A Way Out

Tamzin stared out of her bedroom window. The rain was hammering down on the window, ‘If it carries on like this Jason can stuff going out tomorrow’ Tamzin whispered to herself. She knew he would be mad. She knew what he would do. Still what fun is a country fair in the rain? She sighed and got up. Tamzin looked round blank room. With its cold white walls and roughed wooden flooring Tamzin thought it couldn’t be any more different than her room back in Londen. Back home her room as full of colour and life. With its slopping ceilings, great views and constant smell of incense sticks it. In Great Pickleton the only good thing about them room was the view. The view of the sea. It gave Tamzin hope. She loved sitting on her bed at night listening to the waves.

Her mother and the step-loser had decided to move. She missed West London so much it hurt. The hustle and bustle of was gone. In its place was Greater Pickleton. The most mind-numbing sea-side village on earth. Where the rainfall is counted in meters not inches. Tamzin sighed again. The fact that Greater Pickleton was boring was not the only bad thing about it. The main problem was Jason Ashton. Girls swooned for him, Tamzin knew that he was a player, she was not his first girlfriend and she defiantly was not going to be his last. You only had to ask any girl in the local high school about him and they would melt like an ice cube in a microwave.

‘Oh! His hair is so shiny….’
‘I wouldn’t mind a bit of him…’
‘And those deep yearning green eyes’
‘His eyes are blue...’
‘Who cares about his eyes its those muscles…’

Yeah those muscles that gave me the black eye. Tamzin thought bitterly. Jason had a short fuse. It was well known but no one ever thought he would hit a loved one. It had started a month ago. Jason thought Tamzin was eyeing up a guy at this club they went to so he had simply punched her in the face and said she better behave from the on. Tamzin had spent countless money on cover-up. She tried so hard to hide the cuts, bruises and scars. How could he love her when he did this to her? She had tried to get out of it many times but his charm brought her back every time.

‘Tamzin phone!’
‘Who is it ma?’ Tamzin asked her mother.
‘J.P!’ Her mother called back. Tamzin raced towards her phone connection.
‘Rain rain go away come back on Monday!’ J.P sang down the phone. Tamzin smiled at her best friend’s voice.
‘Let me guess its Rugby on Monday’ Tamzin laughed.
‘Tis milady’ J.P said sadly. ‘God I hate rugby’
‘You know this is why people say your weird J.P’ Tamzin cooed. True they did think he was weird but he was quite well liked, probably the pretty boy hair.
‘I do not care’ J.P said ‘You going to the fair tomorrow?’
‘Yeah I said I’d meet Jason there’ Tamzin said.
‘Have fun’ J.P said indignantly ‘I have to go Tam’
‘Oh ok..’
‘Talk later’
‘Ok J.P..’ But he had already hung up. Tamzin stared at herself in the mirror. She had become a ghost since being with Jason. He drained all the fun energy out of her. She picked up the phone again. Not anymore. She was fed up.

‘Hello?’ Jason said sleepily, yes it was three in the afternoon and he said it sleepily.
‘Jason…It’s Tam’ Tamzin said happily
‘Oh alright babe’ He said quickly it sounded like he was getting up very hastily.
‘Listen Jase I can’t make it tomorrow. My auntie is really sick and I have to go see her. I hope you not mad at me’ Tamzin said.
‘Who is it’ a girls voiced hissed.
‘Jason? Who’s there?’ Tamzin asked sternly.
‘Does it really matter?’ Jason said angrily. Tamzin sighed and sat down on her bed. ‘Look you have to come Tamzin! You’re meeting the guys’
‘I’ve met them before Jase’ Tamzin sighed again.
‘Look just be there’ Jason said with the same voice he used every time he was about to pound her face in.

Tamzin woke on the morning of the fair. It was raining. ‘Fit’s my mood’ Tamzin huffed. She tiptoed across her room into her en suite. Her red hair was curling out in a gorgeous halo. She didn’t even need to brush it. Jason liked it straight but Tamzin hated it. It looked beautiful curly. She grabbed her black tank top and hoodie and shoved it over her head. She pottered around for ten minutes looking for her jeans which she found under a pile of clothes. In the pocket as a photo booth picture of her and J.P. It had been taken a few weeks back. Tamzin’s heart leapt. She ignored it though and just walked downstairs as if nothing happened.

