White Roses Fade to Black
Little Bit of Love Goes a Long Way
David gasped. Lucie’s forearm was littered with deep cuts and huge bruises. He pulled back the duvet and lifted her shirt slowly and slightly. With the sight that met his eyes, he just wanted to throw up. She was covered in bruises, some looking ancient, others looking too recent.
“Oh Lucie. Why didn’t you tell me?” David asked quietly, tears starting to run down his face.
The bruises, he couldn’t work out. But he recognised the cuts; they were similar to the ones Mike used to have on his forearms. He sighed.
“God Lucie. I wish you’d told me. I could have helped. I love you so much…” he whispered, putting his head in his hands.
“I love you too, David… I just… I couldn’t tell anyone. Even Lesley doesn’t know,” Lucie mumbled.
David looked round, shocked, and Lucie sat up and hugged him. He wrapped his arms round her waist and pulled her close; closer than ever.
“I should have told you. I love you so much, I knew I could trust you. But… the bruises,” she trailed off, looking at the floor, her head still on David’s chest.
David blinked.
“What about the bruises?” he asked.
Lucie sniffed and looked up at him. She rolled up her top slightly, and then lifted her skirt a little. David gasped, as the skin she showed him was covered in contusions and bumps.
“Who did this to you?” David asked, pulling her close.
“Mom and dad…” Lucie whispered.
David held onto her tighter. She knew how he felt. His dad beat them every night before bed, but not like this. David, Calum and Mike came to school with the occasional black eye and nasty bruise.
“I know how you feel… my dad…” David choked on his words.
Lucie just nodded and buried her face in David’s chest. She took a deep breath, David’s cologne invading her senses. David suppressed his head into the crook of Lucie’s neck and inhaled her sweet scent she naturally had.
“Fuck the rents. When I’m with you, nothing else matters,” Lucie muttered, raising her head slightly, her eyes still closed.
Her lips found his. Oh God how long they’d been waiting for this moment. Better late than never; but it almost seemed as if it had come all too early. Lucie pulled away and put her head back on David’s chest. He propped his head on top of hers and rubbed her back and closed his eyes, not quite believing what had just happened.
“Ditto. I love you so damn much, Lucie,” David smiled, kissing the top of her head.
Lucie smiled to herself, proud for once in her life; happy for the first time since Mike had been around. Nothing could be more perfect. All that mattered at this second was her, David and this tiny space in time…
*
Lesley ran as fast and as far as she could, until she collapsed out of exhaustion. Her eyes and nose were running terribly, but she just wiped them on her sleeve. Red streaks appeared and she knew she was having a nosebleed. As if anything else could go wrong, as if today could get any worse. Lesley’s eyes burned, but the tears kept coming and coming.
“Oh Mike, why’d you leave us? I can’t take this. I’ve fucked up with Lucie, and I… I’m in love with your brother,” she cried.
The tears flowed faster, and the blood thickened and scabbed inside her nose. Lesley rubbed her red, sore eyes. Life sucked right about now. Alls Lesley wanted to do was die. She’d lost her best friend, because of some stupid outburst.
“Curse Green Day’s terribly catchy lyrics. It’s all my fault. Mike wouldn’t have killed himself if it wasn’t for me. He’d still be here. He’d still be with me. No-one really wants me here, anyway,” she whispered.
A cold wind blew past her and she shivered. Then she suddenly realized how alone she really was…
*
Calum couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t bare the thought of Lesley being out in the middle of nowhere, cold and alone. Plus, he wasn’t in his brothers good books, and he wasn’t sure Lucie was so happy with him either.
“Guys I’m going out!” Calum yelled up the stairs.
When they didn’t answer, he shrugged and ran out, pulling his jacket with him. He ran as far and fast as possible, until he saw a solitary figure sat on her own.
“Lesley, come on. Lucie will forgive you,” Calum said, sitting next to her and wrapping an arm round her.
She shrugged him off and nodded. They walked home slowly.
“Oh Lucie. Why didn’t you tell me?” David asked quietly, tears starting to run down his face.
The bruises, he couldn’t work out. But he recognised the cuts; they were similar to the ones Mike used to have on his forearms. He sighed.
“God Lucie. I wish you’d told me. I could have helped. I love you so much…” he whispered, putting his head in his hands.
“I love you too, David… I just… I couldn’t tell anyone. Even Lesley doesn’t know,” Lucie mumbled.
David looked round, shocked, and Lucie sat up and hugged him. He wrapped his arms round her waist and pulled her close; closer than ever.
“I should have told you. I love you so much, I knew I could trust you. But… the bruises,” she trailed off, looking at the floor, her head still on David’s chest.
David blinked.
“What about the bruises?” he asked.
Lucie sniffed and looked up at him. She rolled up her top slightly, and then lifted her skirt a little. David gasped, as the skin she showed him was covered in contusions and bumps.
“Who did this to you?” David asked, pulling her close.
“Mom and dad…” Lucie whispered.
David held onto her tighter. She knew how he felt. His dad beat them every night before bed, but not like this. David, Calum and Mike came to school with the occasional black eye and nasty bruise.
“I know how you feel… my dad…” David choked on his words.
Lucie just nodded and buried her face in David’s chest. She took a deep breath, David’s cologne invading her senses. David suppressed his head into the crook of Lucie’s neck and inhaled her sweet scent she naturally had.
“Fuck the rents. When I’m with you, nothing else matters,” Lucie muttered, raising her head slightly, her eyes still closed.
Her lips found his. Oh God how long they’d been waiting for this moment. Better late than never; but it almost seemed as if it had come all too early. Lucie pulled away and put her head back on David’s chest. He propped his head on top of hers and rubbed her back and closed his eyes, not quite believing what had just happened.
“Ditto. I love you so damn much, Lucie,” David smiled, kissing the top of her head.
Lucie smiled to herself, proud for once in her life; happy for the first time since Mike had been around. Nothing could be more perfect. All that mattered at this second was her, David and this tiny space in time…
*
Lesley ran as fast and as far as she could, until she collapsed out of exhaustion. Her eyes and nose were running terribly, but she just wiped them on her sleeve. Red streaks appeared and she knew she was having a nosebleed. As if anything else could go wrong, as if today could get any worse. Lesley’s eyes burned, but the tears kept coming and coming.
“Oh Mike, why’d you leave us? I can’t take this. I’ve fucked up with Lucie, and I… I’m in love with your brother,” she cried.
The tears flowed faster, and the blood thickened and scabbed inside her nose. Lesley rubbed her red, sore eyes. Life sucked right about now. Alls Lesley wanted to do was die. She’d lost her best friend, because of some stupid outburst.
“Curse Green Day’s terribly catchy lyrics. It’s all my fault. Mike wouldn’t have killed himself if it wasn’t for me. He’d still be here. He’d still be with me. No-one really wants me here, anyway,” she whispered.
A cold wind blew past her and she shivered. Then she suddenly realized how alone she really was…
*
Calum couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t bare the thought of Lesley being out in the middle of nowhere, cold and alone. Plus, he wasn’t in his brothers good books, and he wasn’t sure Lucie was so happy with him either.
“Guys I’m going out!” Calum yelled up the stairs.
When they didn’t answer, he shrugged and ran out, pulling his jacket with him. He ran as far and fast as possible, until he saw a solitary figure sat on her own.
“Lesley, come on. Lucie will forgive you,” Calum said, sitting next to her and wrapping an arm round her.
She shrugged him off and nodded. They walked home slowly.