Born Again *on hold*

Chapter 6

'sure! ill give u all the details 2morrow?' was the reply that buzzed onto Abby's phone. A smile crossed her face for a second, and then it fell into a frown. There was no going back now, she couldn't just change her mind!  And what on earth was she going to tell her mum? That she was going shopping at 9 in the morning on a Sunday? Yeah, likely story!

Abby stared at the reply, unsure how she should respond, especially since she was now having doubts about even going. She quickly typed out 'gr8! thx, c u 2morrow!' and sent the message. She threw her phone down on her bed and got up, flicking her wheat coloured hair out of her face. As she got up, the movement caused the pizza crust still on the cardboard 'plate' to slip off onto her bed, and onto the floor. She turned round and looked at it, upside down on her dirty floor. Yay. More crumbs stuck in the disgusting carpet. The entire house was dirty, just because the hoover they owned was terrible, and they couldn't really afford a new one. Abby hoovered her room every few days, but the 15 year old portable vacuum didn't do a while lot. Abby bent down and picked up the crust, tossing it into the bin. She stood up and sighed. She already regretted her decision of texting Leyanne. Why why why why did she do that? She turned around, and caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her blue-grey eyes looked dead, and her skin looked equally lifeless, and quite unhealthy. It was all the makeup. She was still wearing her secondhand school uniform, laddered tights, a rolled up skirt and top button undone, her short, fat tie resting loosely around her neck. Most of the days make up had rubbed off by now, and Abby thought about how terrible she looked. She couldn't believe she even let the pizza delivery guy see her like this. If anyone from school saw her like this, she would be so embarrassed. She might have been supposed to be 'beautiful', but she definitely didn't feel it. She took a deep breath, and turned away from the mirror, her face pulled into an unhappy scowl, her lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed. She hated that she always got really freckly in summer, because it always took months for her freckles to go away. To her, when she looked in a mirror, all she saw was someone with a massive nose, and a massive mouth, but tiny, ugly eyes. In reality, all of Abby's features were normal sized, apart from her small eyes. She couldn't be called pretty, by the judgement of most people she knew, but she certainly wasn't ugly. But to herself she was. She had always cared too much what people thought about her. She didn't like caring that much, but she did, and there wasn't anything she could do about it.

The next morning, Abby stepped onto the old, dirty school bus; but was soon shoved back into the cold air. Despite being mid-May, it was still cold out, and there was a cold bite in the air that morning. The fog was lying low over the town, and it was hard to see more than a few metres in front of you.

Pulling her coat closer round her shoulders, and firmly pushing the fluffy headband-hat she got in Russia last year over her red ears, she pushed back onto the bus, and waved her pass in the direction of the driver, who was talking into his phone in Dutch, a packet of cigarettes lying on the dashboard. As Abby walked past him, she caught a strong smell of cigarette smoke. She wrinkled her nose up and put her bag down a few seats away. But as she was sitting down, someone called her name:

"Hey, Abby! Come sit here!" Abby turned around, and spotted Leyanne waving at her from halfway down the bus. Naomi-May, who she normally sat next to, was sat in front of her, next to a guy called Harris, who was a freak. No one ever sat next to him, despite the shortage of seats. He was a short and chubby nerd. His glasses were tiny circles, but very thick, and his greasy dirty-blonde hair stuck to his scalp, apart from where it was gelled up at the back. He was the weirdest boy in the school, always saying the most random things. He didn't really have any friends, because he was so annoying. But Naomi-May was sat next to him. Not ignoring him, but actually talking to him. They seemed to be having quite an interesting conversation, something to with the Earth...?

Abby got up to walk over to Leyanne, but then saw the year elevens sitting at the back. A whole two rows of them, staring at her through their mascara and eyeliner, flicking their hair. Those were the girls who invited Abby to parties. If she went and sat with Leyanne now, so would never be invited again. She didn't know what to do. She saw Leyanne's smile waver, as she saw the uncertainty on Abby's face. She tilted her face, a curious look on her face. As she leant her head to the side, her long, chestnut coloured hair fell to one side in its high ponytail.

Abby looked back to the year elevens. They were daring her do it with their eyes 'go on. Do it. But just remember, no more social life if you do.' Abby sighed.

"Sorry, Ley, I just wanna sit on my own today." She gave her friend a half smile, and looked at the older the girls. They were smirking at Leyanne, whispering to each other and mouthing rude stuff towards her. They looked at Abby and pouted happily. Abby rolled her eyes at them all and turned around, sitting down.

The rest of the journey was quiet. Abby was engrossed in her music, not paying attention to the conversations elsewhere on the bus.

"Hey." Leyanne said quietly, falling into step behind Abby.

"Oh, hey." she replied, looking around for any sign of a year eleven. Leyanne rolled her eyes, fed up.

"They aren't here, don't worry, I checked. I wouldn't want to ruin your reputation." she said bitterly. Abby gave a half hearted smile.

"Sorry about earlier, its just that-"

"I know, I get it! I was in that situation once too. Remember?" Leyanne chuckled

"Yeah." Abby nodded, agreeing, relieved that she didn't have to explain herself.

"So yeah. Church. Starts at half ten on Sundays-"

"Half ten? I thought church started at, like, nine!"

"Not quite!" Leyanne smiled, " it ends at midday, and here's the address!" She held her hand open, to show a scrap piece of paper with an address scrawled on it in a pink fine liner. Abby took the paper, and put it in her skirt pocket.

"Thanks! I have to go to the staff room now, Mr Gandall wants to see me, I'll see you round!" Abby smiled, and turned down a corridor towards the staff room, waving goodbye to Leyanne as she walked away.

"Thank you, God! Thank you!" Leyanne whispered, just quiet enough that no one heard. She grinned and walked away, a spring in her step that could only be put there if you had just helped to spread the word of the Lord.