If the Suspense Doesn't Kill Us, Something Else Will

Coralline’s POV:

I was still blushing as we made our way down the back streets to the Ways’ house, and I hoped it’d fade before we got there. I couldn’t believe these boys had just raided my underwear draw. I was in-between them as we walked, each of us carrying a bag packed with my things. I wasn’t sure I wanted to live with their family, not knowing any of them but Mikey very well at all, but I figured it was probably for the best. As long as I could borrow their email for a couple of minutes a day to contact my dad, I’d be okay. That and a roof over my head was all I really needed, in the end.

We got there safe and sound, and not one police car had been sighted. It was a worry that they didn’t seem to be patrolling the streets as they said they did. It was always a nice thought, to know you were surrounded by people there to help, but obviously a false one. Mikey’s mum came bursting into the lounge room as soon as we did, and gave Mikey and Gerard each an embarrassingly large kiss on the forehead.

I put my bags down where I’d be sleeping after what felt like hours of talking and decision making. I’d had a choice of the lounge room to sleep, or Gerard’s room. Mikey’s room was too small for 2 people, and apparently it was impossible for him to share a room with Gerard. I sighed as Gerard closed the door behind him and sat down awkwardly at the end of his bed. The lounge room was too empty and scary to be alone in each night. I think Gerard understood. His avoided eye contact was too obvious as he sat there, probably still embarrassed by the talk his mum had with him about the birds and the bees, specifically with regards to me. I’d overheard it.

“Do you snore?” he asked after a moment’s awkward silence.

“Uhh, I don’t think so. Do you?”

“No.” Another silence. “Do you sleepwalk or talk?”

“No. Do you?”

“I’m not sure. Let me know, yeah?”

“Yeah.” I started going through my bags, just for something to do. It was getting pretty late and I was yawning every few minutes, my eyes wanting so badly to close. I wanted to be asleep before those monsters started roaming about. I didn’t want to look like the baby I felt I was in front of Gerard.

My clothes weren’t packed in any order so it took me some time before I found any pyjamas. I turned to ask Gerard to close his eyes, but he already had. He lay on his bed still in his clothes, his hands tucked firmly beneath his cheek. I smiled at how sweet he looked, and wondered what he was really like. Mikey told me he was a little strange, but that he was okay. Everyone was a little strange to Mikey. Though as I looked around at Gerard’s room and all the dark figurines and drawings scattered about, I felt that Mikey was probably right about him. It didn’t have to be a bad thing, of course.

Getting to sleep on the spare mattress on Gerard’s bedroom floor hadn’t been all that hard of a task, but getting back to sleep was proving to be. I’d heard a noise and for what felt like hours, I’d laid there perfectly still just listening, just in case. I knew what the noise had been, and I knew what it had belonged to. I dared not go to that tiny window to confirm what I knew. My hand reached for the back of my neck, sore from sitting up on a weird angle, and wiped away the sweat there. I sat up a little further then to make sure that I wasn’t alone in the room. Gerard was still there, thankfully, with his eyes closed still but no longer in his clothes. I wondered what time he’d woken to change, because it hadn’t been him that’d woken me in the dark.

I felt my cheeks getting wet and realised after a while that I was crying, the sobs breaking through my lips as jagged sounds. I tried to stop them but it was too late, I found, as a hand landed softly on my shoulder from behind.

“Coralline, what’s wrong?” His voice was soothing, and it had me calm down a little. I turned to watch him rub his eyes and check the time, before his gaze was back on me.

“I’m fine, really.”

“You don’t look fine. You don’t sound fine, either.”

“I heard a noise, is all. I get scared by that pretty easily…”

“I think we all do. They can’t get you in here. You’re safe with me, I promise.” His words meant nothing to me, though. My dad had said the same thing to my mum before, well... “Hey come now, don’t cry.”

“I’m sorry,” I spluttered out, and Gerard’s hand found my shoulder again.

“Come here.” He pulled his sheets away and made room for me beside him in his bed, but I hesitated. “Nothing funny, Coralline, just for some comfort.” I got up then and joined him, blushing as his arms wrapped right around me. Thankfully, I was facing the other way. “Now try and get some sleep. It’ll be sunrise before you know it.”

“Thank you.” He was silent after that and I thought he’d fallen asleep, for he hadn’t moved in a while, either. I found, though, that he was still awake as his lips pressed against the back of my neck in the dark. I wondered if he knew I was still awake, and I liked the way it felt. My tears had finally dried up and I was no longer aware of the pounding of my heart, and tranquillity overcame my curled-up form.