Chapter Fourteen: Tail Spin

Surpressed Memories

WARNING GRAPHIC TRIGGERS CONTENT

The months fly by and before Katie knows it, it's Christmas break. She walks out of the school's front doors and smiles. Today was the last day before the two week long break and She was finally Free from the hell that was her school. She feels an arm sling across her shoulders and smiles as she looks up at Melina. The two were still best friends and whenever the adults were MIA they would party and be in Stoned Bliss.

 

 "Are the guardians home?" Melina asks lighting up a cigarette even though it was against the rules to smoke on school grounds. Katie takes the cigarette from her and takes a puff and nods her head.

 

"Well all the important ones are gone, Just Han is home, He's got like the stomach flu or something." Katie says handing her back the cig. Thinking about Han made her heart twist. Whatever had been between them he had made it pretty clear that it was over, that he didn't want her anymore. He never spoke to her unless she specifically asked him something or talked to him first and it wasn't like he was outright rude to her but whenever she caught his eye she was always left broken because of the emptiness and harshness she saw in them. She tried to not care for him but it was hard. The depression that came with it was gradual she didn't notice it at first. Luckily she had Melina, and her party bag to keep the depression away. Melina smiles and fishes something out of her ever present tote purse, pulling out the ever familiar film canister. She dangles it in front of Katie with a huge smile plastered on her face.

 

"We can come over to our house and have a Party. I just got a fresh batch and the rents wont be home tonight!!" She says. She had started a habit of calling her house Our" house after she had remembered Katie use to live there. Katie eyes the canister like a hungry dog. Since that horrible day she first tried Katie and Melina had done it here and there and each time it was better then the last, She could see why Melina did it constantly. Whenever she would get a new batch She would invite Katie  and they would get high all night long. Katie had come home more then once high out of her mind, but somehow the others never noticed, and if they did they assumed it was Weed. Normally it was at Katie's or the two would sit in Melina's car, never had she invited her over her house, and Katie had been just fine. She wasn't so sure if she wanted to go into that house full of memories of her past, but she wanted the high from the coke so she found herself nodding yes. Melina squeals and hugs her. Letting go she takes her hand and half drags her to her car.

 

Melina's car was a nice one a crystler 300 with a black paint job. the interior had red leather that stuck to the back of your legs in the summer heat and would freeze them if it wasn't for the seat warmers. Katie throws her backpack in the back seat and flops into the front, turning the stereo up until the base was booming through her body. Melina does a wild whooping sound and peelings out of the driveway. Katie laughs and head bangs to the music. If only Melina knew that Dom, Bryan, and Lisa use to Street race She wouldn't be so quick to dis them then. They Make it to her house in record time, and Melina slams on the breaks making her almost hit her head on the dash.

 

"Damn girl will you cut that out" She says laughing as she gets out of the car. She leaves her pack in the car and lets herself in through the gate. She plops on the porch swing as she waits for Melina to unlock the door. Melina opens the door and goes in, Katie following behind her much slower. Katie stands in the door way unable to move as memories come flooding back, She looks around the front room at Melina's family belonging, Nothing about it was the same as her nightmares, not even the paint color. She takes a deep breath and enters the home that had haunted her for 6 years.

 

"We changed everything around," Melina says coming out of the kitchen, two water bottles, tossing her one which she catches with ease. Melina goes over to her and nods her head in the direction of the door. "The only thing my mother couldn't paint over was that" Katie looks over at the door to see deep gashes in the door frame. She goes over to them and puts her hand on them, tracing them. " Apparently someone broke down the door in a hurry, My mother was pissed, saying bullshit like how she didn't want that kind of violent presence in our home blah blah blah,' Melina rattles leaning against the wall to study Katie. "Wait do you know what happened?" She asks. Katie manages to tear her gaze away from the gashes and nod her head.

