AN: HI!
Disclaimer: I don't own the series!
Chapter one
Yell
Their fighting was burrowing into my head like an earwig that wanted to build its nest in my brain. No matter what I did, leave the house, put on my music full blast, beg them to stop… their voices continued to echo around my mind. Ringing in my ears like a shrill scream.
Why wouldn't they stop? Why couldn't they just leave me in peace? Just… stop?
I get to my feet furiously, ripping my earphones out of my ears, the loud music stopped, the lyrics to an angry song still faint in the background.
I stalked out my room, slamming the door behind me. There was a hush from downstairs. They had heard me. Then the fighting continued. I heard the smash of china and a livid yell just as I jumped the last three stairs and rounded the corner to the kitchen.
"Shut up!" I had never yelled at my parents. Now I was screaming. "Just shut the hell up!" I shrieked. "Try acting like adults and talk about what's wrong, or I swear to god I will leave and I'll never come back."
They stared at me, shocked. I wasn't known for my yelling matches. I was the quiet one. Jerry was the angry one, the one that had stressed them out so much with his rebellious ways. They had always been able to count on me keeping to myself and staying out of their way as they threw everything they could reach at each other and exchanged vicious words.
Once I'd stopped yelling I just stood, awkwardly blushing at my outburst. Yet, I couldn't find it in my heart to be too embarrassed, I knew I was right, I knew it, but, as I watched the mottled purple and red color leach from my dad's face and my mum's open mouthed astonishment, I turned, I didn't want to be around them anymore.
I didn't stop for anything, not even putting on my shoes, I ran out the house, slamming the front door and sprinting down the street, my bare feet slapping against the ice cold asphalt as I struggled to see in the dark.
It was a moonless night, and a thick layer of angry cloud hid any stars that might have hung in the ink black sky.
It was the beginning of winter, I could already feel my toes freezing and the rough surface of the road stung my gradually numbing feet. My breath was no more then fog in front of me and my eyes watered as the frigid air assaulted them. I was glad I had the protection of my jacket, however thin the material was.
The streets were shadowed, in a way that, if I hadn't been so upset, I may have felt creeped out about.
A fine dusting of rain adorned my clothes and clung to my hair as the drizzle continued to fall.
A sharp sting cut through one of my feet and I stumbled, almost falling I cried out; but I caught myself and kept going, hobbling along, slowing down maybe a fraction.
My heart hurt almost as much as my head. What had I been thinking? Oh yeah, I hadn't been.
I could feel my breath catching in my throat and the knot in my stomach rise. Tears threatened and I cursed myself for always being so emotional. Why couldn't I be like Alex? Alex, who never seemed to be fazed by anything. Alex, who never got upset over books, or movies, or yelling.
Three minutes into my mental rant, I stopped myself, feeling guilty.
Alex felt things, he wasn't emotionless. Hell, you just had to glance at him to see hurt, pain, anger, pity, anxiousness, resignation and happiness. No, whom was I kidding? Alex was an emotional train wreck; he just had a better mask in place.
One good thing occurred from my pointless rant though.
It distracted me from the reason I was running long enough for me to calm down somewhat.
I stopped running, walking now; I huffed tiredly, catching my breath.
Embarrassment flared and I knew I couldn't face my parents. Not after my display of… personal opinion.
But I was freezing. I could practically feel my lips turning blue. I needed a place to stay.
My mind immediately presented me with a list of friends and relatives that would be willing to put me up for a night or two.
I immediately ruled off pretty much all of the names that had anything to do with my family.
Mum and dad would find a way to get me to come home and I couldn't, wouldn't, go back until I had calmed down and thought through the consequences of my actions.
Matt and Daniel were away for the weekend; Ryan was busy with his own pathetic excuse for a father. Penny was a girl and although she wouldn't mind her parents would.
That left Alex.
It would take me ten minutes to get to my friends house from where I was. Inconveniently I had run in the opposite direction to his place.
I'd left my cell in my rush to flee my house and I had no money for a pay phone. I would just have to show up on his doorstep and one; hope he was back from his latest mission and two; hope I was allowed to stay.
With a sigh, I turned around.
The street where I would find Alex's house was as silent as all the ones before it.
A single street light flickered green halfway down the road, and I could see the tiny forms of the moths and other insects that had been drawn to the light, flutter around the glow, sometimes bumping against the light globe.
The chill night air had, by now, seeped right through me, not one part of my poor body was left unmarred by goose bumps as I shuddered sporadically. My teeth clattered together and I hugged myself for warmth I knew I would not receive.
If my feet had let me I would have sprinted down to Alex's house, but they were numb and felt very much like they were on fire.
I cursed under my breath. Oh god I hope he's home. Would Jack let me stay even if he wasn't? She had always been cool, treating us to ice-cream an lollies whenever I gone over to play.
I stumbled up the concrete path that led the way to Alex's front door.
The simple dark blue paint was peeling off the wood and the silver colored doorknob was muddy. Maybe Alex was back, I mused.
I hesitated for about five seconds before taking a deep breath and knocking twice, sharply and abruptly.
I couldn't remember what the time was and I hoped I hadn't woken anyone up.
A moment later the door opened slowly and Alex appeared. He grinned when he recognised me and I couldn't help grinning right back at him.
Then his frown slipped right of his face and he frowned.
"Tom what the hell!?" He pulled me inside by my sleeve and scowled.
"Idiot! What are you doing?" He pulled me into the living room, placing me in front of the lit fireplace and froze.
I followed his gaze down to my feet. This time he swore in Spanish, well, I think he swore, I don't actual know Spanish.
"Where the hell are your shoes?" He hissed, voice low.
"Probably in my room." I answered him, voice shaking with cold.
"And why, pray tell, are they not on your feet?"
"I had a fight with mum and dad. It was bad and I left without thinking." My reply ended in a whisper.
Alex's expression softened slightly. "Wait here." He ordered, then he left the room.
I turned around and sat down, sinking my fingers into the carpet as I lifted my feet to the flames, sighing as the warmth enveloped them, wincing as feeling slowly creeped back into them.
Alex was back shortly with a large hot water bottle, a doona and Jack.
Jack hurried to my side and hugged me tightly.
"Oh sweetie! Did you walk here? Oh gosh! Alex get the first aid kit."
She released me, just to catch my ankle and bring my foot closer to her.
"You've cut your foot…" That explained the sting I had felt. I had forgotten about it after all feeling had left my body.
Alex came back with a yellow case that Jack opened to show an extensive array of medical supplies.
Picking out what she needed I managed to glimpse the actual injury and rolled my eyes.
"It's nothing more then a scratch Jack."
"It's a scratch that has been left open and been dragged across the neighbourhood with no covering."
I sighed. "Right." Closing my eyes, I revelled in the warmth on my back. Listening to the low murmur of Alex's voice as he explained what little he knew about the situation. It wasn't long before exhaustion pounced and wrapped me in its loving embrace.
AN: so… what did you think? I know it was short but I just wanted people to see if they liked it. I don't think it's going to be a long fic though.
Review so I know if it was good! Please?
Lies.