Voodoo Doll

When I woke the next morning I realised there was something pressed against my back. There was a cold breeze coming from the open window, which was made worse by the fact I was lying on top of the duvet. It was at that point that whatever was pressed against my back moved causing me to jump.

I looked around to see Michael with his face squished against the wall, fast asleep. I tried not to laugh but he looked so uncomfortable. We must have fallen asleep while watching films.

I’d never shared a bed with a boy before. Unless you counted Alfie, and I didn’t. I knew nothing had happened, but it was still awkward for me. Michael probably wouldn’t think anything of it, but the idea of sharing a bed with Michael was so foreign. Aside from the fact I had no feelings for him, he hated me.

I considered waking him up to thank him for letting me stay here, but then I’d remembered what had happened when I used to wake Alfie up and decided it was best just to let him sleep and thank him later.

I gathered my stuff, careful not to make a noise and padded out of the room, gently pulling the door shut behind me.I was halfway down the stairs when a voice called my name. “Annabell?” I turned around just in time to come face to face with Mrs Clifford.

“Hello.” I smiled, relieved it wasn’t Michael.

“What are you doing dear?” She smiled, meeting me on the stairs, ushering me down.

“I just thought it was best if I went home. I don’t want to intrude any more.” I sighed. I was thankful that they had let me stay here, but it felt rude to stay any longer. I was sure it was an imposition on them and I know Michael wouldn’t want me here much longer if at all.

“Don’t be so silly! We love having you here. I haven’t heard Michael laugh that much in so long. You really bring out the best in him.” She smiled, eying me coyly.

I blushed, dropping my gaze to the floor. “I’m not sure Michael really likes having me here. Thank you for your hospitality though! I should probably try and make things up with my mum though, and the kids are going to need help getting ready for school.”

She nodded in understanding, “Well, our doors are always open to you. Even if Michael is a grouchy bum. You’re always welcome.”

I continued to thank her again before leaving. I was going to make it back just in time to help get the kids ready for school.

I knew my mum was still going to be in a mood. She’d be hungover, if she was even awake at all, and my step dad was going to be at work already. We rarely saw him. I think it had to do with the fact he hated my mother more than Alfie or Lizzy did. He didn’t want to be around her. He could see she was still in love with my dad and I think that hurt him.

“Where were you last night?” Noah asked as I walked in the room.

“I stayed at a friends.” I mumbled.

“But Welly called to ask where you were and she didn’t know and you don’t have any other friends.” I groaned and ignored him.

“Just get dressed please, I have to take you to school.” I didn’t stick around to listen to him complain. Lula was still in bed and it appeared Izzy hadn’t come home last night either. I finally managed to drag Lula out of bed without waking mum up and within half an hour we were ready to go.

I was glad that mum had still been asleep when I got home. I couldn’t face the argument before school. I dropped the kids off and promised that either me or Lizzy would be here to pick them up after school.

Noah was at the age now where all he wanted to do was walk himself home, but it was too far for him to walk alone and one of us still had to pick Lula up anyway.

I was nearly at school when I noticed a car slow down beside me. “Get in loser we’re going shopping!” It was Welly.

“I hope you’re just quoting Mean Girls because I am going to school.” I sighed impatiently.

“Whoa, someones in a bad mood.” She laughed, speeding up as I grabbed the dashboard.

“I just didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” I sighed. I just wanted to go home and sleep. Michael had made me watch more films after the first one finished, and I don’t think I fell asleep till around 4am, but I was awake again at 6 to go home.

“Where even were you last night? You weren’t answering me and then when I finally got off my arse to come find you your mum screamed at me and your brother told me you weren’t home.” She grumbled.

“I just stayed at a friends house.” I mumbled. Not wanting to tell her the truth.

“A friend? Who is this friend?” She asked, pulling up in the school parking lot.

“You don’t know them.” It was probably the stupidest thing I could have said, purely because she knew everyone I knew. We’d been friends for too long for that not to be true. I could tell she wanted to press it, and I knew she would later, but we were running late for school so she dropped it.

I made my way to maths. I wasn’t sure why I’d taken it for A-Level. I hated the subject but my mother had been very insistent about it. When I walked in Michael was already there slouched over his desk sat next to Luke. I tried to say hello, but he just shot me a look that told me not to talk to him.

Maria arrived 30 seconds later, taking her seat next to me. “What’s wrong with him?” She laughed, looking at Michael’s hunched figure, as Luke rambled on about something that Michael clearly had no interest in.

