scarred by KLeena Girl (animal farm read txt) 📖

Pulling her suitcase with her, Serena entered the platform and eyed her surroundings. The familiar place was full of hurrying and foreign people, though this place held a note of home.
„SERENA!” An excited voice suddenly shouted. Startled, Serena lifted her head to see Jenny standing at the top of the landing. Within a few seconds, Jenny made her way downstairs and through the mass of people. „I’m so happy that you’re here again!” She smiled and threw her arms around her guest. Serena returned the embrace and a smile slowly spread out all over her face. „Me, too.” Some people, having noticed the sudden outburst of them, turned their heads, but the girls didn’t care. Jenny pulled away a little and pressed an amicable kiss onto her cheek. „I’ve got so much to tell you! Oh, and David has called me earlier. He’d said that we could meet up with him at his father’s house this evening.”
„He’s already here?”
„Yes, he took a flight this morning. Guess, he hasn’t forgotten your words!”
„Then we’d better not let him wait!”


* * *


„Happy Birthday, Davy”, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace Serena added, „I wish you all the very best!”
„Thank you, sweetheart”, the birthday boy replied quietly, returning the embrace. His hands were placed on her slim waist, holding her close to him a few seconds longer than necessary. When she pulled away, he sighed. „Geez, twenty already…time passes by so quickly.”
Serena flashed a smile at him. „Oh come on, you’re not old. You should be happy about becoming so…” She turned silent for a moment. He could almost sense the thoughts running behind that pretty forehead of hers, but wasn’t able to read them, not even by concentrating on her green eyes. Suddenly those began to sparkle immensely and she continued. „Mature.”
„Mature?” A voice, unknown to Serena, said. „Are you kidding me? He’s still a kid at heart.” She swirled around to see a boy – no, more likely a young man – approaching them. A blue cap covered his short, dark blonde hair. He was about the same height as David, but he was much bigger. Not necessarily in weight, but in the size of his shoulders and limbs. Without further words, he held out a hand to the girl, which she took suspiciously. Shaking it, he introduced himself, „Hi, I’m Shane.” A boyish grin appeared on the foreigner’s features. „Dave’s future-boyfriend

.”
Serena’s face fell. „What the – ? David, what’s the meaning of this?”
„He’s being a fool”, David rolled his eyes. He was annoyed that Shane had ruined Serena’s compliment to him. „Don’t listen to him, sister.”
Now it was Shane’s turn to look surprised. His eyes widened, while he echoed, „Sister? So you’re the infamous person my friend always talks about!”
Unsettled, her gaze wandered back to David, whose face was growing red. „I don’t know…but hi, I’m Serena”, she explained friendly.
„Great, now that the two of you know each other, we can start with the party”, David’s loud voice said promptly. Pushing his friends along the corridor, he forced out a nervous laugh, „Let’s go.”
Oh, how much Serena loved big houses! And the villa of David’s father, here in Hamburg, was even more awesome than the one in her hometown. The living room was already decorated with garlands and flower arrangements. Stunned by the beautiful room, she didn’t notice all the people gathered up at the main table. Everyone important was here. Sebastian, André, along with other cousins of Lucas and Jenny, a lot of David’s old school friends and Jenny also had already found a place at the table. „Hey Serena, what are you waiting for? Let’s give our present to Newton!”


