At the End of the Garden

Chapter Forty-One

As horrible as it was to admit it, I was happy to be going home. Not that I was itching to be under my mother's constant watch though.
Dad was packing away my things into a small suitcase. I hadn't been here long, so them being here in the first place at felt pointless. He packed my WiiU and clothes while putting my books into a smaller shoulder bag in case I wanted to read them on the way home.
   He said very little as he worked and had already refused my help. I was still sick, he said, even if I could be discharged (with daily visits and a strict diet for a while), so I was stuck on bedrest. I wanted to help though, I was getting bored and getting alone with my thoughts (not so good).
   The peace soon came to end.
   The door burst suddenly open. Michael was back of course, but if he was alone he would have never made such a loud entrance.
   Ren ignored my dad, who at first tried to voice his concerns about the intrusion, until she shoved her phone into my face.
   "Tell her!" She shouted, pleading too, "tell her to change her statement."
   "What?"
   Michael filled me in, cautiously looking around at my dad before muttering, "Eden found... it."
   "Angie... are you still there?" I said into Ren's phone.
   There was a huff from the other side. Why hadn't she just hung up?
   "I don't want to." Angie said, stubborn as usual.
   "Literally no-one cares!" Ren snapped at her.
   Michael nudged her arm. Ren being rude wasn't going to help.
   "I do!" Angie retorted.
   "There's the coat now." I told her, "you're not the only evidence anymore..."
   "Yes, but what if something happens? Like, it can't be used for some reason or it goes missing - "
   "It won't." I said, it's not like I knew for sure, but I needed Angie to cooperate.
   "You don't know that."
   "Please." I begged.
   "No."
   "Yeah, and then he gets away with this again." I could feel myself becoming more frustrated. "We all get paid to shut up and then he goes and kills someone else."
   "I don't..." Her voice faltered. "It won't be my fault."
   "Someone else's friend. Then they're paid to shut up, and become just as scared as you are."
   "I'm not scared!"
   "What is this then!" My temper was gone. "You change your statement, and he won't be able to hurt you anymore, Angie."
   "You don't know that..."
   "You're such a coward." Ren muttered.
   "I swear Angie, if you change your statement I'll leave you alone forever." I decided to add. "I won't bother you about anything ever again."
   "What?" She spat through the phone.
   "If you do this, you can just go off and live your life. Pretend this never happened. You'll never hear from us again."
   "You're stupid."
   "I'm literally just trying to make sure this monster doesn't get away with murder. It's not even about me anymore..."
   The door smashed open one more time.
   "Why didn't you stop them!" The new voice snapped at my father, who was sitting by my suitcase in awe.
   I was running out of time.
   "Please Angie." I begged. "This is all I'll ask of you ever again. Please. Please. Please!"
   Fay Park Scarlet almost left dents in the floor with how heavily she stormed over to the bed. Ren managed hang up the call before Fay could snatch the phone from her.
   "You two can get out before I call security." She growled, "and you!" She pointed at me, "are coming home, right now."

The doctors had wanted to do one last check up on me before I left, but Fay somehow got her way again and I was out the hospital before Dad could even finish packing my stuff. He was left alone to finish what he'd started while Fay drove me back to the house.
   The journey was silent, but that didn't mean it wasn't awkward. Fay kept her nails dug aggressively into the steering wheel the whole way and was practically leaning over it. Usually she was the type to sit back, use only one hand if she could and talk while she was driving, making snide comments most of the time.
   She only spoke once we were finally indoors, asking me for my phone so she could keep it from me.
   "I don't know what happened to it." I told her. "I lost it when your boyfriend tried to kill me."
   That wasn't true, my phone was still at Michaels, but saying this was enough to make Fay click her tongue and tell me to go to my room. Which I happily did.
   Laying in my own bed was a welcome change so I decided it was okay to have this one luxury. And being surrounded by what I was familiar with was nice too. Outside this room was the hallway or the garden, which I liked more than busy doctors and nurses rushing passed. On the floor was some laundry I hadn't gotten around to putting away yet, and on the desk was an unfinished piece of homework that had been due the Monday after I was locked in the shed. The remnants of the life I lived just a few weeks ago were comforting, though, I hated the thought of becoming complacent. Still, it was a little easier to sleep in your own bed, which was the first thing I did when I reached it.
   I woke up around seven realising I'd left my lights on. Rather than go back to sleep, I decided to sneak out my room to get some food and see Dad, assuming he'd come back.
   But I was practically sent back upstairs by harmful glares from my mother. Dad eventually came up to bring me some food once I was safe back in my room. He even unpacked my stuff for me while I ate, even though I told him I could do it.
   "You seemed so grown-up earlier when you were on the phone..." He said, "let me parent you a little longer."
   Eventually though, he left me alone to sleep, which was made difficult by the fact I'd just taken a nap. I found myself just staring at my feet at the end of the bed. (With the light on, I tried to turn it off. But darkness is the same everywhere, it's the same darkness I saw when I was in the box). I guess I was waiting. Waiting.
   I wasn't waiting for long.

