I wake up extremely late and rush to get dressed. When I finally walk into
mine and Claire's dressing room half an hour later I'm absolutely starving,
as I had no time for breakfast. Claire is standing looking in the mirror
and is also applying her mascara, which she definitely doesn't need to be
wearing, she looks perfect without it.
Do you fancy going to the canteen for breakfast today Claire?
Claire doesn't answer me so I walk up to her and slip my arms around her waist, my hands rest on her stomach, but as soon as I do that Claire screams out in pain.
Claire: Don't Ian that hurts!
Claire turns round to face me and has tears in her eyes. I'm confused because why would me touching her stomach gently, hurt? I walk closer to her and look down at her stomach, I reach my hand back out towards her but she sees and grabs hold of my arm. She looks at me and says "Don't" I ignore her and pull my arm away from her, I quickly but gently lift up her top before she can stop me. Her stomach is badly bruised and I mean badly there isn't a patch of normal coloured skin on it, it is all purple. Claire starts crying and holds on to my hand. I realise now why she thought I was going to hit her before. Claire collapses into my arms and continues to cry, I'm really mad and all I want to do is get hold of Mark and kill him.
Claire. Was this Mark?
Claire: Yes.
Did you do the test?
Claire just nods but doesn't indicate whether she is pregnant or not. I ask her if she has told Mark but she shakes her head, I move her hair away from her neck and see more bruises which lead down towards her back. Claire knows that I've seen them and tells me there's more. Some of the cuts are infected and need cleaning but she wont go to a doctor. I gently pick her up and walk to the hotel around the road, I book us in for the night and take her to the room.
Claire: I can't go back to Mark he'll kill me.
You don't ever have to go back to him, you can stay here with me.
Claire: Thank you.
I'll go and run you a bath.
I walk into the bathroom leaving Claire sitting on the bed, I turn on the water and put in some soothing skin wash to help with the bruising. Claire walks up behind me and I leave her to get undressed but just as I'm about to close the door Claire calls me back.
Claire: Stay with me.
Ok darling, I'll be back in a minute.
I walk back into the room a few minutes later and Claire is sitting in the bath, I sit down beside the bath and hold her hand. She smiles at me and I smile back, I'd often sat in the bathroom while she was in the bath when we had been on tour with steps, we just talked and lit a few candles to calm us down a little before or after the shows. But today this felt different because today Claire was being abused by her good for nothing boyfriend Mark. Claire looks over to her bag and points to it.
Claire: I took the test but I don't know what it says, can you get it out of my bag please?
Of course.
I pick up the test and go and sit back down from where I got up. Claire looks at me and I can tell she is scared.
Claire: What does it say?
You're not pregnant.
Both of us let out a sigh of relief and Claire begins to relax a bit more.
Do you fancy going to the canteen for breakfast today Claire?
Claire doesn't answer me so I walk up to her and slip my arms around her waist, my hands rest on her stomach, but as soon as I do that Claire screams out in pain.
Claire: Don't Ian that hurts!
Claire turns round to face me and has tears in her eyes. I'm confused because why would me touching her stomach gently, hurt? I walk closer to her and look down at her stomach, I reach my hand back out towards her but she sees and grabs hold of my arm. She looks at me and says "Don't" I ignore her and pull my arm away from her, I quickly but gently lift up her top before she can stop me. Her stomach is badly bruised and I mean badly there isn't a patch of normal coloured skin on it, it is all purple. Claire starts crying and holds on to my hand. I realise now why she thought I was going to hit her before. Claire collapses into my arms and continues to cry, I'm really mad and all I want to do is get hold of Mark and kill him.
Claire. Was this Mark?
Claire: Yes.
Did you do the test?
Claire just nods but doesn't indicate whether she is pregnant or not. I ask her if she has told Mark but she shakes her head, I move her hair away from her neck and see more bruises which lead down towards her back. Claire knows that I've seen them and tells me there's more. Some of the cuts are infected and need cleaning but she wont go to a doctor. I gently pick her up and walk to the hotel around the road, I book us in for the night and take her to the room.
Claire: I can't go back to Mark he'll kill me.
You don't ever have to go back to him, you can stay here with me.
Claire: Thank you.
I'll go and run you a bath.
I walk into the bathroom leaving Claire sitting on the bed, I turn on the water and put in some soothing skin wash to help with the bruising. Claire walks up behind me and I leave her to get undressed but just as I'm about to close the door Claire calls me back.
Claire: Stay with me.
Ok darling, I'll be back in a minute.
I walk back into the room a few minutes later and Claire is sitting in the bath, I sit down beside the bath and hold her hand. She smiles at me and I smile back, I'd often sat in the bathroom while she was in the bath when we had been on tour with steps, we just talked and lit a few candles to calm us down a little before or after the shows. But today this felt different because today Claire was being abused by her good for nothing boyfriend Mark. Claire looks over to her bag and points to it.
Claire: I took the test but I don't know what it says, can you get it out of my bag please?
Of course.
I pick up the test and go and sit back down from where I got up. Claire looks at me and I can tell she is scared.
Claire: What does it say?
You're not pregnant.
Both of us let out a sigh of relief and Claire begins to relax a bit more.