“I think he’s just tired, he didn’t sleep much last night.” I replied, and he looked up to glare at me again.

“Busy night, aye, Michael?” Maria winked.

“Something like that.” He smirked shooting me a look. “More like someone hogging my bed all night.” A yelp managed to escape my mouth before I could stop it and Maria shot me a wide eyed look that begged ‘you didn’t’ I didn’t say anything, but turned to face the front just in time for the lesson to start.

Michael left me alone for most of the lesson and that only served to make things worse. Maria followed me to History, begging me to tell her what he was talking about, and as much as I tried to deny any knowledge she wouldn’t believe me.

“Seriously, do I have to ask Welly?” She asked.

“Ask Welly what?” I groaned, banging my head on my desk as Maria proceeded to tell her about the exchange.

“I seriously doubt it. He hates her, and she’s hardly fond of him. Our baby hasn’t ever had a boyfriend and we all know Annabelle isn’t giving it up to any boy she doesn’t think she’s going to marry.” Welly laughed. I didn’t say a thing for the rest of the lesson. I was a little annoyed that she thought I was so frigid.

I just didn’t want to give it up to someone I was going to regret immediately afterwords.

“Are you coming to the co-op?” Welly asked as we left history but I shook my head. I was going to go to English and show Richens what we had done for the project so far. I needed to know what needed improving and what else there was left to do.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

“There’s this thing called break and you’re meant to take it.” Richens laughed as the door to her room swung open.

“I’m sorry, I can come back later if you want.”

“What is it you want to talk about?” She asked, eying me as I turned to leave.

How much is appropriate to tell a teacher? “It’s nothing.” I mumbled. I wasn’t sure why I even wanted to tell her, she was my teacher, not my friend.

“What’s he done?” She sighed, slamming the door shut to stop me from leaving. So I told her. I told her everything from my mum kicking me out the house last night to what happened in maths.

“You upset him.” She finally stated. “You left this morning without waking him up or thanking him, and it hurt him and then you wouldn’t acknowledge what happened last night and it hurt him.”

“I don’t think so…He doesn’t care about me for me to be able to hurt him.” I was about to say more when the door swung open and in walked Welly with cake.

“I brought us cake, because I feel like it’s cake day. I also booked my next tattoo and I think you should get one too.” Welly blabbered before taking her seat opposite me. She’d had a music lesson last time we had English so she hadn’t been in.

I saw Mrs Richens eyes light up at the idea of cake. “Oh my god I love you!” She practically moaned. I had to bite my lip to stop me from laughing because I knew I wasn’t going to hear the end of it from Welly for weeks.

Eventually the whole class had turned up. Michael’s mood still hadn’t lifted since this morning and when I tried to talk to him he just snapped at me that he didn’t want to hear it.

Somehow we found the conversation drifting onto our favourite films. George was talking about some horror film he had watched the other night. “I’m not a huge fan of horror movies. I don’t like being scared, and people always try and scare you when you watch them.” I grumbled thinking of the time I had watched The Orphan with Welly and when I’d gone to the bathroom she’d turned off all the lights and hid.

“That’s not what you said last night.” Michael piped up. “I definitely remember watching two horror films with you last night. You even said one of them was your favourite. As for being scared you managed to fall asleep quite easily during the second.”

“I…”

“You lied to me?” Welly snapped. “You actually spent the night with him? You slept with him and you let me defend you to Maria?”

I tried to say something but she had stormed out of the room before I even had the chance to explain.

“Thank you Michael. Thank you so very fucking much.”

“I never said we slept together did I? She decided that all on her own. You need better friends mate.” He laughed.

“You’re a very sad, bitter person and I hope to god one day you grow up, and learn you don’t have to be what people expect of you, because the Michael I had dinner with last night, the Michael who let me stay at his after an argument with my mum, that’s the Michael people would like. That Michael is a good, kind, funny person.” I spat angrily before storming off to find Welly.

I tried all her usual spots before going to see if her car was in the car park. It wasn’t. I tried to text her and call her but she just ignored me.

“You just need to give her a chance to calm down.” George’s voice came from behind me. “She’s just angry and I don’t really blame her. Did you really sleep with that twat?” He asked and I felt tears roll down my face.

“No. Of course not. I just ended up falling asleep on his bed. His parents let me stay.”

“You chose to stay at his over hers though…even if you didn’t sleep with him, that’s going to hurt her. Good luck Annabelle, because I have a feeling this is just the beginning of a shit storm that is about to hit your life.”