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1950 Words
“So tell me what happened when you went to the swimming pool.”
“It all began with him pushing me in, well we all got pushed in then they all dive bombed into the water as we surfaced. Then he’d always tell me he loved me.”
He starred at her.
“Then it would all begin again. They pulled us under before they all went up on the boards.”
“And the incident?”
“He pulled himself up he could tell she was finding it hard and he could see the fear in her eyes.
“It’s okay Autumn, take your time.”
She swallowed. “I was really good the instructor said I was. I could’ve gone pro but they made me so nervous up there I tried to cancel, my instructor could tell I was falling back something that I’d never done. He had tried to talk to me. I told him that I was okay then I froze, it took me fifteen minutes to take the dive. He called me over to one corner and asked me what was wrong. I told him my friends decided to jump off the board with me. He requested that I stood down until I got my head sorted.’
“But you didn’t.”
“No. Taylor came round after I told him that I wasn’t going. He told me to get my stuff cause everyone was waiting.”
“So you did.”
“What else could I do Matt? I was backed into a corner with nowhere to go.” She explained sitting nervously, twitching.
“You don’t have to carry on Autumn if you prefer we can do this another day if it’s bringing back to many bad memories.’
“It’s okay.” She breathed heavily and began again. “He placed his arm around me and closed the door. Telling me the guys were around the corner. I told him I wasn’t sure but he promised me that it would be ok. I smiled nervously at him our joint dates never went quiet to plan. We caught the bus into the town he was all over me until we got to the pool where we all separated to get changed. We all changed going into the pool the the guy’s Wolfe whistled. We pulled ourselves up out of the water walking over to the boards. I swallowed pulling myself the ladders to the top, Taylor and the others following. I know I shouldn’t’ve been so close to the edge of the board, all I heard was shouting then Taylor and Rudgey crashed into me. I lost my balance and fell. Cas shouted Rudgey held her back. They all watched as I fell. Water vomited out of my mouth my eyes slowly opened. I asked what happened before loosing consciousness.”
“So do you think that they planned it?”
“Taylor said they didn’t, but he told me to keep it shut. I came around in hospital and he smiled. Twisting everything so I didn’t get him in any trouble.”
“So what did you tell the cops?”
“I lost my footing the guys thought I’d already dived.”
“So you lied, again?”
“Yeah, I didn’t want to get him in to any more trouble.”
“So what happened after”
“His brother picked us up and took me home. He called him a little prick for being so stupid. And I could’ve died if I hadn’t hit the water right.”
“I guess, he was mad.”
“So was my mom. I wasn’t meant to see him again.”
“But you did?”
“Try telling someone it’s over who won’t listen.”
“So what happened Halloween?”
“I guess he thought he was getting back at me for trying to dump him.”
“So did anything else happen after Halloween?”
“Bonfire night.”
“So this Taylor ruin something else you enjoyed.”
“Unfortunately.” She looked at Mathew. “I enjoyed it whilst I was growing up with my friends and brother we all went to a proper show.”
“It was a month after the insodent at the pool.”
“I see.”
“Mom didn’t want me going. I tried to tell him Matt he was still sour that I’d tried to break it off with him he said I was doing to make him look like a fool. The only fool was me.”
“You’re not a fool Autumn.”
“I often felt like it.” She looked at him. His eyes sparkled. “Anyway we had a massive argument about how I was only doing it because of the pool and he’d hoped I’d gotten over it. How was I supposed to get over it? He made me lie and then he had the nerve to ask me to go out Halloween then the bonfire, he was so angry after I told him I was finishing with him he told me he loved me and twisted my words around so that I stayed with him. Mom was vexed, but she could never understand how hard it was for me.”
“How hard was it Autumn?”
“Hard. My friends all seemed happy even thought I wasn’t. My friends said I was better off without him he was more bothered about his friends and how they felt he never cared about I how I felt.”
“How did you feel, Autumn?”
“Alone.”
“So why did you stay with him?”
“He wouldn’t let me go.”
“Well you should’ve made him see that you were not happy.”
