had fallen out, and he thought Ste was simply getting upset through worry. But he still had Ste’s last comment ringing in his head.
         “Well, it’s not my fault, it’s that stupid whore I used to call a sister, and her joke-of-a-boyfriend! Well, as far as I’m concerned, I have no sister. My sister is dead!”
         Then he hung up.

         Chester pushed all thoughts of Ste from his mind. He took Elyn to his and made her ring her parents to tell them she was ok. Her father answered, but he was more relieved than angry. He suggested she stay out somewhere the night, as they knew why she had ran away. Jayne had all ready offered, but Elyn said she wanted to see Josh first.
         When they got off the bus, he was waiting for her. He looked like he hadn’t slept all night, his eyes were red from crying, and he looked exhausted. She ran into his arms and neither let go for what seemed like hours. Even when she managed to prise herself from his grasp, he wouldn’t let her walk without holding her waist, till she kept falling over. He finally settled for her hand, but it was obvious that he was holding on for dear life. Chester said he would go to Jayne’s and wait for Elyn to get there, to give them some time alone.

         Watching from the bus, he couldn’t help thinking Ste was being way too protective. It was obvious that this guy really loved her, he had practically had to slap him to calm him down, and before he left to search Darwen again it had taken almost brute force to make Josh wait. But Chester knew she needed a friend to see her first, so that she could have a little space to sort her head before seeing the state she had put Josh into.
         Jayne lived in Blackburn, not far from St. Wilfred’s, where Chester had met Mia. But she had never got into Wilfred’s, so she had gone to Augustine’s with her brother. He remembered talking to her a little at primary school, but she drifted from memory when he left Wilfred’s, and he saw less of Mia. But he realised she was a really good person to talk to.
         It was her sister who opened the door, wearing a silky bandana and lacy top with a long, flowing skirt filled with colours, and little denim toe-stop sandals. She was quite pretty, though not as much as her sister…
         Why did I just think that? Chester puzzled slightly over the thought, before Jayne appeared at the door.
         She was wearing a simple pair of pants and a baggy black top with her hair tied half-up, half-down with a deep purple scrunchie. He met her eyes and was amazed at how sparkly they looked, as without the make-up and the effort, just in a random collection of old clothes she had thrown on, he suddenly realised that he though she was the most beautiful creature he had seen in a long time. He didn’t say anything, and neither did she, but before he knew it she was in his arms and he was kissing her, feeling for the first time since before he could remember that he could love another person after Mia. In fact, she wasn’t even in his mind, as he pulled back and gazed longingly into Jayne’s eyes, still not quite grasping what he had just done…
         “Are you ok?” Jayne’s eyes appeared before his own, breaking the spell in his head. He realised he hadn’t actually kissed her, he had just spaced into his own world. But he also realised that he wanted to so much, and he really had come to terms with moving on from Mia.
         But he pushed the thoughts of Jayne from his mind, and concentrated on Elyn. He knew he had to forget his newfound infatuation with Jayne. Elyn came first, and she needed him right now.
         “Yeah, sorry I was miles away. Can I come in?”

         When Chester had gone, Josh took Elyn back to his. Everyone had gone out, but he said he didn’t care if they came back and started shouting. Elyn had left some clothes at Josh’s in case of an emergency, and she now had a shower and changed, while he made her some food and watched her hungrily eating the first thing she’s had since the previous day.
         She looked amazing, with slightly damp hair, wearing the same turtleneck jumper she had worn to meet his mum, and a pair of tight black trousers that felt really silky. When she had finished, he took the things down and washed them, but when he returned she was fast asleep on his bed. Gently, he crawled under the covers behind her, and wrapped his arms around her defensively, letting her curl up next to him. He realised he was crying; because he had been so scared when she had gone missing. It felt like she was all he had left, and the idea of losing her after everything that had happened was more than he could bear.

         With her back to him, Elyn could hear his broken sobs, and silent tears ran down her own cheeks. She felt heart broken and cruel for hurting him so much and letting him down. She hadn’t realised he would be so upset when she didn’t call, or she would have made more of an effort to be there. Eventually, his crying stopped, and she turned to realise he was asleep, too. She looked at him peacefully resting, his pale skin, smooth and soft to touch. She lay her head on his chest and listened to his gentle breathing, and the slow steady beat of his heart against her face. She realised she was staring to fall properly in love with him, not just a little crush, or even really liking, but actual passionate love.
         The thought excited her, but also scared her. She knew she was falling for a guy who her brother hated, and the fact that she had to push everyone away to be with him worried her. What if they didn’t last? If she had pushed everyone away, who would be left? Would she be alone?
         Then she looked into his face again, his eyes open and staring contently into her own. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, and she moved closer to kiss his lips, his head, his neck.
         All doubts were pushed from her mind. There was no way that would happen, because she cared about him too much, and he loved her back. As they began to grow more intimate, with him stroking her back, slowly undressing each other, she felt no doubts.
         Only love.

TO BE CONTINUED