48
1729 Words
Autumn stood smoking as Daniel approached her. “You okay Red?”
“She looked at him. “Yeah I’m fine.”
“Only your eyes said you weren’t earlier.”
“I just hate talking about the past and what brought me here.”
“I understand.” He said, lighting a cigarette.
“I hate my life.”
He coughed. “How come?”
“It just seems like everyone’s out to ruin it.”
“Not everyone surely.”
“It sure as hell feels like it.”
He looked at her about to talk.
“Hey babe.” Connor said, kissing her on the cheek.
“Hey.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah fine.”
“Hey Dan.”
“Con.”
“Where’s the guys?’
“Ain’t seen them.’
“Detention no doubt.” He said, lighting his cigarette.
“Your late today.”
“Yeah b***h. I have to re-do my essay, she said I hadn’t put enough thought into it.”
The bell rang and they all doubted out their cigarettes. “Come on let’s go.”
Connor dropped his arm over Autumns’ shoulders and they all walked away to their next lesson.
They sat next to their friends for lunch.
“So another detention?”
“w***e, said we were messing around.”
“And were you?”
“Who us?”
Connor looked at them raising his eyebrows.
“Just a little, but we were board we’d done all of the work.”
“Yeah, then she said it weren’t good enough.”
“Bet you need a fag now?”
“Would kill fortune right now.”
They all pulled themselves up going out side heading for the smoking corner to have a cigarette.
The bell rang. “Guess we’ll see you later.”
“Yeah you will.”
They all went into registration then their final two lessons. Daniel and Autumn walked into their last lesson handing their assignments in. “I hope she liked it.”
“I hope she don’t throw it back at us and ask us to do it all over again.l
“Me too.”
Connor dropped his arm over Autumns shoulders kissing her cheek. “So how did it go?”
“Only time will tell.”
They all walked out of school meeting their friends walking home, chatting and laughing down the road before saying their goodbyes.
Connor looked at Autumn. “Dan said that you had the look of betrayal after yo saw Harding.”
“I was angry”
“At him?”
“I guess . He didn’t answer me I had to ask him twice.”
“Has he done it before?”
“No.”
“So the bell caught him off guard.”
“I guess, but that’s no excuse.”
“You sure that you weren’t angry about anything else?”
“My friends dying and leaving me all alone.”
“I’m sure that they didn’t mean to.”
“So why do it?”
“Easy way out I guess, or love.”
“Will you ever leave me?”
“No babe. I promise.” He kissed her softly. LI’ll always be here for you. I promise.”
“I don’t want to loose any of you.”
“You won’t.”
He placed his arms around her hugging her. “I have to go babe, if you need me call me okay.”
“Okay.”
He kissed her cheek. “Night babe.”
“Night Con.”
He walked away as she stood watching the ripples across the river. She seemed so far away today and he’d noticed, but how could she tell him about Gaz? She didn’t want any of this she’d told Con that she wasn’t interested in Gaz. And now she was meeting up with him.
The bike pulled up. She hoped her mother wouldn’t see her. “Hop on Autumn.”
“I…”
’“It don’t bite.”
She swallowed he took her hand pulling her up onto the back of the bike and she held onto the back of his jacket. He revved up and pulled away.
They turned many corners he pulled up onto the grass they pulled themselves up off the bike and her took her hand leading her over the grass pulling her down onto it.
“So how did school go?”
“Okay, I guess.”
“You walk home with Jae and the guys?”
“Not tonight just Con and Dan.”
“Oh okay, bet it’s handy Con living so close to you.
“I guess.”
“Have you spoke to him about us?”
“No, what’s there to tell?”
He glided his fingers through her hair and down her face making her nervous. “You don’t have to be nervous around me Autumn.”
“I’m not.”
“You are, we’re just getting to know one another.”
“Okay.”
“So where are you from originally?”
“The Netherlands.”
