Okay not really sure about this, just looking for some honest opinions, as usual thanks x

*

The wind blew wildly, hitting the sides of the small hut where Brittany sat. Any other time she would have been scared out of there, but not tonight, not when there were much scarier things to face in her own home.

The small candle she had lit flickered out, she clutched the torch she had tightly, not only did it give her light but she could easily knock someone out with it , if the need arose. She shivered in the corner of the wooden hut, trying desperately hard to ignore the sound of her stomach rumbling and the throbbing pain on her left cheek.

“Think of something...anything...anything except being here…” She told herself, and closed her eyes to be taken back to a different time.

_______________________________________________________________________________

“Brittany. Like Brittany Murphy? As in Brittany Murphy from Just Married?”

“Yes.” Brittany nodded in answer to what seemed like this girl’s hundredth question.

“Isn’t that like...American though?”

“I suppose so ,yes.”

“Oh.” The girl did not seem impressed with Brittany’s “American” name. Why? She had no idea. She could see this was going to be exactly the same as it had been in all her other schools. The teacher walked into the classroom and all the children stood up for her. Brittany did not, she didn’t know she was meant to. God, maybe it wasn’t like her old schools. It was a lot smaller she knew that already, there were 200 children in this school whereas there was just over 2000 in her old school. She was worried when she heard this, if she couldn’t make friends with over 2000 children to pick from how could she make friends with only 200 to pick from? Her mother tried to reassure her, telling her of course she’d make friends, there was sure to be some lovely children in such a small, exclusive school. Exclusive meaning private therefore lovely meaning bratty. Brittany’s mother didn’t realize the hell that senior school was though, Brittany didn’t expect her too though. After all she thought Brittany still had a crush on Marco Peterson, the boy she’d fancied in year 2. It wasn’t her fault she was completely clueless.

“I see Miss Brittany Kelley is too tired to stand for me this morning.” Brittany shot up out of her seat.

“Sorry Miss...Mrs..Ma’am. I just...I well...Didn’t…”

“Yes Miss Kelley?” The sarcastic teacher asked. Brittany has skin as white as snow and she could feel her cheeks getting redder by the second, “Sit class.” The teacher barked, as Brittany was about to recollect herself in her seat the teacher spat, “Except Miss Kelley.” Brittany stood up again and turned even redder as the whole twenty students in the room turned to look at her, “Miss Kelley, I am well aware that it is your first day here but surely you have learned simple manners-”

“Yes Miss-”

“So I will, this once, ignore your momentary lack of them and warn you, there is nothing I hate more than rudeness-” As she said this a boy with spiky blonde hair came flying through the classroom door. His shirt not tucked in and his tie half way down his chest. His trousers

were tidy but Brittany didn’t want to think about where his jumper could possibly be. The teacher turned round quickly and shouted at the boy,

“EXCEPT LATENESS!” Then the teacher’s attention quickly turned from Brittany’s lack of manners to the boy’s, who’s name was William, lateness. Unwillingly and unknowingly that boy had just saved Brittany from embarrassment in the second degree. Not as bad as first, but still, a brave thing he had done. Unwillingly.

Notes

1.Thank Will for heroism.

Is what Brittany scribbled down in her notebook.

The terrible first lesson set the pattern for the rest of the day. Second lesson, Biology, she broke a thermometer. And spilt an irritant chemical on her lab partner. Break time, she pissed off a popular girl for looking over at her while she made out with her boyfriend. She worsened the situation by trying to explain she completely didn’t mean to and wouldn’t ever think about looking at them in a normal situation. Third and forth lesson were too depressing too mention and then lunch time. She bumped into Will. Literally, BUMPED into him, spilling hot tomato soup all down her uniform. And scolding her leg.

“Shit!” William cried, “I am so sorry!” She looked up from her soup covered uniform and caught his eye. He had deep blue eyes.

“Oh, no, you’re...urm...I’m…My...Sorry…” Her opinion was that love at first sight did not exist, at least it was up until then. Maybe not love. But lust, he was fit. With a capital F.

“Let me show you where the bathroom is to clean that up.” She followed him like a love-sick puppy to the toilet and when he said goodbye it took her till after he’d gone to muster “Later…” Or something along that lines. She hoped he’d thought she was cool and mysterious. He really thought she was pissed at him for making her spill her soup on herself.

