Voodoo Doll
Chapter Nine
Luke flopped down on the seat next to me. It was lunch time and I was trying to get the History homework done because I hadn’t had a chance when I got home.
It had been late when Michael and I had finally got back from our trip. We’d stopped for dinner and yet again he’d paid, so by the time we eventually got home I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. He tried to get me to come back to his, and suggested that I could figure things out with my mum tomorrow, but I knew I needed to sort things out. My brother and sisters needed me.
“How did things go with your mum last night?” Michael grunted barely looking up from his food.
“Fine.” I shrugged. “She barely remembered kicking me out.”
“How lovely.” He half laughed. He was being quieter than usual and I wanted to ask why but I figured he’d either reply sarcastically or he’d snap at me and I didn’t really have time for it.
“Yeah. Well, it’s better than still being kicked out.”
“What’s up with that? I mean my mum goes mental at me sometimes but I can never imagine her kicking me out.” Luke mumbled.
“Is she a raging alcoholic?” I shot him a look and he cast his gaze down to his lunch. I hadn’t meant for it to sound so harsh, but I was stressed and I knew I needed to get this done and people were making pointless comments about my family.
“Belle, common, that wasn’t fair and you know it.” Michael snapped.
“You’re right, but you wanna know what else isn’t fair? People judging my family when they don’t understand at all.” I wasn’t mad at Michael and I wasn’t even mad at Luke. I was just mad. I was stressed and I just wanted to get this essay done.
“Oh, would you calm down, I wrote it for you.” Welly rolled her eyes as she flopped down in the last empty space on the bench.
“What?” I asked, looking up from my notebook.
She pulled out a copy of a printed essay, “I wrote it for you. I mean I wrote mine and then I wrote yours. It’s got a couple different paragraphs so don’t worry. It won’t be your best work, but I figured you wouldn’t have done it and I thought it would be nice.” She shrugged and I could feel myself getting emotional. Welly truly was the best friend that anyone could ask for.
“So, are you going to calm down now?” Cal asked, shooting me a small smirk.
“Yes. Sorry.” I smiled. “How have you guys been?” I asked. It was weird hanging out with them, but it had become the norm over the past few days.
“Well, we all had school yesterday, so how do you think? What did you two get up to?” Luke asked, shooting me a smile to let me know we were okay.
“We went to Thorpe park and it was amazing. We should all go at some point, like as a group!” I suggested. I couldn’t remember a time where I’d ever had as much fun.
Everyone nodded in agreement and Ashton even offered to drive us when we had the chance to go. “I like your top.” I motioned to Michael who was wearing a Kurt Cobain top.
“Thanks. I want my other one back, just so you know.” He smirked.
“Oh, I’ll wash it tonight and give it back.” I blushed. Welly was smirking and the rest of the boys were shooting looks between me and Michael, clearly wanting to ask, but the look on Michael’s face told them not to bother.
“So, what do you think about the whole Cobain suicide? Did he kill himself, or was it Courtney?” Ashton asked, breaking the tension.
“How can you even ask that?” I barked. “How could anyone even suggest that she would do that to him?”
“I mean, there is some evidence that suggests…” Michael started, but I stopped him.
“No. Kurt said from a young age that he was going to die young and did you read the note? He did it. As for her, she loved him and still does. She’s a shitty person and a shitty mother and she was probably a shitty partner, but she loved him. An idiot can see that.” I rambled.
“Yeah. I try not to get her started on this topic, she has a lot to say about it.” Welly laughed as the boys looked slightly taken aback.
“Okay, next topic…” Calum laughed.
“I have to go actually, I have a detention.” Michael grumbled, dragging himself from his seat.
“Richens wants to see me and Ashton here has a drum lesson.” Welly stood, followed by Ashton.
“You make it sound like I’m the one learning!” He huffed. From what I had learnt about Ashton he was a kind person. He was teaching some of the younger kids how to play drums for free in his lunch hour a couple of days a week.
“See you later!” I beamed as the three of them skulked off. “Okay. I have a quick question for you two.” I grinned, facing Calum and Luke. “How do I make things up to Michael?”
“What do you mean?” Luke asked, clearly confused. “You haven’t upset him have you?”
“You’re a doofus, you know that right?” Calum laughed at his friend.
“No, I mean…the past few days he’s done so much for me by letting me stay and then he spent like £200 by taking me out yesterday and he hasn’t asked for anything in return and I feel bad and I feel like I should buy him something in return!” I explained.
“Annabelle, from what I can tell Michael is just trying to make things up to you. He’s treated you like crap for four years and now he is trying to make things right with you, you don’t have to repay him for any of it. Just let him know he’s forgiven, if you’ve forgiven him of course.” Luke explained.
“He’s trying to make things right with you, and you just have to let him.” Calum agreed. “Though, that being said…All Time Low are playing Birmingham in a few weeks and he hasn’t got tickets yet.” I felt my stomach flip. What a great way to make it up to him, as well as the fact I would get to see my favourite band.
“Done. He doesn’t have to make it up to me you know, I don’t feel like he’s done anything wrong. Sure, he was kinda mean, but he’s sorry and that’s enough for me.” I grinned.
We spent the rest of lunch chatting about bands and all the bands we’d seen and wanted to see. “Why don’t we all go see All Time Low?” I suggested as lunch drew to a close.
“I think it should be just you and Michael.” Luke suggested, much to Calum’s dismay. “It’s your thank you too him, and we shouldn’t gate crash that.” He smirked, shooting Calum a look that I figured meant ‘I’ll explain later’.
“Okay, well I’ll see you guys later.” I beamed and headed for tutor. I opened my phone up to gigsandtours and bought a pair of tickets to ATL. I couldn’t really afford it, but I owed it to Michael and plus, I was really excited too.