 

"Yeah, remember how I said my father was abusive?" She asks seeing her friend nod. Katie goes back to look at the gashes as the night she was rescued flickered in her brain. " Well one night he was drunk out of his mind and decided to beat the living s**t out of me," She blinking fast trying to keep the tears away before she continues. "No one was paying attention or trying to help me even though I was screaming bloody murder." She hears Melina curse under her breath but she doesn't look up, She just presses her hand closer to the gashes. " Dom and Bryan were living in the house they live in now and they heard me and came rushing over, Dom kicked down the door when he heard me fall down the stairs. Bryan wrestled my dad to the floor and Dom picked me up and took me away." Katie says finishing her story. She stands up and turns away from the door to smile up at her friend. "I've never been back in this house till now." Melina pushes off the wall, oddly reminding Katie of Han, and walks over to her to gather her in a hug. Katie clings to her friend, The only person outside of her family that she trusted. Trying to lighten the mood Melina lets go and picks up her bag, turning to look at Katie she waggles her eyebrows making her laugh.

 

"Girl lets shake off this depression mojo, We've got a party to go to," Melina says making a loud Whoop. She starts heading up the stairs," You know where your old room is," She says,not looking back to see if Katie was following, it was her way of letting Katie have the option of Running . She would have, if the promise of a blissful high wasn't screaming at her, propelling her up the stairs after her best friend. She walks down the hallway at a very slow pace. She had forgotten that the the upstairs was slightly smaller then her House now. Dom's house had four bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, with the attic being the spare room, where as this house only had three bedrooms and a bathroom. Her old bedroom was the smallest and the farthest down the hall. Reaching the landing of the second floor she can hear blaring music coming from her old room. She grips the banister so tightly she knuckles turn white. Fear was slowling make its way through her. She shakes her head and squares her shoulders. She was being stupid! It wasn't like her father was going to come walking out of the bathroom and beat her. She forces her legs to move and she propels herself down the hallway. She gets to the door and turns the nob, opening it. The music wharfs around her and the base vibrates in her chest. She sees Melina already at her desk, head bent over a mirror. Katie walks in a closes the door behind her. Before she can take a step to her friend memories she didn't even know she was suppressing flooded her mind. The room faded away and was replaced by how her room looked when she lived there, she couldn't hear Melina calling to her.

 

It was dark out and 10 year old Katie was curled up on her dirty dingy bed, the blanket no more then threads to keep out the chill. Her door opens slightly letting a sliver of light from the hall way spill into her room, chasing away the shadows if only for a minute. Her father slithers in and shuts the door, letting the shadows come back darker and scarier. He quietly makes his way to her bed, His beady black eyes looking sinister as they fall upon her. She cowers under her blankets whimpering in fear as he sits on the edge of her bed. Putting his big sweaty hand on her thigh he smiles at her a sick twisted smile

 

"Shh honey, don't tell mommy." he says slurring his words as he pulled the blanket away from her pushing her down the mattress.

 

"KATIE! YO HELLO YOU THERE?" The sound of Melina screaming in her face Snaps Katie out of her flashback with a harsh flinch. She jumps away from her friend, knocking into the door. Melina peers at her with concern etched into her face. "Katie are you OK babe?" She asks going over to her t comfort her. Katie flinches again and searches for the doornob behind her, when she finds it she opens the door and flies out of the room.

 

" I have to Go Melina I'm sorry I... I just can't be here!" She calls trying to keep the sobs from bubbling out. She knew she was about to break down and she just couldn't let Melina see her this way. The stairs are a blur as she flies down them and out the front door. She runs across the street as fast as she can, hoping she could outrun her growing panic. She reaches her house and throws open the door, slamming it shut behind her. She couldn't run anymore, her terror had caught up to her and she just collapses on the ground, sucking in as much air as her lungs would let her. Han comes tearing out of the living room, his eyes wide when he sees her there on the floor.

 

"Katie what wrong? What happened?" He says running to her, dropping on his knees in front of her. She just looks up at him with terror in her eyes, unable to speak, afraid if she opened her mouth uncontrollable sobs would come out. He just gathers her to him and holds her. His touch, after months of hostile distance breaks her and her tears rush out of her like a damn finally breaking. She grips the collar of his shirt and buries her face into his chest, her small body heaving as her grief washes through her. "Shh Angel its OK, you're OK." He says holding her close to him. When her tears finally dried and her fear subsided she pushes out of his arms so she can lean against the door, The cold from outside making the door cool against her heated skin.