For a long while before this, every time I heard a tapping at my window (no matter what it was) I stared straight at it. Longingly, I suppose. I'd moved past this, so it took me a moment to notice. That this noise sounded pretty human.
   I jump out of my bed and over to the window.
   "One day you're going to get yourself hurt." I scolded him, laughing. I'd started speaking before the window was fully open.
   "It might just be worth it." Sidney Mathews replied. What was that? Flirting?
   I couldn't hold back my grin from him, or my concern either. "Are you okay? Where have you been staying? Please don't tell me..."
   "Relax." He just said, but didn't answer any of my questions. "It's fine."
   "It's not fine." I told him.
   He shrugged, his way of agreeing with me. "Soon it will be, maybe."
   "I hope so. Has Angie changed her statement?"
   "I don't know. Ren wasn't sure if she would, she hasn't been able to reach her since she saw you in the hospital apparently."
   A pit was starting to form in my stomach. How long was Sidney going to have to keep struggling before she started cooperating?
   "I brought you something." He said, then wobbled a little. I put a hand on his arm, not that it helped, as he stumbled while reaching into the pocket of his hoodie.
   Eventually, he held out two things: Victor Quinn's keys and my phone. "Ren or Michael were supposed to bring them today when they visited." He said. "Phones dead, but I'm sure it'll be fine."
   "Thank you!" I said, then cough and lowered my voice remembering my parents were just downstairs. "Was this all you actually came up here for?"
   "Sure." He said, glancing away.
   I moved back to put my phone and the keys on my bed.
   "Oh, um, my mum sometimes goes out the back to smoke. Do you want to come in?" I asked.
   He tilted his head, a bit like a cat. "You want the prime suspect of your kidnapping in your room?"
   "Does the prime suspect of my kidnapping want to be caught outside my window?" I responded.
   "Man, it used to take you at least a couple seconds to come back with something..." He shook his head. "It's okay... I won't stay long."
   That was a shame...
   "At least... Have you eaten?" I asked.
   He nodded.
   "And... are you warm enough?" I continued.
   "I swear, I'm fine." He said, then added, "Ren's been letting me in while her parents are at work."
   Right now, he only had his hoodie with a coat over it. Which would have been warm if he wasn't sleeping outside in it. I glanced around my room, there must have been something I could send him off with.
   As if reading my mind, he said, "Ren's given me a sleeping bag. You don't have to worry."
   It didn't stop me from looking around my room anyway. Then, like a sniffer dog, I locked onto my wardrobe, suddenly remembering what I had in there. I opened the the closest door and pulled out a scarf. It was blue (my colour), knitted and probably the bare minimum of things I could have given him. The fabric smelt of dust and a little of the perfume I got for my 16th birthday. I pulled it out the wardrobe anyway.
   "Here." I said.
   I didn't hand it to him because I knew if I gave him the choice he wouldn't accept it. So I put my arms up and he meekly ducked his head to I could wrap it around his neck for him.
   When he looked back up, our faced were pretty close.
   I could have kissed him.
   Yeah, time and a place Marie. I didn't do it, and just tried to smile as a moved back and pretended the thought hadn't come into my head.
   He said he needed time. Sure.
   He probably hadn't cleaned his teeth in a while anyway.
   "Thanks." He said, fiddling with the tips of the scarf with his fingers.
   I hummed my 'you're welcome' and it went quiet.
   I guess the awkwardness wasn't completely gone yet. I wonder if he was also thinking about what happened last time he was at my window.
   "I should get lost before your terrifying lawyer mum catches me." He said.
   "Are you sure you don't want to hide in my wardrobe?" I asked.
   He laughed and started to shuffle back so he could make his descent. Once he had a steady balance, he gave me one last look. "I'll see you soon."
   "Promise?"
   "Promise."

The next morning, Angela went to the police to change her statement.

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