Later that day Brittany was walking home, she was ten minutes away from school and ten minutes away from home when she heard someone calling after her. She didn’t want to turn around incase it was her lab partner suing her for the rash on her arm, or the popular girl trying to kill her.

“Hey! Wait!” Will called. She stood still , worried if she took another step her legs would turn completely to jelly and she’d fall down on the hard ground. A risk she was not all to keen to take. When Will caught up to her he was out of breath, “God. I haven’t run that fast since...ever!” He laughed at his own joke. Brittany laughed awkwardly, “Sorry crap joke.” He laughed again, Brittany couldn’t say a word. Will jumped in front of her and grabbed her

arms, “Listen I’m so so SO sorry about the soup thing at lunch! I’m so clumsy and … well I felt bad because you’re new and all that, and I remember when I was the new kid and I thought hey I should be nice because you seem cool and…” Will took a deep breath. Brittany started laughing at how cute he seemed to be when he was worried about something. He was talking for ages with no breath.

“What?….WHAT?” He said worriedly at first, and then laughing.

“Nothing.” Brittany said. Apparently over her embarrassment at talking to this gorgeous guy. He was tongue tied around her, so she decided he couldn’t say anything about her.

“So, forgiven?” He asked.

“Of course.”

“Cool. I’m Will.” He held out his hand.

“Oh I know I’m-”

“How?”

“First lesson...you were late Miss yelled at you for I don’t know...ten minutes.”

“Oh, yeah.” He laughed.

“I’m Brittany.”

_____________________________________________________________________

Despite her current situation Brittany smiled at the thought of her first meeting with Will. That gave her an idea. She didn’t have to stay in the hut. She pondered if she would be found if she left. Brittany came to the conclusion anything was better than this. She grabbed her torch and made her way out of the hut into the deep, empty woodlands holding her torch tightly, her only source of light.

She scrambled through the trees, the rain hammering down hard on her. Every twig that cracked and every roll of the thunder made her jump. She eventually came to the road. There were no cars coming. She took a minute to look up at the shining moon. It was covered by clouds. Typical. She decided it wasn’t safe enough to wait around. She started running up the wet road.

________________________________________________________________________________

Brittany went to bed smiling. Will had said she was cool. And that he would walk with her to school tomorrow! He’d come to get her too. Okay, so she lived next door to him. But still. She lay there, looking out at the shining moon. She couldn’t resist a full moon. She got out of bed and went to the window. She pushed it open. The rain was beating down hard and there was thunder rolling in the sky. She looked up at the moon. How many other people were looking at the same moon right now? How many were thinking of the person next door….She laughed at her own stupidity. She’d had crushes before but this one had hit her hard. But so far , it wasn’t going too badly.

The next morning Brittany quietly got out of bed. She quietly showered and tip-toed around the house, careful not to wake anyone. She was worried the embarrassment she may be caused if anyone found out about Will, her father would most definitely not believe he was just a friend. She snook out at ten passed eight. Five minutes earlier than Will said he’d get her. She spent five minutes fiddling with her hair, pretending to look busy checking her books. She could hardly contain her excitement. She began to wonder why Will had decided to walk with her too school. Maybe he felt guilty? Maybe he really wanted to be friends? Maybe he wanted to be more? She practically screamed at the prospect. Will fancy HER!? It was a very excitable thought for Brittany. She wasn’t ugly by any means of the imagination, but she’d not had many boyfriends, she was quite plain. ordinary plain hair, which needed ten minutes straightening time a day, straight teeth, thanks to a year of braces, she had spot free skin and bright blue eyes which lit up when she smiled. Will had fallen asleep thinking about her eyes. Her first feature that caught his eye when he stepped into the classroom the morning before.

He smiled inwardly as he saw her sitting on her front step. Maybe she was just as excited about walking to school with him as he was her? He told himself to stop being stupid, she was just a few minutes early , that’s all.

“Hey.” He called over her garden fence. She looked up from her schoolbag. He pondered on what she was searching for. She looked up. Her eyes as beautiful as he remembered, if not more, he felt like she could see straight through him. Could she tell what he was thinking? Because that’s what it felt like.

