Broken and Bruised

Chapter 3 - Munching Monsters

Liam's POV

“I’m scared Lee.”  Mollie said he voice shaking.  Pulling myself out of a great deep sleep I sat up in bed and beckoned her into the room.  Gripping her bunny to her chest she sprinted onto my bed nearly landing on top of me. 

“What’s wrong Mols?”  I asked as I wrapped my arms protectively around her tiny body.

“There’s a monster.  A big scary monster with big teeth.  And he...he wants to eat me.”  Tears trickled down her cheeks, her eyes wide and her skin pale.

“Don’t worry.”  I grinned at her making her smile back.  “I’ll chase the monster away.”  I jumped out of bed and grabbed one of my hoodies from the floor, putting the hood over my head to make a cape.  She laughed as I struck my best superman pose and flew out the room.  Well I stuck one arm out in front of me and flapped my cape with the other which is my interpretation of flying.  I heard her tiny footsteps follow me until we reached her door across the hall where she stopped in fear.  I heard her whimper as I pushed open the door, the hinges creaking slightly.  She was right.  The place was swarming with monsters.  “This looks like a two man job.”  I whispered kneeling down in front of her.  “I think I’m going to need Bunny’s help.”  Still terrified she clutched Bunny tighter as I tried to take him.  “Don’t worry.  Me and Bunny are the best superheroes.”  I smiled reassuringly and with her eyes full of trust she handed him over.

“Don’t get hurt.”  She said hugging my waist.

“I can’t get hurt.”  I grinned hugging her back.  “Now you stay out here.”  I gestured to the hallway and she nodded taking a couple of steps backwards.  “Let’s go kick some monster butt.”  I told Bunny before I began swinging him around the room killing invisible monsters.  We made a pretty good team; me as the warrior and him as the weapon.  And it was such a laugh jumping over the carsboard moving boxes and throwing things about.  After we had cleared every inch of the bedroom of monsters we headed back out into the hall only to be assaulted by a tiny girl in Justin Bieber jammies.  She jumped at me and I caught her, throwing her over my shoulder.  I had dropped Bunny in the process so he was sitting looking up at us.  “So Bunny what do we do with this last monster?”  I asked as I slapped her on the butt.

“I’m not a monster.”  She giggled hitting my back with her fists.

“What do you think Bunny?”  I said spinning her around and upside down so that her face was inches from Bunny’s.  “Yeah I think she looks like a monster too.”  I flipped her back round the right way, ran and threw her onto her new pink princess bed.  “But this monster is just tiny so I guess we can keep her.”  I laughed grabbing Bunny from the hall and throwing him in beside her.  All traces of fear were gone from her face, replaced by a huge smile that lit her up.

“Thanks Lee.”  She said as she snuggled under the covers with Bunny.

“Anytime Mols.”  I closed the door gently behind me as I made my way back to my room.  I was so tired that I just face planted onto the duvet and rolled it around me.

I had been out all last night with the guys having a big farewell party as my mum and dad had told me that we were moving out of the ‘big bad city away from all my friends who were bad influences on me’ into this shit little town all because of the mash potato.  Well it wasn’t really the mash potatoes fault but mine.  So we spent the day travelling and then moving all our crap into this shitty house.  A house that scared Mollie but that my mum and dad loved because it had ‘so much character’ and ‘so much space’.  But I only have a year to go until I’m out of here so I really don’t care anymore.  Well that’s what I thought until I met Zooey.

****

I hate my dad!  After we dropped a tired and nervous Mollie off at her new primary school, he personally escorted me into my new school like I was 6 years old too.  Thankfully it was still a bit early so there weren’t many people around to witness my embarrassment.  So now I’m sitting in the office silently fuming away as I’m now stuck here on this scabby chair in this dingy office.  The door suddenly opening broke my inner rant as I turned to see who it was.  I recognised her instantly and smiled widely at her.  She smiled back at me but I could see that she had no idea who I was and it was years ago so I probably looked so different.  I was a mad skinny blond boy back then and she was an angel with her big blue eyes and mane of dark brown hair.  She certainly hadn’t changed.  I couldn’t help staring at her as she walked up to the receptionist’s desk when her name was called.  Zooey Banks.  The beautiful shy girl who would only talk to me.  I remember the book that she would always be doodling in and wondered if she still had it.  Now armed with a map and a timetable she headed out the door, catching my eye just as my name was called.

With my own map and timetable given by the weird receptionist who decided to give me step by step instructions on how to get to my first class I made my way to maths as if I already knew my way around the place.  After grabbing the seat closest I prepared myself for a boring lesson but I couldn’t get Zooey out of my head.  As if on cue she entered the room looking stressed and nervous with her bag slipping off her shoulder and wild curly hair even messier.  She looked hot.  Damn she looked hot.  Pulling her bag onto her shoulder she started making her way further and further from me to a seat at the back of the room.  I kept my eyes on her.  Well more like her ass than her but she was wearing tight skinny jeans so I couldn’t help it.  I’m only human after all.  But the ass staring meant that I missed the arsehole that stuck his leg out and tripped her up.  However before I could jump up to beat him senseless she had righted herself and given him a death stare.  It was so hot!  I was still going to get the guy later on but I could at least make it through the lesson first.

I didn’t see her again until lunch.  She smiled at me as she grabbed an empty table in the middle of the cafeteria and pulled out a book.  The doodle book!  Leaving the table of guys and girls I met  from my P.E class I made my way over to her.

“So what are you doodling?”  I asked as I plonked myself down beside her.

“Eyes.”  She replied shyly.  "Your eyes."