Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Summer

I had never been very good at making friends, and the ones I had, I struggled to keep. I was nearly an adult and I had no one I could rely on, the thought of which produced bile in my stomach. I spent the first half of the day trying to befriend some of my new classmates, but by lunchtime I'd given up and focused on my studies. This course was going to equip me with the foundations I needed to do some real good in the world.

To help people feel less alone.

To be there for those who really needed it, because no one should ever feel as though they aren't loved. Everyone had a voice that deserved to be listened to, so if I could help just one person as a counsellor, I'd be over the moon.

Our teacher handed out numbers to each of us to determine our work partner for our Introduction to Health and Social Care worksheet.

"I'm number seven," I said amongst all the other students shouting out their numbers and moving around the classroom.

After a while, Evie Burns approached holding up a piece of paper with the number seven scrawled over it.

"We meet again," Evie said, but all I could do was smile in response as she pulled out the chair and sat next to me. "When was the last time we sat together?"

"I think it was year nine French, wasn't it?"

"Oui," Evie said, laughing as she shuffled her chair further under the table next to me.

"Oh god, don't. I'm still having nightmares about that class." I chuckled, thinking about how dreadful my attempts at speaking another language had been. I was hopeless. In fact, I'd barely conquered the English language if I was being totally honest with myself. "I'm so thankful French wasn't mandatory after year nine, but at least if I were to ever go to Paris I could order all the green salad I could ever wish for."

"Oui, salade verte." Our laughter erupted at the back of the classroom, resulting in a death glare from the teacher who was handing out the worksheets.

After discussions within our pairs about the definition of care, communication and health, we were dismissed a couple of minutes before the end of day bell rang.

"It's been fun to catch up. Thanks for today, Evie. " I smiled and waved as she was about to head home with Lola.

"Et toi," Evie waved and then shouted, "That means ‘and you'."

I laughed to myself as I folded my homework sheets and placed them in my handbag before making my way to the car park. Who'd have thought I'd have had a Health and Social Care and French lesson combined.

I walked out of the classroom with my tits and teeth the first things you'd see as I rounded the corner, but this time, my smile was genuinely beaming. I'd known Evie for a long time but we'd not spoken much, probably because we felt like we had nothing to talk about, but in actual fact, we had a lot more in common than we'd thought.

I waited for around ten minutes for my mum's distinctive lime green car to turn the corner into the car park, but nothing. I took my phone from my handbag and woke the screen up, which revealed a text that had silently been delivered.

Mum: I'm sorry, lovely. I was called into work. I'll pick you up another day soon. I promise.

I couldn't have hidden the disappointment on my face if I'd tried. Really, I should have expected it by now after the countless times I'd been stood up by my own mother.

At least she was consistent.

She worked hard. She kept a roof over our heads. I had to count myself lucky for all the things I had because of her, because although I didn't have it all––I had enough.

Later that afternoon, after enduring the walk home to get a change of clothes, I strolled into the gym. The pink ‘no pain, no gain' sign on the wall did incredible things for my complexion as I checked my appearance in the floor length mirror. My grey gym leggings and pink tank top hugged my figure in the most perfect way, I even turned a few heads as I hopped onto the treadmill to begin my cardio.

I popped in my earphones, clicked on my Taylor Swift playlist and began walking in time to the music. Droplets of sweat began beading on my forehead just fifteen minutes into my walk on a steep incline. In my head, I was walking on a cat walk or stage somewhere, performing to thousands of people, and the sweat on my forehead was from the heat of the spotlights that shone on me.

I was quickly dragged back to reality when Alfie jumped onto the treadmill next to me. His presence made me jump, and his mouth moved but I heard nothing but Taylor Swift tackling the bridge of ‘Ready For It…'.

I took out one earphone and stared at Alfie blankly. "What did you say?"

He smirked and deposited his water bottle in the slot on the treadmill beside mine. "I said mind if I join you?"

"Oh, not at all. How was your day?" I said, slightly reducing the speed on the treadmill so I could speak without panting.

"You know, I've had worse," he said with a wink. "Lunchtime was especially enjoyable. How about you?"

Lunchtime was enjoyable. I loved being in his arms. I loved that he was doing anything and everything he could to show me he was interested. Maybe Alfie had turned over a new leaf during the summer. I didn't know, but what I did know? Whatever new version of Alfie this was, I liked it very much.

"Lunch was good. So was the start of the day. I didn't realise our brief gym encounter would warrant an invite to your party, and as your date no less."

He fiddled with the machine settings and started walking beside me, his head nodding in time with his steps. When he spoke again, there was a strange, unfamiliar vulnerability to his voice. "You are going to come, though, aren't you?"

I looked into Alfie's eyes to see they'd softened. He wasn't grinning or showing off; there were no false pretences. It was just him—a boy asking a girl to go to his party. Plain and simple.

I didn't want to look too eager, even though my heart jumped in my chest at the thought of being on Alfie's arm for the night.

"I'd hate to let you down. Besides, I've got a brand new outfit that's dying for an outing. I'll be there, Wilson."

"Okay, good," he said with an adorable smile I'd never seen before. "It wouldn't be as good without you there."

I smiled at the sincerity in his voice, popped my earphone back in as Alfie continued to walk on the treadmill next to me, and replied, "You're right. It really wouldn't."