Fight or Flight

Chapter 4 – New Beginnings

Leah’s POV

I picked up my school bag and slung it over my shoulder, tucked my portfolio under my arm, picked up my weekend bag in one hand and dragged my suitcase along with the other. It was bloody heavy. I made my way down the stairs as quietly as I could.

I could no longer hear mum and dad arguing, although it hadn’t long stopped, despite our augment being over 2 hours ago. I wanted to get my bags in the car before I said goodbye to dad.

They had moved from the kitchen, and I had hoped dad was in his office alone. I didn’t want to see mum. I knew this wasn’t going to go down well.

I have a feeling that if they thought I meant I was actually leaving home and not just the kitchen it wouldn’t have gone the way it did.

I opened the front door and pulled my bags out to my car. I managed to get them into the boot and shut it before I saw a figure in the doorway of the house.

‘Leah? What are you doing love?’

‘Dad’

‘What are you doing sweetie?’

‘I was just coming to see you, to say goodbye’.

‘Goodbye? What do you mean?’ confusion was evident, but as silence enveloped us, realisation was dawning on him.

‘I’m sorry dad, I love you, but I can’t live here anymore. When I said I was leaving, I meant I was leaving’.

‘Leah, no, please, we can sort this out’.

‘Like adults?’ I smiled softly, ‘Dad, I’m not going to hash this out again, you don’t deserve me too. But she will never see me as an adult. She went too far, and she is wrong on so many levels. We can’t sort this out until she accepts that. She may never be ready to do that. I need to go, It’s time for me to leave’.

He looked like he was going to cry. He looked a little broken, almost like a lost child but for the first time in my life, I thought he looked old.

‘Where are you going to go?’

‘I’ll find somewhere. I am quite the resourceful young woman you know’ I winked and smiled, although it didn’t quite reach my sad eyes. ‘I’m going to miss you dad’.

‘Well, you will stay in touch, won’t you?’

‘Of course. I’ll let you know when I am settled. But I don’t want you to be stuck between me and mum, so I won’t be telling you where I am, for now, anyway. Please don’t try and find me. I need some space; I need to sort out my next move and find somewhere permeant to live. But you have my number. If you need me, you can call me anytime’.

I gave him a hug as if it was the last one, I would ever have from him. I knew it wouldn’t be, but I also knew it would be a while before I got another one.

I got in the car and drove straight to Sky’s. I knew it was an obvious move, but it was only for tonight. Hopefully, I would be able to find somewhere less obvious tomorrow when I could think straight.

I knew dad would obey my wishes, mum on the other hand, I wasn’t so sure. She would be pissed I had left her the way I did. Not because I had left, but because she didn’t get the last word.

When I got there, her car wasn’t parked out front. I wanted my car around the back anyway, so I went to check if it was there. It wasn’t, and all the lights were off. Damn. This wasn’t the best start. My only other option at this point was Lis.

I drove over to her cottage and as I neared the bottom of the lane, I saw Sky’s car and lights were on in the house. Thank god. She must not have gone home yet.  I pulled into the drive and left my bags in the car.

At least they are together, and I only have to go through the s**t bomb of an afternoon I’ve had once. Well, twice when I tell Kai, but I’ll get this over with first.

I made my way down the front path and waked straight in. I never knocked when I came here, or to Sky’s, we only had each other. Today, however, I was sorry I didn’t.

‘s**t. Sorry! Sky? Lis? What the f**k’, my jaw dropped, and I averted my eyes. What they were doing on the couch was more than my eyes and heart could take right now. f**k.

‘Leah!’ they both exclaimed at the same time as they looked over at me and parted from one another, naked bodies on show, I ran from the house.

‘s**t!’ I heard Sky cry.

‘Leah, please come back’ Lis called.

What the f**k did I just see. I got to the car, sat in the driver’s seat, and rested my head on the steering wheel as I realised I literally had nowhere else to go.

I slammed the steering wheel hard, and the horn beeped. Damn that hurt.

Sky was at the car window banging on it for me to unlock the door, her t-shirt on inside out. Tears streamed down my face. At least she had clothes on now. Lis was just behind her.

I unlocked the car door and Sky opened it. ‘Leah, please, come inside, let us explain’ she pleaded.

I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath. ‘Neither of you need to explain anything. You are adults, and you don’t need my approval. I should have knocked. It was just a shock. I have never needed to knock before. I’m sorry. I’ll knock in future’.

I clenched my jaw trying to hold back my tears, ‘s**t, Leah, please don’t be mad or upset, come inside, we do need to explain, you are our best friend. Please’

I wasn’t angry or upset with either of them. I had just had a f*****g s**t lord of a day and I was emotionally drained, tired, and starving.

I allowed them to lead me in the house ‘I hope you washed your hands’ I looked at them both with a wry smile.

They gave each other an awkward look and I laughed ‘and I am not sitting on that couch until it’s been wiped down. I saw what was on it!’ They both started to laugh a little then.

Lis went straight to the bathroom, Sky washed her hands in the kitchen, poured me a glass of wine and when Lis came downstairs, sky ran up them.