“I tried Matt he always turned it around.”
“So did your friends always play pranks on you?”
“Sometimes. They thought it was funny, but we didn’t.”
“Sounds to me like they made your life hell.”
“Sometimes, most of the time it was good.”
“Like when?”
“When we were alone. I think Rudgey thought that I was invading their territory so I had to go.”
“Didn’t you get on?”
“I tired for Caz, they were always together. We spent weekends with their friends so none of us thought I was keeping him away from his friends.”
“Sounds to me like he was an overprotective parent not a friend.”
“It often felt that way.”
“So they were jealous.”
“I guess.”
“Were they close?”
“They’d always been friends. I guess he thought I’d take him away.”
“Is that why you thought that you were to blame?”
“I guess, even though he was with Caz he thought Taylor should find someone who wasn’t me.”
“You can’t blame yourself Autumn this guy sounds like he wanted everything his way or not at all. He didn’t think anyone but him could be happy.”
“I guess.”
“Were you ever happy?”
“Sometimes.”
“And the other times?”
“Alone.”
“You should’ve got out.”
“I tried. He said he loved me and he wasn’t going to loose me.”
“So how bad did these pranks get?”
“Really bad.”
“Like how bad?”
“I ended up in hospital over six times with broken bones and fractures.”
“So were any of them worse than another?”
“Not really. The docs reckoned that I was an Angel they couldn’t work out how I survived what I had.”’
“Positivity Autumn, and luck.”
“Mom hated me hanging around with them, she wanted me to leave him.”
“But the more she tried to push you away from him the closer you got.”
“For a while yes.”
“Unti. when?”
“Until he took the piss one last time.”
“Halloween?”
“Yeah. I tried to tell him it was over and he apologised. I accepted his apology and then bonfire happened. I tried to leave him then too he would hear of it and turned everything around and told me that things would get better.”
“And did they?”
“For a while. They were better when we were alone to when we were with all of our friends.”
“Maybe he was trying to prove he was still who he was even though he had you.”
“There was no need Matt I took him as he was though his friends were pain in the ass.”
“So how was school life when they weren’t acting like four year olds?”
“Good until..”
He looked at her.
“Sorry I can’t it’s too hard.”
“Why Autumn?”
“Because my friends were there and his and I had to watch while they all turned against me, one by one.”
“It wasn’t your fault Autumn.”
“So talk me through what happened to your friends. The ones that we haven’t talked about yet.”
“After Charlotte was found everyone turned against me. I felt so alone.”
“Why did they turn against you?”
“They felt that I was to blame after all they were all my friends and they were dead and I wasn’t.”
“Just because you were stronger than them doesn’t mean to say that you’re to blame.”
“I guess.”
“You weren’t Autumn. So don’t get thinking that you were.”
“So why did it feel like I was?”
“They had to blame someone Autumn and you were the closest to those who chose to take there own lives. They couldn’t handle what was happening around them.”
“Neither could I.”
“But you pulled through it.’
“I wish that I hadn’t.”
“Don’t think like that Autumn.”
“Why not? They did.”
“You’re stronger than that Autumn.”
“I wish I was.”
“You are.”
“No I’m not, I not only lost everyone I lost his brother too.”
“So, how did you and his brother meet each other?”
“I met Sam through Taylor the first time was when we were both in town and Taylor introduced me as his girlfriend. I was a little took back by it I didn’t know what to say so I smiled politely. He shuck my hand.”
“So did you get in with his brother?”
“Yeah he was like a big brother to me. He was always protecting me.”
“Do you think that he had a crush on you?”
“No, no not Sam he was like a big brother to me until he…”
“I’m sorry Autumn.”
She looked at him.
“How did it happen?”
“He went after those that he thought had killed Taylor. They found him dead the same MO everything. The police were baffled.’
“So it was classed as suicide?”
“Yeah. They had nothing else to go on so they put two and two together. They reckoned he was grieving over Taylor’s death and he couldn’t take it anymore so he took his own life to join him. Things just seemed to get wore after that?”
- Writer