“Wow, So I guess moving here was a big step.”
“Yeah.”
“So why did you move here?”
“It’s a long story.”
“We have forever Autumn. I’m not going anywhere.”
“My parents got divorced it split the family up. Me and mom moved over here.”
“Is that why you’re seeing a shrink?”
“No , other stuff.”
“What other stuff?”
“Personal..
He edged forward. “Maybe you can tell me when you get to know me better and trust me more.”
“Maybe.”
“So what would you like to do when you leave school?
“I’m not sure.”
“I wasn’t either.”
“So what about you Gaz there has to be more to you than the go carting in town and here.”
“Not really no. My olds were pissed when I dropped out of college. I tried Autumn it just wasn’t for me I thought it was. I was wrong. I met Juels at college we were good friends he said that there was a job going at the go carting if I was interested he’d ask his dad if I was interested, I was. I worked weekends and in the hols to begin with then full time when I dropped out. I decided that I needed a second job and I ended up here.”
She smiled.
“You have a pretty smile.”
It faded.
“What’s wrong what did I say?”
“Nothing.”
“It’s a complement Autumn don’t knock it. You’ll get plenty believe me.”
“Maybe.”
“You will you’re a good looking chick. He moved forward pressing his lips on hers kissing her passionately.”
She quickly pulled away. “Sorry I can’t do this.”
“Give it a little more time, Autumn.”
“I can’t.”
“You can.” He edged forward. “Here after school.” He said, pecking her in the cheek before pulling away.
Tears slipped off her face how could she keep doing this.
20th November
Autumn walked out of her maths lesson one class which she didn’t share with
Connor, they’d become close friends, but she hadn’t completely let him in. A dark coloured book dropped out of her bag he picked it up. “Hey Autumn!”
She turned the corner he slipped it into his bag continuing to his next lesson.
He sat on the field waiting for her he slip0ed the book out of his bag. He opened it knowing he shouldn’t but he did anyway. He looked slowly through the photos of her and four other girls smiling something he never seen her do she looked so happy. He continued looking through the photos there’d got to be at least fifty maybe more photos in the album boys and girls in a strange uniform.
’“Hey what you looking at?” She asked sitting beside him.
He looked up. She looked over. “Whose are those?”
“You dropped them I shouted you, but you were gone.”
“So you just thought you’d keep them?”
“I was running late, so I thought I’d give them to you when I saw you.”
“What gave yo the right to look through them?”
“I’m sorry I got curious.”
“Give it back.”
“You looked so happy.”
“I was.”
“So what happened?”
“Stuff.’
He handed her the photo album back. She took it off him. “You looked close,Who was he?”
She looked at the photo of her and Taylor his arm wrapped around her. Her lips trembled. Tears began to fall off her face.
“You okay Autumn?”
“Fine.”
“You don’t seem fine must’ve been some guy to cry over.”
“Taylor.”
“Who?”
“His name’s Taylor, he was in year nine when we first met. He was so different, we met accidentally.’
“You went into the lower meeting ground?”
“Yeah. We’d’ve been so dead if we’d’ve got caught. Taylor and his friends came over to us.”
“Hey this is our if limits.”
“Sorry I-we.”
“You’ll be so f*****g dead.”
“Please don’t grass.”
“We won’t as long as you let me take you out.”
“What?”
“Let me take you out and your secrets safe with me.”
“You blackmailing me?”
’If that’s what you prefer to call it.” He said looking at her. “So do we have a date?”
“I guess.”
“Sweet. Saturday. Meet me at the school gates at eleven am don’t be late.”
“What if you’re not there?”
“Oh I will be. Will you be?”
“Yeah,”
“Good.”
He kissed me butterflies turned in my stomach. He moved away. “Saturday.”
I smiled walking away.
“I’m Taylor, what shall I call you?”
“Autumn.”
“Well I’ll see you Saturday, Autumn.”
I smiled.
- Writer
