Status: Sorry to leave you hanging guys! The keyboard on my laptop is malfunctioning.
Stop Pretending That You're Sorry
62
He should’ve reacted by now. Tucci should have reacted to the fact that his history teacher was currently in an overturned car. But he didn’t. He could definitely see the driver from his current position, so why wasn’t he reacting?
Unless…
Curiosity got the better of me. I clambered out of the car and walked towards the flipped BMW. Everything was moving in slow motion around me. I could faintly hear Tucci calling out, “Are you okay? Can you hear me?”. It wasn’t directed at me. It was directed at whoever was in the car. I was beginning to suspect it wasn’t John as I had originally thought.
I was right. As I approached the vehicle, I caught a shock of short red hair on top of a round face, almost like a pixie. There was blood dripping down he left cheek from her temple. Cayleigh. She wasn’t moving. I couldn’t even tell if she was breathing from where I stood. Tucci was crouch down next to her, his hand reaching through the broken window despite the shards of glass to check her pulse.
“Regan call an ambulance,” He said, shifting his position slightly to get a better feel on Cayleigh’s neck.
My hands were shaking so badly that I dropped my phone. I’d managed to dial 911 somehow before it hit the pavement. But I couldn’t take it. As I looked at Cayleigh’s peaceful face I thoughts of Dawn, Julia’s handicapped mother, forced their way into my mind. This is exactly what had happened to Dawn. The thought of Cayleigh like that made me feel sick.
I turned on my heel and ran for it.
“REGAN! WHAT THE FUCK?” Tucci screamed after me.
I didn’t look back, I just kept running. Past the Crown Vic, back down the side streets. My lungs burned and my calves felt numb, but I kept running. I had to keep running.
Don’t look back. Just run.
I didn’t stop until I passed by a slumped over man on a bench. The same bench where I’d told John about the baby.
“Mr. Harrington,” I whispered, taking the seat next to him.
“wha… d’ya wan…?” He slurred.
“It’s me John, it’s Regan.”
“I know,” He said, grinning up at me with a sloppy smile.
He reeked of some strong liquor. Bourbon or Whiskey if I had to guess.
“C’mon, let’s get you somewhere to sleep this off.” I couldn’t take him home. I couldn’t face Max knowing what happened to Cayleigh. I also didn’t know how John would react.
I knew one place I could take him. A safe place that I trusted.
We got to our feet, well I pulled John up anyway. And we slowly made our way, with him leaning the majority of his weight on me as we staggered along. Thank god she lived close by, thought I was still terrified of her reaction when I showed up on her front step with our drunk history teacher clinging to my side.
Tentatively I reached out to knock on the door. It felt like only seconds until she answered.
“Regan?” She tilted her head to one side. “Is that Mr. H?”
“Look, Katie, I can explain, just please let him stay here for the night. I’ve got nowhere else to take him.”
Unless…
Curiosity got the better of me. I clambered out of the car and walked towards the flipped BMW. Everything was moving in slow motion around me. I could faintly hear Tucci calling out, “Are you okay? Can you hear me?”. It wasn’t directed at me. It was directed at whoever was in the car. I was beginning to suspect it wasn’t John as I had originally thought.
I was right. As I approached the vehicle, I caught a shock of short red hair on top of a round face, almost like a pixie. There was blood dripping down he left cheek from her temple. Cayleigh. She wasn’t moving. I couldn’t even tell if she was breathing from where I stood. Tucci was crouch down next to her, his hand reaching through the broken window despite the shards of glass to check her pulse.
“Regan call an ambulance,” He said, shifting his position slightly to get a better feel on Cayleigh’s neck.
My hands were shaking so badly that I dropped my phone. I’d managed to dial 911 somehow before it hit the pavement. But I couldn’t take it. As I looked at Cayleigh’s peaceful face I thoughts of Dawn, Julia’s handicapped mother, forced their way into my mind. This is exactly what had happened to Dawn. The thought of Cayleigh like that made me feel sick.
I turned on my heel and ran for it.
“REGAN! WHAT THE FUCK?” Tucci screamed after me.
I didn’t look back, I just kept running. Past the Crown Vic, back down the side streets. My lungs burned and my calves felt numb, but I kept running. I had to keep running.
Don’t look back. Just run.
I didn’t stop until I passed by a slumped over man on a bench. The same bench where I’d told John about the baby.
“Mr. Harrington,” I whispered, taking the seat next to him.
“wha… d’ya wan…?” He slurred.
“It’s me John, it’s Regan.”
“I know,” He said, grinning up at me with a sloppy smile.
He reeked of some strong liquor. Bourbon or Whiskey if I had to guess.
“C’mon, let’s get you somewhere to sleep this off.” I couldn’t take him home. I couldn’t face Max knowing what happened to Cayleigh. I also didn’t know how John would react.
I knew one place I could take him. A safe place that I trusted.
We got to our feet, well I pulled John up anyway. And we slowly made our way, with him leaning the majority of his weight on me as we staggered along. Thank god she lived close by, thought I was still terrified of her reaction when I showed up on her front step with our drunk history teacher clinging to my side.
Tentatively I reached out to knock on the door. It felt like only seconds until she answered.
“Regan?” She tilted her head to one side. “Is that Mr. H?”
“Look, Katie, I can explain, just please let him stay here for the night. I’ve got nowhere else to take him.”
♠ ♠ ♠
I am so sorry for yet another delay. My computer got a fucking virus or some shit. I spent hours on the phone with the Apple technical support helpline and I finally got it fixed and then an hour later it stopped working again. But now I've got it up and running.