This Is England » Freddie Highmore

18.

           IT WASN'T UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING that I realized I had swallowed my sorrows with alcohol. I turned to see Amelia sleeping next to me, looking peaceful. I smiled at her; running a finger through her hair. I kissed her cheek, then got up to go get ready for the day.

    
       Then I realized I had a tremendous headache and quickly laid back down; my stomach feeling queezy. "Fuck." I mumbled, cradling my body as I tried to rid of the stomachache.

    Amelia awoke, then smiled. She got out of bed, coming back with a glass of water and some leftover soup my mum had made two days ago. I smiled warmly at her; thanking her as I sat up and drank some of the broth from the soup.

     "Just go back to sleep Freddie," I heard her say as she yawned, my eyes closed. "everything will be fine."

    "Alright then darling," I yawned. "Goodnight."

-

      

            I laid on the van, smoke escaping my lips as I watched the stars greet me with a twinkle every now and then. Amelia laid with me, stealing my cigarettes as we stayed quiet.

   "So, why is it you became a gang member?" she asked.

    "I had to defend my family from getting killed," I said as I tossed the cancer stick to the ground. "money was coming in and we were no longer poor. Simple.

    "Why did you want to attend Cambridge? Out of all the other schools you chose that one."

   "To get away from New York," she replied. "my Ma was giving me a hard time with getting a career and shit, so I decided to go somewhere else besides the states.

   "My mother and I really don't get along, mostly because when my dad left, she found herself a new boyfriend. He was abusive towards her and I, but she always kept running back to him.

 
    "Until he was killed in a car accident three years before I went into my Junior year."

      "I'm sorry to hear that," I said, "my life is no picnic either, Amelia."

    "I'm sorry for what happened to your brother," I nodded; biting my lip.

    "It's okay," I said, my voice muffling from a whisper. "I hadn't told anyone that---except you and Michael. . ."

      I sighed. "The important thing Amelia is that we now have each other. I killed that man because he hurt you, and I will continue to do that until you're numb with bliss. I do it because I care, and I don't give a fuck if you disagree. You're my girlfriend now, so you have no right to leave me.

    "Unless I ask you to."

    Amelia looked surprised, then nodded. I wouldn't ask her to leave me, because if she did I would be in a mess.

    She was the only thing that mattered to me right now.

....