Fingerprints ( #1 BOOK IN THE SERIES )

February (Part One)

As soon as the calendar page turns over, everything in school seems to turn red. For some reason, someone has gone to the effort of hanging red paper hearts all over the school and banners saying 'love is in the air'. It is enough to make my stomach feel sick.  I fight my way through the crowds of people who are all loved up, and through the jungle of red paper chains and make my way into tutor. Adam is already sat down in his seat so I take my seat next to him.

"How have you been?" he asks me while I take some of my books out of my bag.

"Fine, I guess. Any idea who has done all of this?" I ask, flaunting my arms around the room, pointing at all of the love hearts.

"I have no idea. Whoever did it must have a lot of time on their hands. Do you think it was one of the teachers?"

"Maybe, in all honestly, I don't really care that much. I have bigger things on my mind. Anyway, how are you?" I ask and he goes onto to tell me about how he took Laura out for an early valentines date and before he can finish his tale, Laura herself walks in.

A similar conversation breaks out between Adam and Laura about the mysterious Valentine's Day decorations and they begin talking about the weekend that they had. I am saved by Maddie walking into the classroom and the two of us talk about something which isn't the love hearts. Soon enough, the bell rings for the start of tutor and Cory still hasn't arrived.

"Where's Cory?" I ask Adam just after the bell rings.

From what I can remember, he has never been late to school which makes me begin to worry. Adam just shrugs his shoulders which doesn't help me. Mr Reynolds walks into the classroom, talking about something but I am not listening. Two minutes before the bell rings for the first lesson, he walks but something doesn't look right about him. There are dark shadows under his eyes as if he hasn't been sleeping.

"Where have you been?" Reynolds asks Cory as he walks into the room.

"I accidently slept in." He replies.

I know at once he is lying because if anything Missy would have woken him up at the crack of dawn as she gets ready for school. There would have been too much noise in his house if he had slept in.

"Where have you been?" I ask him once he has sat down.

"Like I said, I slept in." He tells me through gritted teeth.

"I don't believe you." I say back to him.

Then before I know it the bell rings and it is time for class. I have a different lesson to Cory which makes me glad because I need to cool down before I see him again.

That lesson soon passes and then I have English where I sit next to Cory. I think to myself that this will be a good opportunity to talk to him, to see what has really happened but he has other ideas. Instead he doesn't talk to me at all throughout the lesson or for the rest of the day.

When the final bell of the day rings, I rush out of school as quickly as I can, just wanting to be in the comfort of my own home. Tears spill from my eyes as I shut the front door behind me and I throw my bag onto the sofa.

"Hey, what is wrong with you?" I hear my mum ask as she walks out of the kitchen.

I try and stop the tears from falling down my face as I look at my mum. I explain to her everything that has happened throughout the day and even what happened when Cory told his parents about wanting to keep the baby. My mum wraps her arms around me, comforting me. She has not done this in so long; it makes me feel like I am small child once again.

"He really acted like that? I didn't think he would be the type of boy to act that way." She tells me while stroking my back.

"Neither did I." I say back to her, wiping more tears from my eyes.