Page 75 of Fa-La La-La Land
He “asked” me for my Game Boy. I’d pulled a million weeds for nearly a year to earn the money for it. I’d had it one day—and still had blisters on my hands from the last batch of weeds I’d pulled. I told him no. He tightened his chokehold, sending tears to my eyes.
And I lost it.
Elbowed him in the gut, slipped free, then landed a punch square in his nose. I don’t know how many times after that. I only remember someone hauling me off and Ricky curled up on the ground, blood spurting from his face.
I got suspended for two days, but Mum and Dad didn’t see the justice in that and let me play my Game Boy the whole time.
My throat tightens the same way it did that day. Feels like I’m back in the schoolyard, only this time the headlock’s a record deal. Danny’s voice is calm, but I can hear the threat under it, the same way VibeHouse blokes sound right before they tear you apart.
My vision goes spotty and dark, same as it did when Ricky had me in that headlock. Good thing I’m not in the same room with Danny. I open my mouth to tell him as much, but the dim hallway flickers, then goes completely black.
“Danny? You there?” I say into my mobile, which has gone dark like the hallway and the rest of the house.
No response.
The heater cuts out with a low groan, leaving the house wrapped in cold and silence. Power’s out. We’re really stuck now.
“Stella?” I call while flicking on my mobile’s torch and making my way toward the stairs.
“Rhys?” she calls back.
“I’m here.” I turn the corner, the light hitting her square in the eyes. I angle it away and grab the handrail to take the last few steps.
“Power’s out,” she says.
“Your mum got a generator?”
“Yeah, but it’s out in the shed, and if we’re in for a long power outage, we should wait to use it until we absolutely have to.”
I meet her at the bottom of the stairs, her dark hair and face a shadow in the faint glow. I don’t need to see her eyes to know she’s worried. I can feel it coming off her, jumpy as a wallaby.
“What did Danny say?” she asks.
“He’s seen the video. That’s all I heard before we got cut off.” I drop to the step and rake a hand through my hair. The weight of it all hits me hard. Probably for the best we got cut off. I’d have only dug myself in deeper.
In a weird way, it’s a relief knowing he’s seen it. No more waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now I can focus on what comes next—damage control. Wish I could ring a solicitor, but it is what it is.
At least I’ve got Stella.
“What am I gonna do, La-La?”
She kneels in front of me, resting her hands on my knees. “We’re going to light some candles, build a fire, and make a bed in front of it, because it’s about to get really cold in here.”
I let out a low laugh. “The girl who believes in Santa decides to be practical now?”
Her smile is barely visible in the muted light. “Not entirely. I know where Mom keeps her stash of s’mores stuff. We’re camping out tonight. Tomorrow we’ll figure out what to do about Danny and VibeHouse and generators and whatever other problems pop up.”
I lift my gaze from her mouth to her soft eyes. She threads her fingers through my hair, then cups my face in her hands.
“I’m not falling in love with you, Rhys…”
I flinch as if I’ve been sucker punched, then straighten, ready to pull back.
“I’ve already fallen,” she adds. “And whatever comes next…we’ll get through it together.”
My brain’s still trying to process that when she kisses me. Once softly. Again, with a tug on my bottom lip. Then deepenough that instinct takes over. I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her against my chest.Stella loves me.
But she’s not getting away with that little stunt. I pull back and give her a look. She drops her hands from my neck, frowning slightly.
