Chapter three

Chapter three

I ran towards the sound of the road. I figured that since I didn’t know where I was, the road was a good starting point. My bike was nowhere to be seen of course, which meant that I would have to walk all the way back home. My priority now was to get to the road. But alas, my well thought out plan was not so well thought out. I reached the road, but I had no idea which way to go. Left or right? Left, or right?

‘Emma, please let me explain!’

Adam came running towards me, stopping at a respectable distance a few metres away. He’d definitely learned his lesson. He was panting, and a red mark started to form on  the left side of his face. Shame, because it deformed such a beautiful face.

No. No. This was not happening. I kicked him in the face for god’s sake. Though I felt a little sorry about that fact, I also felt like that was a necessary precaution. But how far would I be willing to go? In hindsight, maybe I had overreacted slightly. He could’ve meant well? I corrected myself. I had every right to react this way. Given my past, this was a reasonable response. Why would he have even taken me to his home? These thoughts all ran through my mind in a manner of seconds, the same time it took me to form an answer.

‘I… Why.. What happened?’

A relieved look entered Adams face. He started talking really fast, as though he wanted to get it all out before I ran away again.

‘Okay listen, we were in an accident. Well, actually just you, but I was with you. A car hit you, drove through as well, the bloody b*****d.’ A worried and confused frown appeared between his brows.  ‘Anyway, you lost consciousness so I called my sister. She’s a doctor, you see. She is back to the hospital now but Sarah told me..’

‘Why’d you take me home? Why not to the hospital?’

‘Okay I know it sounds sketchy, but a friend once got in an accident like yours, and she got taken to the hospital. But her parents couldn’t afford it and she actually had to move out of her house because of the medical bills. She didn’t have insurance you see. Plus the hospital is pretty far away, and my sister is a nurse, and, and it didn’t look so bad you didn’t have a lot of blood or anything I just thought it would be the right thing to do.’ His response came out too smooth not to be rehearsed.

‘I didn’t have any blood but I was unconscious so you thought it was okay?!’ What the hell was this guy thinking? I could’ve had a serious injury! Then a thought occurred to me. Was I seriously injured? Except for the pounding headache, I felt fine.

‘What did your sister say?’ Adam looked so happy to hear my reasonable tone, he sighed in relieve. ‘She said to take a couple of days rest, but if you’re starting to feel nauseous you should look for help.’  At least I got that going for me. Adam’s reasoning was flawed, but he seemed to have good intentions. I pinched my nose bridge.

‘So what happened in the accident?’ I asked him. ‘What do you remember?’ I closed my eyes while I answered him. ‘I was cycling home from school. You said hello, we talked, and…’ I gasped. ‘The car hit me full in my back. I should be dead right now.’ This could not be. ‘How the f**k am I not dead?’

Adam laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Just lucky I guess?’ It didn’t sound like he believed it himself. I stared at him incredulously. ‘But my Sarah, I mean my sister, told me you were totally fine. So don’t worry okay?’ He added hastily. I shook my head in disbelief. ‘I need to sit down for a moment.’ There was a fallen log nearby, and I walked over there to clear my head. Adam stood uncomfortably for a while, then sat next to me. After a few moments of silence, he asked me ‘So are you going to tell why you reacted that way inside? I mean I understand your distress, but that was a little bit over the top don’t you think?’ I swallowed and held my head in my hands. ‘I.. I am really, really sorry. ‘ I sighed. Pressing my lips together, I shook my head. He looked at me indignantly and rubbed his face. ‘I believe me and my head deserve a pretty good explanation.’ I chuckled and sighed once more. ‘You’re right, I owe you. I am not ready to tell you everything yet, but I can tell you that I have dealt with some s**t in my past. I won’t expand, but my defence system just activated when I was in that situation again…’ Adam had been silent during my story, but now he gasped and stood up. ‘Again? What kind of situation are you talking about? What did you think I was going to do to you?’ His voice went down on the last sentence and he was looking at me white faced. I swallowed. Adam had hit the nail right on the head. ‘I don’t know, but I wasn’t staying to find out.’ I said softly. He took a shaky breath in and out and shook his head. ‘So did you take some kind of self-defence class? Because that was a hell of a kick.’ I chuckled. ‘I did actually. I wanted to be able to take care of myself you know?’  ‘Well be prepared, because next time you don’t have the element of surprise.’ Adam showed a couple of karate kicks. ‘I have a couple tricks up my sleeves.’ I snorted, then laughed. ‘Well maybe next time. Right now, I think it is time to go home.’ I looked at my wrist, but my watch wasn’t there anymore. ‘What happened to all my stuff anyway?’ ‘Oh right, so your backpack is inside, it is pretty much intact but I’m afraid your watch broke in the fall and your bike is ruined. If you wait here I can bring you your stuff.’ He emphasized ‘wait here’. Apparently he didn’t want me to come in again, but running away was not an option either. ‘Thank you. Could you bring my watch too, I’m pretty attached to it.’ Adam nodded and walked towards the house. I sat there wondering how all of this had gotten so strange. I believe I had become friends with a boy who took me to his house after a life-threatening accident, then miraculously healed me, and whom I kicked in the face. I should apologize for that again.  Judged by the light, it was now around 6 pm. There was nobody home who could be worried about me, but I really needed to feed my cat. The crisping of leaves alerted me to the fact that Adam was coming. He handed me my backpack. ‘Do you know what time it is’ I asked him. ‘It’s 5 past 5 pm.’ I hadn’t taken the woods in account, which filtered a lot of light. ‘So I should probably get going… ‘ ‘Yeah, yeah. I guess I will see you at school some time?’ He looked nervous. I was nervous too, but I was confused as to why. How would things go from here? Would we be friends, or just act like this never happened? ‘Sure. Bye!’ I ached to leave this awkwardness behind me, but then I realised I didn’t know where to go. ‘Just follow the road that way and you will reach the main road again. I could drive you if you want?’ Yes! ‘No, I think I will just walk, clear my head for a bit.’ Adam looked relieved. How soon did he want to get away from me? ‘Okay, see you at school then!’ With a wave, he disappeared between the trees, and I walked away again.