I stood in the kitchen while Lis got some anti bac wipes and wiped the sofa down.

‘Can we just sit outside on the patio?’ I asked ‘Looking at the sofa is giving me nightmares’, I couldn’t help but laugh, this was so awkward it was hilarious.

‘Sure’ she shyly replied unable to look me in the eye.

Sky came bundling down the stairs and pulled me in to her arms wrapping me in her embrace. She was taller than me by about a good 4 inches. She easily engulfed me. She let me go before kissing me on the top of my head,

‘You cleaned your teeth? For me? How sweet’ I teased.

‘You don’t seem mad anymore?’ she questioned.

‘Sky, I wasn’t mad, come on, let’s go sit outside’

‘Lis, didn’t you clean the sofa?’ she lightly scolded.

‘I did! She said she was going to have nightmares and wanted to sit outside!’ she retorted with less Sass more embarrassment.

I started to laugh. Once I started, I couldn’t stop, my eyes leaked happy tears for a change, and I almost spilt my wine as I snorted. I finally managed to control myself as they both just stared at me.

‘s**t, you guys are cute. She cleaned the sofa, I just wanna sit outside if that’s ok?’  and I made my way to the patio.

Lis whispered not to subtly in Sky’s ear ‘Did she just call us cute?’

Sky laughed ‘Yeah, I think she did’ and they followed me outside.

‘So, you’re not mad?’ Sky asked ‘Coz you looked pretty crestfallen when you walked in. Then slammed your head on the steering wheel and beeped the horn shouting f**k. Yes, we saw. And your Jaw seemed like it was gurning when we spoke outside… so prey, do tell, this is Leah not mad?’

‘Ah, yes, well shock can do crazy things to a person. Plus, I was trying not to cry, not gurning! b***h. And the tears weren’t for you. But I’ll tell you about that later. Wanna fill me in?’

‘Ah, well um, yes…. About that’ Lis stuttered.

‘I just kind of happened Leah. When you left, we finished unpacking, we started talking and what started as an innocent kiss goodbye ended up, well, you saw how it ended up! Sorry about your eyes and all’.

‘So, this just happened? You haven’t been seeing each other? Coz honestly I would be a little mad if you had kept this from me’.

‘Like, literally just happened’ Lis confirmed.

‘So, you haven’t even discussed this yet?’

‘Well, no, we kind didn’t even finish what we started’ Sky laughed ‘We got interrupted’.

Sky and I burst out laughing but poor Lis looked mortified.

‘Lis, Chill out! Aren’t you glad it was me and not your dad that walked in?’

Her face was a picture! ‘Oh My God!’

‘Maybe lock your door next time…. If there will be one…. Will there?’

‘s**t Leah’

‘Too heavy too soon?’ I questioned, a smirk on my face as I raised my eyebrows.

‘I think Lis probably needs time to get her head around it’

‘What! And you don’t?’ she asked Sky.

‘Damn! Lis is your girl crush! HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS BEFORE!’ I screamed.

‘Leah, SHUT UP! You’re scaring her’

‘No, she isn’t!’

‘She isn’t?’

‘No, I thought you weren’t interested. You knew I was gay and set me up on a dating site and sent me on dates. I assumed, clearly incorrectly, that if you had been interested you may have mentioned it’

‘So, you are interested?’

‘I just practically f****d you on the sofa Sky, does that seem like someone who isn’t interested?’

‘Well, no, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up, I thought maybe you might want some time to figure it out, I mean, you may have just been caught up in the moment. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship’ then she looked at me ‘or ours Leah, I’m sorry I didn’t say anything, I just didn’t want it to be awkward’.

‘Seeing you both naked, doing that’ I waved my arms around ‘was way more awkward than this conversation for me’ I laughed, ‘and you know how Kai and I got together right? I would never have gotten in your way. I want you both to be happy. And Awwwww look at you guys. You better both still be my best friends and include me in stuff’.

‘Definitely! No question. I was a little caught up in the moment, but because I like you, I don’t want to ruin our friendship either. But aren’t the best relationships built on friendship?’ Lis asked seriously.

‘Yeah, I guess they are. Is that what this is then? Are we in a relationship? Or is that too soon?’

‘I’m a one-woman girl, no messing about. Think we are too old for games. Sky, will you be my girlfriend?’

‘Yes!’

They embraced each other and kissed chastity before pulling away and looking at me.

‘Sorry, did I ruin your moment?’

‘No, but you are okay with this, right?’ Sky asked.

‘Hell yes! I feel like cupid. You wouldn’t be at this point right now if it wasn’t for my unexpected entrance’ I laughed as they both pulled me into their embrace.

‘Talking of which…. why are you here Leah? Not that we mind… but it’s like almost 10pm and you had gone home?’

‘Ahhhh yes…. Well…. That’s quite a long story… you guys got time?’

‘Are we going to need more wine?’

‘Definitely!’

Lisa headed inside to get the bottle and two more glasses, and I couldn’t help but smile as Sky watched Lis sashay into the house.

Now it was my turn to hit them with a bombshell.