Where I Found You

Chapter 35 - It's Jack.

Chapter 35 - It's Jack.

I haven't seen Ash in ages. I think that I've been avoiding him without thinking about it, and him losing his job at the garage helped (he was always late for work). But now he's standing on my doorstep with a great big smile on his face, like his birthday and Christmas and Easter and everything has come early.

"Hey," I mumble. I immediately close the front door behind me and step out onto the drive, because my dad is in and I don't think he likes Ash much. Anyway, we silently agree to begin to go on a walk.

"How's it been?" Ash looks at me and smiles, genuinely. It's making me feel sick inside as I think about Melanie. It feels like ten years ago now that I have Alyssa, but still.

"Fine. Alyssa and I are going out," I tell him. For some reason, 'going out' doesn't seem to explain it enough; it doesn't seem a good enough explanation. But he'd never understand if I said something else.

He looks interested. "Oh, the little white one? From the Halloween party? Yeah, she was hot."

I look away from him. Was he always like this? Did I used to be like this? Instead I clear my throat and shove my hands in my pockets as we keep walking. "You still with Sofia?"

"That's right." He grins broadly, and then when we reach the end of the road, stops in front of me. "Did you tell . . . what's her name - Alyssa -about how you were fucking my step-sister?"

I stare at him, and my mind begins to run and run with questions and questions about how he found out. But I hardly have time to take my hands out of my pockets before his fist crashes into my face, and I stagger backwards. My nose feels like it's no longer part of my face.

When I look up again, Ash is glaring at me with hatred and loathing. I shake my head slowly, then begin to wipe blood from my nose, not turning my back on him.

"What, too scared to fight back?" He spits. "You dirty fucker. I thought you were a good friend."

I keep my hands by my side, then glare back at him. "Your sister's a slut, you know that? She was fucking around with Luke too."

"Yeah, I've sorted that bastard out."

I clench my fists. "Maybe you should sort your Melanie out too."

He moves to hit me again, but this time I'm ready for it. I send a punch flying to his stomach, and he doubles over, cursing and cursing. I don't know how but soon enough I'm on the ground and Ash is attempting to punch my lights out. But I get him in his jaw and he punches my chest feebly, as I stand up again. That's when he jumps up and pushes me back violently, into the fence.

"Jack!" I could recognise that scream from miles away. Out of the corner of my eye I see her blue car and as I hold up my arms to block Ash's punches, Alyssa's running around behind us, shouting.

"Get out of here!" I yell, as I manage to get Ash square on the nose. He thumps my stomach, hard, and I double over and almost throw up. The pain is sickening.

I'm black and blue and I can barely walk by the time Ash suddenly stops and leans over, heaving. I wonder what is going on but then I see Alyssa just putting her foot down to the ground and I realise what she's done. She's kneed him from behind.

"Fucking hell, Alyssa," I pant. She grabs my hand with an angry look on her face, then throws me into the car and begins to drive off before the door is even closed. I catch sight of myself in the mirror - a bruise on the side of my cheek and blood pouring from my nose. My stomach feels like a punching bag.

"What on earth!" She screams as she turns furiously onto the main road. I lean my head back to stop the blood going onto her car seat, wishing I had a tissue. I feel awful. She was the last person I wanted to see that - I was meant to be trying to impress her whenever she was around.