“Hi!” She stood up enthusiastically. She walked to the side of him. He wanted to hug her hello. Was that too familiar? He couldn’t resist. He gently put his arms around her shoulders. She was considerably shorter than him. She wasn’t short though, he was just exceptionally tall. Brittany was taken aback by his familiarity. She liked it though. She liked the feel of his body close to hers, his toned arms around her. She slipped her arms around his waist. The two considered the fact they fitted perfectly, when they both realized this hug was lasting a bit too long to be shrugged off as two friends greeting each other. Brittany was the first to remove her arms from around him. Will held on a fraction of a second longer, taking in her sweet smell. He’d never forget it he decided. The two heard a shout from inside.

“Brittany-Delilah Markstone where are you?” It was a man’s voice. Will was a bit worried. The man sounded irritated.

“It’s dad...we better go quick, he’s a right grumpy-sod before his morning coffee.” Will was calmed down by the way Brittany just shrugged it off, but ran fast all the same. They stopped running after a few minutes and then they resumed their banter.

“Delilah?” Will questioned.

“Shut it!” Brittany nudged him playfully, smiling that gorgeous smile of hers, Will noted.

“I’ve never known anyone to be called that before.”

“You still don’t!” She said.

“I do, I’m going to call you Delilah now! Forever.”

“Forever?!”

“Yep.”

“Well I’ll call you Rupert.”

“Why?”

“Because.” Brittany said.

“I like that name.” Will said , laughing.

“Well then...Herbet! I’ll call you Herbet!” She said, content this would annoy him.

“Delilah and Herbet.” Will laughed, “We fit perfectly.” He blushed on realization of what he’d just said. The two were quiet for the rest of the trip to school.

Weeks passed and Will and Brittany spent nearly every day together. Brittany met Will’s parents and had food with them nearly every day. They were not officially a couple until one day exactly a month after they’d met. The two were in a field a few minutes walk from their homes.

“How was your day Delilah?” Will asked jokingly. Brittany hit his arm gently.

“Shut up...HERBET.” She smiled. He looked at her, and she looked back. Will couldn’t hide it anymore..

“I can’t keep secrets from you anymore.”

“Secrets?”

“When people ask how my girlfriend, meaning you, is, I don’t want to have to explain you’re not-”

“Well don’t then, I don’t care what people think-”

“No I mean-”

“Let them-”

“Brit-”

“think whatever and-” If Will had learnt anything about Brittany over the past few weeks it was that she couldn’t easily be shut up. One thing he hadn’t tried before…he kissed her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lips. He loved the feel of closeness and whilst he wanted to completely lose himself in the safety of her lips, he couldn’t quite shake the feeling she wasn’t as happy about this as he was. He stopped, and moved himself away from his best friend of the past two weeks.

“Will-” She went to talk.

“Listen Brittany I’m sorry, I just couldn’t stop myself , these last few weeks I’ve just found I couldn’t stop thinking about you and….and I’ve just gone and messed it all up haven’t I?”

“No Will! You haven’t messed anything up! I feel exactly the same!”

“Really? You’re not just saying that?!”

“I don’t say things I don’t mean Will, I’m just scared.”

“About what?”

“I don’t think I’m ready to tell you...not just yet.”

“Whenever you are.” He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him, and breathed in that now ever-so-familiar smell. They stayed like in silence for a while and then it started to rain. They both ran home, hand in hand.

“So are you my girlfriend?” Will enquired, taking a rather blunt approach to the normally-sensitive question.

“If you want to..”

“Of course!” Will wasted no time.

“I’ll talk to you later then?” Brittany said running inside. No kiss, not even a hug. Will was a bit taken a-back, he convinced himself she was just nervous. He had no idea.

She shut the door as quietly as she could but not quiet enough that she wasn’t heard.

“Brittany-Delilah!” Her father boomed from the living room. She walked down the hall deciding facing him was the best option, “Where have you been?”

“After school revision Dad, you know that, I told you this morning.”

“You said netball club.”

“Oh yeah..sorry, I just got my days mixed up. It was revision. Bye.”

“WAIT!” The huge man stood up in front of his daughter. She couldn’t bring herself to meet his eye, “I know where you were.” He boomed. She tried to hide her fear.

“Yes Dad, revis-”

“NO! You were with that boy from next door!”

“Dad-”

“You stupid slut! He just wants to have sex with you and-”

“No dad he-”

“THEN HE’LL JUST LEAVE YOU. You’ll be the one in trouble!” Brittany’s mother sat in the corner of her room, her eyes cast downward. She didn’t hate her mother for not helping. She understood her fear totally.

