Missing Martha

125

Ollie and Jemma were the first to awake in the top bunk. They were partially lying on top of each other as it was the only comfortable way to lie in a single bed, and without the protection of bars at Ollie's side, he had the great risk of falling onto the embracing couple who were lying on the mattress below.
"I've got a bit of a headache." Whispered Ollie with a laugh as Jemma leant on one arm and her long dirty blonde hair curled over her shoulders, smiling at him.
"Same." She told him, shifting over so that Ollie could lie on his back and she could spread her legs over him and lie down on top of him.
"Oi Oi, Oliver! Jemma! Keep it clean!" Chuckled Ryan from the back seats with Lucy lying awake on his chest, smiling up at their friends.
"It's difficult when you've only got about thirty centimetres of room because those two lovebirds took the big bed." Ollie replied, pointing down at Zoë and Martin who remained in their close positions, wrapped around each other with their hands over their bodies.
"Bleh." Laughed Ryan.
"Cloda still asleep?" Asked Jemma, rolling over to speak to everyone.
"She was up late drunk texting Charlie." Lucy told them.
"Ooh.. Charlie boy." Giggled Jemma, rubbing her hands against Ollie's cheeks before giving in and opening her mouth against his till their lips locked together.
Ryan gave a joking whistle at them while Lucy lay against his warm body. He was in a lot of pain, and part of him wanted to be at home in his warm bed, ready to die on nobody's watch but his own. But his friends were his family, and he knew that they'd stick with him through everything.

After a while, Ollie and Jemma climbed down from the top bunk and sat down beside Cloda who had just started to wake up as Zoe began to breathe heavily.
She had rolled away from Martin's grip and had backed herself into the back of the van. She was dreaming of Alex, she was in his grasp, she imagined him the way he was last week, when he held her by the throat, she was trapped. Her heavy breathing quickly turned into a gasp, waking Martin up as she began kicking around.
Martin immediately took her arms, "Zoe.." he whispered, but it only made her worse.
"Zoe," he said louder, "Zoe, wake up."
She blinked her eyes open and covered her opened mouth as Martin wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back.
"Try not to think about him." He breathed, "you know I've got you. And nobody's gonna hurt you anymore."
He held her tight as she buried her face into his chest, trying to catch her breath.
"You two alright?" Asked Lucy, making a confused glance at Ollie.
"Just give us a second." Martin said, his back to everyone as he pursed his lips against Zoe's forehead.
"He's got a very muscular back." Cloda murmured to Jemma who scoffed in response before at the same time they noticed the white line that scared across his shoulder.
They looked back at each other, biting their lips with wide eyes.
"Do you want us to go and get breakfast?" Offered Ollie, standing up and pulling a blue polo shirt on.
"Sure; my wallet's in the glove box." Martin murmured, turning around slightly to face them. "Sleep well?" He asked.
"Surprisingly, Yes. Shall we find out where we are?" Ollie Offered,
"That'd be helpful, yes." Martin replied, lifting his mobile phone from the floor and checking it, "-and you might wanna stock up on the painkillers."
"Will do." Said Ollie, not even glancing at the glovebox as he felt no need for Martin's money.
Martin noticed a number of missed calls both from the school and his sister.
"Oh shit." He chuckled, as they all left. He wrapped his arm around Zoë who had fallen asleep on his chest while he called the school back.
"Hello, Rustrike High, How May I help?" Answered Lottie, the receptionist.
"Lottie, I'd have thought you'd have saved my number by now!" Martin Joked, rubbing Zoe's back as she gradually began to wake up and listen into the conversation.
"Oh Mr McCafferson! How are you?" She asked,
"I'm good, I'm good- sorry I missed your call earlier." He replied, smiling as Zoe kissed his chest.
"Oh thats alright, I'm sure you're up to your eyes with stress!" Lottie continued, making Zoe burst out laughing and Martin had to cover her mouth so that Lottie wouldn't hear her.
"You could put it that way." He laughed as Zoe began to sit on top of him.
"So- about what time tomorrow should we expect you? All the students are asking for you!"
"A-are they?" Martin asked, not entirely concentrating on the conversation as Zoe proceeded to kiss his neck.
"Yes, they're getting ideas about you and Zoe Flynn!" Lottie informed him, making Zoe pull away immediately and bite her lips together with wide eyes.
"Me and Zoe? What?" Martin laughed, smiling at Zoë.
"Well there was speculation over some flirtation between you two." Lottie chuckled.
"Oh don't be silly." Martin joked, watching Zoë brush her long blonde hair over her shoulders. "We'll be there about mid day tomorrow." He told her, "don't be spreading any rumours!"
"Would I ever?" She chuckled before hanging up.
Martin put down his phone and opened his arms for Zoë to climb into and squeak as he rolled over on top of her.
"Are you okay?" He asked her, rubbing her arms with his thumbs and kissing her forehead.
"Yeah sorry.. sometimes I just dream about him.. I don't know. My mind is crazy." She told him, blankly smiling.
"We can't escape our pasts, can we?" Sighed Martin, lying down beside her and stroking her soft cheeks.
"Do you still dream of Martha?" Zoë asked him,
"Every time I close my eyes all I can see is her on the floor.. covered in blood.. and it's never gonna go away." Said Martin, biting his lower lip as he lost eye contact with her.
"There was nothing you could have done." She soothed,
"It should have been me instead of her.. that would have saved everyone else." He said.
Zoe shook her head, "Think of what you've done since you lost her. Look at those five teenagers that had horrible lives that you've made significantly better. Look at me... Martin you've changed me."
A tear slipped down his eye as he bit his lip harder and looked away, "she deserved this too." He whispered as Zoe wrapped her arms around him.
"She'd be so proud of you, Marty." She soothed, "so proud."