Anger of gold

Chapter three

Chapter 3

Maya

"How are you feeling?" Josephine asked through the little speaker on my phone. The bike I grabbed this morning was a little too big for me so it wobbled the whole ride. "I'm fine," my voice sounded monotone and Josephine knew me way too well to fall for it. "Okay, can you come to my house?" "Josephine, I love you but I am just way too tired to go somewhere right now." She was quiet for a moment. "I will come to your house" I started to contradict but she cut me off. "I see you in a bit, love you" A little beep ended the call but not saying it back would mean bad luck "I love you too."

I put the bike in the shed and it fell over. I didn't bother standing it up again. Josephine came running from the front door. "How are you?" She asked with the sweetest voice. "Not very good." She took my hand, linking our fingers and led me into the house. "Is Catherine home?" My voice was shaking. Two years after I moved to John's and Lina's house they splitted. Right when I started to see them as a family. John was the one who kept me when Lina moved to Sweden. After a while John met a woman who made satan shrink to a ball. I did everything wrong in her opinion and if it wasn't me, it still was my fault. "No, but John is," she looked at me with a concerned look. "That is fine" I told her "he understands me." "Maya" I turned the corner to our living room. He sat in the armchair in front of the TV and looked at us. "What are you girls up too?" I got mute. Josephine said "I just wanted to meet Maya and this was the perfect time" I looked at her, she always knew the right things to say. John's eyes darted down to our linked fingers, half a year ago I would have released her hand but right then I held tight. "I can see that," he had to be talking to himself so I didn't comment. "We are going to my room" I turned quickly and dragged Josephine behind me. "Maya," John called after me. "Yes?". "Door open," he said to my back. Josephine scoffed beside me, loud enough so John could hear it and he just laughed.

She sat down on my bed "Spill it" I walked over to my desk but she stood up and dragged me over. We both sat down on the soft fabric of my cover. "I watched a man die today" my voice was scratchy. She nodded to not interrupt me. "I thought about mom, when she died. I passed out and got bullied by a teacher." She took a moment to sort through the wave I just pulled her into. "Why did you pass out?" I knew she would take that first because she always had the same pattern in questions first physically, mentally then everything else. "It was a boy who collided with me so I fell and hit my head," I lifted my hair to show her the dry blood patch. Her eyelids shot up and she ran out of the room.

A minute later she came back with a wet towel and a packet of plasters. "What is that going to do?" I asked her. "It was the only thing I found without asking John." I smiled at her as she dabbed my head with the towel and forced me to continue. I told her about the boy with the last name Williams. She listened patiently until I was done. "Should I beat him up?" "No" I knew she would if I asked her to. "How was it to think about your mom?" She did not want to push me. "It hurt, but not as bad as usual," she jumped onto my lap and gave me a hug around my head. "I am so proud of you" I wrapped my hands around her back. "Who bullied you?" She leaned back to look at me, her eyes were filled with tears. "It was a mean woman who told me to die or something" I had a hard time showing my feelings even to Josephine so I didn't show how deep the words had cut me. "I can beat her too" She looked me dead in the eye but I laughed at her. She took a deep breath "Who died?" "A teacher I think," I felt terrible for not knowing his name. "He tried to warn us of the earthquake," I looked down in shame. "Don't blame yourself," once again she knew me too well. "How did the earthquake go besides that?" I looked up to meet her eyes. "I feel bad for the cleaning staff because everything in the open lockers fell out and nobody picked it up." "I think that is enough sadness for one night and because nothing good happened for me today either I think we should go to sleep." I laid down with her still on my lap "Wait, do you have clothes?" She smiled at me and pointed at the light green bag on the floor. I smiled back at her and she leaned her head to my breasts.