“You’re wrong dad.” The whole room fell silent. You could have heard a pin drop.

“I’m WHAT?”

“He’s not like that.” Brittany’s father brought his hand up high and slapped his daughter hard on the side of her face. She fell to the ground holding her stinging face tightly. Her father stormed out of the house. Brittany’s mother got up from her chair and went to help her up, but Brittany had shot up running after her father pleading with him not to go next door to Will’s house. Her mother caught up with her at the front door though, scared of her husband but not prepared for her child to be in any more danger tonight, she held her tightly not letting her go. Brittany wriggled and sobbed hysterically as her father walked down the path and out through the gate. Not only did she calm down when she watched her father get into his car and drive down the street, no doubt on his way to the pub to have a few drinks. A few drinks too many.

Brittany lay restless in bed that night. She had always tried to convince herself she was not scared of her father, not one bit, but she was. She had also tried to convince herself she did not hate her mother for not ever trying to prevent her father from hitting her. That night she realized she did not, and could not hate her mother. She listened intently at the door as she heard her father coming in, stumbling and falling every few seconds. She was surprised he’d managed to drive home, he was even more drunk than normal.

“Peter! I’m so glad you’re okay.” Her mother gushed.

“Shut up Magdaline!” Her father spat.

“But I was worried-”

“Make me bacon!”

“We’ve run out dear I’m so-”

“Don’t tell me you’re fucking sorry!” He yelled. Brittany sat still in bed as she heard a smack and her mother crumble to the floor. She ran and sat against the door as she heard her father stumble up the stairs. She sat there for a while after she heard him get into bed, she could still hear her mother. Her mother was crying. Praying.

“Dear God, give me strength, my husband is a good man, and my Brittany is a good girl, let him see she loves us and help her see she is putting him through hell….”

Brittany was shocked to hear her mother say such a thing, she was upset too. She, as far as she knew, had done nothing. She hadn’t. Except been born to a weak mother and a drunkard father.

What seemed like hours after, but was only around half an hour, Brittany heard a tapping at her window. For once she had drawn the curtains so when she pulled them back was rather surprised to see a small stone hurtling towards her. She drew herself back but was relieved when it hit the window in front of her. She laughed silently at her stupidity. She looked down to see a topless William in her front garden. She felt like the girl in the middle of a romance story, and was also helplessly scared of her father’s reaction to an event like this. She opened the window,

“Will!” She hissed, “What is it?”

“I know we’ve only been going out a few hours but-can I have a goodnight kiss?”

“How?!” She laughed, despite the fact she was terrified of her father on the inside.

“I’ll climb up!” He laughed.

“Will!” She said, urging him not to, but it was too late. He was carefully picking his route up the drain pipe. She ran and placed a chair against the door handle as he made his way up and as he fell in through the window , she felt an involuntary cry of fear escape her lips as he crashed into her bed. She helped him up and he looked around the dark room. The only light escaping in through the window from the moon and the street lamps outside. She was

in her pajamas, luckily, she thought, she had chosen her most sophisticated pair tonight, not her old winnie-the-pooh ones she often resorted too when feeling sorry for herself.

“Will, why are you half naked?” He looked at himself as she asked.

“Oh, I was in bed when I decided to come. I couldn’t wait long enough to put a top on.” He smiled at her in the darkness. Somehow she felt him smiling. It was like a warmth radiating from him. He moved closer to her, both their hearts sped up a little. He wrapped his arms around her. She felt his body up against her. Despite the face he’d been outside for around ten minutes he was still warm. Will removed himself from the embrace and lifted her face up to his. Despite the darkness he could see a tear trickle down the side of her face, marking the path for many others to follow.

“Please don’t cry.” Will said gently, moving his face closer to hers and kissing her.

_____________________________________________________________________

Brittany had no idea how far away she was from her destination. She could no longer tell if she was crying or it was just the rain on her face. She slipped and fell onto the hard ground, tearing her dirty jeans in the process. She had a cut on her knee. She didn’t find it painful. She didn’t have time for pain. Just as she didn’t have time for heartbreak. She had to concentrate on where she was going, what she was going to do. Not where she’d come from, not what she’d done. What he’d done.

