Fate Fell Short

Chapter Twenty Four

Madeline to the side ---->

                  .               .              .

Human relationships are chemical reactions. If you have a reaction, then you can never return back to your previous state of being. - Kaneki Tokyo Ghoul (quoted by Carl Jung)

Chapter Twenty Four

              When I sneaked back into my room Madeline was busy laying the bed I didn't sleep on. She smiled gently at me, tucking the bedsheet under the mattress, "Hey, sleep well? Didn't catch you in the morning, where have you been?"

"Er.. nowhere" I answered quickly as I gathered some clothes and traipsied into the bathroom, I could feel her look back at me in mild confusion.

"Chase still has your mother wrapped around his finger, it's sickening" Madeline was saying as I undressed in the bathroom, I could hear her through the partially opened door.

"Yeah" I responded, still pink in the face. Maybe I'll be permanently blushing the whole day today.

"And Emma's a bit murderous this morning so be careful around her." She informed me

I paused as I was about to turn the shower on, was it my fault for that?

"She says she's gonna rip Jaydens head off." Madeline chuckled answering my unasked question, "I don't know why though."

Oh.

"You're not going to school right? It's already late and Jayden's suspended." Madeline says shuffling around in my room.

"I guess not." I answer, "Does mother know?"

"Nah, she's out, says she'll be back tonight so you're safe,"

"Thank goodness, I've skipped how many days now?"

"Two" she answers

"That's a lot." I mutter counting the half day I had at school yesterday. This was bad, finals are in a few weeks.

She laughed, "Inner nerd right there Alex"

"Shuttup"

I wait for her to say something but she doesn't and I turn on the water, the giant showerhead fixed to the ceiling sprays cold water onto me and I grimace but don't move because after a while it feels nice, the way it sent shock waves along my spine continuously. When I shivered too much I turned on the hot water. Wondering if maybe it was a side effect of not being able to punish myself.

Cold showers were torture to me.

When I'd washed up and dressed I made my way downstairs. I felt a lot better today, more clear minded and my thoughts didn't tumble over each other like yesterday. I hoped today wouldn't be too eventful, I hated reacting to things, especially when they came one after the other.

I saw Emma working around in the kitchen, stirring a mixture with a little too much force, her face was set into a deep frown like her mind was working furiously, her honey coloured hair was up in a messy bun looking as if she'd wrestled with it earlier on.

I could clearly see what Madeline had meant, she looked so angry that it was scary.

"Emma?" I asked and she looked up, her furious expression melting into a look of sadness, tears welled up in her eyes and before I knew it she was attacking me in a hug.

"Urgh it's just so horrible! I don't know what to do!" She burst out.

Bewildered, I patted her back awkwardly, I was never good with crying people because if the situation was turned around, I wouldn't want to be touched and rarely anyone ever came to cry to me.