Her Heroes

Chapter Twenty-Six

As soon as Armel pulled the car into the drive, I was out and moving. 

"Belle, what's got you in such a rush?" I ignored his calls and scurried into the house. 

While I bounded up the stairs and towards the door to my room, I sighed. Nobody could be seen in any direction so I took the chance and shrugged the school blazer off, leaving only the short-sleeved white polo on. 

When I was safely in the confines of my room, I shut the door, not paying attention to it or the light switch, and yanked the polo off.

Flexing my shoulders, I rolled my neck and sighed. The tension and itching, that had made a home in my scars, was finally subsiding.

"He wasn't kidding." My head whipped around, looking for the source of the voice in the darkness. 

Léon's form seemed to materialize from nothing as he stepped into the waning light that the windows provided. 

Taking steps back, I picked my blazer off the ground and shrugged it back on. My fingers tapped fervently against my thigh as I watched his dark eyes light with anger.

"When did all of that happen?" Tears coated my eyes as he matched each one of my steps back. "I just want to help Nadia, when did all this happen?" I shook my head, no, and he growled. His hand flew and I flinched as it made contact with the wall. I was surprised that there wasn't a hole there. My eyes widened to saucers as I stared at what had just happened. "Nadia, I didn't mea-" It was too late to reason though. 

Footsteps raced behind me as I sprinted down the hall, down the stairs, and out the back door, into the dimming light of the back gardens. 

I only stopped running when I was in the safety of my circle. He had to know I was here, but he also had to know that I needed space. 

There was no way I could dance right now, so instead, I sat on the bench and tried to puzzle out what had happened. Everyone was destined to find out now, there was no way he wouldn't tell everyone what he saw. My back wasn't a pretty sight, between the long scar on my right side, and the multiple cauterized or scarred wounds, it was grotesque, just like the rest of my body. It was all dirty, every last part of it.

***

A gentle hand touched my leg and I looked up through glossy eyes to see Annette sitting next to me. Sniffling, I wiped my nose on my arm and rubbed my palms on the skirt and tights I was wearing. I hadn't even realized I started crying until now.

"You know chérie, sometimes it helps to have someone to talk to." I motioned to my mouth and the old lady chuckled. "Don't worry, I didn't forget." Her hands moved in time with her lips and my eyes widened. "Once upon a time, I signed every day. Hercule said you're learning, oui ?" 

I bobbed my head and she smiled. 

"Magnifique, we can start now then. I believe they can manage until dinner is done in the oven... that is if they don't kill each other first." She winked at me, her eyes shining though her skin held a new pallor, one that I hadn't noticed before.
(Magnificent)

Carefully, she took my hands in hers and began to help me spell out the alphabet. Two days of sign language classes had done little to teach me, given that the teacher only spoke broken English most of the time. 

It seemed odd that Annette could sign so well. When did she learn? Did she grow up knowing it?

Shouting drew us both from our bubble of comfort and we looked up to see the boys standing at the back door, waiting for us.

"That's our cue then, I guess. Until next time mon chérie." She smiled and stood slowly before looping her arm through mine and walking back to the house with me. If anyone else had touched me like this, I would be in a full-blown panic, but Annette, she made me feel comfortable. She was almost like the mother I lost in the car accident.