Meet Me in the Hallway (HS AU)

sixty one.

Thank you, you beautiful souls x Meet Me In The Hallway hit 80K reads and I can't even express how grateful I am! I love you all so so so much.
*****

The bell sounded at 2:00pm on Wednesday, signalling the end of Term 2 and the beginning of the two week break. As much as I was going to miss my kids, I needed this break. A solid break from thinking and fronting, time to just sit and reflect on the shit show that is my life.

The last three days had felt like I was competing on Survivor; sleep was rare, I was aching all over, and I found myself in a constant anxious state. Clem and I were going to speak to Ella this Friday as soon as Clem got back from University. The whole situation was causing me immense levels of stress and it hurt me mentally.

Thursday was spent with Harry. We rarely moved from his bed, we hardly spoke if I'm being truthful. I think we both just needed to be near each other for a bit, the events of the previous weekend still weighing down on us and the impending doom of the upcoming weekend taunting us from afar.

"Everything's going to be ok, baby. You need to relax, everything will play out as it needs to. If she listens to you, then great, she's safe. If she doesn't listen to you, then we'll try again until she does." He broke our hour long comfortable silence at around 4:00pm.

"I know. I just don't think she is going to have a bar of what I have to say. Maybe I should just let Clem talk to her, then she'll actually be present. I'm so scared I won't be able to protect her and she'll end up in the same place I was."

Harry pressed a single kiss to my lips before drifting back into another nap. My mind was on a constant loop of panic but the constant loop tired me out so much I found myself falling asleep not long after Harry did.

Clem arrived a little later than usual on Friday, I could tell she was wanting to delay the conversation we were going to have once she got back from Uni. Waiting for Clem to arrive had me pacing the hallway. Harry continued to remind me that wearing down the floorboards wasn't going to bring me any sense of comfort but I couldn't bring myself to stop.

After quickly running inside, dropping her bag and changing her clothes, Clem returned to the hallway and ushered me out to her car. We had planned to meet Ella at the park so we could talk freely without him. The park was only a five minute drive from Harry's house but for the first time in my whole life, I found myself wishing the drive took forever.

I was afraid. There wasn't an ounce of embarrassment in my mind as I admitted that to myself. I was afraid and with good reason. Not only would the outcome of today affect Ella's life, but if everything went sideways, it would affect me as well. If Will heard that I had been trying to get Ella on side, God knows what he would be willing to do to ensure I wouldn't speak another word.

Clem was nervous, her body language gave it away as much as she put on a brave face for me. She was blinking rapidly, she had almost chewed through the skin of her lip, her hands couldn't seem to find a comfortable position on the steering wheel, and everytime she spoke her voice seemed to fail her.

I felt guilty. Guilty that because of me, Clem looked as though she was about to burst into tears. Because of me, Clem now risked losing her best friend over the conversation we were about to have. Because of me, Ella was about to have her wonderful honeymoon bubble destroyed. Because of me and how damaging my presence is.

The park came into view quicker than I was ready for, and in no time we were getting out of the car and heading over to an empty picnic table. We had gotten here a touch earlier than we told Ella so we could mentally prepare for the task at hand. A few minutes passed before Ella's car pulled up near Clem's and she reluctantly made her way across the grass to us.

"What was so important that I had to come and sit at a park where people bring... children." She visibly cringed at the word and thought of there being kids at this park.

We were so different in many ways, Ella and I. Our opinion on children being one of those things. Of course there were a lot of other things that we were polar opposites with but this one definitely stood out to me.

"Please sit down, El." Clem was so gentle in her approach, tapping the bench beside her twice as a silent request. It was probably wise to have Ella sit opposite me and beside Clem, that way she was at least comfortable next to her best friend.

Without any further questions or hesitation, Ella finds a seat on the wooden picnic table but not before brushing any germs off the seat with a tissue from her pocket. Clem and I exchanged knowing glances, knowing full well that this was not about to end well.

"Maybe I should start, tell you why we asked you to come out here?" I started, Ella rolled her eyes and turned to face me before I continued, "I know you don't like me very much and that you probably take anything I say with a grain of salt. But there is one thing I need to tell you and I need you to listen. Not space out and nod, not listen but then disregard anything I say later on. I need to know that you will at least hear me out."

Although she looked unimpressed, she leant forward and rested her elbows on the bench between us, silently confirming she was listening. I took a deep breath before reaching into my pocket for my phone and sliding it across the bench.

"I was in a domestic violence situation for almost three years. Feel free to scroll through those pictures because there are a lot. When I first got with my boyfriend, he was so sweet and genuine. I would never have pictured him to be violent, didn't think he would even hurt a fly.

But one day he came home from dinner with his mates absolutely plastered. The first time he hit me was supposed to be the last but it never stopped. I have been on the brink of death at least four times. I could never go to the hospital because I feared if I did then he would truly kill me.

It was words, it was violence, it was not taking no for an answer. He did it all. He ruined every aspect of me and I don't think I will ever fully heal from it-"

"That's sad and all, it really is. But what does that have to do with me? Why do I need to know any of this? It is none of my business." She interjected, patience wearing thin after scrolling through some of the more graphic photos I had on my phone. She refused to look at me though, not once since I handed her the phone had she looked me in the eyes or even glanced in my direction.

Clem threw an arm over Ella's shoulder and stroked her hair before putting the final nail in the coffin.

"Ella, the guy that did this to Jo. Who acted to her the way Patrick acted to me, is Will. And we are so scared that you will be next."

Without warning Ella sprung up from her seat, threw my phone in front of me before storming off towards her car.