Okay I’m
updating this early…why? Coz Hayley
wanted it updated and what Hayley wants Hayley gets lol-I’m still in this
strange mood!!!!
Part
Three
Paul Tara Chris
Story
Paul sat on the backseat of the familiar greyhound bus. He wondered why after all this time had
Trina sent for him? He hadn’t liked
lying to Chris but had to, he’d even lied to Tara when he’d called in sick that
morning.
As
the bus moved along the freeway Paul recalled the events of the summer. Everything had been great, he’d spent time
on the beach with Tara Trina and Chris but all that had changed one sunny
afternoon, he and he shuddered with the thought.
He
took a deep breath then glanced at his watch, in another hour he would be there
what would he say what do you say to someone in that predicament? He looked across to where a heavy set man
sat, his tattooed arms visible Paul had always wanted a tattoo but his foster mother
had always put her foot down and refused point blank to give her permission,
she believed him to be at work and expected him home later that evening.
The bus pulled up at the appointed stop and Paul got off he stood on the
sidewalk looking for a sign people rushed by without even looking in his
direction “Great…now where” he muttered as he pulled on the blue rucksack.
~**~
Tara drew in a deep breath as she watched the tiny fair haired boy try
to cook “Jesus H Christ…are you trying to poison everyone?” she shrieked “Sorry
I ain’t no cook Taz” he replied he was right about that, this guy definitely
wasn’t a cook “Wow the place is jumping out there” Chris said on his arrival
Tara smiled gratefully in his direction Paul really did have a lot to answer
for, he knew Chris was owed some vacation time yet she had to call him into
work “I’m really sorry Chris” she said looking at the two little faces at his
side “It’s okay…Mark and Lou are coming to take them out” he explained as he
pushed them towards the office “Are they?
Cool” they both said in unison.
James looked relieved when he rushed from the kitchen “So where the
hell’s Paul?” Chris inquired as he took over the cooker “I don’t know…I called
his foster mom to ask if he’d be in tomorrow and she said he was suppose to be
in today” Chris looked surprised this was very out of character for Paul he was
the most reliable out of them all “Wow I wonder where he is?” Tara shrugged as
she lifted two plates of salad “I don’t know but I hope he has a damn good
excuse” Chris frowned “Don’t be too hard on him he must have a pretty good
reason” Tara merely sighed as she backed out through the swing doors smiling at
the young couple as she placed their salad in front of them.
If
Tara was completely honest with herself she wasn’t angry that Paul had lied to
her but that he’d felt the need to lie.
They always told each other everything ever since she’d met Paul they
had hit it off they were like soul-mates always chatting and bouncing ideas off
one another, she had always loved Paul and had believed that they would
eventually get together “You okay?” Chris inquired when she returned “Sure” she
sighed Chris turned to face her “Really?” she nodded as she took another three
plates from the counter “Taz…you wanna check out a movie later?” asked Chris
somewhat out of the blue “Err…not today…some other time okay?” he smiled then
nodded as he turned back to the stove a pout crossing his face as soon as she’d
gone.
Tara was just about to return to the kitchen when Mark arrived with
Louise “Hey how’s things?” Louise greeted as she approached the counter “Yeah
good thanks what about you? How are you
and lover boy getting along” Louise beamed at her “Swell…I can’t believe how
dumb I’ve been” Tara eyed Mark who was now returning from the kitchen with Irma
on his back and Ingrid holding his car keys as if they were some sort of
precious jewel “You two be good” Chris told them “Okay” they retorted Louise
smiling down to where Ingrid stood “So you got with your man at last huh” she
whispered “Wow what’s this?” asked Mark Irma immediately slapping the top of
his head “Nothing…it’s girl talk…ain’t it Lou?” Louise felt her cheeks redden
“Yeah it’s girl talk”
She replied as she took hold of Ingrid’s hand.
~***~
Paul glanced at the sign just by the large gates then took a deep
breath. He wanted so much to just turn
around and go back home, this was the scariest of places “You going in little
buddy?” he heard someone say behind him “Em yeah” he replied as he stared at
the tattooed man once again “First time?” Paul nodded dumbly “Come on you stick
with me kid” he felt a hand grip the back of his neck and manoeuvre him through
the gates and along the tarmac pathway “Just do what I do bud” the man added as
they entered the huge grey building.
~**~
Chris finished work for the day and promptly made his way to the outdoor
ice rink, Mark had called him to tell him where they were “Hey Mark…thanks
buddy” he said on reaching his friend Mark who had been sitting on one of the
seats smiled “So where are they?” Chris added and followed Mark’s gaze to where
his sisters were skating “Oh my God!” he heard a woman next to them call out
“Look how quick he’s going with those two kids” she added pointing to where Ben
was speed skating with Chris’s sisters at each side of him “Oh my God!” he
thought “They’re loving it” Mark assured “They are?” said Chris his heart
racing as his sisters flew past squealing with delight “Sure listen to them”
Mark added as they skated across to where they both sat “Chris look we can
skate” cried Ingrid joyfully “Yeah so I can see” Irma looked up to where Ben
stood “Ben taught us” she said breathlessly.
