I Need You Now

Roger Rabbit

Roger Rabbit

I sat on the floor in my room, carefully outlining my eyes in smudgy black liner, smiling to myself as my phone buzzed, telling me Eli was on his way over. He'd been coming over a lot in the past three weeks, he now knew where the spare key was kept. I loved having him so close all the time, he needed the support and I needed his company - he made me happy, even if we were just friends.

Suddenly I heard footsteps thumping up closer to me and my door was flung open. Distracted, I scratched the side of my cheek with the liner as a tall boy with sandy hair marched into my bedroom.

“Hello?” I greeted him, recognizing him from somewhere that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

“Hi.” the boy sneered, the word hard and cold. As he stood there it started to dawn on me, his face slotting back into memories. He’d been the boy waiting for Eli at the hospital, to give him a lift home. I’d seen him and Eli talking sometimes at our support group and, if my memory served me correctly, he was a friend of Becca’s as well.

“Who let you in here?” I asked rudely.

“Becca.” Again, hard, cold. Yep, that confirmed it.

“Taylor?” I half-guessed his name and he nodded tersely, smirking in condescension at me like I was dim for not remembering his name right away. I got up to go over to him, but I saw the stormy look of fury on his face. “What’s wrong?” I asked him and the look intensified on his tanned face. “What?’ my tone was defensive, no longer friendly, I felt like I was being judged for some reason.

“What?” he spat, imitating my tone. He pushed me backwards, the impact on the tops of my shoulders not hard enough to hurt but the meaning behind it made up for that.

“What’s wrong with you?!” I spat back, unable to stop myself pushing him back. His jaw clenched as he stumbled back a half-step. His toffee hair flopped in his eyes and he impatiently shook it off his face.

“You think you’re so irresistible, don’t you?” he said, visibly fuming. It hurt to look directly at his hate filled eyes. “With your pretty blonde hair and your ‘petite’ little frame. All mysterious and quiet.” he scoffed and I flinched.

“What are you talking about?” I asked my tone indignant and cold.

“You.” he closed his eyes to rein his anger in a little bit. “You just swan around, wrapped up in your own puny life and ‘problems’, ignoring everyone else like they don’t matter. You’re a selfish little bitch and you don’t deserve him.”

“What?” I stopped him, bewildered. “Who don’t I deserve?” He shoved me back, pinning me against the mirror behind me.

 “Eli.” he snarled. “You think I don’t know he likes you? Everyone can see it. And you just walk around, in love with Adam,” his voice curled harshly round my best friend’s name.

"Wait, how do you know about Adam?" I asked, my voice shaking slightly.

He snorted. "Who doesn't? People do still remember things that happen, y'know. Besides, Becca told me."

I fumed silently but  Taylor kept talking before I could snap at him. “You’re just hurting everyone, being all contrary, loving what you can't have. He’s not going to wait forever. And one day he'll realise what an arrogant, poisonous little piece of scum you really are, he'll know you're not worth it. So quit being so self-centred and see you’ve got a good thing right in front of your face - Because otherwise someone else will.” That sounded like a threat. With a final disgusted look at me he stormed out, his heavy footsteps thundering out of my house and I heard a car door slam.