The Fallen One

Chapter Seven

Blake packed my gym bag to the rim with socks, underwear, shorts, jeans and t-shirts. He moves quickly back and forth across the room.

"How long am I staying?" I sit on the edge of my bed.

"As long as it takes" he stuffs my letterman jacket in my gym bag. "...you can't be doing those coping mechanisms here...you'll get us kicked out and we'll have to go back to uncle Wyatt's permanently"

I hold my breath. Those 'coping mechanisms' are the only thing keeping me from losing my mind, right now.

I nod "I know that...I can't help it"

Blake stops what he's doing and sighs.

"I know..."

There's a knock at the door. We both look up to find Gina standing next to uncle Wyatt. He towers over her with his 6'2 height and stands with a long grey trench coat wrapped around his body.

Gina stands in her pink robe and looks worried. I hate seeing her worry.

"Your uncle is here to pick up Chris..." she starts slowly, "Why that is?"

I hold my breath, looking over to Blake.

"He's not feeling well Gina, he just needs some time" Blake explains as zipping up my gym bag and passing it to Uncle Wyatt.

Blake wraps his arms around our mum's brother. "Good seeing you, Blake"

Uncle Wyatt looks over to me and sighs. Pitty in his eyes and sharp brows drawn together.

"Hi, Chris" he greets slowly as Blake pulls me up from my bed and guides me to uncle Wyatt.

"Adios" Gina's eyes sadden, "you come back soon, okay?"

I nod just as we begin to exit the guest house slowly. The night is cold and dark. The clouds are full and grey, suggesting that there may be rain later tonight.

How fitting is it for rain to fall when I feel like shit?

Blake waves us goodbye as I slide into the passenger seat of my uncle's car. We buckle our seatbelts simultaneously and he begins to reverse from the driveway.

The first five minutes is completely silent while I stare down at my interlocked hands.

"Is this what rock bottom feels like?" I ask him slowly, my voice low and shakey.

"I don't know" he shrugs, "How do you feel?"

"High, hung-over, anxious, depressed, lonely, angry," I say simply.

"Yeah...that sounds like rock bottom to me" Uncle Wyatt admits, looking at the dark road ahead.

"I had a panic attack earlier" I admit fearfully, "like I couldn't breathe and everything inside of me hurt...it felt like all my vital organs forgot how to work...I thought I was going to die, man"

He sighs.

"Your mum used to get those," he tells me.

I look over to him with wide eyes. "Really?"

Uncle Wyatt nods slowly.

"She would forget how to breathe...well, at least that's how she used to explain it to us" he explains, "I never understood it but it was always so real to her..."

I drop my gaze back to my shaking hands.

"I'm scared, uncle Wyatt...Of what my future will look like" I sniff. "I had this clear picture in my head...but now Elise is gone and my head has unscrewed itself and I don't know what's happened to my life...or to me"

"You're a kid, Chris...you don't need to figure all that crap out" Uncle Wyatt hushes.

I nod "I'm a kid with a kid..."

"Having a child doesn't make you any less of one" he admits, "it just means that you have some growing up to do...and that includes quitting the drinking and the drugs...Jesus Chris, you're not even eighteen yet"

"I know" I sniff, "I'm sorry"

"Don't be sorry just try to do better...be better" he begs, "and if not for yourself then do it for your baby"

I nod "you're right"

He pulls up in the driveway and we both jump out of the car.

Aunt Cobie is standing by the front door in her red robe. She tightly wraps her arms around me.

"Your bedroom is exactly how you left it" she explains, "I just made your bed, ready to be slept in"

"Thank you" I sniff as walking through the house.

Nostalgia hits me like whiplash as I walk through my childhood home. I hear movement from one of the bedrooms to find my cousin Casey under the blankets in her bed.

When I arrive at my room, I fall back on my bed and hug my sheets as I used to when I was younger and scared.

I just want my parents.

Tears form at that thought.

I pull out my phone and call my mother's cell anxiously.

It rings for a minute and I get her answering machine, as per usual.

I sigh in disappointment.

"Hi, Mum" my voice breaks, "I'm not doing so good...my girlfriend died in labour...I uh told you about her the last time I called...I don't know if you got the message..." I take a long pause, slapping my palm over my forehead, "...Remember when I was a kid and we were at the beach...I was caught in the riptide and couldn't get my head above the water, you saw me and pulled me out...well, it feels kinda like that...only this time, you're not here to save me...and neither is dad...or anyone else...and I don't know what to do...please, call me back...I miss you, mum..." with that I end the call.

I take a deep breath, moving my eyes across my room.

Hugging my pillow close to my body, I began to release loud sobs.

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A/N

Hi all,

This chapter is important as it illustrates Chris and Blake's relationship with their uncle and aunt who raised the boys for most of their lives (as mentioned in The Precious One).

It also shows how deeply the abandonment of his parents has effected Chris - which is something he has denied for most of his life (also heavily explored in The Precious One and other books in the series).

Please let me know what you think of this chapter.

Please VOTE

Thank you

Happy reading!

- Rose xx