‘Why is your hair like that?’ Jason snarled when she walked over to his house. ‘I hate it curly. It’s ugly’
‘Well I couldn’t find my GHD’s’ Tamzin said shrugging.
‘You’d be better blonde’ Jason huffed.
‘Maybe you should date a blonde then’ Tamzin sniffed.
‘Maybe I should’ Jason spat walking up his garden path. ‘You coming?’
‘Wouldn’t you rather find a nice blonde to take?’ Tamzin snarled back at him. She knew what was coming. Jason stormed up to her and grabbed a chunk of hair. ‘Get off me!’ Tamzin screamed.
‘You coming now?’ Jason hissed.
‘FINE!’ Tamzin screeched.
‘Good!’ Jason snarled letting go off her hair. Several strands of her beautiful hair were stuck on Jason’s hand. He looked degusted and turned around and started walking off. Tamzin knew she had to go after him. He would just come back and hit her if she didn’t. Tamzin trotted after Jason.
‘Who was that on the phone yesturday?’ She asked Jason.
‘My sister’ Jason said quickly.
‘Gemma’s back?’ Tamzin asked. Gemma was Jason twenty-two year-old sister. She had walked out the house four months ago when she found she was three months pregnant. ‘She still having the baby?’ Tamzin added.
‘Yeah, the tramp’ Jason huffed.

‘’What a hypocrite!’’ Tamzin thought Jason had got many girls from Tamzin’s school pregnant in the past. He was a hump-um-dump-um kinda guy. Tamzin was playing a dangerous game being with him.
‘The house is empty. After the fair you could come back and we could have some fun’ Jason said reaching out for Tamzin’s hand. Jason had being trying to get Tamzin to sleep with him for weeks. She was never going to; she had morals and standards.
‘I can’t. I’m going round J.P’s for dinner. It’s his mom’s birthday’ Tamzin said.
‘You would rather hang out with him than me?’ Jason growled.
‘No Jason. However, it’s his mom’s birthday. I have to go’ Tamzin said.
‘Fine. You do that. It’s not like I can’t find someone to amuse me if you can’t be bothered to’ Jason sneered. Tamzin let go of his hand. Jason tired to grab it back but Tamzin stepped back. This was it. She had had enough.
‘Why don’t you go and find someone then’ She hissed. A taxi drove past them and stopped just outside Jason’s house. Tamzin turned to look at occupant. A tall girl in her mid-twenties stepped out. She had long black hair that hung down her back like a waterfall. She was quite skinny apart from the large pregnant stomach. She must have been into her seventh month now. It was Gemma.
‘JASE! I’M BACK! HAVE YOU MISSED ME?’ She cried. Running up to Jason as fast as her stomach would allow her to.
‘I thought you said Gemma was at home last night’ Tamzin said. Jason glared at her and Gemma. Gemma stopped in front of Tamzin and smiled.
‘This must be Shannon. I’ve heard a lot about you from ma. But I thought you were blonde. Changed it since last night’ Gemma laughed.
‘Shannon, as in Shannon Jacobs?’ Tamzin cried. She turned to Jason. ‘That’s who you were with!’ Tamzin reached out and slapped Jason around the face. It was the first time she had ever hit him.
‘Get in the house’ Jason snarled at Gemma. Gemma’s eyes were filling with tears. She was just as scared as Tamzin was. She turned and hobbled into Jason’s house. Once she was gone Jason turned to Tamzin. His blue eyes had turned black. He pushed Tamzin against the wall she was standing by. He grabbed her throat and started to strangle her. ‘Did you really think I would wait around for you, you little frigid’ he snarled. Tamzin tried to breathe but she couldn’t, Jason’s grip was too strong. ‘Shan was much better than you could ever be’ he snarled in Tamzin’s face. ‘I guess we’ll never know though’ He added pressing even more into Tamzin’s throat. ‘’This is it. I am going to die’’ Tamzin thought. ‘’Maybe this is my way out. My only way out’’

‘GET OFF HER!’ A voice yelled. Tamzin heard heavy pounding footsteps and the next thing she knew Jason had been banged into. Tamzin’s vision and thoughts cleared as she stared at J.P. Her J.P standing over Jason, his gray eyes burning. Tamzin burst into tears and fell to the floor sobbing. ‘LEAVE HER ALONE!’ J.P shouted at Jason. ‘I’ve always hated you Jason. She is an amazing girl and she doesn’t deserve what you’re doing to her!’
‘And what does she deserve?’ Jason growled. Realisation hit Tamzin, she knew who she needed and wanted in life.
‘Him’ Tamzin whispered. She stood up and walked over to J.P ‘I deserve J.P’ she said smiling. J.P grabbed her hand.
‘Your welcome to the cow’ Jason spat getting up, he started to walk off.
‘Hey Jase!’ Tamzin called. He turned round as Tamzin walked up to him. ‘I just want to give you one last thing to remember me by’ Jason looked at her with half a smile. With all her might, Tamzin kneed him in the groin. ‘Have a nice life’ she hissed.

‘’This is really my way out’’ Her entire body tingled as J.P’s lips touched hers. J.P wrapped his arms around her waist. ‘’It really is’’