~**~
Hayley eyed Tara anxiously then let out a deep sigh “What? You mean Paul hasn’t like called you or
anything since you were together in detention?
Tara slowly shook her head “Nope and he’s being really evasive now…it’s
as if he was just messing around with me” Hayley pouted “That’s well out of
order” she stated Tara nodded “Why don’t you just tell Paul how you feel Tara”
Hayley suggested as they watched the skaters “I don’t know…I guess I’m just
scared I mean we’ve been friends for such a long time now” Hayley frowned “If
you don’t clue him in how’s he gonna know?” Tara shrugged “Tell him Taz Tell
him you wont be treated like some one night stand” advised Hayley.
Tara thought of Paul, he’d been so secretive that morning when he’d
called and being sick. Paul was never
sick no he was definitely up to something but what? What could he possibly be up to?
“Hey Taz” greeted Chris as he approached Tara frowned “What’s up?” he
added she shrugged “Did you talk to Paul today?” Chris looked a little
surprised “Err no why?”
“I just wondered if he was okay”
“Why don’t you drop by?” Louise suggested
“And have him think you don’t believe him?”
said Chris
“But she don’t believe him” Hayley pointed out
“Why?” Chris interrupted
“I don’t know I think its just coz he was so
evasive on the phone”
“Taz he wasn’t feeling to well he might just
have wanted to get back to bed” Mark defended
“Yeah you’re probably right” Tara said
downheartedly
Chris opened his mouth to speak but was
interrupted by the sound of Irma’s screams.
“Shit!
She’s fallen” Hayley muttered as she watched Ben seize the little girl
and carry her to her brother “What did you hurt?” he asked trying desperately
to calm her down “MY ARM!!!!!!!!!!” he looked at it “Oh God!” he said aloud
“Shit I think it’s broken” Mark muttered looking pained “Come on I’ll give you
a ride to the hospital” he offered as he took hold of Louise’s hand “Poor
little kid” she sympathised as they followed Chris “Ben I don’t suppose you
could take care of Ingrid?” Tara inquired Ben glanced at a pensive looking
Ingrid then nodded “Sure…what you say I shout you a burger?” he suggested her
eyes lit up “Yeah can it be the biggest burger?”
“Sure”
“And can Hayley have one to?”
“Yep”
“Yeah!”
Tara glanced across to where Chris sat a worried look on his face, this
was all he needed “She’ll be ok” Mark tired to reassure but Chris wasn’t so
sure Tara took hold of his hand “It’s just a broken arm” she said quietly
“What?” he retorted wearily as he glanced across to where Mark sat “What the
hell is going on with you two?” Tara demanded “Nothing!” growled Chris “No it
ain’t nothing…come on Chris you can’t carry on like this” Mark told him firmly
Chris raised his eyebrows warningly “Like what? What’s going on?” Tara continued Chris stared at her “Christian
tell me now! Come on I have known you my
whole life something ain’t right”
“You may as well tell her” Mark sighed
“Tell me what?”
“Christian!” Chris looked up to find his mother
standing over him, a hand on her hip “I’m sorry mom she fell…she was
ice-skating” he tried to explain. His
mother slapped his face as hard as she could causing him to recoil backward “I
ask you to do one simple thing!” she accused Chris blinked “I’m sorry” he said
again “Yeah I just bet you are…get the hell outa here I can’t talk to you now”
he was ordered.
~**~
Paul made his way back to the bus stop his thoughts all running into one
another, he wished he’d never gone “Hey look out man!” a voice called behind
him he whirled round and fell to the ground with a thud “Hey man you okay?”
“Yeah”
“Sorry about that…I were trying to catch that
darn bus”
Paul glanced at the tattooed man once again
then allowed himself to be helped up “They’ll be another one along soon” the
man shook his head
“Sorry bud that was the last one”
Paul stared wide-eyed “What? But I gotta get back tonight”
“Well it looks like you ain’t going nowhere”
Paul’s face crumbled “But I checked what time
the last bus was before I came” he protested
“You can’t go with the timetable bud they took
the last bus off a couple of months back it was just too darn risky”
Paul felt his stomach muscles tighten at the
thought of spending the night on the street “What time’s the first bus outa
here?” the man glanced at his watch “Six” Paul frowned “You got a problem?” he
nodded “Yeah I planned to travel home tonight” the man stared at him.
“You could always hitch?” he suggested
“Hitch?
You gotta be kidding?”
“I’m gonna hitch you can travel with me?”
Paul’s first instinct was to say no but he was desperate “Okay” he accepted
albeit a little reluctantly.