Across the Sea

Chapter 2 {Gurr, David Compin}

Finally, peace.  Holding the damaged letter, I remember the fight from earlier today.

“Hey, give that back.” I screamed.

“Why should I?” asked David Compin.

“Because...,” I paused, “Because if you would like to keep your nose where it is, you will give it back.”  I looked up at him with such great intensity; I thought I was going to burn a hole in him.

            David held the letter up high so all of the wary spectators could see it.  Then, he slowly started to rip it.  After he got bored with that, he looked at me smiling and threw it to the ground.  Rubbing is filthy foot on the letter, he laughed.

            That was it.  With an angry leap, I tackled him to the mud stained sidewalk. 

            When he caught his breath, he punched me squarely on my clenched jaw.  Then, I…..

            Disturbing me from my thoughts, my door was lightly creaking open.

“Yes?” I sighed.

“Sorry about earlier.”  Mike said embarrassed.

“It’s fine,” I added, “you helped me plan my escape from in there.”  He smiled. “Good night sis.”

“Good night.”

“By the way….who did win the fight?” he said smiling.

“Good night.” I said laughing.

            The next morning, I felt horrible.  I couldn’t find a part of my body that didn’t hurt.

            When I finally found the courage to get up and limb across to the mirror, I shrieked. 

            My face was a billion times worse than last night.  My right eye was swollen, and my face was covered with deep purple blotches.

            When I pulled away from the image in the mirror, I tripped and fell to the carpeted floor.  Great, I thought to myself; I am officially the clumsy person on the earth.  I tried to get up, but my left ankle would buckle under and throbbed profusely.

“Mom.” I yelled towards my door.

“Mom!” I started to cry.  A few seconds later, my mother came and helped me up.

            When I was finally on the bed, she said, “Great. You sprained you ankle, and not even in the fight.”  I started to laugh.  That is the great part to having an E.R. nurse for a mother; she always knows what is wrong and knows how to make you laugh.

            After a few minutes, my mom called Seth into my messy room.

He chuckled, “Your so talented Kura; but no wander you tripped, this place is a mess.”

“Sorry,” I said, “cleaning isn’t really my top priority right now.”

My mom broke in, “Seth, go get me medicine tape an ankle brace from my bag in the den.”

Seth added, “You just carry around the whole hospital around in there, don’t you.”  As he left the room, my mom and I started to giggle.

“Mom, I want to tell you something.”  I breathed.

“Anything my darling.”    She said hesitantly.

“Well…,” I gulped, “the fight with David, the boy at school…was about…”

“Got it!” Seth yelled with heaved breath.  “I ran all the way up the stairs…,” he stopped cold.  I looked over at my mom, who was giving him that, motherly-what-do-you-think-you-are-doing look. 

            Seth quickly handed the supplies to my mom and sprinted out of the room.  “What were you saying honey?” she said, batting her eyes, trying to look apologetic.  I was shocked.  I hadn’t realized that my mouth was gapping open, until my mom started clearing her throat. 

“Oh, sorry.” I said quickly.  “The fight was about David taking on of Mara’s letters.”

            We sat in silence for a few everlasting minutes, until finally my mom said, “Honey, I don’t want you to get mad at me…but, I think that you should stop sending letters to Mara.”