One More Thing

Chapter Eighteen: Mae

A/N: This chapter contains sensitive material that some readers might find upsetting. 

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"What is it?" I ask, my heart beating like a jackhammer.

Mae remains silent for a few seconds. I notice that her breathing is uneven and shaky.

"I was walking back from the corner shop," she murmurs. "And there were these boys. Teenagers. They were in a big group and there was...maybe eight of them? I don't know. But then they saw me and they..."

She bursts into tears and I feel my heart breaking.

"Where are you now?" I ask.

"At home," she sniffs.

"Right. I'm coming over," I say.

I shove on my old shabby trainers and throw a raincoat over my shoulders before heading out the door. It's dark outside and the air is cold. Every time the wind blows, it feels like my cheeks are being scratched by talons.

Mae's house is roughly twenty minutes from mine on foot. In the summer, it's a nice walk but right now I can't bear the thought of being out here in the cold for any longer, so I hop on the bus.

By the time I reach Mae's house, she's standing on the porch.

"Mae!" I shout, the second I see her.

I run up to her and hug her tight. Neither of us say a word. We just stand there with our arms wrapped around each other, the passing seconds merging into minutes.

"What did they look like?" I whisper through gritted teeth. "Did you recognize them? If I find out who the bastards are, they'll wish they'd never been born."

Mae starts sobbing. Her shoulders quiver and her hair tickles my nose and all I can smell is the passion fruit body spray she always wears. I don't even know what those stupid boys did to her, but I already despise them.

"I can't remember," she says. "Just a group of teenage boys wearing hoodies and trackies."

I squeeze her shoulder and ask if she wants to head inside. She nods and we step through the front door, before going straight up to her room.

Mae's room looks exactly how you'd expect it to. The walls are covered in band posters, the carpet is blood red, and she has lots of little stuffed Pokemon toys on her bed. She shoves them towards her pillow and beckons me to sit down next to her.

We sit in silence for a few minutes, Mae biting her lower lip.

"You don't have to tell me what happened if you don't feel ready," I say gently.

"No, I want to tell you," she says quickly.

And then she looks at me, her black eyes intense. And she tells me word for word what happened earlier this evening. 

"I was lucky I was wearing this," she says, pointing at her spiky wristband. 

At first, I assume that the ends of the spikes are covered in rust, but then it dawns on me that it must be dried blood. I gasp.

"When one of them shoved me against the wall, I struck out and hit him in the face," she says.

I nod, a nauseous feeling brewing in my stomach.

"I managed to get away before they tried anything else but it was one of the scariest moments in my whole life," she whispers. "I've never felt more humiliated. More... vulnerable. And you know me, I hate feeling vulnerable."

"Of course. It must have been absolutely terrifying."

"It was."

"So, was it right outside the corner shop?"

"Pretty much. Although it was near the entrance of the alleyway next to it. Do you know the one I mean?"

When she says this, I can't stop the frown forming on my face. I've always had a bad feeling about that alleyway. 

"Mae, do you promise me you'll never go down there again? At least not on your own. Especially not in the dark."

Mae nods. "I don't usually go that way, but it was so cold and I just wanted to get home quicker. Never again, though."

I nod and take her hand gently.

"You're brave, Mae. You're one of the bravest people I know. Don't let those sickos make you doubt that."

She smiles sadly as she traces her stripy black-and-pink nail over my thumb. 

"I won't."