Edward narrowed his eyes.
“That’s a bit personal isn’t it?” He asked.
She took a deep drag. Edward was amazed by her lung capacity. She held the sweet smoke in for what seemed like minutes.
“Holding the smoke in for longer doesn’t get you any higher.” He stated, to break the silence that was building.
Audrey exhaled.
“Where’d you hear that?” She countered.
Edward carefully rolled another joint from the little bag she’d produced,
“Read it in the nurses office. You know, that little green book with all the pictures of the dead druggys? Apparently it’s supposed to give us all the facts but frighten us enough not to do anything.”
“Hah. Oh right, they sent that to my mum once.”
Another long silence. Audrey started to laugh, and lay down. She pulled her cigarettes out of her bag and lit one.
“Isn’t this the most perfect moment?” She asked. She was staring up into the trees, her hair curling up around her neck.
“What’s perfect is the way that the sun catches on hair. It’s quite red in the light, did you know?”
The drugs were making him strangely confidant. He could feel his brain getting sticky and his tongue wasn’t working at its normal speed. Edward lay down beside Audrey and closed his eyes.
“Apart from the teachers,” He said “You’re the first person to really talk to me this year.”
“Are you going to answer my question about the scars?” She asked.
(Flashback)
Edward stood straight, his back against table leg. His eyes were wide and his mouth was dry. The afternoon sunlight was filtering through the net curtains, leaving patterns on the hard wooden floor. His Mother leant heavily against the kitchen bench, the steam from the boiling jug reaching up and out the window.
“Get out.” She whispered to Bruce, their latest ‘Uncle.’ Her lank blonde hair hung in strings down her shoulders, her eyes blank and hollow. Edward watched as Bruce slammed the back of his hand into her face.
“Bitch.” He said, “I own you.” Edward watched all the fight leave his mothers face, his little hands cold and clammy. But Bruce wasn’t finished with her; he slammed her backwards over the sink and slapped her face again. Edward ran across the room and stood in front of his mum.
Barely reaching Bruce’s bellybutton and all of six years old, Edward knew there was nothing he could do. Bruce laughed and pushed him heavily aside. Edwards hand shot out, reaching for something to steady himself. Grabbing the dangling cord of an unseen appliance, the boiling water hit him. And then everything went black.
Edward laughed.
“Audrey, you seriously don’t want to know, “
He stood up suddenly,
“I have to get home.”
Audrey looked up at him, she sensed how deeply uneasy he was.
“See you tomorrow.” She said, “9am. I’ve got some stuff to show you.”
He made no comment, and she watched his retreating back all the way across the park.
