Page 110 of You Had Me At Thirteen

She smiles. ‘I love you too, muffin. Now help me get this shopping put away.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

Mum and Deb are right. I have to fight for us, or I’ll always regret it. Wren has shown me he’s nothing like my dad. And I threw it in his face. Even when I didn’t win, he still looked at me like I was the most amazing person in the world. I’m not sure how to make it up to him, but I have to try.

Wren is the most stubborn prick I’ve ever met, but he can also be the most caring, most passionate. It’s extreme with him. Whiplash doesn’t even come close.

But I’m his. He has all of me.

My heart.

My body.

My goddamn soul.

FORTY-EIGHT

Matilda

* * *

An ambulance sits in the driveway of Wren’s house. It’s been a regular occurrence over the past few weeks when Deb takes a turn. An ambulance shows up, takes her to hospital, then brings her back once things have settled.

Two paramedics get out, taking the gurney with them.

What the fuck? This isn’t the usual procedure. The gurney means…

Deb…

I’m still in my pyjamas so I rummage through my wardrobe to find something decent to put on, finding a pair of white cotton shorts and a black tank top. It takes me seconds to change, and then I’m sprinting out the front door towards Wren’s house.

Reaching the front porch, I lunge for the door handle, except the door opens inwards, right as I’m about to let myself in, and I’m pushed to the side by the paramedics rolling the gurney out onto the porch. The black body bag sitting on top, tells me my thoughts were correct.

Deb's gone.

But I just saw her yesterday. I was supposed to see her again today, like every day this week. This can’t be real.

Carla exits first, her face swollen, her eyes bloodshot. She grips my hand as I let my own tears fall, my chest constricting as I try not to collapse.

But where is Wren?

I open my mouth to ask Carla, until he comes into view and I slam my lips shut. His head is down, his hands fisted at his sides as he fills the doorway. He stares at the timber deck for a moment longer before he lifts his eyes to watch the gurney carrying his mother’s lifeless body being lifted into the back of the ambulance. His gaze is distant, as though he’s watching a movie.

When the ambulance leaves, Carla squeezes me before she heads back inside. It’s just me and Wren. My face is soaked with tears, my chest heaving with silent sobs, while Wren is void of any emotion.

FORTY-NINE

Matilda

* * *

I’m surprised to see Wren at school on Monday morning. I spent most of my weekend with Audrey and Clive as I stared at a blank message on my phone, contemplating what I could say to him.

His mum’s death on Friday had me breaking down and barely able to get out of bed this morning, so how Wren is functioning right now is beyond me.

When Audrey and Clive left Sunday afternoon, I pulled out my laptop and started my poem for our final English assignment. If Wren and I can’t get our shit together for five minutes to complete this assignment, it’ll just be another thing I failed at this term.

Two weeks ago, I thought I had it all planned out. Nothing could bring me down. Now I’ve lost my future, my love and almost everything else that’s important to me.

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