Racing for Freedom

chapter Twelve





“Hey Dashy,” Slade says, falling in step beside me, as we walk down the stone paths towards class.

“Hey Slade, what’s up?”

“Pizza and movies tonight, my parents are away.”

I beam at him. It’s not often Slade and I get to hang out freely. Most of the time we have to hide our friendship. Occasionally his parents go away and we manage to get a night of laughing and fun together.

“I love when your parents go away,” I grin.

He laughs and pushes me lightly. “Me too.”

“Hi Slade.”

We both turn to see Mary sauntering over in her tiny excuse of a uniform. She swishes her long blonde hair from side to side as she smiles up at Slade.

“Hey Mary.”

“I was wondering if you wanted to go to the movies tonight?”

Is she seriously pretending like I’m not here?

“Nah, I’m hanging out with Dash.”

Mary turns her eyes to me and runs them over my body as though I’m nothing more than a pathetic child she’s forced to acknowledge.

“Right, well, another night then?”

“Maybe.” Slade says.

She nods her head and turns her nose up before walking off. I look at Slade and then burst into a fit of giggles. He shoves me lightly.

“Hey now, go easy on me Dashy.”

“Movies Slade?” I mock in a high pitched voice.

“Aw, go easy.”

I grip his shirt and crush it in my hands, pressing myself against him. “I love you Slade Devaroe, take me, take me home to your bed.”

He laughs and tugs my hair playfully, titling my head back.

“You are a mean girl, Dasha Jewel.”

I giggle and press a smacking kiss to his lips.

“Yeah well, you love me.”

“Like a stomach ache.”

I am curled up on the couch, thinking about Slade. Part of me wonders if we could ever form that sort of friendship again. We were so close, so happy, so in tune with each other. He always knew how I felt, even when I didn’t say a word. He always knew how to make me laugh, when I was done and he always fixed my hurts. We just fit, everything about us just fit so well. I feel my eyes burn as I think about it, so I distract myself by flicking through the channels.

I find a tragic love story, and end up falling asleep half way through. I wake much later on when the house is dark. I hear someone in the kitchen so I sit up quietly and peer over. The light from the fridge is shining over Slade, who is leaning in and ruffling through it. I open my mouth and it forms a big ‘O’ but it’s not because of the fact that he’s wearing no shirt and looks utterly stunning, it’s because of the faint bruises I see all down his back.

I stand quietly and move closer, squinting my eyes. Oh god, there’s so many of them. He’s got them on his ribs, the middle of his back, even up near his shoulders. What the hell happened? Did he get into a fight? His face is perfect, not a mark. I don’t understand.

“Slade?” I whisper.

He spins around so quickly the milk carton in his hand skitters across the floor. I gasp when I see his chest, more bruises. He sees my eyes and quickly shuts the fridge so we’re in the dark.

“Slade, what…”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

“Slade…”

“F*ck off Dasha, just f*ck off. It’s none of your business.”

Then he’s gone and I’m standing in the darkness panting. What the hell happened to him? Whatever it was, it runs deep.