Escape Route (Decode Sequel)

Chapter Three - Conspicuous.

Harry.

 

“She is the sun, warming every cold aspect of my life, the heat of her existence lulls me to a place of comfort.”

 

We’d barely stepped through the front door before my mum was attacking us. I swatted her hands away several times before I gave up and let her ruffle my hair and attempt to wipe some non-existent dirt from the corner of my mouth. She looked over the moon to see us, if she smiled any wider her jaw would run the risk of breaking.

I watched her fuss over Lennon as if she were her own, although it was a weird concept to even think, because that would make us related, and whatever we were doing, would be very wrong. Lennon enjoyed the fussing a lot more than I did, but I still heavily plastered a smile on my face. I wasn’t ungrateful or annoyed by my mum and even if her in your face attitude was sometimes a little over bearing I couldn’t show that, especially around Lennon. I had a lot more than she did, the least I could do was appreciate it.

After we’d sat around the kitchen table for what seemed like hours but in reality was only one and a bit, I almost forgot the reason why we were there in the first place. My smile and heart sunk a little at the realisation of the situation. The cup of tea in front of me slowly grew cold and undrinkable as I tried to muster up how to bring up the subject. Lennon was chatting away with her as if they were old friends catching up on all the gossip; obviously I was the centre of the conversation. I gave them the odd sarcastic eye roll or hint of a smile as I caught the odd end of sentences.

I had been zoned out for a while, I couldn’t help but be complexly fixated with everything she did. The way she smiled as if she was truly happy, the way her lips were tinted the prettiest pink I’d ever laid eyes on. Her loud laugh left a pleasant ringing in my ears seconds after she silenced herself. Her hair cascaded past her shoulders so effortlessly, her face shone brightly under the fluorescent kitchen lighting and even though she spent barely minutes getting ready, she blinded me with her beauty.

It wasn’t just the outside, the inside was just as spectacular. She is the east and west of my compass, she makes my head spin and I don’t know how she does it, but she does.

My mind returned to the conversation when I heard the mention of my name again. I looked up from my cold tea and flicked my eyes between the pair, silently asking what was going on.

“Lennon said you had something to ask me?” My mums face looked worried at the prospect, but she had every right to be. Her son was part of a gang, which was never good news. She knew whenever I needed to ask her something or keep her safe, mother’s instinct she insisted. Her eyes were wide in anticipation and worry. Lennon grabbed my hand under the table and gently rubbed my knuckles with her thumb.

I sighed heavily, “It’s about Vince.” I winced saying his name. I couldn’t refer to him as my dad around my mum, she hated him, every ounce of him for leaving her, leaving us.

Her face turned sour as soon as his name spilled from my lips. Her chair scraped along the tiles and she was heading out of the room seconds after. I quickly followed, Lennon in tow too, looking almost guilty.

“I told you I didn’t want to ever speak of him again,” she muttered as she stared out of the front room window. I stood next to her and gripped her hand tightly in mine. I was almost a foot taller than she was, it was clear where I got my genes. Even if you’d never met my dad, I wasn’t exactly the spitting image of my mum.