The Cure

Chapter 6: I'm not a stalker...

It's been five days since I saw him and I haven't stopped thinking about him since. At work, when I am meant to be reading, I just sit there thinking of different possible ways he innocently became covered in someone else's blood but unfortunatley, I have nothing. How can he come out of this is as the victim? 
When I haven't been thinking through the possibilities, I have been getting to know Sophie and Tim better. It turns out that Tim has worked there for almost a year and they keep telling him he is too good to lose but not good enough to offer a better job. Sophie on the other hand is being moved up in a few months. I have also spoken to Brian but he isn't very talkative, so we haven't gotten very far.
I phoned my mom and spoke to Ollie, telling them how good the job is and how I'm loving living with Steph. Apparently, Ollie left for University yesterday, so mom is alone. As much as that upsets me, I know that in a couple of weeks, I plan to go home and spend some time with her as I have time off work. 
Tonight, Steph has invited Kelly over for a girls night, so we can watch moves and eat shit food. I shouldn't use them, but tonight I'm hoping to find out more about Nathan, since they have known him longer than I have. I just want to know more about his past, to see whether he is the good kind or not. So far, I think he isn't but I know that I might be wrong and I don't agree with judging people before you get to know them. 
I walk into the flat and slam the door, letting Steph know that I'm home. Steph doesn't work, since she has money saved for her from a deceased family member. I haven't told her about Monday, since he told me not to, but I want to. It's hard keeping a secret like this to yourself, especially when the person you want to tell might know something helpful. 
I go to my room and change into my pyjamas, removing my make-up and tying my hair up in a loose bun. I leave my room and just as I enter the kitchen, the door knocks, signalling Kelly's arrival.
"Kelly is here!" I call to Steph and open the door, revealing Kelly, with a huge bag in her hand.
"Hey!" She greets, wrapping her one free arm around my neck. I hug her back and then lead her inside, shutting the door.
When everyone has said hello, Kelly goes to change into her pyjamas and  get the food from the kitchen. Steph has insisted that tonight is 'fright night', so she has chosen the scary movies to watch. Of course, I hate scary movies, so I know I will be behind a pillow most of the night. I take the popcorn and crisps into the living room as Kelly sits down. I look over to talk to her, when I see something strange on her arm. I nudge Steph discreetly, and point to Kelly's arm without her seeing.
Steph looks confused and shocked, so she does what she does best and speaks her mind.
"What happened to your shoulder?" She asks, causing Kelly to look at the large, blue and purple mark on her skin. She instantly attempts to cover it suspiciously, erupting in nervous laughter.
"Oh that, I fell over this morning," she says but when Steph looks at me, it is clear neither of us believe her. I look at the mark on her shoulder, studying it. How do you fall over on your shoulder? 
"How did you fall on your shoulder?" I ask, not meaning to be rude. She looks uneasy but replies fast, too fast.
"I slipped on the last few steps of the stairs, you know how clumsy I am," she replies, waving her hand as if to dismiss the conversation. Not wanting to push it, I just nod."James is having a party tomorrow night, are you up for it?" Kelly asks and Steph nods. They look at me and I nod, only because I know that Nathan will be there and if I find out anything tonight, I can use it against him tomorrow. 
I want to bring him up, but how do you do that? How do you find out information about someone without anyone thinking you're some kind of stalker? I'm not a stalker...I'm not. 
"Who's going?" I ask, hoping they will reply the way I need them to.
"Urrm, the people we know are Kyle, Casey, Nathan and obviously James," Kelly replies. Perfect.
"What's with Nathan?" I ask, trying to sound casual.
"What do you mean?" Steph asks.
"He is so strange, is there something wrong with him?" Steph shakes her head and so does Kelly, but only Steph answers.
"No, he's really nice when you get to know him, he had a bad childhood though." I look at her with a confused expression, so she elaborates. 
"When he was younger, his parents got really ill and when he was fifteen, they died. He had looked after them for two years, so he was alone. He went a little off the rails and started to street fight until he became friends with Kyle and James and the rest of their friends, and they helped him out. Kyle became like a brother to him. They gave him a job and a home, so he became part of the family," she concludes and the only part of that whole explanation that could help is the street fighting.
"Was he a good street fighter?" I ask, hoping they don't notice the desperation in my voice. 
"Yeah, he was fucking briliant! He would come out of them without a mark on him. According to Kyle, he was unbeatable, everyone wouldshit themselves when he walked over," she laughs and I immediatley breathe a sigh of relief. Even though it isn't good that he might fight, I would prefer that to being a murderer or one of my other absurd theories. Maybe he was in a fight, that isn't so bad.
"Why did you want to know?" Why did she have to ask the question I have no answer to?
"Urmm, I just wondered," I reply, sounding stupid. Thankfully, she just shrugs and turns her attention to the movies.
"Did you hear about Casey?" Kelly asks and both me and Steph shake our heads. "She was about to go upstairs with this new kid, when another man came over and thanked her for ruining his relationship by scratching his back, the kid just left her," she explaines, giggling at her own story, but isn't funny, not to me and Steph. It was Casey?
"Did that guy that go up to her happen to be tanned with dark brown hair and tattoos and piercings on his neck," Steph asks, getting redder by the second.
 "He had them on the back of his neck, but I only saw him from behind, James told me what he said, why?" Kelly asks and I just look at her, praying that she catches on. Then, I see it click, and when I look at Steph, she explodes.
"THAT FUCKING BITCH!" She shouts, standing up and pacing. "I'LL KILL HER," she says and I stand up next to her, trying to sit her down.
"Why would Matt do that?" Kelly asks, still a bit slow.
"Why would matt do that? Why the fuck would Casey do that to me? What a fucking slut," Steph rants and I cringe as she starts to mumble disgusting, vile things that I don't want to repeat. I don't think I will ever get used to the way she talks. 
"Just talk to her about it, don't jump to conclusions yet," I try and reason but Steph just shakes her head.
"She knew about us, why would she do that behind my back? I though she was meant to be my friend," she says and I see tears forming in her eyes.
"You don't know the full story yet, just wait until you know everything, it could be a misunderstanding." Steph nods and sinks into her pillow, pulling a blanket over her. I have never seen her so upset, not even when she broke up with him, I mean Matt. 
"It'll be okay in the end," I say and she smiles at me and then, randomly she hugs me.
"Thank you," she says, sniffling.
"It's okay." As we settle down to watch the films, I think about how much shit Casey is when she runs into Steph tomorrow and how I much I might enjoy watching. 

What do you think?