Han sits quietly in front of her, watching the turmoil in her eyes as she battled her demons. She leans her head against the door and sighs a shaking breath. He leans forward and cups her face in his hand, forsing her to look at him. Her green eyes shiny and bright from recent tears.

 

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" He asks quietly, afraid to send her over the edge again. She flinches as he sees the memory grip her again, but she pushes it away and gives him a grim smile.

 

"it's not pleasent." She says dryly. Han just looks at her and shakes his head

 

"I don't care if its the worst news in the world, Something made you so afraid that you collapsed into tears, I want to know. Did Melina break up with you or something."

Katie stares at him in shock. Melina break up with her? did she just hear him correctly. Suddenly uncontrollable laughter bubbles out of her and she can't stop. IT was probably from the terror and partially because that was the most hysterical thing she had ever heard.

 

" Melina and I aren't dating, we never were." She says between laughter. Han just looks at her in confusion and waits for her to quiet down. When she does she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. " I had a flashback about something I never even knew I was forgetting, I went to Melina's and we went into my old bedroom cuz that's her room and BAm it hit me." she whispers looking up at him. He smiles and nods, encouraging her to continue. And that was it. it was like Verbal spew, once she started telling him what it was about, all these memories came flooding back and she just couldn't stop the words from flying out of her mouth.

 

Han sits there and clenches his fists. Red hot anger that he had never felt before shooting through his veins like adrenaline. Katie looks at him, tears falling silently down her face. He leans in and wipes them away. She leans her face into his palm and sighs. He takes his hand away and wraps his arms around her drawing her close. Without caring or even thinking he claims her mouth with his, tasting the salt of her tears on her lips.

 

Katie at first was so shocked that he was kissing her that she didn't kiss back. But then Shock soon gave away to passion and she wraps her arms around his neck as she kisses him back with as much passion as he was kissing her. When she was unable to breath she tears her lips from his, smiling as she hears his ragged breathing. He quickly stands up and pulls her to her feet. Smiling at her he pulls her close hugging her. She sags against him as sudden exhaustion overcomes her. If he hadn't been already holding her she would have fallen over.

 

"WOah hey, why don't you get to bed hmm? get some rest." he suggests quietly. She nods and heads up the stairs on shaky feet, Han never leaving her side, making sure she made it to her room safely. Once at her door she opens it, turning before heading in to get a better look at him.

 

"Han please don't-" she starts to say but he just waves her away shaking his head.

 

" I wont tell a soul, its not my place. But I am here for you if you need to talk about it OK?" He says as she nods. "No go on." He says pointing to her door. she gives him a small weak smile of thanks and hurries into her room before she passes out in the hall way.

 

Han goes to his room and slams the door, Rage seething through him. He was seeing red. He wanted nothing more then to go find her piece of s**t father and beat him till he was a bloody corpse. IN a suddenly rage he picks up an object on his dresser and throws it against the wall, screaming in anger. He watches as it shatters, realizing it had been a glass nick nack Mia had bought him from the store. He stares at the glass shards on the ground twinkling in the fading light. Sighs he goes over and gingerly picks them up dumping them into his wastecan. He flops on his bed throwing his arm over his eyes trying to calm down. He must've fallen asleep because the next thing he knew Dom was pounding on his door telling him that dinner was ready. Han gets up and tries to compose himself before joining everyone. He leaves his room and heads for the kitchen. It was only after he had sitten down that he noticed Katie wasn't there.

 

"where's Katie?" He asks as Lisa sat next to him. She points upstairs.

 

"Not feeling good." She replies. Han just nods in understatement. He wouldn't tell them why shew as really feeling sick. Like he told her. It wasn't his place. He turns to his food and numbly eats it, not really tasting what he was eat, and not really caring. His mind traveling to other places, not matter how much the Family tried to get him to interact.

 

Katie Just huddled in her bed trying to get rid of the memories. Suddenly something on her dresser catches her attention. Getting up she goes over to exam it. It was one of Melina's film canisters. Excitement flutters in her stomach as she rips it open and dumps its contents in her hand. White powder in a little baggie plops in her hand as she face breaks into a wide grin. She knew just how to make her memories go away.