It had been late when Michael and I had finally got back from our trip. We’d stopped for dinner and yet again he’d paid, so by the time we eventually got home I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. He tried to get me to come back to his, and suggested that I could figure things out with my mum tomorrow, but I knew I needed to sort things out. My brother and sisters needed me.
“How did things go with your mum last night?” Michael grunted barely looking up from his food.
“Fine.” I shrugged. “She barely remembered kicking me out.”
“How lovely.” He half laughed. He was being quieter than usual and I wanted to ask why but I figured he’d either reply sarcastically or he’d snap at me and I didn’t really have time for it.
“Yeah. Well, it’s better than still being kicked out.”
“What’s up with that? I mean my mum goes mental at me sometimes but I can never imagine her kicking me out.” Luke mumbled.
“Is she a raging alcoholic?” I shot him a look and he cast his gaze down to his lunch. I hadn’t meant for it to sound so harsh, but I was stressed and I knew I needed to get this done and people were making pointless comments about my family.
“Belle, common, that wasn’t fair and you know it.” Michael snapped.
“You’re right, but you wanna know what else isn’t fair? People judging my family when they don’t understand at all.” I wasn’t mad at Michael and I wasn’t even mad at Luke. I was just mad. I was stressed and I just wanted to get this essay done.
“Oh, would you calm down, I wrote it for you.” Welly rolled her eyes as she flopped down in the last empty space on the bench.
“What?” I asked, looking up from my notebook.
She pulled out a copy of a printed essay, “I wrote it for you. I mean I wrote mine and then I wrote yours. It’s got a couple different paragraphs so don’t worry. It won’t be your best work, but I figured you wouldn’t have done it and I thought it would be nice.” She shrugged and I could feel myself getting emotional. Welly truly was the best friend that anyone could ask for.
“So, are you going to calm down now?” Cal asked, shooting me a small smirk.
“Yes. Sorry.” I smiled. “How have you guys been?” I asked. It was weird hanging out with them, but it had become the norm over the past few days.
“Well, we all had school yesterday, so how do you think? What did you two get up to?” Luke asked, shooting me a smile to let me know we were okay.
“We went to Thorpe park and it was amazing. We should all go at some point, like as a group!” I suggested. I couldn’t remember a time where I’d ever had as much fun.
Everyone nodded in agreement and Ashton even offered to drive us when we had the chance to go. “I like your top.” I motioned to Michael who was wearing a Kurt Cobain top.
“Thanks. I want my other one back, just so you know.” He smirked.
“Oh, I’ll wash it tonight and give it back.” I blushed. Welly was smirking and the rest of the boys were shooting looks between me and Michael, clearly wanting to ask, but the look on Michael’s face told them not to bother.
“So, what do you think about the whole Cobain suicide? Did he kill himself, or was it Courtney?” Ashton asked, breaking the tension.
“How can you even ask that?” I barked. “How could anyone even suggest that she would do that to him?”
“I mean, there is some evidence that suggests…” Michael started, but I stopped him.
“No. Kurt said from a young age that he was going to die young and did you read the note? He did it. As for her, she loved him and still does. She’s a shitty person and a shitty mother and she was probably a shitty partner, but she loved him. An idiot can see that.” I rambled.
“Yeah. I try not to get her started on this topic, she has a lot to say about it.” Welly laughed as the boys looked slightly taken aback.
“Okay, next topic…” Calum laughed.
“I have to go actually, I have a detention.” Michael grumbled, dragging himself from his seat.
“Richens wants to see me and Ashton here has a drum lesson.” Welly stood, followed by Ashton.
“You make it sound like I’m the one learning!” He huffed. From what I had learnt about Ashton he was a kind person. He was teaching some of the younger kids how to play drums for free in his lunch hour a couple of days a week.
“See you later!” I beamed as the three of them skulked off. “Okay. I have a quick question for you two.” I grinned, facing Calum and Luke. “How do I make things up to Michael?”
“What do you mean?” Luke asked, clearly confused. “You haven’t upset him have you?”
“You’re a doofus, you know that right?” Calum laughed at his friend.
“No, I mean…the past few days he’s done so much for me by letting me stay and then he spent like £200 by taking me out yesterday and he hasn’t asked for anything in return and I feel bad and I feel like I should buy him something in return!” I explained.
“Annabelle, from what I can tell Michael is just trying to make things up to you. He’s treated you like crap for four years and now he is trying to make things right with you, you don’t have to repay him for any of it. Just let him know he’s forgiven, if you’ve forgiven him of course.” Luke explained.
“He’s trying to make things right with you, and you just have to let him.” Calum agreed. “Though, that being said…All Time Low are playing Birmingham in a few weeks and he hasn’t got tickets yet.” I felt my stomach flip. What a great way to make it up to him, as well as the fact I would get to see my favourite band.
“Done. He doesn’t have to make it up to me you know, I don’t feel like he’s done anything wrong. Sure, he was kinda mean, but he’s sorry and that’s enough for me.” I grinned.
We spent the rest of lunch chatting about bands and all the bands we’d seen and wanted to see. “Why don’t we all go see All Time Low?” I suggested as lunch drew to a close.
“I think it should be just you and Michael.” Luke suggested, much to Calum’s dismay. “It’s your thank you too him, and we shouldn’t gate crash that.” He smirked, shooting Calum a look that I figured meant ‘I’ll explain later’.
“Okay, well I’ll see you guys later.” I beamed and headed for tutor. I opened my phone up to gigsandtours and bought a pair of tickets to ATL. I couldn’t really afford it, but I owed it to Michael and plus, I was really excited too.