________________________________________________________________________________

They lay still on the bed together, tears pouring down Brittany’s face. Will wiped them away slowly and clutched her tight.

“Please tell me.” He said quietly, as if to a child.

“I can’t!” She said almost hysterically. Repeating it over to herself, as if to convince herself.

“You can, if you don’t want me to tell anyone I-”

“No! No no NO!” She said, jumping off the bed.

“Okay...Okay Brittany.” He said, trying to calm her. She wanted to shut him up. She was getting closer to telling him with every word. She trusted him. She’d never told anyone about her father before, she didn’t want to. She was scared they might tell someone...then she was scared they might laugh, maybe it was normal for your father to hit you? She wasn’t quite sure anymore. It had happened so many times. Any way she wanted him to be quiet, she sat back on the bed and kissed Will. For a long time. Nothing was going to happen between them like that. They two were perfectly contented kissing each other. For once Brittany was completely absorbed in something, taking her mind away from everything. Her torn World was now perfect. Even if only for a few moments. The two stopped eventually and just held onto each other as if they had no intention of even letting go. If either had had their way, they wouldn’t have let go. They loved each other as much as two fifteen year olds could.

Will snuck back out of Brittany’s window after she’d fallen asleep. No one knew the moments the two had spent together. Perfect moments. Brittany had felt safer than ever before. She decided that night she would tell Will, soon, tomorrow.

_____________________________________________________________________

Brittany slowed down. the road was slightly up hill and she was running out of breath. She went to the side of the road and sat down. She still had no idea how far away from her destination she was, but she was almost sure that she was no closer. The ground, obviously, was cold and wet beneath her, but she was drenched through anyway. She wasn’t sure if she’d even be welcome where she was going. After all that had happened. Would she be safe? Would she be found there? Well, she decided, he wouldn’t let her get hurt, of course she’d be safe. She took a deep breath and started running again. She had no time to waste.

________________________________________________________________________________

Brittany decided she’d call for Will that morning when she got up. She looked at the huge bruise on her face. This called for foundation. Lots of. When she’d covered her bruise up totally she ended up looking rather orange, but she wanted to tell Will she didn’t want him to find out himself. She got dressed, grabbed her school bag and rushed out the front door. Bumping straight into her father.

“Where the hell are you going with all that makeup on?” He boomed, “Get inside! INSIDE!” He grabbed her wrist and tried to walk her inside. She wriggled and at that moment Will arrived. Her knight in shining armor.

“Hey Brit! Hi Mr Markstone.” Will walked into the garden and went to shake the man’s hand. Mr Markstone gave Brittany a filthy look and stormed inside, ignoring Will’s hand.

“Come on.” Brittany grabbed Will’s outstretched hand and ran off down the road, as they had done many times before.

“Brit. Why haven’t I met your parents before?” Will asked on the way to school.

“Oh, I didn’t realize it mattered…”

“Well , it’s just, you always come over my house for food and stuff and my parents love you...just, don’t you think yours will like me?”

“I have to tell you something.”

“Oh okay….me too.” Will said, smiling. Brittany took him into the field where they normally spent free time. They sat in the middle, in amongst the grass. Brittany took a wipe out of her bag and started removing all the foundation, facing the opposite way to Will. She took out a hand mirror and when satisfied you could see the bruise, she turned to Will. He was shocked. Scared even. She wouldn’t do this just to say she’d walked into a door, would she? Shock set in as he matched up, her father, her bruise. Her father had hit her.

“My dad, did this.” Brittany said, her eyes glistening as they filled up with tears, but refusing to let them fall. Will grabbed her in a hug tight. He kissed her head and rubbed her back as she cried.

“I’m so sorry Brit...I’m so sorry.” He repeated over and over. Brittany didn’t understand why, he couldn’t have stopped it could he? “We have to tell someone.” He said. The words Brittany didn’t want to hear. The words she knew he was bound to come out with.

“No!” She cried, “It’ll make it worse. PLEASE!” She cried out.

“But Brittany-”

“Will!” She begged. He stood up and walked off, leaving his girlfriend to cry. A selfish action if ever had he made one. But he didn’t know what else to do. He didn’t know how to help. He wanted to protect her, make it better, he just wasn’t sure how. She hoped beyond hope he wasn’t going to tell anyone. Everything would get a million times worse. Neither of them went to school that day. Brittany stayed in the field, the whole day. And Will wandered around helplessly, terrified for the safety of the girl he apparently loved so much.

