Scarred

Chapter 12.

Theo

My muddy feet trudge along the hard concrete, as they receive looks of concern from people walking by. It's almost as if they have never seen a dirty shoe before.

My thoughts manage to be quite condensed at this point. Before I left, I felt an extreme wave of irritation towards Eliza for the whole 'pizza's here' thing. At that moment, I saw something in her that I was desperate to pursue. And it wouldn't die. It wouldn't leave me alone. I looked into her eyes, and I felt like that same thing was pursuing me. So, I thought that was my opportunity, to show her how I feel about her. To show her that I want something with her. I don't know what, but anything. But, the way she was so quick to announce the arrival of the pizza man, as if I hadn't heard the doorbell too, made it painfully clear to me that the thing I wanted to pursue was my own happiness; my own strength; my own contentment. I saw my happiness and strength in her, but now I realise that it's not enough. There's something missing. There's something holding us back. Apart from her overbearing, impudent mother, of course.

My thoughts take me all the way to the front door of the house, where I take my usual routinely deep breath, when I know there's a high chance I'm about to encounter Rosanne. I fish the key from my pocket, and twist the door in the lock. My stomach gets the memo as it begins to twist as well. I open the door and my eyes instantly fall on the three bodies in the kitchen ahead of me. Olivia is sitting down, her eyes wandering around as if she doesn't quite know what to do with them. Mother and daughter, on the other side stand closely together, their eyes fixated ahead of them in the direction of the door, in the direction of me. Like they are waiting for me.

I made no plan to utter any word to them before I walked in, and I am ready to stick with that. But, as I take a few steps forward, I notice Rosanne taking a few steps forward too. I stop, bewildered as to what exactly is going on. Does she know about what happened last night? That said, there's nothing exactly to know. Nothing happened. Eliza couldn't and wouldn't be silly enough to let it slip to her mother that the boy she practically forced into her home almost locked lips with her last night.

She continues taking steps forward, her arms that were formerly folded slowly starting to unfold themselves. This is the moment when my eyes become aware of an object she is dangling from her hand, in my face. She is close enough now to let me know what the hell this is all about.

"Recognise this?" She asks, waving the now visible bracelet in my face. My eyes almost become blinded by the way the crystals of the bracelet are overshadowing the light in the room.

"Am I supposed to?"

"Don't play smart with me, boy. I know it was you."

"You know what was me?"

"It was you. That took this, in fact, stole this from me, and then placed it in the room you've been given to lay your sorry ass in."

My mind flusters as I begin to ponder on what she could be talking about, but all I am filled with is confusion and questions.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," I reply simply.

"Don't you dare lie to me!" She moves the bracelet closer to my eyes, as if the light eroding from it is suddenly going to bring out a confession from me.

"I'm... Not lying. What the hell is going on?" I finally ask, my curiosity piercing deep into my skin.

She turns around to Eliza, the bracelet still a centimetre away from my eye.