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1588 Words
She limped down the corridor, tears falling off her face. Connor slipped his arms round her kissing her cheek she flinched. “You okay babe?”
“Yeah I’m fine she said wiping her tears away.”
“So how did it go with Harding?”
“Fine.”
“It don’t sound fine.”
“Not now Con.”
“Later then.”
“Mmm.”
They walked into class sitting down he had to find out why she was so upset. She looked out the window wondering why he’d made a pass at her and what the hell he was after? She couldn’t give him what he wanted.
“Babe, come on let’s go for a fag you look like you need one.”
“Sure.”
Thy pulled themselves up leaving the class heading for the smoking area he handed her a cigarette she took it off him, her hand shaking. “What did Harding say to you?”
She blew the smoke out. Still shaking. “Nothing.”
“You sure? I ain’t seen you like this before.”
“I’m fine, really.”
“Con, Autumn.”
He looked over. “Guys.”
They lit their cigarettes smoking till the bell went.
“We’ll see you guys later.”
“Sure.”
Connor placed his arm round her. “It’s going to be okay, babe.”
She said nothing as they walked to their lesson before lunch.
“So are we still okay to sit with the guys?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Just making sure you seem a little on edge.”
“I’m fine.”
“Okay, if you say so.”
“I do.”
They walked down the corridor to the dinner hall grabbing their lunch sitting down with their friends. They walked out of the cafeteria Autumn looked straight at Mathew cutting her eyes as they walked out. They had a cigarette before the bell went for registration and their last two lessons. Autumn and Daniel said good bye to Connor and they went into their last lesson.
Autumn and Connor said good bye to their friends. They stood bye the bridge.
“So what really happened between you and Harding?”
“Nothing.”
“I saw the way you looked at him babe, if looks could kill yours certainly would.”
“He just said things that hit home.”
He edged forward. “Don’t Con.”
“It’s just a good bye kiss babe chill.”
“I..”
He pressed his lips on hers kissing her. He moved away. “Come on, I’ll walk you to your door.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I promised your mom.”
“Okay.”
They walked away they stood by Autumns. “I’ll see you tomorrow, babe.”
“Okay.”
He kissed her cheek. “Later babe.”
“Later Con.”
She closed the door behind her he walked away wondering if she’d ever tell him what was really said between her and Harding.
5th November
Connor knocked on Autumn’s front door, she opened it. “I’m Sorry Con Mom insists on taking us again.”
“That’s okay, babe.”
“No Dan again?”
“No, I think he thinks he’s the gooseberry.”
“He’s not, we’re all friends.”
“I know babe.”
“Mom, Con’s here.”
“I’ll start the car.”
“Okay.”
She stepped out the door. “Morning Connor.”
“Morning Miss. Cleveland.”
“I advised her to stay home today, but she said she had to be in cause of seeing her shrink.”
“Mom.”
“Sorry Connor, we don’t talk about it.”
“It’s okay Miss. Cleveland it’s cool. I know she sees him he’s new he likes things to run smoothly and his patients on time.”
“Con.”
“I can’t call you a subject can I?”
“I guess not.”
“Let’s just say he helps those out that have issues.”
“Sounds just as bad.”
“Come on, I best be getting you two to school with that headmistress of yours.”
“Yeah if we’re not on time we’ll be in isolation.”
“Hop in.”
They all got into the car and she drove away dropping them off the same place as the day before.
“I’ll pick you up tonight.”
“I’ll be fine Mom. Con will walk with me. Won’t you Con?”
“Yeah I will. You’ve got nought to worry about Miss. Cleveland Autumn will be delivered straight to the door.”
“Thanks Connor.”
“My pleasure.”
“I’ll see you at home Autumn.”
“Yeah sure bye mom.”
“Bye Connor.”
“Bye Miss. Cleveland.”
Thy walked away. “I’m sorry about all this Con mom fusses too much.”
“It’s fine babe, really. Saves the legs.” He cracked.
She looked at him unimpressed.
“Come on let’s get in.”
He placed his arm around her and they went into the high school where their friends were waiting.
“So you two got a lift again?”
“We did.”
“This is coming a regular thing. Sure you two ain’t…”
“No we’re not come on.”
The bell rang and they all went in.
“So you got Harding this morning?”
“It’s the only reason she came in.”
“Con.”
“Well that’s what your mom said.”
“I’ll walk down with you I have Grayson.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll see both of you later.”
“Later.”
Connor went into registration as Daniel and Autumn walked down the corridor sitting down outside the offices. “So are you okay now Red?”
“I’ll live.”
“We’re really sorry.”
“You haven’t got any need to be I chose to join you.”
“I guess.”
Mathew opened the door. “So are we ready Autumn?”
“Yeah.” She pulled herself up and Daniel smiled.
She shot a short, brief smile his was going in.
He closed the door as she sat down.
He sat beside her, nerving her. “I noticed you were limping and you have a gash to your head so are you going to share how they happened.”
“I guess.’
“We’ll talk about your head first them move into your ankle.”
“Okay.”
He looked at her. “So what happened to your head?”
“An accident.”
“Some accident if you needed stitches Autumn.
“I went carting with the guys.”
“What guys Autumn? Be more specific.”
“Con, Dan, James, Harry and Ashby.”
“Oh I see.”
“It wasn’t like that it wasn’t their fault.”
“So whose was it?”
She looked at him. “Why can I remember everything bad that ever happened and not the good.”
“What’s do you mean Autumn?”
“I lied to them. I lost control.”
“Why Autumn?”
“Because they would think that I was fruited.”
“I’m sure that they wouldn’t.”
“They wouldn’t understand.”
“So tell me what happened so I can at least try and understand why you felt that you had to lie to your friends.”
“Everything was going fine til we’d all done a few laps, the walls were going way too fast and I drifted.”
“You seem to be doing a lot of that lately.”
“I just wanted to be normal and he ruined it.”
“Is this to do what you told me before half term?”
“Yes.”
“So you decided to face your fears head on?”
“Yeah like Halloween.”
“I don’t think that was really wise Autumn.”
“Maybe.”
“So tell me a little about what happened Halloween.”
She looked at him nervously.
“Me and my friends met up with Taylor and his for Halloween we were all dressed up we all went to the school disco they all thought that it would be cool to sneak away and to go into the cemetery on Halloween at midnight. Me and my friends were fourteen, they thought it would be fun to tell ghost stories and go into the cemetery. They all disappeared we all went in splitting up. He came out of nowhere Con and came at me with a scythe. I had no idea where my friends were, I screamed and ran he followed. It felt so much like that night I broke my ankle and had severe concussion from the blow to my head.”
“So who was was following you?”
“I don’t know Taylor was there when I came round no one else. He took me to hospital I couldn’t hardly talk. Sam picked us up, they argued about his foolishness. Mom was pissed she wanted me to stop seeing him.”
“At a guess you didn’t.”
“No, he made sure I didn’t I’d forgot all about it. Well I tried to until the guys asked me to join them Halloween.’
“What happened? It must’ve been really bad.”
“Noting much.”
- Writer
