A Bat out of Hell

I suppose the best place to start this story would probably be the day that Joe killed Nick Hume’s son. But that would be kind of boring for me, because at that point I was lying on my bed listening to some Buddy Holly record. I could also start by telling you about my past, but I can’t really be arsed. It’s too complicated anyhow. Just know this; I’m fifteen, have the world’s most stupid name and am probably the youngest female in the entire neighbourhood with a gun. I’m also Billy Darley’s cousin.

Anyway I’m going to start by telling you about the day I met Nick Hume in the grocery store. I suppose you couldn’t really say that I met him in the store, see I was being a bit immature, dancing up and down the vegetable isle, and I kind of danced right into him. The weird thing was, he didn’t notice. He just kept walking as if he hadn’t even seen me. And then I noticed that I had knocked his credit card out of his hand and it was lying like right in the middle of the floor. I wouldn’t have said anything, only he looked so depressed that I figured he was probably so broke that nicking his card might be a bit harsh. So I picked it up and danced right after him.

“Hey mister,” I sort of shouted. I don’t like shouting in public, it draws so much attention. Not that dancing round the store doesn’t.

He obviously didn’t realize that I was talking to him because he kept on walking, so I ran after him and grabbed his arm just as he neared the checkout.

“Hey, mister,” I said again. “You dropped this.” I held out the card. He looked at me for a moment, as if he was wondering why I was giving him back his credit card. “It’s yours,” I explained, in case he didn’t realize. He took the card and stared at it. “You wouldn’t want to get to the counter and then realize that you didn’t have it, hey?” I was starting to blab a little. I always do that when I’m talking to someone I don’t know. Billy tells me that I just blab in general, but I think it’s only if I’m nervous or I’m talking to someone I don’t know. I get nervous quite a lot.

“Thanks,” said Nick, only I didn’t know it was Nick then.

I sort of shrugged and then made to leave.

“Wait,” he said as I began to back away. “Do you need a lift home or something?” I guess he must have thought I was too young to be shopping late at night. See, I’m quite small for fifteen and people often think I’m really young. Once I was just walking along the street and this policeman came up to me and was like; “Are you lost ?” as if I was some kindergarten kid or something. I told him the hell I wasn’t and that it was hard to get lost in you own neighbourhood and then walked off laughing. His expression was pretty funny.

“No, I’m good,” I said to Nick and then quickly paid for my stuff. I wanted to get out quick and get home because it wasn’t really very clever to go home late in my neighbourhood. I was also starting to worry about Nick. It’s not that I was worried about all that ‘don’t talk to strangers’ bull they give you at school. He just looked so depressed. Depressed people make me nervous. I mean they can be so unpredictable. One minute they’re fine and the next they’re like suicidal.

I grabbed my bags and dashed out of the shop, only I just so happened to come out at the same time as Nick and I ended up sort of walking right next to him.

“What you doing out so late anyway?” he asked after a really awkward silence. I was a little annoyed when he asked this because I’m like nearly an adult and it felt a bit condescending.

“Grocery shopping,” I answered, slightly sarcastically.

He looked at me hard, as if he was trying to work out my age. “At this time of night?”

“I forgot about it until now,” I admitted. That wasn’t exactly the truth. I just couldn’t be bothered, and then I started watching Edward Scissorhands and I got so caught up in the movie that I didn’t realize until late that I still had shopping to do.

There was another awkward pause. “What’s your name?” asked Nick.

I groaned silently. Everyone always asks that question and then I have to go through the embarrassing procedures of telling them my name. “Ummm…”

“You forgot your name?” He laughed and I assumed that he must have made some kind of joke. “What do–”

“Oh look, there’s my ride,” I interrupted quickly, glimpsing Billy’s car at the end of the street and almost sighing with relief.

He turned and then looked really shocked. “But that’s–” He broke off.

I didn’t have time to think about what he was going to say because I knew that unless I did something, Billy would drive straight past without bothering to stop. I knew he wouldn’t exactly be pleased that I had flagged him down but it was better than having to keep on talking to Nick. He was starting to creep me out.

I ran out onto the road and covered my ears as Billy brakes screeched. He really wasn’t going to be happy. The car stopped about a foot away from me and I heard the window roll down.

“LIGHTNING, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?”

Oh shit. He was sober.

I kind of jumped over the bonnet and pulled the door open. “Bye,” I shouted to Nick hoping that he wasn’t feeling too disturbed and then I threw myself into the passenger seat. “Let’s go!”

Billy was swearing so loudly that I don’t think he heard me, but he hit the gas anyway. And even then it was like a whole five minutes before he stopped shouting at me and telling me how much of a jerk I was, but hey, I got a ride home, so it was worth it.

But when he finally cooled down, the car was a little too silent. If there’s one thing that really makes me nervous, it’s silence, so I flicked the radio on. Quick as a flash, Billy flicked it back off again. He can move pretty fast if he wants to. The truth was I was feeling pretty pissed off from being shouted at, so I started humming, just to annoy Billy. He ignored me, trying to make out that he didn’t give a damn so I started to sing a little bit louder.

“Something strange…in your neighbourhood...who you gonna call?...”

“Lightning, shut up.”

“Ghostbusters!”

He cuffed me on the back of the head and I shut up. It really hurts if Billy cuffs you on the back of the head. But I was still pissed off, so after a moment’s thought I put my feet on the dashboard and slouched down in my seat.

“Lightning, take your goddamn feet off my fucking dashboard.”

“Why?”

“Why the fuck do you think?”

I took my feet away. “Someone’s in a bad mood.”

“Lighting if you can’t keep your mouth shut for the next five minutes then I will personally shut it for you.”

I shut my mouth and started humming again.

“Lightning!”

But I was too annoyed to hear the warning so I started singing real loud. It was that Buddy Holly song ‘Peggy Sue’ and as I sung it I kept leaning towards him like I was in love with him or something. It was actually quite funny and I could tell that it was really annoying Billy.

“Lightning, shut the fuck up!”

“Oh well I love you gal, yes I love you Peggy Sue–”

And then he really hit me. I knew he would and to tell the truth I wanted him to. The pain would take my mind off things, stop me feeling quite so messed up. Doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt though. And I’ve found through experience that bruises on your jaw take forever to go away.

I clutched my chin and gritted my teeth, tears stinging in my eyes. Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t have wound him up. It was too late now though.

We continued the journey in silence and I was glad when we reached Bones’ Body Shop. See there really wasn’t room at Billy’s for me, so I slept in a room above the shop. It’s a pretty crappy lot, but I suppose I should just be grateful that they were keeping me at all. I think the only reason I’m still alive is because Billy doesn’t have the heart to ditch a kid. Anyway, I sometimes prove useful to the gang.

I jumped out of the car the moment it stopped and ran inside without saying goodbye to Billy. The car pulled away in the same manner. I gave him the finger when he was gone though. His punch hurt more than I had let on and there is something very satisfactory about cursing someone behind their back. At least I think so.