* * *


The warm summer air faded slowly, replaced by darkness and a sky filled with stars. Some guests had already left and Serena had just said goodbye to Jenny, when she stepped outside onto the balcony. She looked across the sky and settled her gaze onto Hamburg’s skyline. A wary memory washed over her, returning her nightmare of last winter for an instance, though it vanished fast before her eyes, after she had realized that there was another presence next to her.
Serena leaned forward and supported her weight with her elbows resting against the railings. „Were you serious?” She asked with a small smile, „About David, I mean.”
Shane raised an eyebrow at her. „In what respect? I like him. I know, he’s not gay, unlike me…but that doesn’t change the fact that I will try.”
Serena could hear a slight nuance of jealously between his lines. Soft laughter erupted from her chest. „That’s okay. I’m just a friend of his. It’s Davy’s business who’ll receive his affection.”
Shane’s voice sounded amused. „But I’m afraid your Davy’s as straight as an arrow.”
Both shared a short moment of laughing before Serena became silent again. Her eyes were unfocused and her empty look was directed at some distant buildings of the illuminated city. The last sunset’s colourful marks had transformed into a deep blue summer night. She consciously lowered her head. „Shane”, she addressed him, „how close are you and David?” The question had been burning on her tongue the whole evening. „Do you know about his – ?”
„Leukaemia?” The boy guessed. She could feel him watching her intently from the side before he decided to answer more concretely. „Yes, I was the only one, beside his parents of course, who knew about the disease.”
Serena shot a questioning glare at him. „He didn’t tell anyone else? Why?” Her mind was dealing with the new information in the meanwhile. Shane had said he was the only one who had been told by David. But Serena knew for sure that Lucas had been informed as well. So now she was wondering, how much exactly did Shane know about David? Was he aware of all the things happened with David, Lucas and her in the past or was it still all a secret to him?
„To be honest…He told me about you, actually a lot about you, that’s why I couldn’t understand that he didn’t tell you about the Leukaemia.” Shane averted his gaze, as he continued. „I don’t mean to sound cruel, but I thought you must be a horrible person for the fact that he didn’t trust you with his secret.”
Pale red lips opened and an inaudible gasp escaped them. Looking up again, he could clearly see the hurt in the young girl’s eyes. He quickly backpedalled. „I’m sorry, I didn’t want to put it like that. That had been my guess in the beginning. I thought he didn’t want to tell you because of the fear that you might abandon him, if you knew he was suffering from Leukaemia. Though, as time went by, I figured out what was behind David’s attitude.” He took a deep breath. „David cares about you so much. There wasn’t a single day, when he did not speak of you. Or think of you. He wanted to protect you.”
Serena was touched. Her anger at David had passed long time ago. She understood his reasons for his behaviour by now, although it always reminded her of how she hadn’t had the chance to be there for him.
„But there’s something more to it. My theory is that he needed you as a constant in his life. The only thing sane. I don’t know that much about his parents, but I noticed that the relationship is kind of tense. And the diagnosis of Leukaemia, well, isn’t easy to deal with. So the thought of you being okay gave him hope.”
Without realizing it, tears had welled up in her green eyes. Words failed her completely.
„In the end, I guess, you were his saviour. The one person that kept him from losing his mind. And obviously my impression of the two of you had been right.”
She didn’t understand, but the following sentence enlightened her.
„Sometimes I think you’re the only person in the whole world David truly cares about.”
There was a heavy pain inside of her throat from suppressing all her upset emotions. Breathing shallow, she whispered a heart-breaking „Thank you” into the night.
„There you are guys!” A smooth voice cheered. „Jenny asks if you really wanna stay here tonight? She said there’s always room for you at hers.”
Serena put on a happy expression, trying to push away all her mixed feelings for this moment. „That’s nice, but I know that there are already so many people staying at the Newman’s. So I think I’ll stay here overnight.” She smiled. Serena loved Jenny, but she really didn’t want to spend this night in Lucas’ old room. The fear of another nightmare and the overwhelming grief the room held wouldn’t be bearable tonight. It was David’s birthday and she wanted to enjoy herself. „If that’s okay with you, Dave?”
„Sure, sis. You can have the guest room and I’ll share the couch with Shane.”
Shane’s ears perked up at this and Serena laughed. „How gentleman-like of you, brother. But it’ll be okay if we both take the bed in the guest room. It’s big enough for two.”
„Whatever you want”, he replied, feeling relieved that he didn’t have to spend the night with his snoring friend. Said one however, Shane, was crushed at the sight of his lost chance with his crush.


* * *


Awkward. That was the word describing the scene the best. Both on their left side, facing the window, knees bent and almost touching each other. Awkward, yet comfortable, Serena decided. She could hear David’s breath deepen and realized he had already fallen asleep. She, on the contrary, didn’t feel like sleeping at all. But this time her thoughts weren’t racing about Lucas, any nightmares or things connected with Adam. Shane’s words kept coming back into her mind.
„Sometimes I think you’re the only person in the whole world David truly cares about.”

It was nice to know there was someone who really cared for you, though she had never realized how important she must have been for him. Reflecting upon her memories from the good old times with Lucas and the Newmans around, she noticed that back then, David had been her saviour, actually. It was true, Lucas had stopped her from killing herself, but it had been the Newton’s mansion which had become her home. Her place of shelter, her refuge.
So many nights, she had lain awake wishing those times back so badly. She still missed them, and Lucas, now, although tonight something had changed. The fear of walking through all this alone was gone. Serena wasn’t afraid of the future anymore. Because it seemed all so plausible in this moment: She was David’s constant. And he was hers.
As long as they would be together to share the ugly past and its secrets, it would be okay. She would be okay. Serena’s thoughts were interrupted, when she felt a warm hand sliding around her waist, pulling her a little bit closer. Her back touched his chest. Surprisingly she didn’t become uneasy at this. Quite the opposite, the fact of David holding her unconsciously just confirmed her realization. Calming down instantly, she closed her eyes to find some very needed rest.
„Serena.”
Her eyes flew open immediately. Was he awake?
In a whispered voice, she asked, „Davy?”
Straining her ears she tried to understand his answer. He was saying something, though it took her a while to make out his words. „I’m sorry”, he breathed into her brown hair. „I’m so sorry.”
Alerted and worried, she turned around to find him still asleep next to her. So was he dreaming? „It’s all my fault.” He said her name again, but this time is was already a soft cry. Serena