Mr and Mrs Nemesis✔️

Chapter Nineteen - Missing Ellie

"You're just a dick. Plain and simple." I exclaim vehemently, forcing Miss Hardy to sigh, massaging the spots either side of her knitted brows. This has been a back and forth between Hendrix and I - insult from me, only for him to retort with one as equally degrading.

A healthy normality of our hate-ship, except that is not what we are anymore. There has been a shift, in my feelings towards my nemesis especially, and now, this exercise seems to be more of a coping mechanism. A reminder, even, as to why I should hate Hendrix as I used to.

"Charlotte, there is no profanity use in these sessions." She reminds with a tone that's hardly authoritative. She's tired.

"No, no," Hendrix interjects, turning his body to face me. "Let her go on miss. What makes me a dick Osborne?"

"Well, let's start with your incessant need to demean me and leave me feeling indignant. Your attitude, your conceited narcissism. Your lack of responsibility, your nymphomania perhaps, and the fact you left me, yet again, with Ellie on my day off so that you could get your dick wet. The fact that you're rude, obnoxious, cruel, vindictive. And some other choice words that I'll leave out because," I turn the Miss Hardy with my lips pressed thin, "there is no profanity use in these sessions."

"Oh, cool. So are we just not mentioning the fact that I've given up my weekends so that you can turn up to my house in tears - uninvited - and sleep on my bed while I look after Ellie? Or not mentioning the fact I've - on multiple occasions - helped you out when your ex wouldn't leave you alone? Or not bringing up that you're no saint yourself, considering you've punched me in the face and yet still, I forgave you without a proper apology?

"Maybe it just slipped your mind that while I might be all those things, you're not far off a piece of shit yourself Osborne. You're violent, short-tempered, ungrateful, and frankly, you seem to forget that it takes two to tango princess and you're not the innocent in all of this."

His words, like whip lashes, sting as their tear through my flesh and bury themselves deep in my centre, stirring something within me that presses tears at the very back of my eyes. He watches my reaction and perhaps the worst part about it all, he's so emotionless, impassive. Calm and collected, as if the exchange hasn't grazed him in the slightest. Whereas me, it's burned.

I stand without another word and leave the room, leave school, and hurry home, my head hanging as I fight back the tears. I'm not crying over his insults. I refuse to - I know that is what he thinks of me. Only I could be so stupid as to think he might perceive me differently now. Besides, I earned what I was striving for - a reminder as to why I hate him, and he me.

I'm home before I even realise and as I take a hand to the door to enter, something in my peripheral steals my attention. A parked car - one I don't recognise - outside the house beside mine, the shadow of a person turned so I can tell clearly they are looking at me. They recognise my awareness and then they drive off, too fast for me to steal a clear look at their face.

Is that something I should be concerned about?

~

Halloween is quick approaching, with this week sailing by.

Though I deem it too little too late, I seem to be falling into rhythm with Ellie and she is keeping me up much less and reacting to my efforts to soothe her much better. That said, I'm looking forward to a Thursday evening off, so when Hendrix doesn't turn up to school and therefore means I'm going to have to seek him out for the handover, I fume.