Saturday Nights

• Liana Bonham, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2009

“Stop!” I screamed into the silence as I ran to the bedroom door. I could barely keep my eyes open from the tears welling up, but as I peered over the landing I caught a glimpse of him disappearing through the living room window, out into the dead of night. He paused briefly and looked up at me before he made his escape, and that’s when I knew…

I’m Elle Mae Everington. I live in a large two story home in Adelaide, South Australia with my dad, Joe. We used to live in sunny Mackay, but moved here just a few weeks ago to make a fresh start. Its just the two of us now, mum recently passed away from an aggressive type of breast cancer. Dad hasn’t been the same since.

My mum, Marie meant everything to him. They were high school sweethearts, married when they were just 18, and together ever since, until now. I know he’d do anything to have her back. When I was born they were overjoyed. I was the first and last child they ever had, so I guess I was special. We weren’t the richest, or the poorest family, but they always did their best to give me anything I sought after. What I wanted for most of all though, wasn’t material possessions, It was siblings. I longed for someone to spend the days with, but my wish never came true.

By the time mum found the lump and went to the doctor, it was too late. The cancer had already spread, and there was nothing we could do. We lost her within a matter of months. So it was time for a change. Dad and I both needed to get away, to forget. That’s why we moved here. It was the middle of the December holidays when we moved and although it had been at least 2 weeks since we settled into the new house I couldn’t bring myself to unpack the rest of my belongings for fear of finding something of mums amongst them.

The remainder of the holidays went by in the blink of an eyelid. I finished unpacking, found a few things of mum’s. I still think of her everyday, and wonder how different things would be if she was still here. My 17th is coming up in just a couple of weeks, I wonder how I will celebrate. Tomorrow is my first day of year 12 at North Adelaide State High School, I have my books packed and I am ready to be judged by the rest of the student population. It is also dad’s first day of work, he is starting as a detective at the local Police Station.

My first day at school was pretty relaxing. I met some of the girls; they seemed nice, and I also spied the most gorgeous boy I had come across in my life. He looked like a male model, and had the most intriguing emerald green eyes that shone like diamonds in the sunlight. It must have been quite obvious I was staring, for I heard one of the girls, Shelby mutter quietly “James King, he keeps to himself and we keep our distance. He doesn’t need anyone but his friends, trust me.” I had heard what she said but it just went in one ear and out the other, I had to get to know this boy.

Everyday I saw James and his friends, silently passing through the corridors to class. About a week later I managed a hello as he drifted by one day, he was on his own, and stopped. “Hello.” he had said, then proceeded to ask my name. I told him it was Elle, and he introduced himself. He then swiftly turned to leave and said, “I’ll see you around.” The feeling in my stomach as he stopped to talk to me was incredible, I thought it best not to tell the girls though; they’d never believe me.

The following months passed by in a blur of my birthday, exams, making friends, holidays and partying, and I started to see James quite regularly. We now hung out often, to the surprise of the rest of the school. He was quite a nice boy, although I hadn’t dared mention him to Joe, well not just yet.

Soon after we became good friends, we started dating, and the girls turned green with envy when they found out. “Nobody has ever been this close to James King before!” Shelby squealed excitedly, although I detected the hint of jealousy in her voice. I took James home to meet dad one day after school, they got along like a house on fire. From then on, things were great. Dad even allowed him to sleep over! I told James about mum when we first started dating, he was really supportive.

Things in Adelaide were going fantastic, well for me anyway. I had a great group of friends, I was getting good grades and I had the boy almost every girl at North Adelaide desired. The only thing that was missing was my mother, but I guess everything happens for a reason. Not long after, things started getting harder for Joe at work; there had been a couple of murders around Adelaide and it was his job to investigate and hopefully solve them. The most recent was the case of a young man found dead in an alley-way near one of the nightclubs in town. It wasn’t brutal, but they only evidence they had was he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs and he had a blow to the head.

After James heard about this case, he started acting exceedingly strange, he was increasingly jumpy at the slightest things, and looked over his shoulder constantly wherever we went. I just assumed it was because the nightclub the young bloke died near was the one James and his mates attended every Saturday night; they were there the night he was killed.

One day after school, about a week after the body was discovered, James and I were walking home from school. We decided to stop by his place for him to get clothes, as he was sleeping at mine again tonight. We were in his room, and as he was quickly packing his stuff, I noticed him shove a flat, white object into his bag. I didn’t think anymore of it until later that night.

At around nine- thirty that night I had a shower and slid under the silky covers of my large, timber bed. I was tired, I‘d completed two exams today, and had another tomorrow. Dad was already in bed, all these murder cases were tiring him out, so I thought I had better get some rest too. I must have drifted off before James came to bed with me, because when I woke up the clock on the bedside table read 3:03 am.

I looked up to see James peering down at me, whispering softly for me to wake up. He was sitting patiently on the end of the bed, so I sat up. “El, I have to go.” he whispered.
“What, but why James cant you wait until morning?” I mumbled.
“No, I mean I have to go away. I don’t know if ill be back.” He said barely above a whisper. My stomach churned with fear and my eyes suddenly went wide with worry. What was going on? “Just read the letter El, please.”
I felt his soft lips press against mine for what would be the very last time; and then he disappeared from the room. I found the letter he just mentioned beside me on the table.

My hands shook violently as I tore one end of the smooth paper from the envelope and slid out the neatly written letter, addressed to me. I began to read the words contained on the page quickly and quietly, and the more I read the harder it was to contain my emotion.

Dear El, Where do I start?
I’m so sorry. I can’t be with you anymore, well not now.
It’s not because of anything you’ve done, you need to know.
But you can’t suffer the consequences of my mistakes.
I don’t want to see you hurt.
The truth is, well.. the suspected murder in the alley-way, was my fault.
All my own doing.

My mates and I, we were leaving the nightclub to walk home when that guy came out after us, and started going crazy. He chased us down the street, and the boys split from me. The guy came after me and cornered me into that alley, we had a punch up for a bit then next thing I knew he had taken a blunt, rusty knife from his pocket and had it pressed firmly against my throat. I could smell the stench of whiskey amongst other things on his breath. I thought I was going to die. He was asking for something but I couldn’t understand, all I could manage was “I don’t have any, let me go.”

A couple of seconds later I heard a whistle, the boys had spotted me and were at the end of the alley, trying to distract this drug-crazed man. He turned for a second and I saw my chance. I pushed him with all the strength I could gather, and he stumbled backwards, landing head first on the concrete.

His skull hit the ground with a sickening shudder, I knew he was seriously hurt but I just had to get out of there, It was terrible. The boys and I cut for it back to my place after that, and none of us have been back around the area since.

So I have to go, before your old man finds out it was me, and I’m locked away forever. I don’t wanna be here when they find out it was me, don’t want to get taken away and never see you again, I can’t hurt you like that. I’ll come back for you, and you can come with me, wherever I go. Just you and me. Leave Joe a note and tell him your going up north for a bit, I’m sure he wont find it suspicious. But for now, just pretend this never happened.

I’ll see you again soon
Forever yours, James.

“Stop!” I screamed into the silence as I ran to the bedroom door. I could barely keep my eyes open from the tears welling up, but as I peered over the landing I caught a glimpse of him disappearing through the living room window, out into the dead of night. He paused briefly and looked up at me before he made his escape, and that’s when I knew…