CAPTURE THIS (Updating regularly)

Chapter 5

"Just watch me," she mumbled sleepily. "I'm going to have this baby."

Amber limped back to her room with her crutches. The drama had taken its toll on her. She was exhausted and it was very late. She collapsed onto her bed for a moment but then groaned as she realised she was still wearing a face full of make up and was in an expensive dress that she didn't want to wrinkle. 

It was another hour before she was ready to climb into bed. There were only a few hours before she would have to up for the first day of school. 

***

Amber left the house long before either her father or Ann were awake. She played a bit of music to make the sound of her father's raucous snoring and Ann tossing in her bed. 

She swayed to the sound of her music as she got ready for school. Usually on the first day of school, she would make an effort but after the events of the night before had drained her. Her eye fell upon her mother's art set as she got dressed. With a sigh, she sat down on the floor beside her easel and traced the outline of her box with her fingers. She was reminded of Alex, the forest, the dinner she had spent laughing with his family, the car drive home, his silence. Her heart began to ache. 

She got off of the floor, using her bed to support her, and grabbed her phone off of the bed. It was the first time she had checked her phone that morning. She had three voicemails from Matty and a text from Alex.

She read the text message first. 

I'm sorry about last night, it read, I was being an ass. I was worried about what was going to happen with us and I freaked out. I'm sorry. I hope everything's okay at home. Call me when you can -Alex. 

Amber exhaled a breath that she hadn't realised she had been holding. A relieved smile rose to her face. After seeing his cold expression in the car, she had wondered if that was the end for them. It was still early and he would probably still be asleep.

Instead, she closed the message and listened to the voicemails from Matty. 

"Things really suck, Amber. I could really do with a friend right now..." Matty's voice in the message paused. Amber wondered briefly if that was the whole message but he began speaking again. "Lindsey's parents are going through a divorce. I probably shouldn't have told you that but I don't know what to do, if I'm honest. She's really insecure. Her dad left her mum for her mum's best friend and so she's been worrying about me. Which is stupid right? It's so stupid. She knows how much I love her. She knows... I... She keeps lashing out at me. She's so convinced that I'm going to cheat but that's mental. I..." 

Amber could hear Matty's tone progressively getting more and more aggressive. She wanted to calm him down but it was no use. This voice was mostly him speaking to himself, drowning in his own destructive voice. 

"Look, I would never cheat on her. You know I wouldn't Ambs but  wh-"

Matty's voice was abruptly cut off by the dial tone. Amber fumbled with her phone to play the next message. It began with manic laughter from Matty. 

"You didn't hear me, but I just said that sometimes she makes me want to cheat on her," he chuckled. "I just realised how stupid that sounds. As if I'd cheat and then tell Linds it was her fault I cheated. It's so stupid. I'm not going to cheat on her. I'm not that guy but things suck and I could really do with you telling me how dumb and selfish I'm being. So call me when you get this." 

The dial tone began playing again. There was one more message from Matty and Amber debated whether it would be any more important than the last two. The last message was sent in the early hours of that morning, whilst Amber had been in Annette's room.