Paper Cranes

Part Ten

No cars were in the driveway and Sophie would be at school. I unlocked the door with shaking fingers and stumbled in, leaving the keys in the door like the klutz I am. I ran the the kitchen - not that there was far to run in our tiny house - and ran my hand under the cold tap. It felt really good, but it stung too. I didn't notice my own silent sobbing until it got really desperate, pulling at my lungs. I don't know how long I stayed there stood at the sink, but by the time I turned the tap off, I couldn't feel my hand. I found some bandages in the cupboard and put them on the counter, but then I heard a noise that made me stop; someone was in the house and they were walking in the hallway.

I peeked around the stairs and saw the door wide open, my keys hanging out of the keyhole. I cursed myself for being such an idiot, then, carefully and as quietly as possible I went down the hallway. I was freaking out. I couldn't call out, 'helloooo?' And if something did happen, as I said before, I would not be able to scream. And furthermore, could you text the police? Because I definitely couldn't phone them.

But then I noticed something on the floor - a paper crane. This was blue and grey, a crane that I had never seen before. I picked it up and examined it. It had that perfect yet quirky folding that only one person in the world could do. I lifted the wing and in Casper's neat handwriting, it said, "Are you okay?"

"No Casper," I signed loosely while falling to my knees. "No I'm not..."

I put my face in my hands to hide the fact I was crying and I felt Casper walk up behind me.

He put his hands around my shaking shoulders and sat there with me while I whimpered.

After a long time leaning against him, I felt like I had to ask. "You should be at school."

"I saw you running away. I couldn't just watch you sprint like that and not run after you. What happened, Isabelle?" he signed back. Something about his movement was gentle and benign.

"I hit someone... I really punched them. What's wrong with me Cas?" I held up my hand and only then did I notice that two of my fingers were bent in the wrong direction. I grimaced.

"You can tell me what's wrong on the way to the hospital."

Despite my huge amount of refusing and objecting, Cas walked with me all the way to the hospital. It was about a mile to the hospital and I definitely refused to go in an ambulance, so we walked. Before we left, I asked Cas to speak to me, with his actual voice, while we walked. He had asked what to talk about, but I really didn't care. His voice was comforting. And I really, really needed comforting. So, true to his word, he talked for a good twenty minutes. He told me all about his house in Picket Piece - a place which was renowned to be the nicest part of our town - and his two cats Marmite and Bovril, his puppy who was called Kaylah, and his two little brothers, who were twins, called Tom and Jerry. At least his parents had a sense of humour. He also had an older sister, who was at university. His house was white, 3 floors, and he had a big fancy room on the top. I wasn't so sure if I could stay in his house after all. It would be like the Queen taking in a homeless person.

Cas led me straight to Accident & Emergency. Was it an accident? Not so much, I thought to myself. We walked to the desk and caught the receptionist's attention.

"Oh, hello there. What seems to be the problem?"

"Can we get someone to look at my girlfriend here? She's hurt her hand."

Girlfriend? The pain died slowly and the room faded away. It's official, then. I don't know when he was planning to tell me, but whatever. I was just glad he thought so. I smiled - Casper Ardvan was my boyfriend.

"What's your name, Young Lady?" she asked me.

"Her name is-"

"I assume she can speak for herself, Sir." 

I pursed my lips and awkwardly stared at my shoes. Ouch.

"Then don't assume things, M'am." Casper sounded like he was suppressing anger.

The nurse looked at me, then back at Cas, then at me again, before she finally managed to put two and two together. She physically jumped a little when she understood.  

"Oh, of course, my apologies..." She began typing things. 

"Isabelle Oakley, 15 years old."  

The woman asked a lot of questions and I realised Cas knew a surprising amount of information about me.  

"Please take a seat. Doctor Buckwell will be with you shortly."