Starcross'd (EE fic)

[kirstienod]

Please do more

[kirstienod]

More soon i cant wait!

[kirstienod]

It's brill! You havent done any for ages and ages please do some more soon! keep up the good work

[kirstienod]

This was so good, please do more torrie?

[kirstienod]

this story was so good and you have had loads of replies to carry it on so please do carry it on

[kirstienod]

please please please carry on! anyone here? im sooo alone!

[kirstienod]

torrie, you're story was brillant, still is lol, please do more soon

[kirstienod]

please do more soon! its brillant!

[*Jazzi*]

this is great plz do more soon

[Torrie]

I'm sooo sorry real life got majorly in the way of me writing this but, wow - big thanks to those who stuck with it!

*

“Alright?”

“Alright.” Demi nodded, almost shyly, when she saw Leo stand up as she approached.

Having taken Tash’s talk to heart, Demi had suddenly decided she needed to see Leo – she didn’t know what she was going to say, but that didn’t matter. She just needed to see him and this place seemed like the obvious choice – neutral ground since they couldn’t risk either of their families finding out and a place they had come to think of as their own, in spite of the fact that it was pretty popular with most of the local kids. The rooftop of the block of flats where Leo lived had become a real getaway for more than just them, but at least there no one cared about them being together. It wasn’t the best place in the world – usually cold, damp, littered with cigarette butts, empty beer tins or worse and filled with the sound of thumping music or shouting – but so long as they were together, none of that mattered.

“So … ya got away alright?”

“Yeah.” Leo nodded, “Mum reckons I’ve left for school.”

“Oh.”

“How’d you manage it?”

“Erm … same.” Demi quickly lied as suddenly this didn’t seem like such a good idea. If she told him and he didn’t want to know, everything would be ruined …

“You alright?”

“Yeah, course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Dunno – you just seem a bit … off. And how come you wanted to see me? Sounded important from that text.”

“Not really.” she said hesitantly with a shrug. “Just didn’t fancy goin’ in to school today – didn’t think you’d mind.”

“I don’t. So … what d’ya wanna do instead?”

“Dunno … Just stay here for a bit?” she said, watching as he nodded and sat down on one of the abandoned car seats – no doubt ripped out by joyriders or vandals at some point – before joining him.

“Better than school any day.” Leo grinned, but she could only manage a weak smile in response as she couldn’t help wondering if he would still be sitting there with her if he knew the truth.

*

“Ya really think this is a good idea, babe?” Mickey asked his girlfriend as they waited for the lift to take them to the ground floor, sounding unsure himself. “I mean, the Taylors ain’t exactly gonna be happy if we turn up on the doorstep. And even if Demi did want to see Leo, I don’t think she’d go round there and risk facing his mum and dad …”

“Ya know something? You’re right.” Tash said, leaning back against the wall with a sigh.

“D’ya think maybe next time you could say that without sounding so surprised?” Mickey grinned, but she was already lost in planning their next move.

“You got your mobile on you? Just try phoning her …” suggested Tash, impatiently leaning over to fish in the pocket of his jeans herself.

“Oi, if you can’t keep your hands offa me, ya only have to say!” he laughed, adding as she found his phone and began scrolling through the stored numbers, “You ain’t gonna get a signal in here anyway – and even if you do, Demi won’t answer when she sees my name come up ‘cos she’ll know we’re gonna be looking for her.”

“What about my number? I could try from my phone once we get outta here …”

“Nah, she’ll know it too – I’ve called her from your phone before so she’s probably got it stored now.”

Making a little noise of frustration, Tash resorted to pacing around in the confined space.

“Don’t worry – it ain’t like she can have gone far and Demi wouldn’t do anything daft … or dafter than she already has anyway.” Mickey said, trying to reassure his girlfriend.

“That’s not what’s getting to me – not completely anyway. You know I hate these lifts and it’s taking ages - we must be stopping at every flaming floor!” she admitted, glowering at the doors. “Remember that time we got stuck between floors and no one could fix it for hours? We shoulda gone the stairs …”

“We weren’t stuck for that long … It’ll be alright, darlin’.”

“It was long enough! I was never more relieved than when that engineer bloke got the doors open.”

“I coulda killed him – ten more minutes and I’d have had you talked into passing the time playing Strip I-Spy!”

“Yeah, you wished!”

“Over and over!” he grinned in agreement and at that moment, the lift ground to a halt and the doors slid open, having finally reached the ground floor. “There we go – ground floor and no getting stuck. Shame …”

The two hurried out of the building but soon stopped, looking around without really knowing what to do next.

“If they ain’t gonna be at the Taylors, where do we try?” asked Tash.

“Dunno … Park? Shops? …”

But inspiration struck them both at the same time – “Roof!” they both exclaimed.

“Oh, not that bloody lift again …” Tash muttered, reluctantly following Mickey, but protesting as he continued away from the building. “Where ya goin’? Thought we were trying the roof?”

“We are – but that one.” he explained, pointing to the tower block in which the Taylors lived, “They always hang out over there ‘cos mum and dad would be more likely to spot them round here but Leo’s mum and dad don’t seem too bothered ‘bout where he is most of the time. It’s the most likely place they could be – come on.”

*

“What are we gonna say if we do find them?”

“Huh? We’ll tell Demi to get her backside home before her mum has a fit of course!” Mickey said, sounding a little puzzled by the question.

“I know she shouldn’t have took off like that without saying anything to anyone, but …”

“But?” he prompted.

“I just … can’t really blame her.” Tash admitted, “Well, can you?”

“It ain’t about blaming her, Tash – there’s just so much she has to think about before she can go swanning off like that. She ain’t seen a doctor – it ain’t even been confirmed that she is pregnant and that everything’s ok – and everyone’s still in shock about this. Including her. It’s just … complicated.”

“So it’d be different if it weren’t Leo’s?”

“Yeah … No … Maybe. She’s thirteen, for cryin’ out loud! It’s bad enough already. It just makes it worse that he’s involved.”

“That stupid row – that ain’t nothing to do with Leo or Demi. Or you. Or Darren, or your mum or Trish. Keith and Ray, that’s what it comes down to and it’s getting ridiculous.”

“You think I don’t know that?” demanded Mickey defensively, “But what can I do? That’s just the way it is now so we have to get on with it.”

“I was just saying!”

“I know, babe – sorry, I didn’t mean to bite your head off. I know you’re right, but there’s nothing any of us can do about that until they decide to sort things out themselves. And this ain’t gonna help – I can just her ‘em when they find out …”

“Leo! I’ve told you time and time again about bunking off school – when I get hold of you …”

Exchanging a startled look, both Tash and Mickey recognised the harsh voice as being that of Ray Taylor, Leo’s dad, and both hurried out onto the roof of the building, hoping to diffuse the situation.

“That’s all we need …” groaned Mickey as they spotted Leo and Demi, just as they had hoped, but with the added complication of both Leo’s parents confronting the youngsters.

“Your teacher rang – says you ain’t been at school all week …” said Trish angrily.

“And now we know why!” his dad interrupted. “I warned you about this, Leo – I warned you over and over. Well, maybe it’s time you were really taught a lesson!”

*

to be continued...