Teacher (camren)

XII

"Lauren please come back here."

"I can't I have work to do." She says into the phone as I pace back and forth in my room, running my fingers through my hair.

"Lauren please!" I scream down the phone.

"Camz I have work to do, you can come to mine tonight."

"Yes I want to see you but that's not why I want you here. I need you here to keep me safe." I yell into the phone. " Austin knows I'm here, he's fucking coming here."

"W-what?! I'm on my way; I'll ring you when I'm outside okay."

"O-okay, Lauren please get here quickly I'm scared. He'll k-kill me Lauren." I say into the phone as tears roll down my cheeks. I end the call and tightly grip on to my phone, still pacing around my room. What if he does get in and gets me? What's he going to do to me? The last time I saw him he was giving me death threats. He was kicking my stomach and beating me, he left me to die and said that if I didn't he'd come back and try again.

My phone vibrates in my hand and I instantly unlock it before opening the message.

Lauren: I'm stuck in traffic, I'll be there soon I promise x

I don't bother replying, I just lock my phone again before sitting on the floor in front of my bed. I pull my knees up to my chest before pulling open the draws next to my bed. I pull out a thin black box and set it down on the ground in front of me. I pull the lid off slowly, before I pick up the pictures that are inside. The pictures are of me and Austin, of us in photo booths, messing around. Then there are pictures of us with Ally and Dinah on his birthday. I look through the pictures before coming across something that I wished I hadn't.

I stare down at the slightly crumpled and ripped black and white print in my hands. I allow my fingers to trace the outside of the small barely noticeable figure on the paper. You can just about make out her hands and feet. More tears begin to roll down my cheeks as I continue to look down at the image in front of me.

"I'm sorry Mia."

I hear the front door unlock, I instantly stand up still holding the picture in my hand. I grab my phone off the ground. It can't be him because he doesn't have a key, who am I kidding? I've seen him break into plenty of houses to know that he can pick a lock. I slowly walk out of my room, still gripping on to my phone and the picture, tears still streaming down my face. I creep down the hallway and stand outside the living room, I glace towards to front door.

He's stood there with his back to me. He's wearing black worn jeans, his old tattered leather jacket, holding his bike helmet in one hand and a cigarette in the other. His hair is still over grown and messy, still thick and dark. I hate to say it but he looks like he's changed, maybe he has. Maybe he's the Austin I fell in love with.

I look down at the picture in my hand and realise that he will never change. He will always be the monster than killed my little girl. He will always be the man that beat me every single night, the man that made me the way I am today. He takes a drag of the cigarette before stubbing out on the ground; he runs his fingers through his hair. He has a tattoo on his wrist now, I can't read what it says but it's new.

"W-what are you d-doing here?" I ask, he turns around and sheepishly smiles at me before closing the door. I take a step backwards as he begins to walk towards me. Placing his helmet on the sofa as he gets closer to me.