A Bird in Flight | ✔︎

Chapter three: Maybe there is more to her

I wake up with my injured hand cradled to my chest, my eyes all red and bloodshot, my head and stomach swimming with nausea and my mouth dry. It takes me a moment to realise I'm wearing nothing but my boxers.

I pinch the bridge of my nose, sucking in a sharp breath when a voice rings throughout the dark tunnel.

"You look like hell, man." Maddox walks up to me, a bottle of beer in his hand. He doesn't look that hungover. "What are you even doing?"

"Well, I was sleeping."

He laughs. "Passed out, you mean? I thought you said you couldn't go out tonight because Perkins was coming over."

"That was before my mom kicked me out of the house," I say, stretching out along the bench and groaning as my stomach churns. I know the vodka I drank is about to resurface.

"Aww Jesus, man, what did you do this time?" Maddox whines, leaning crooked against the stone wall. He takes a long swig and tosses the empty bottle over his shoulder. It shatters against the ground.

I fold my arms across my chest, watching weak flickers of moonlight stream through the two sides of the tunnel, evolving the shadows as clouds shift across the sky. "Nothing."

He rolls his eyes. "Right. Your mom kicked you out for no reason and then you go get trashed for no reason? Because that makes perfect sense."

"I pushed my stepfather when Perkins came over," I give in, swinging my legs over the bench and carefully rising to my feet. "Shit! Do you have any spare clothes, man?"

"Why'd you push him?" Maddox presses while he throws my shirt, pants and hoodie I must've left at the party I headed to after my mother shoved me out the door.

"He was being a dick," I reply, yanking the pants on and pulling the shirt and hoodie over my head. "Where the fuck are my shoes?"

Maddox grins widely. "Your shoes? The ones you tried to start a bonfire with by setting them alight?"

I groan, putting my pounding head in my hands. "I don't remember a Goddamn thing. What happened?"

"At the party you hooked up with twenty different girls, you strip teased around the pool and did seriously stupid shit. Jesus, I was drunk, dude, how do you expect me to remember? Last time I saw you, you were off getting high in the park with some dropkicks. You honestly don't remember a thing?"

I snigger. "Nope." If only I found a way to be so wasted I could forget all the times my dad has beaten the shit out of me. "How was your night?"

"Picked a fight with some drunk brute," he gestures with a wide grin to his black eye and swollen jaw. "The dude was a cocky asshole and I walked all over him. Rather like you."

I snort. "Please, I'm a cocky asshole who wins fights. Don't act like you're a gentleman, Maddox."

"Pff, of course I'm a gentleman, you kind sir, don't be absurd," Maddox says in a terrible mocked posh accent.

"I'm betting my life that you don't even know what absurd means. Have you ever actually passed a test, Maddox?" I'm laughing hard by now,

"My talents go way beyond academics, Callan. Football, that's my path to success."

I'm still chortling. "You didn't answer my question, dude."

Maddox lifts his middle finger up to me. "Fuck off, man. I hooked up with an angel last night. Remember Sarah Barr? Red hair, blue eyes? She sobbed into my shoulder for half an hour, heartbroken over poor Callan Beckett who dumped her like dog shit. We ended up making out and—"

I cut across him. "Wonder how many new numbers I have on my phone."

"Do you even care?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"You just wanna brag and throw it in my face that you have a girl I had. Like you're trying to match me, be me. Don't idolise me, Maddox. You really don't want to be me."

"Yeah? And what's wrong with being you, huh?"

"You know my answer, dude," I reply, shoving my hands into my hoodie pockets. Maddox is the only one—apart from my mom and James—who knows about my dad.

I was thirteen and my dad was becoming increasingly violent at home. I decided it was time for me to have a bit of fun. Instead of going home like I had been told too, I went out with Maddox and some other mates to watch a football game. Maddox's brother took us all home.

Dread consumed me as I headed up the driveway but I forced myself to keep my head up and my feet moving.

The moment I stepped into the house, a fist slammed into my cheek. My ears rang and I couldn't hear a word my dad was screaming at me. Or maybe I just didn't care anymore.

I ducked around him and raced through the house. I tore out into the backyard, my cheekbone throbbing, my eye tearing up. He chased me around the garden, hollering threats at me.

I tripped over a rake that had been left out on the grass, banging my head against the frozen ground as I fell down face-first. My dad immediately caught up to me. He was panting and although I couldn't see his face, I knew his eyes were wild with anger. I tried to roll over but he kicked me in the side and ordered me to stay down.

He grabbed the garden hose that was coiled in neat loops and then, without any warning, struck me hard with it. Each stroke was violent and sadistic, containing something more than pain and domination. I refused to cry, I refused to make a noise, there was no way I was going to give him that satisfaction.

Just before I blacked out I saw Maddox's head peeking over the side fence. He had my schoolbag I had accidentally left behind in his brother's car in his hand and his eyes were wide and horrified, his mouth hanging open in pure shock.

Then my eyes rolled and I was gone.

We never spoke about the incident, neither of us were too inclined to discuss my pathetic childhood.

The awkward silence that settles between us is broken by a terrified scream.

My head snaps up. "What the hell?"

"Help!" the girl screams. "Please, help! Oh my God! Let go of me, you fucking bastard!"

Both Maddox and I sprint towards the voice, exiting the tunnel and running into the dark night. My feet hit the wet ground with rhythmic thumps as my eyes are drawn to two figures pressed up against the railing of the bridge hanging over the ravine.

The boy is consumed with inhuman rage as he loops his arms around the screeching girl's waist and throws her over the railing. The girl is holding onto the railing by her fingertips, her feet constantly slipping on the thin ledge of cement sliding out from underneath the railing.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" he roars, spit flying from his mouth. He crushes the girl's fingers with a fist. She cries out in pain, pulling away her hand so she's now hanging on with one hand.

I'm gaining on him but the girl doesn't look like she can hold on much longer. That's when I notice another silhouette sprawled out unconscious on the ground.

Loosing Maddox behind me, I run as hard as I possibly can, yelling out, "Watch it, buddy!" I slam my fist into his side, startling the hell out of him. He takes a swing at me but I duck, wrap my arms around him and tackle him to the ground.

Hitting him over and over, a strange sort of blankness washing over me. I feel like I've been submerged underwater; everything is distorted and disorientated. I barley know what's happening. Just that I want to cause this fucker a shit tone of pain.

"Dude, stop it!" I hear Maddox yell at me from lightyears away. "You're gonna kill him!"

Dazed, I feel the present falling back into place. I sit back on my heels, satisfaction curling my lip as I see the boys swollen, bloodied and bruised features. His chest rises and falls but I can see his unconscious.

I glance at Maddox, to see his managed to pull the girl back over the railing. She is crouched over her friend and suddenly I recognise that auburn hair.

"Shit, that you, Ensley?" I gasp, rising to my feet.