***

That night, as Brittany sat awake in the garden, in a daze, as all the people fussed all around her she tried to process what had happened. It had started when she came in, and her father decided she’d had sex with Will [she hadn’t..]

***

"You stupid little hussy!" He had cried, "You'll be sorry! Not going to school to stay around with that boy!" Brittany had crouched in the corner, hoping he'd stop, "Did you do it? Did you have sex?!"

"No Daddy!" She pleaded, but no amount of begging would stop him. Brittany’s mother just sat in the corner and watched again. Brittany could never hate her mother but she sure could be angry with her. Like she was now. How could any mother just sit by and watch her only child be beaten black and blue? That, Brittany would never understand. Brittany decided to put up a fight tonight. It had gone on too long. She screamed at the top of her lungs. She flew passed her father, away from the corner she had crouched in, and out into the hall,

“HELP!” She screamed, “PLEASE SOMEONE!” Her father came bounding out after her. Someone had heard her scream though. The front door flew open, thank God they never locked it, and Will came into the hall, “Will!” She cried. She ran to his open arms, but there was no time to stop and think, her father was right behind her.

“So this is Will is it? The idiot you “love.”

“He’s not an idiot!”

“Come on Brittany.” Will said, urgently trying to drag Brittany out of the house. He was scared, he tried not to show it but his heart was racing, he just wanted to protect the girl he’d come to love. How had he got into this mess? By spilling some soup. But now he was in too deep, not only did he want to protect Brittany but he couldn’t leave her, even if he wanted too.

“Don’t even think about taking my baby away! She’s mine. She loves me! Not you!” He ran up and dragged Brittany away from Will. She was kicking and screaming but it was no use, her father was a strong man. Why wasn’t anyone else coming? How could no one else hear the commotion? Will and Brittany were worried, but there were other neighbors surely they could hear the screaming?! Her father lifted her high and threw her down, she landed on, and broke, her arm. She was crying in pain. Her father was not worried about her though. He wanted Will. He had a scary look in his eye, a look Brittany knew too well.

“Run Will!” She pleaded. He flew out of the door, but Brittany’s father was right behind.

_____________________________________________________________________

Brittany felt a pain in her heart as she came to the field. She closed her eyes, and for those few seconds the rain and thunder disappeared. She could see Will and her there. They looked so real in her imagination, she had so wanted to run and warn them. Warn them of what was coming, she didn’t want to be here. Another roll of thunder shocked her back into real life. She carried on and got to the top of her street. What if her father was in the house? What if he had come back? Why was she going back to the place she’d so recently run from? She decided it was her only hope. Tired and hurting she run the last stretch down the road, speeding up to pass her house. She opened the wooden gate and run up the garden path. She hammered hard on the door. After what seemed like centuries he appeared at the door.

“Brittany!” The man held her tight. Just like his son had done only a few days previously. Now he wouldn’t ever again. As Will’s father took her inside, and his mother appeared, crying as she saw the state Brittany was in, Brittany collapsed onto the hard wooden floor.

________________________________________________________________________________

Brittany’s father threw himself on the floor, dragging Will down with him. Brittany had made her way to the door by that point. She watched in horror, screaming at the top of her lungs, as her father grabbed a near-by plank of wood from their messy garden and brought it up high above Will.

“HELP!” She cried, she felt a slight relief as she saw Will’s dad appeared outside but he was too late. Her father brought the wood down hard and hit Will across the head, “No!” She yelled repeatedly as her father struck Will over and over. Blood had covered the plank of wood. She collapsed onto the floor as Will’s father had just gotten into their garden her father realized what he had done. He flew passed her, through the house and escaped out the back way. Will’s father rushed to try to catch her father, or to phone an ambulance. She wasn’t quite sure which at that point. She made her way over to Will in a daze, crying. Will’s eyes were shut. His head and face blood covered.

“Will, please! Please!” She begged. She threw herself next to him, causing more pain to her arm, and she rested her head on his chest. Crying and pleading with him to wake up. A crowd of neighbors had gathered, Will’s mother had rushed over, crying as hard as Brittany. A few minutes later an ambulance arrived. It was too late. He was gone.

