When A Stranger Calls

Tuesday 25th December 2007 – 03:00am

Sarah looked at me; her eyes spoke a thousand words. She smiled and I suddenly felt a sense of calm. I also felt a sense of empowerment. She bent down before me and heaved Gerard up to standing. He could barely speak. Considering he was so good at being a lunatic; he got scared far too easily. I clambered up to sit on the first step of the stair to steady myself. Gerard had been pushed into the corner of the hall and was in no fit state to move anywhere.

“Gerard; you are one sick fuck!” I stated the obvious, “All this, this time we’ve spent together; it was just an elaborate ruse. I cannot believe you; you seriously need help!” Gerard’s head was slumped to his chest, his shoulders started to shake as he let out small sobs.

“And you pack that in now,” I was sick of feeling sorry for him, “I want you out, and if you dare lay one of those bony, white fingers on Sarah or I ever again, I swear you won’t know what’ll hit you! If I never see you again, it will be eon’s too soon, you get me?”

Cue more sobbing and shuddering from Gerard. I looked up at Sarah and she smiled; you know, one of those ‘you’ll never believe how proud I am of you’ smiles. I stood up and threw my arms around her and practically squeezed the life out of her. I held her in that embrace and knew that nothing would ever come between us again. Every emotion that I could have possibly felt, rushed through my body at that moment and as I loosened my grip ever so slightly, she held me tight right back. She stroked my back and nuzzled her head deeply into my neck. I think I heard her sniff.

“You ok hun?” Her voice broke slightly and I nodded a response into her hair.

“All the better for seeing you sugar!” I exclaimed, “I knew you’d come back, really, I knew.” This statement was more to convince myself than Sarah.

“Well I wouldn’t have been a very good friend if I’d have left you now would I?”

“True,” I agreed, “One thing though hun; what are we going do with him?” I cocked my head to the corner where Gerard was now just a snivelling shadow of his former self.

“Well, I could shoot him, I guess.” He stopped crying at this and shot his head up.

“No, Sarah, please, no; don’t shoot me!” His hands were raised up to his face as if to protect himself; as if his hands would defend him from a bullet. “I’ll do anything, just please don’t kill me!”

“You’re lucky Gerard,” Sarah said jokily, “On this occasion; I have decided to spare your pathetic excuse for a life. You no longer matter to either of us. Now, are you going to leave without a fight or do you want to do this the hard way?”

“I-I guess I’d better leave,” he admitted defeat, “but what are you going to do about all of this afterwards?”

“Nothing Gerard,” Sarah replied simply, “You know what our demands are; you stick to them then good times; you don’t stick to them – well, the shit will really hit the fan; bad times. No go and good riddance to you.”

With that Gerard dragged his hunched form out the front door. We watched him until he had got down to the pavement. He looked back at me with such sadness and even with all the horrible things he had put me, us, through, I still couldn’t forget how lovely he was over the last few days. Just when I thought I’d found a boyfriend and God knows, I never had many of those, it all came crashing down around me. Maybe you sometimes just have to consign yourself to the fact that you were never meant to find true love; that you should just be happy with your lot. I suppose it could be worse; it could be a lot worse.

I felt Sarah’s chin rest on my left shoulder and felt her right hand rest on my right shoulder. We watched Gerard until he turned into a blob at the end of the street. He looked round before he disappeared from sight. A sigh escaped my lips when I felt Sarah whisper into my ear;

“You’ve always got me you know; friends forever eh hun?” she pecked a kiss on my cheek.

“Never a truer word spoken sugar – yes, friends forever!”