Brittany’s father had escaped. Brittany’s mother had taken Brittany to the hospital to have her arm plastered, and to see Will. She apologized over and over to his devastated parents but they both told her it was not her fault. Her heart ached and told her it was. Her whole body shook with hurt and anger. She was so upset her chest ached. Her eyes red from crying. The whole group had had to give statements to the police. They were searching the country for her father. Will’s parents asked for a police guard for Brittany and her mother but the police told them it would not be possible. Brittany didn’t care. As far as she was concerned, there was no point in living anymore. Her love was dead, her father had killed him. As she sat awake, crying in bed that night the realization hit her. She would never hear his voice again. Her boyfriend, her best friend, was gone.

_____________________________________________________________________

She woke up in bed, Will’s bed, with Mrs Marsdon [Will’s mother] sitting at her side.

“Brit!” She said, as she saw the girl wake. To Brittany’s surprise Mrs Marsdon embraced her, “We were so worried when the police found your mother and you were gone! Oh Brittany I’m so sorry!” The woman cried, as Brittany tried to understand what she was saying.

“Found my mother?”

“You-you didn’t? Oh no...Brittany.” She hugged her again , crying, “Your mother’s died! Your father pushed her down the stairs. But they caught him Brittany, they got him! What happened?”

“You tell us, we’ll tell the police when they get here love.” Mr Marsdon said, appearing at the door. Brittany took in the news about her mother and closed her eyes tight as she recounted to them the events of the day.

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It was around six o’clock, it was dark and raining. She had been sitting at her bedroom window just thinking when she heard her mother scream from downstairs. She went down to see what the commotion was about. Her father was there, he had his hand covering her mother’s mouth but when he saw Brittany he let go and leapt for her. Brittany had learned to be quick around her father she ran to the front door, ready to scream her head off, but for the first time it had been locked. Her father’s doing no doubt. Quickly thinking she ran upstairs. She slammed her bedroom door and went to climb out the window. She must have gotten her speed from her father though, as he was right behind her, dragging her back in. He grabbed her as he had done a few nights before. She wriggled and kicked and he let go after a kick in the shins. He had been clever though, he backed her into a corner, and he produced a knife from his pocket.

“No boy will take you away from me!” He cried as he brought the knife to her. She smacked his wrist though. The knife just scraped her arm as it flew from his hand across the landing. He had dived to get it, giving Brittany an advantage as to the positions they were in. She pushed him over and grabbed a lamp on a table. She hit him with it once and ran. She got out the back door. Not stopping to think about her mother. She had no time. She was almost sure she was safe.

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Brittany shivered and tears fled from her eyes as she recalled this.

“Brit, you weren’t to know. She was fine when you left, she’d gone up to check on him, and he’d grabbed her and pushed her down the stairs. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Please Brittany carry on, we need to know.”

Brittany contemplated why they needed to know. She decided she owed it to them. Her son had been a part in all of this. He’d lost his life due to this. She owed them some clarification.

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Brittany had ran and ran. The weather got worse. There was blood from the cut on her arm, and she tripped and fell numerous times. She’d ended up in some woods. In a little hut she’d found, and eventually she’d ended up back here. That was the end of it really.

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“I’m so sorry Brittany.” Mrs Marsdon told her.

“Anyway, the police found your father at your house. You’re in no more danger now Brittany. I’ll go and phone the police to tell them.” Mr Marsdon left the room, and his wife got up to follow.

“What will happen to me? I mean-there’s no one else.” Brittany questioned.

“You can stay here as long as you want. Will would have wanted it.” With that she left. Brittany smelt the quilt. It smelled like Will. She looked at a picture he had on the bedside. A picture she’d not noticed before. It was her and Will in the field. She’d remembered the day, just when she’d first arrived, when they’d just started being friends. Will had put the camera on timed, to take pictures of them together. Will was staring at her. His blue eyes were wide and happy, he was smiling. She was oblivious. Her head was back, she was laughing, her hair wild and blowing in the wind. She picked up the picture and stared at Will. Had he really looked at her like that? Had he really loved her? She got out of bed, and walked up to the window. She stared out at the moon and the stars. The thunder, lightning and rain had stopped now. The night cleared up. She swore she heard Will saying goodnight. She said to the sky, “Goodbye.” And tore up the photo, throwing the bits out to be carried away by the wind. He was gone. She might as well be too.